The Best Men's RGM Watches for Under...

RGM Watch Co was founded in 1992, in Pennsylvania, by Roland G Murphy.  He began his horological life in high school, where he worked half days for a clock company, in the cabinet shop, working with wood.

By the 1980's he had enrolled in Bowman Technical School in Lancaster, PA.  And in 1986, he furthered his training when he moved to Switzerland due to his acceptance in WOSTEP.  After finishing the program with WOSTEP, he was hired by SMH to work in product development for Hamilton Watch Co.  He advanced and remained with Hamilton until 1992.

Since then, he has been blazing a path in reigniting the American watchmaking industry.  He employs a lot of history in his watches, using design and function ques from both American history and Swiss history.

The Best Men's RGM Watches for Under...

The best men's RGM watch under 5000 dollars

Professional Pilot with Date/Titanium

Model: 151-PR-Titanium

Case: 38.5mm, Titanium

Band: Leather

Movement: RGM-ETA 2892-A2

Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 50M/165ft

I am loving the Professional Pilot.  And to get it in titanium for well under 5000 dollars seems to me to be an excellent buy. It is a classic looking pilot, with good color contrasts and large numbering for easy reading, and it just looks extremely cool.  The movement is good, and the watch seems to be well built, all around.

The titanium case measures 38.5mm, and it has a large, titanium crown located at the 3 o'clock position.  The bezel is smooth and beveled, and the dial is covered with a sapphire lens.  The back of the watch sports a sapphire lens as well, allowing you to see the inner workings of the watch.  The dial of the watch is black, with large white Arabic numerals marking out the hours.  In a smaller sized font, along the outer edges, is Arabic numerals, also in white, marking the minutes, in five minute intervals.  The hands of the watch are white Rhodium, and coated in a Super-LumiNova for low light visibility.  The band of the watch is leather and it has a buckle style clasp.

The Professional Pilot uses a modified ETA 2892-A2 automatic movement.  It is a 21 jewel movement that runs at 28,800 bph, and is finished with Rhodium.  It also has a 42 hour power reserve.  It is a popular movement in many Hamilton watches as well as Bell & Ross.

This watch starts on the RGM website for 3950 in titanium.  You can also get the case either polished, brushed, or a combination of the two finishes.  The watch is sharp and bold, and one I, like I have already said, enjoy immensely.

The best men's RGM watch for under 10,000 dollars

COE "Corps of Engineers"

Model: 801-COE
Case: 42mm, Stainless Steel
Band: Leather
Movement: RGM 801 Mechanical
Functions: HH, MM, SS
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 50M/165ft

The Corps of Engineers watch has a bit of a unique look to it.  The numbers are large, and yellow, and the dial itself is a glass enamel.  You can order this watch with a stainless steel link style band, but it does raise the price to over 10,000 dollars.  But, personally, I think it looks better with the distressed leather band.

The watch is fairly large, measuring 42mm in diameter.  The case is made of stainless steel and the watch has a prominent crown located at the 3 o'clock position.  The crown is also made of stainless steel.  The front and back of the watch is covered with a sapphire crystal lens, and the dial face is the fired glass enamel.

The dial is white, with Arabic numerals in yellow.  The Arabic numerals are outlined in black and there is a small seconds located at the 6 o'clock position.  The hands of the watch are blued steel, and the band is leather, with a buckle style clasp.

The movement is the coolest part, to me.  It uses the RGM mechanical, hand wound 801 movement.  I love this, maybe because it is an American made watch and movement, and I love seeing watchmaking coming back to America.  The 801 has 19 jewels, and runs at 18,000 bph.

This watch starts at 9,700 dollars on the RGM website.  I have to say, I like this watch a lot too.  And I also have to say, I am pretty much a fan of all the RGM watches.

The best men's RGM watch for Under 20,000 dollars

Pennsylvania Series

Model: PS-801-EE

Case: 43.3mm, Stainless steel

Band: Leather

Movement: RGM mechanical, 801

Functions: HH, MM, SS

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 50M/165ft

This is the first Pennsylvania series I will be including on this list.  This watch has made the best men's watches blog, It was on the best men's American watches for under...Part 2.  It is a seriously nice looking watch.  Again, I think the RGM styling is great.

This Pennsylvania has a stainless steel case that measures 43.3mm in diameter.  This is a fairly large watch, which is nice, it just gives you more landscape to admire.

The crown is located at the 3 o'clock position, and the bezel is smooth.  The watch sports a sapphire lens on both the front and back, allowing you to see the inner workings of the watch, along with a partial skeleton dial, allowing you to see the movement from both the front and the back.  The dial ring is white with black Roman numerals.  The watch has a small seconds and the blued steel hands.  The leather band has a buckle style clasp.

The movement is the RGM mechanical 801.  I am not going to give the specs again, I will just say that I love the movement in this watch as much as I did in the COE watch.

The price of the watch on the RGM website starts at 11,900 dollars.  You can add some things to increase the price, as well as order it in gold.  But that really puts the price out of the 20,000 dollar price limit. :)

The best men's RGM watch for under 25,000 dollars

Pennsylvania Series

Model: PS-801-E Rose Gold

Case: 43.3mm, Gold

Band: Leather

Movement: American 801 hand wind

Functions: HH, MM, SS

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 50M/167ft


This is the second Pennsylvania that has made this list, and this is also the second time this particular watch has made the lists here at the best men's watches blog.  It was also on the best men's mechanical watches under..Part3, and while I know I have kind of been gushing about RGM on this post, I have to do it again.  This actually is my very favorite RGM available.  Whether it is this one, in of the stainless steel version, I love the looks.  They are beautiful watches.

The watch, again, is a larger watch, measureing 43.3mm.  The case is made of 18K Rose gold, there is a crown, which is also rose god, located at the 3 o'clock position.  The bezel is smooth and rounded and the watch has sapphire lenses on bot the front and the back of the watch.

The face of the watch is white and uses black Roman numerals to mark out the hours.  There is a small seconds located at the 6 o'clock position and, again, the hands are blue steel.  The band of the watch is leather, and has a buckle style clasp.

The movement, again, is the RGM 801.  And again, I love it just the same.  This watch is a beauty, it has a bit of a retro look to it, and a highly classic look as well.  I can't say enough, now nice this one is.

The watch starts, in the rose gold, on the RGM website for 22,500 dollars.  It is a seriously high end timepiece, and one that I feel pulls it off with style.  Something I would definitely recommend if you are in the market for a 25k watch.

Wrap Up

I know I really gushed a lot on this post.  I really could not help it.  I love RGM nearly as much as I love Omega, and that is seriously saying something.  These watches that this company is producing appear to be the real deal, and I can not wait to see where this company goes in the future.  I have extremely high hope for them.

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The Best Men's Weiss Watches for Under...

Weiss Watch Company is one of the several new and up-n-coming American watchmakers who appear to be taking a very serious approach to watchmaking.  They began in 2013, in California, by a California native, named Cameron Weiss.  He is a WOSTEP certified watchmaker, and had had extensive training from Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin, both highly respected luxury watchmaking companies.

Currently, Weiss is one of the only American watchmakers who design, engineer and manufacture their own cases and dials, and hand finish each and every movement.  Their watches are made to be heirlooms, and have a timeless style about them, that speaks to the idea of a heirloom that can be passed down for generations.

They not only use modern day technology in their manufacturing process, but also turn to the tried an true methods that have proven to make wonderful timepieces for hundreds of years.

I cannot say enough nice things about this company.  This list will not be extremely long, but that is mostly due to the smaller quantity of offerings Weiss has on the market today.  All these watches are wonderful, and I hope you can enjoy them as much as I doo.

The Best Men's Weiss Watches for Under...

The best men's Weiss watch for under 1000 dollars

Standard Issue Field Watch
Model:
Case: 42 mm/Stainless steel
Band Width: 20 mm, Canvase
Movement: Weiss Caliber 1001 Mechanical
Features: HH, MM, SS
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 100M/330 ft

The Standard Issue Field Watch is the first Weiss watch I would like to cover today.  This watch has made my lists before.  It was on the 5 best men's watches for under 1000 dollars.  It also made one of the best men's American watches for under lists.  And It might very well have been my favorite watch on that list.  I love this watch, and if I would have known of Weiss before I got my Shinola, I do think this might have been the watch I would have purchased instead.  It has a similar look to the Shinola Runwell, but only in passing.  It is a field watch, and looks like a field watch.

The case of the watch is fairly large, measuring 42mm in diameter.  It is made of stainless steel, which is standard practice for most watches on the market.  Stainless holds up very well to daily abuse.  The watch has a prominent crown located at the 3 o'clock position.  The bezel is smooth, with a rounded finish, and the watch sports sapphire lenses on both the front and back, allowing you to see the movement in action.  The dial face of the watch is white, with an outer ring of Arabic numerals indicating the minutes, in 5 minute intervals, as well as an inner ring of Arabic numerals, marking the hours.  The numerals are all black.  There is a small seconds sub dial located at the 9 o'clock position and the hands of the watch are white, outlined in black, in a sword shape.  The band of the watch is canvas, and durable, with a buckle style clasp.

The movement is a mechanical movement.  Weiss calibre 1001.  This is a modified ETA 6497.  IT has 17 jewels, and runs at 18,000 bph.  It has a 46 hour power reserve.  It shows up in Hamilton watches as well as Panerai, and Steinhart, giving you an idea of the level of watches that are using this movement.

The Standard Issue Field watch is a wonderful looking watch, in my mind.  And if I have my way, I will own one at some point in my life.  The fact that it is American made always rings a cord with me, as well as the looks and quality of the watch.  Weiss sells the watch on their company website for around 950 dollars, and it fairs very well with the other 1000 dollar watches I  have reviewed in the past.


The Weiss is a really nice watch to me, I have to say I love the fact that it is made in America.  I am excited to see that more and more watchmakers are slowly coming back to the US.  They sell their watches on the Weiss website for 950 dollars.  If I would have seen this one before the Shinola, I might have opted for this one. Even though Shinola's are made in my own home state.

The best men's Weiss watch for under 2000 dollars

Special Issue Field Watch Carbon Dial
Model:
Case: 42 mm/Stainless steel
Band Width: Leather
Movement: Weiss Caliber 1001 Mechanical
Features: HH, MM, SS
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 100M/330 ft

There are several Special Issue field watches offered by Weiss.  Dimensionaly, they are all the same as the standard issue.  They use the same case, but variations are present in other locations of the watch.

There is really no point to go into an elaborate description of all the specifications of this watch, which are all very much the same as the standard issue.  So I will instead, give you the variations only.

First off.  The watch dial is machined naval brass finished carbon, with high stealth, black Arabic numerals.  The hands are also different.  using a skeletonized black hand, with a sharp point at the tip.  the band of the watch also gets an upgrade, using leather instead of the canvas of the standard issue.

The watch is available on the Weiss website as well, and is listed for 1250 dollars.  Well under the 2000 dollar price point of this specific part of the list.  I think the additional 300 dollars is apparent in the materials, and unique hands of the watch.  Also, it should be noted that all Weiss watches come with a 2 year Company warranty.

The best men's Weiss watch for under 10,000 dollars

Executive Issue Field Watch 18K Gold
Model:
Case: 42 mm/18K gold
Band Width: Leather
Movement: Weiss Caliber 1001 Mechanical
Features: HH, MM, SS
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 100M/330 ft

The Executive Issue Field watch, again is really no different from a style and size standpoint, from the standard issue.  It all makes perfect sense really.  They are all issued field watches, the only real difference will be the quality of the materials used to make the watches.

The Executive Issue Field watch is a beauty.  It is available, for the same price, with both a white dial, and a black dial.  I am listing the white dial, simply because it appeals to me more than the black.  There is no difference in the valuation of the watch, it is personal preference only.

The 42mm case is made of 18K yellow gold this time.  The crown, as well, is made of 18K yellow gold.  It has the same white face as the Standard issue, made of Machined naval brass with a white finish, and black Arabic numerals.  The hands are also the sword shaped hands, with white super-luminova paint imbued in the center of the hands.  The band of the watch is black Horween Shell Cordovan, and has a 18K gold buckle.

The watch is listed for 6950 dollars on the Weiss website.  The watch is beautiful.  I am not generally a huge yellow gold person, but I think this watch is so well done.  I could not refuse it.

Wrap Up

I know that there is not a whole lot of variation to this list.  It is one of those lists I had to debate with myself, as to whether or not I would actually make it.  As a blogger, repetition is not usually something you really want to make a common place on your blogs.  People begin to wonder if you are phoning it in.  But look at these three watches and tell me that each and every one of them are not some of the nicest looking watches you have ever seen before.  And, of course, the company is young, and I would like people to be aware of them.  They are doing great things and making great products.

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The Best Men's American Watches for Under...Part 2

Part 1 of the best men's American watches for under was a smashing success.  I want to say thank you to all who came and read the post before I start with part 2.

So, Thank you very much!

American watchmaking was extremely popular in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  But the Swiss quickly adopted a lot of the American manufacturing techniques, and before long, were producing watches as good as American made watches.  And, on top of that, in the 1960's Japan created the first quartz movement, and all but kill what little remained of the American watchmaking industry.  After that, one by one, the American watchmakers either closed their doors, or were purchased by foreign investors, and moved over seas, or simply swallowed for the technology the company had.

It has not been until recently, I would say, something like the last 20 years, that we have seen a resurgence of American watchmakers.  And, although there are not a lot of companies yet, they are strong companies with great products and unique ideas as to what watches should be today.

In part one, I covered Smith and Bradley, Shinola, Vortic, and Weiss watches.  All great companies in my mind.  And all with a slightly different approach to watchmaking.  And today, for part 2, I will try to give you 4 new American watchmakers that I would suggest you all take a look at, if you are in the market for a high end watch, but would prefer to find something American made.

The Best Men's American Watches for Under...Part 2

The best men's American watch for under 5000 dollars

Kobold

Phantom Chronograph Night Stalker

Model: KD1605041
Case: 41mm, Stainless steel
Band: Canvas
Movement: ETA automatic 7750
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Day, Chronograph
Battery; N/A
Water resistance: 300M/990ft

Michael Kobold started making watches in his apartment in Pittsburgh in 1998, basically as a class project.  It is amazing what drive and love for what you do can accomplish.  Kobold is now on the wrists of NASA, and Seals, and CIA.  And even Jack Bauer from Fox's 24.  They are know for their durability, and near indestructible construction, and this little project has become a company, and one that is striving to be even more in the future.

The Phantom Chronograph Night Stalker is all of that, durable, beautiful, precision and utilitarian, all in one.  It it a lot of what I would hope to find from a company like this one.  Quality timepiece that is much more than just flash.

The Night Stalker has a 41mm stainless steel case, with a crown guard built in.  Its crown is located at the 3 o'clock position, and the auxiliary, chronograph buttons are located at the 2 & 4 o'clock positions.  The uni-directional bezel is stainless steel as well and marked in a 5 minute interval countdown.  And the dial is protected by a sapphire lens.  The dial face itself is black, with indexes marking the hours, and coated with a luminous material that has a blue glow to it.  The Day/Date window is located at the 3 o'clock position, and there are 3 sub dials, for the chronograph functions.  The hands of the watch are black and tipped in white and the luminous material.  The band of the watch is durable canvas, and has a buckle style clasp.

The movement is a Valjoux automatic movement, #7750.  It has been in production for over 40 years now, and is also know as the Tag Heuer Calibre 16.  It is a chronograph movement with day & date.  It has 25 jewels and runs at 28,800 bph, and has a 42 hour power reserve.  It is used is so many higher end watches, I cannot even begin to label them all.  It is a highly popular chronograph movement.  Because it is a really reliable and versatile movement.

The Phantom Chronograph Night Stalker can be had through the Kobold website for 4,150 dollars, and to me, may be one of the best buys of this list.  You will get one of the most versatile and durable watches around for that price, and it is great looking on top of all that.  I would highly recommend you take a look at what Kobold has to offer if you are in the market for a military style watch.

The best men's American watch for under 10,000 dollars

Devon

Tread 2 Murder

Model: Tread2Murder

Case: 44mm x 42mm, Stainless steel

Movement: Electro/Mechanical

Functions: HH, MM, SS, Chronograph

Battery:

Water resistance: 100M/330ft

I have not had Devon watches on the best men's watches under blog, before this.  Mostly, because they are so different than normal watch companies, I believe them to be a bit of a niche market.  But they fit the best men's American list quite well.  And at just a pinch under 10,000 dollars, I like the tread 2 in this price point.

Devon Watches are belt watches.  Meaning, instead of hands spinning around a dial, numbers are printed on a belt, and the belt spins around, showing the time.  All I can say about Devon watches, is, check them out.  You more than likely have never seen a watch like this before.  They combine electronic and mechanical parts to produce something completely unique and amazingly artistic.

The Tread 2 is a nice place to start with Devon Works.  I believe it is one of the less expensive models they offer, and it still gives you a true Devon experience.  The case of the watch measures about 44mm x 42mm, and is made of stainless steel that had been toned to black.  There is a crown located on the left hand side of the watch (about 2 o'clock position) that is also black.  The vertical band gives you your minutes and the horizontal band give you your hours.  There is also a way to show seconds and use the watch as a chronograph through the unique crown.  The band of the watch is rubber, and it has a buckle style clasp.

The watch sells for a a hair under 10,000 dollars, and might be one of the most unique watches available for under 10,000 dollars.  It will definitely get looks and plenty of questions.

The best men's American watch for under 20,000 dollars

RGM

Pennsylvania Series

Model: PS-801-EE

Case: 43.3mm, Stainless steel

Band: Leather

Movement: RGM mechanical, 801

Functions: HH, MM, SS

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 50M/165ft

RGM has made the lists here before.  Actually, a Pennsylvania series watch made part 2 of the best men's mechanical hand wound watches for under list.  It was a little more high end than this one, sporting gold instead of stainless steel, but the same basic bones are present in both renditions of the watch.  I really love the look of the RGM watches, I had hoped to find a place for the Vintage series of watches, and will probably do a special piece on RGM just so I can cover it.  It's one of my favorite looking watches out there.

The Pennsylvania series we will be talking about today has a 43.3mm stainless steel case.  The stainless steel crown is located at the 3 o'clock position.  It has a smooth bezel, and sapphire lenses on both the front and back of the watch.  The face of the watch has a white outer ring, and is skeleton in the middle of the watch.  The hours are marked by Roman numerals, in black, and there is a small seconds dial at the 6 o'clock position.  The hands are blued steel with a keystone shape along the length of the hands, and the watch comes with a leather band, with a buckle style clasp.

The movement for the Pennsylvania series of watches is the RGM mechanical 801.  It has 19 jewels and runs at 18,000 bph.  It is similar to a previous American movement.  The old Keystone Watch Company's "Edward Howard" Line of watches.

The watch starts, price wise at 11,900 dollars and goes up from there.  It is a beautiful watch, and one I would highly recommend, if you are in the market for a watch at this price.  It has a very classic, and elegant look to it.  Much like most of the RGM line of watches.

The best men's American watch for under 25,000 dollars

Keaton Myrick

Custom

Case:

Band:

Movement: Keaton Myrick calibre 29.30

Functions:

Battery:

Water resistance:

Seriously, I can give you no definitive specs on his watches.  Each watch is made to order, more or less, and you actually have to get in on a waiting list to have one made.  The price generally starts around 21,000 dollars.  But you are getting basically a one of a kind watch.  I say more or less and basically, mostly because his watches do have a general look.  At the time of this post, I believe his case is a 42mm stainless steel case, but that might not be the case by the time you have a watch made.  I cannot be sure.

Keaton Myrick started his watch career with another American watch company MKII, he then he graduated from Litilz Technicum school, and went to work for Rolex for a time before coming back to the states to start his own business.  His watches are beautiful, hand made, and about as nice as they come.  

All I can say for sure is the Keaton Myrick movement is a hand wound, hand made movement, running at 18,000 bph, you can customize it to some extent, you would have to contact him to see your options.  

I apologize for the lack of information about the watch itself, but it is the nature of this beast.

Wrap Up

These watches are, for the most part, unique from many of the watches I have had on the best men's watches under blog.  We are talking custom watches, and belt driven watches and, well, you get the point.  These are some of the coolest watches I have ever talked about on this blog.  And they are all American made watches.  That really says something about what is happening in the American watchmaking industry.  I see a bright future, not only for these watchmakers, but all the American watchmakers.  They are doing it right.  They are saying, maybe we can't compete with Asian pricing, but we don't have to.

Thank you for reading the best men's watches under blog.

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The Best Men's Swiss Watches for Under...Part 2

The Swiss watch market is fairly ridiculous.  There are so many companies, making so many watches, it would be nearly impossible for me to cover every single option available that comes out of the Swiss.  But, here I am, giving it a whirl.  In Part 2 of the best men's Swiss watches for under, These watches are going to start at the under 1000 dollar price point and work their way up from there.  I expect many more options, and many more watches that I have already covered, will end up on this list.  It is a much better starting price point for Swiss watches.  They are generally not cheap watches.

I hope that you will enjoy this post.  I am expecting to see some very nice watches on this list.  I do believe we may even hit the 10,000 dollar price point.  We will just have to wait and see.

The Best Men's Swiss Watches for Under...Part 2

The best men's Swiss watch for under 1000 dollars

Hamilton Watch
Titanium Auto
Model: H70575733
Case: 42 mm, Titanium
Band width: 20 mm, Nylon
Movement: ETA 2824-2 Automatic movement
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 100M/330 ft

Hamilton is another company that makes products I enjoy thoroughly.  It might be my brains playing games with my heart, but they have a very american look to them.  If you have read anything about Hamilton, you will know that they were once an American company,  I do believe that is what has made me like them as much as I do.

But now they are Swiss.  They are owned by the Swatch Co.  Like many other watch brands, and have, without a doubt, have a place on my best men's watches under blog.  They make good watches that are good looking, And this Titanium Auto watch is a perfect example.  It has made my lists before.  It was on the best men's watches under 1000 dollars.

The Titanium Auto Field watch has a 42mm Titanium case.  The open crown is located at the 3 o'clock position.  The titanium has a matte black finish, and a smooth bezel, with a sapphire lens covering a black dial face.  The numbering is in white, with illumination imbued into them.  The outer ring of Arabic numerals is marked with the hours of a 12 hour clock, and the inner, smaller Arabic numerals shows the 24-hour clock.  There is a date window located at the 3 o'clock position, and the hands of the watch are outlined in black, with the white illumination imbued in them as well.  The band is a NATO canvas style, with a buckle clasp.

The movement is an automatic ETA 2824-2 movement.  ETA is, of course, a property of Swatch, and one of the most popular movement makers in the world.  And that may be an understatement.  The movement has 25 jewels, and runs at 28,800 bph.  It is a very popular movement, and should be considered, not only a quality movement, but a easily reparable movement.  Parts should be readily available.

The watch can usually be had through online retailers for around 700 dollars.  And, in my opinion, is a great value watch.  It would be rugged, and have a very military look to it.  It is something that can suit many needs, and should get appraising looks.

The best men's Swiss watch under 2000 dollars

Baume & Mercier
Classima Auto Silver
Model: 10214
Case: 40mm Steel
Band: Alligator
Movement: Swiss Automatic
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 50M

Baume & Mercier is old school Swiss watchmaking at its best.  They have some very classic looking watches, and build them with quality in mind.  They have been known for their accuracy and innovative looks, and continue to be a force in the Swiss watch industry.

The Classima is a very classic design.  It has a 40mm stainless steel case that is polished to a mirror finish.  The crown is located at the 3 o'clock position, and is slightly low profile, making very unobtrusive to the shape of the watch.  There is a smooth bezel, and the watch sports sapphire lenses on both the front and back of the case, allowing you to see the automatic movement inside.  The face of the watch is pearled silver, and has Roman numerals at the quarter hours, along with indexes marking the remaining hours.  There is a date window located at the 3 o'clock position and the hands of the watch, along with the hour markers are in gold.  The band of the watch is black alligator, with a buckle style clasp.

The movement is a modified SW200 movement.  It has 26 jewels, it has a 36 hour power reserve, and runs at 28,800 bph.  Baume & Mercier has done some modification to make it more appealing to look at through the see through back.

The Classima can usually be had through online retailers for around 1600 dollars.  putting it well below the 2000 dollar mark.  This watch, as well, has made it onto my previous lists.  It was on the watches for under 2000 dollar list.  It is a very appealing looking watch for those people who like a simple classic look.

The best men's Swiss watch for under 5000 dollars

Omega

Speedmaster Moon watch limited edition
Model: 311.32.40.30.01.001
Case: 39.7mm, Stainless steel
Band: 22.9mm Leather
Movement: Omega 1861 Manual Wind
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Chronograph
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 50M/167ft

Of course, the Omega Speedmaster Moon watch was going to be on this list.  At the under 5000 dollar price point, this may very well be my favorite watch available at this time.  I love the homage to the moon landing watch, and the vintage look the watch has.  The tried and true movement, and just the sheer Omega-ness about the watch.  It all gets lumped into a wonderful watch that I am not ashamed of gushing about.

I have had this watch in several posts now.  Of course the Omega Speedmaster Moon watch made the Best men's Omega watches, the best watches under 5000 dollars, the best men's chronographs, and the best men's mechanical hand wound watches.  And now here.  And if I can add it to more lists, I will.

The stainless steel case of the Moon watch measures 40mm in diameter.  The crown is located at the 3 o'clock position, and it has the chronograph buttons located at the 2 & 4 o'clock positions.  It has a black bezel with a tachymetric scale, and has a sapphire lens covering the dial.  The dial itself is black, with silver index marks for the hours, and smaller indexes for the minutes.  It has a small seconds at the 6 o'clock position, and 30 & 60 minute recorder subdials located at the 3 & 9 o'clock positions.  The center second hand is the chronograph.  The hands of the watch are polished stainless steel.  And the band of the watch is leather with a buckle style clasp.

The movement is a throwback from the past.  It is a manual wind, Omega 1861 chronograph movement.  It is the same movement that was in the watch that went to the moon in 1962.  It has 18 jewels, and runs at 21,600 bph, and has 48 hours of reserve power.  It is a wonderful movement.

The watch can be found through the online retailers for around 3500 dollars.  A sheer steal for the under 5000 dollar price point, and I cannot reiterate it enough.  I think this watch is well worth it, and more.

The best men's Swiss watch for under 10,000 dollars

Rolex

Datejust II 41mm

Model: 116334

Case: 41mm, Steel & Gold

Band: Stainless steel

Movement: 3136

Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date

Water resistance:

The Datejust line of watches have been in production in one form or another, since 1945, as a certified, automatic wind chronometer wrist watch.  They are the baseline of the Rolex line of watches.  Basically, if you want to step into the realm of Rolex, this is where you are going to go to get your feet wet.

The Datejust is a classic looking, Rolex watch.  The Datejust II is the larger brother of the Datejust.  It was released in 2009, and appears to have been a great success for Rolex.  The size is, for me, nearly a perfect one at 41mm.  The material is the Rolesor, (Rolesor being a blend of gold and stainless)  The crown is located at the 3 o'clock position, and it is also made from the Rolesor.  The bezel is fluted, and the lens of the watch is sapphire, with a cyclops lens over the date window, which is located at the 3 o'clock position.  The dial of the watch is white, and the indexes, which are used for the hour markers are made of 18ct white gold.  The hands of the watch are polished steel, with illumination imbued within them, and the band of the watch is the patented, Oyster band.  It is a 3 link style band made from the Rolesor, and has a folding style safety clasp.

The movement of the Datejust II, is the Rolex 3136 calibre, automatic movement.  It is a chronometer certified movement.  It has 31 jewels, and a 48 hour power reserve.  It runs at 28,800 bph.  It is the movement that has been in the Datejust II, since the inception, in 2009.

The Datejust II is a nice looking watch, to me personally.  I am not a huge fan of the cyclops lens.  They distort too much for me personally, but other than that, I think this is a great watch, made by a great company.  The watch is a little more than entry level as far as Rolex is concerned, but I do not think you would be disappointed with this watch.  It generally runs around 7000 dollars through the online retailers, and I believe it to be a great deal at that price point.

Wrap Up

Every single one of these watches has been on previous lists, here at the best men's watches under blog.  That says something.  Not really sure if it says something about the great Swiss watches available for these prices, or if it has more to do with me being lazy...

Seriously, though.  These watches have been on previous lists for a reason.  We are talking about Rolex and Omega, and Baume et Mercier and Hamilton.  All of these companies on this list are high quality, long standing companies that have been making great watches for a very long time.  I do not think you would be disappointed with any of these watches.

Thank you for reading the best men's watches under blog.

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The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 50,000 Dollars

I cannot lie.  The idea of spending 50,000 dollars for a men's watch is so far beyond my idea of frugal spending, that it, up until recently was something my brain couldn't even comprehend. That has changed since I began writing the best men's watches under blog.  I am now able to look at what is actually involved in making a world class timepiece that doesn't rely on a cheap piece of electronics to make it work.  The craftsmanship involved in making some of these watches are intensive and time consuming and require highly trained and extremely dedicated individuals.

There is a place for a 50 dollar watch.  I love my HMT watch.  It cost about 20 dollars on Ebay.  It keeps less than perfect time, usually, and it lacks any and all frills.  But I wear it at least once or twice a week.  I love my Shinola.  I much more expensive watch, and one that keeps much better time, and has a few more of the finer features a watch that costs around 700 dollars, should have.  I love all my watches, and I can see value in each and every one of them.

At this point, I would love to own one of these watches I will be covering today on the best men's watches under 50,000 dollars.  Maybe, with a little luck, I will own one someday.  But until that day, I will geek out about them and give you all the information I can think to give you about them in order for you to make a informed purchase.

The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 50,000 Dollars

A. Lange & Sohne

Grand Lange 1

Model: 117.032

Case: 40.9mm, Rose Gold

Band: Alligator

Movement: Mechanical, Lange L095.1

Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 

A. Lange & Sohne is a company I have not had a chance to talk about yet.  But in many circles, they are considered to be one of the best high end watch makers in the world.  They have been in business since 1845, and were founded in Glashutte Germany.  They were founded by Adolph Lange.  They have been a highly successful watchmaker almost since their inception.  They have made watches for the German airmen, and have made nearly all of their watches from either gold or platinum.

The Grand Lange 1 has a 40.9mm 18k, rose gold case.  It has a small crown located at the 3 o'clock position, which is also made from rose gold.  The bezel is smooth, with a slightly rounded face, and the watch has a sapphire lens on both the front and back of the watch.  The dial face is brushed steel, and has a power indicator located at the 3 o'clock position, a small seconds at the 4:30 position, and a main hour/minute dial located at the 9 o'clock position, all the hands of the watch are also the same 18K rose gold.  There is also a large date window located at about the 2 o'clock position.  The band of the watch is alligator, with a buckle style clasp.

The movement for the Grand Lange 1 is a L095.1.  It is a manual movement, with 42 jewels and 72 hours of power reserve.  It runs at 21,600 bph.  They make their own movements, which is going to be a requirement for this list.

The Grand Lange 1 can usually be had through the online retailers for around 32,000 dollars.  It has a lot of unique, while still looking very classic.  It is a German made watch, which I like. We have very little watches out of Germany on the best men's watches under blog, and that's kind of sad to me.

IWC

Big Pilot

Model: IW502701

Case: 46mm, 18K, Red gold

Band: Leather

Movement: IWC Mechanical, 52850

Functions: HH, MM, SS, Day, Date

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 60M/200ft

IWC is a wonderful watchmaker.  I love the company, and the products they create.  They are timeless, classic looking and functioning timepieces.  They, in a lot of ways hit the top of my favorite watch lists.  But you will pay for what they have to offer.  It will never ever come cheaply.

The IWC Big Pilot is no exception to this.  The watch is beautiful, it is large and it is made with some of the highest quality materials available to consumers at this time.  The case of the watch is 46mm, and is made of 18K red gold.  The crown is red gold as well, and located at the 3 o'clock position, and it has a smooth, flat bezel.  The lens is sapphire, and on both the front and back of the watch.  The dial face of the watch is midnight blue, with a pearled sheen to it.  It has a triangle indicating the 12 o'clock position on the face, and Arabic numerals on all the even numbers.  There is a small outer ring of Arabic numerals, marking the time in 5 minute intervals, all markings are in white.  There is a day/date window located at the 12 o'clock position, and a small seconds at the 9 o'clock position.  There is also a power reserve sub dial located at the 3 o'clock position.  The hands of the watch are gold as well, with a sword shaping to them.  The band is calfskin, with white stitching, and has a folding style clasp.

The movement of the watch is a 7 day, mechanical movement, manufactured in house.  The model number of the movement is 52850.  The movement has 36 jewels.  It runs at 28,800 bph, and has a 7 day power reserve.  It also has a small hacking seconds.

The watch can be had through some very few online retailers for around 28,000 dollars.  And the IWC website give a MSRP of 32,400 dollars.  Shop around and you might find it a little lower than the 28,000 dollars.  But this watch is beautiful.  It is a timepiece I would love to even have a chance to look at and hold for a time, let alone, own one.  It is one of the nicest watches I have seen in some time.

H. Moser & Cie.

Endeavor Moon

Model: 1348-0100

Case: 40.8mm, Rose Gold

Band: Crocodile

Movement: HMC Mechanical, 348

Functions: HH, MM, SS, Moon Phase

Battery: N/A

Water resistance:

H. Moser & Cie was founded by Heinrich Moser, in 1828.  In 1829, he opened his watch factory in La Locle.  His watches were owned by some of the most prestigious individuals of the time.  He was renowned for his artistic abilities in the watch world, and it did not take long for H Moser & CIE to become a huge success, and continuing that success until his death in 1874.  After his death, the company continued until the mid-1970's, when it closed its doors.

In 2002 Heinrich's great grandson, Roger Balsiger, and Dr. Jurgen Lange was founded again, and again, they became a strong, high end brand of watchmaker.  They pride themselves in the fact that they manufacture the bulk of the watch components.  They are a bit under the radar in the watch world, but they are a company that should be seriously considered if you are looking for a exquisite timepiece for your collection.

The Endeavor Moon is another beautiful watch.  It has clean, elegant lines, and has a simple style about it.  The case of the watch is 40.8mm and is crafted of rose gold, and the crown, located at the 3 o'clock position is also made of rose gold. The watch has a smooth rounded bezel, and sapphire lenses on both the front and back of the watch.  The dial face is dark blue, with a pearled finish, and the hours are marked with indexes, also in gold.  There is a moon phase window located at the 6 o'clock position, and the watch hands are made of gold as well.  The band of the watch is made of crocodile, and sports a folding style of clasp.

The movement of the Endeavor Moon Phase is a HMC mechanical movement, model #348.  It is a hand wound movement with 26 jewels, and a 7 day power reserve.  It runs at 18,000 bph, and has a hacking seconds.  It is a in house movement, and a fairly nice one at that.

The watch can usually be had for around 31,000 dollars through online retailers.  It is a beautifully constructed watch, by a company that is doing it the right way.  The watch may not be recognized by everyone for what it is, but those who are in the know, will know that it is a piece of art.

Cartier

Calibre De Cartier

Model: WF100013

Case: 38mm, Pink Gold

Band: Alligator

Movement: Cartier, Automatic 1904MC

Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 30M/100ft

Cartier is Uber high-end, when it comes to luxury goods.  And their watches have come an extremely long way from where they started.  And that is saying something, considering they have never been accused of being slouches when it come to quality.  The Calibre De Cartier is no exception to that.  They have many options to choose from in this series, and they range in price from around 7,000 dollars all the way up to 45,000 dollars, MSRP.

This version of the Calibre De Cartier fall somewhere in the middle of the series, actually, it leans heavily to the higher end of the spectrum.  Materials are of highest quality and the workmanship is virtually, unquestionable.  It starts with a 38mm rose gold case, with a crown guard built in.  The crown is located at the 3 o'clock position, and is also of gold, with a diamond set at its end.  The bezel is a ring of diamonds, and the lens is sapphire.  The dial of the face is white, and implements Roman numerals to denote the hours, all in black.  There is a date window located at the 3 o'clock position, and there is a small seconds sub dial located at the 6 o'clock position.  The hands of the watch are blued steel, and in a sword shape.  The band of the watch is alligator, and sports a folding style clasp, also made of the same 18K pink gold.

The movement for the watch is a Cartier automatic, #1904MC.  It is the first automatic movement to be made in house by Cartier.  It has 27 jewels, and a 48 hour power reserve.  It is a well designed movement that pulls its design ques from many well designed movements.  And it is used in many variations in Cartier watches.

You can find this watch for around 26,000 dollars if you look around through the online retailers.  It is a wonderful example of the types of timepieces offered by Cartier.  It is a beautiful watch, made of beautiful materials, by a company that strives for amazing products.  It would be another wonderful choice if looking for a high end watch.

Zenith

Academy

Model: 95.2260.4810/21.C759

Case: 46mm, Titanium

Band: Alligator

Movement: Manual, El Primero 4810 C

Functions: HH, MM, SS

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 100M/330ft

Zenith is, well, something of an amazement to me.  I love their products, as much as any other company, I think their watches are some of the most impressive pieces I have ever seen.  In many ways, they are something of a guilty pleasure to me.  I always proclaim my love for Omega, and it is true.  But I do believe that is more likely due to the fact that I know, at some point, I will own at least one Omega.  Zenith, I cannot be so sure about.  Their watches are beautiful and expensive.  The Academy is a perfect example of that.

The Academy Titanium is seriously cool looking.  It is a 46mm titanium cased watch.  It has a crown located at the 3 o'clock position and the bezel is smooth and thin, leaving a lot of room for the watch face itself.  The lens is sapphire, and it is on both the front and back of the watch.  The dial face is a slate gray, brushed finish.  It has Arabic numerals on the very outside of the dial, in black, marking 5 minute intervals. It has a small seconds at the 7:30 position, and a power reserve meter located at the 4:30 position.  The upper portion of the watch is a skeleton of sorts.  But instead of seeing normal movements, you see two sprockets and a chain drive.  Yup.  It's chain driven, and seriously cool.  The band is made from alligator and the clasp is a triple fold, titanium style.

The movement is an El Primero, manual wind movement, model #4810 C.  It is a 45 jewel movement, with a 50 hour power reserve.  It runs at a seriously high 36,000 bph.  Zenith does make their own movements, and this is an in-house movement.

The watch sells for around 45,000 dollars on the online retailers.  It is at the higher end of this list, but it might be the most unique looking watch on the list.  And it is unique in a good way.  It has style while still having eye popping looks.

Wrap Up

Today I have covered some very expensive watches.  I think, that if you are in the market for a 50 thousand dollar watch, you probably have a good idea of what you are looking for.  I hope that these companies might give you a few more options.  These companies, if nothing else, are some of the best companies out there, for high end watches.  I want everyone to know, that Rolex is not your only choice when you are shopping for a high end watch.  There are a lot of companies out there that are just as good, if not better.  They just may not have the same level of name recognition. 

Thank you for reading the best men's watches under blog.

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The Best Men's Japanese Watches for Under...Part 2

I am a fan of the Japanese watch market, I am going to announce that right up front.  I have announced it before, and I will continue to announce it.  It's an important thing for the readers of the best men's watches under blog to know that I might be a little more excited about a Japanese watch than I may be for one that is made by the Swiss, but may look and be spec'd exactly the same.  And I also think it is important for all the readers here to realize that Japan is not China.  That the Japanese watchmakers are world class, and are companies that have been in business for a very very long time.

Seiko and Citizen are some of the largest watchmakers in the world.  Orient is a company that does all their work in house.  Movements and all.  Even Casio has a certain level of value that most watch companies don't offer.  The Casio G-Shock series of watches are some of the toughest watches around, and for some of the lower cost G-Shocks, you can have a virtually indestructible watch for around 25 dollars.

The unfortunate reality with the Japanese watch market, is, Citizen Seiko, Orient and Casio pretty much are all there are, so, we will be repeating the companies from earlier lists, just with the more higher end watches.

The Best Men's Japanese Watches for Under... Part 2

The best men's Japanese watch for under 2000

Casio

G-Shock

Model: MTG-G1000D-1AJF

Case: 54.7mm, Stainless steel/Resin

Band: Stainless steel/Resin

Movement: 

Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, GPS based time

Battery: Solar Powered

Water resistance: 200M/660ft

I never ever imagined I would have found a Casio watch for more that 100 dollars, let alone, find a Casio watch for over 1000 dollars.  And on top of that, found a place for it on one of my lists.  This Casio G-Shock is not like the G-Shocks we used to have when we were younger.  This watch is has some serious abilities and features and on top of that, you could probably run it over with a tank and still keep time with it.

The G-Shock MT-G is a GPS hybrid watch.  Meaning it keeps time base on the GPS location of the watch, and time is set to the GPS Satellite time and date.  It is solar powered, and it has LCD lighting.  This G-Shock sports a 54.7mm stainless steel and resin case, it has a guarded, stainless steel crown located at the 3 o'clock position.  IT has a screwed down bezel and a sapphire crystal lens.  The dial face is black, it has block indexes marking off the hours.  There is a date window located at the 4:30 position and there are 3 sub-dials on the face.  One at the 3 o'clock position, one at the 6 o'clock position, and one at the 9:30 position.  The band of the watch is a stainless steel, and resin construction, with a folding style clasp.

The watch sells for around 1200 dollar on may online retailers.  It is a whole lot of unique watch for the cost.  It has exactly what I would expect to get from a high dollar G-Shock.

The best men's Japanese watch for under 2500 dollars

Orient

Pro Saturation

Model: SEL2003HO

Case: 45.4mm, Stainless steel

Band: Stainless steel

Movement: Orient 40N5A, automatic

Functions: HH, MM ,SS, Date
Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 300M/1000ft

Orient is a company that I really enjoy.  They are probably my second favorite Japanese watchmaker, right behind Seiko.  they make their own movements, and they make some pretty good looking watches.  On top of that, I love their pricing.  It's some of the best pricing around.  The Pro Saturation is all those things and more.  It is a serious dive watch, with an in house automatic movement, and it reminds me a little of the Seiko orange monster.

The Orient Pro Saturation is a 45.4mm stainless steel cased watch.  It has a crown at the 4 o'clock position, which is not unheard of on dive watches.  It helps to keep things from getting hung up on it at the 4 o'clock position.  The case has a crown guard.  The stainless steel bezel is a functional dive bezel.  It is unidirectional and marked with a 60 minute count down. It has a sapphire lens covering a red dial face.  The dial face has a inverted triangle to represent the 12 o'clock hour, and it has index marks at the 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions.  It has circles marking the remaining hours, and they are all imbued with a illumination.  The date window is located at the 9 o'clock and the large black hands are also imbued with illumination.  The band is a stainless steel, linked style band with a folding clasp.

The suggested manufacturers retail price for this watch is 2,495 dollars.  They have been making it for a while now, and you can find some used ones a bit cheaper.  But a new one may be hard to find, anyplace other than the official Orient website.  Orient watches are not one of the most popular watches in the states, and I tend to believe that is because they really do not push there products here very hard.

The best men's Japanese watch for under 3000 dollars

Seiko

Ananta
Model: SPB027
Case: 42mm, Stainless Steel
Band: Stainless Steel
Movement: Seiko 6R21, automatic
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Day
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 100M/330ft

The Seiko Ananta is a really nice looking watch.  It is stainless steel that has been coated in Japanese Urushi Lacquer, to give it a matte black finish, similar to a PVD coated watch.

The case measures 42mm, and as I said above, it has a Japanese Urushi Lacquer coating.  It has a crown at the 3 o'clock position with a crown guard.  And it has a sapphire lens on both the front and back of the watch.  The dial face is black and the hours are marked with white indexes.  The indexes are imbued with illumination.  There is a date sub dial located at the 6 o'clock position and a day sub dial located at the 3 o'clock position, along with a power meter, located at the 9 o'clock position.  The hands of the watch are rose gold and also imbued with illumination.

The movement in the Ananta is a Seiko made, automatic.  Model number 6R21.  It has 29 jewels, and runs at 28,800 bph.  It has a 45 hour power reserve, and also allows hand winding.

This watch can be found through the online retailers for around 2700 dollars.  I made another special class for this.  Generally I would have made a under 5000 dollar price point.  It is a great looking watch.  I like it a lot.  One of the nicest Seiko watches I have seen.

Wrap Up

The list is a short one today.  But, there really is not much to choose from once you start breaking the 2000 dollar price point with the Japanese watchmakers.  I tried to get some of the best watches I could find for the price, and think that these three men's watches are wonderful examples of what the Japanese market has to offer.

Thank you for reading the best men's watches under blog.

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The Best Men's Dive Watches for Under...Part 2

Sometimes it seems like Men's Dive Watches don't get much love around here at the best men's watches under blog, so I enjoy doing these specialty posts.  In fact, this is my second part of the best men's dive watches under, and we will be covering men's dive watches between 2000 and 20,000 dollars.  These will be high end watches, for the serious diver.  Very much, a specialty product that I would expect to be some of the most durable and reliable watches you can buy.

The Best Men's Dive Watches for Under...Part 2

The best men's dive watch for under 2000 dollars

Aquadive
Bathyscaphe 300
Model:
Case: 47mm, Stainless steel
Band: Rubber
Movement: Automatic, ETA 2824-2
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 3000M/10,000ft

Aquadive has not been discused here on the best men's watches under blog.  And I love that I was able to include them in this list.  They are making some amazing dive watches.  They take their design ques from 1970's style diver watches.  They look great, and they have amazing specs.

The Aquadive company was very popular in the 1960's and 1970's, within the diving community.  For one reason or another, the company closed its doors around 2000.  In 2011, they opened a new factory in Germany, and started producing watches again.  And not skipping a beat, the watches are vintage divers, they are well built, and they have incredible water resistances.

The Bathyscaphe 300 is a big watch, measuring 47mm, and being made of solid stainless steel.  The case is the exact same case that was used for the Aquadive Model 50's from the 1970's.  It has a crown located at the 3 o'clock position, and has a automatic helium release valve located at the 6 o'clock position.  The bezel is a stainless steel uni-directional rotating bezel with a ceramic insert for time.  The lens is a sapphire crystal.  The face of the watch is black, with indexes marking the hours, in white and imbued with lume.  There is a small date window located at the 3 o'clock position.  The hands of the watch are polished stainless steel, with lume imbued as well.  And the band of the watch is rubber, with a stainless steel, buckle style clasp.

The movement for the Bathyscaphe 300 is an ETA Automatic movement.  Model #2824-2.  It has 25 jewels, and runs at 28,800 bph.  It is a highly popular movement that is used in a lot of watches.  I like the choice for this watch.

The watch can be had for around 1999 dollars through online retailers.  If you look a little, you will be able to find them for a little cheaper in some places.  I love this watch, and I love I was able to start part 2 of the best men's dive watches for under list, with this watch.

The best men's dive watch for under 5000 dollars

Tudor

Pelagos
Model: 25600TB
Case: 42mm, Titanium
Band: Titanium
Movement: MT5612
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 500M/1640ft

Tudor watches is another company making their first appearance here at the best men's watches under blog.  Tudor is a company I had heard of in the past, but had yet had the chance to give any real though to.  What I didn't know, was, Tudor was actually founded by Hans Wilsdorf, you may not recognize that name, and that is completely acceptable.  But Hans Wilsdorf is one of the founders of a company called Rolex.  Hans got the idea that he, and Rolex, needed another watch brand, that would appeal to a customer that was unable to afford the Rolex watches, but that offered the backing of Rolex.  He came up with Tudor, and in 1926, the company was registered under the trademark "The Tudor".

Tudor still makes watches, and is still a subsidiary of Rolex.  They have a rather impressive line of watches, and the Pelagos is one of those watches. The watch sports a 42mm Titanium case, It has a crown located at the 3 o'clock position, also in titanium.  It has a helium relief valve flush mounted at the 9 o'clock position and the bezel is a titanium, unidirectional type, with a 60 minute counter.  The lens is sapphire, and it covers a blue dial face.  The face sports white luminous blocks for the hour markers and it has a date window located at the 3 o'clock position.  The hands are white and imbued with luminance as well, and the band is a linked titanium, with a folding style band.

The movement is a MT5612. It is an in-house, automatic movement that has 26 jewels, and a 70 hour power reserve.  It runs at 28,800 bph, and it is chronometer certified.  In-house movements are fairly new to Tudor, they have, generally, sourced  ETA movements for their watches.  I like the fact that this is an in house movement, it shows a certain level of commitment you do not see with sourced movements, in my mind.

The watch can usually be had through the online retailers for around 3200 dollars.  It looks to me to be a great buy at that price point.  It is a fairly old company with connections to arguably one of the best watchmaking companies in the world, and it looks good to boot.  It also is available in black, and with a rubberized band.  Those variances may raise or lower the price.

The best men's dive watch for under 10,000 dollars

Breitling

Chronomat 44
Model: AB011012|B967|375A
Case: 44mm, Stainless steel
Band: Stainless steel
Movement: Automatic, Breitling 01
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Chronograph
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 500M/1,650ft

Breitling had to make this list.  Seriously, I believe they are one of the premier, high end watchmakers that make dive watches that are functional and fashionable.  They are some of the nicest watches around.  And this watch, the Chronomat 44, is completely in step with the Breitling way of watch making.

The Chronomat 44 has a 44mm stainless steel case.   The crown is located at the 3 o'clock position and the chronograph buttons are located at the 2 & 4 o'clock positions.  The Bezel is stainless steel, and unidirectional.  And the lens is sapphire crystal, with an Anti-glare on both sides.  The dial face can be chosen from several different, but this specific model is a black onyx.  The hours are marked with indexes.  There is a date window located at the 4:30 position and there are 3 sub dials, located at the 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions.  The hands of the watch are polished steel and the band of the watch is stainless steel, with a folding clasp.

The movement for the Breitling is a Breitling 01 automatic movement.  It has 47 jewels, and runs at 28,800 bph.  It also has a minimum of a 70 hour power reserve.  It was Breitlings' first completely in house movement, and has been in production since 2009, and is the basis for all of their other movements.

The Chronomat is a steal through online retailers, being available for around 5600 dollars.  It is well below my 10,000 dollar price point.  It is a great looking watch and well built watch that is a fully functional men's diver.

The best men's dive watch for under 20,000

Omega

Seamaster Planet Ocean
Model: 232.63.46.21.01.001
Case: 45.5mm 18K, Red Gold
Band: Leather
Movement: Omega 8501 Automatic
Functions: HH, MM, SS,Date
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 600M/1968ft

I, of course, could not call a list on dive watches complete without including at least one Omega watch.  If you have read any of my previous posts here at the best men's watches under blog, you should know by now that Omega is my favorite watchmaker out there.  I have a lot of companies I like, but Omega is far and away at the top of my list.

The Seamaster Planet Ocean, I show here, has made my lists before.  It was on the best men's watches under 20,000 dollars, and it is a real gem of a watch.  It is serious wrist candy, so to speak.

The Seamaster Planet Ocean is a 45.5mm, red gold cased watch.  It has a red gold crown located at the 3 o'clock position and a helium relief valve located at the 10 o'clock position.  The functional, unidirectional bezel is red gold, with a ceramic disc, and the lens is sapphire crystal.  The dial face is black, with white Arabic numerals at the 6, 9 & 12 o'clock positions, and indexes marking the remaining hours on the watch, all imbued with a luminescence.  There is a date window located at the 3 o'clock position, and the hands of the watch are gold as well, with luminescence also.  The band of the watch is leather, and has a folding style clasp.

The movement is an Omega automatic 8501 movement. it has 39 jewels and a 60 hour power reserve.  It runs at 25,200 bph, and is chronometer certified.  It is a great movement, and works well with this high end watch.

The Seamaster can usually be had from online retailers for around 20,000 dollars, putting you right at the top of the budget.  And you may have to do a little bit of deal digging, because I occasionally see it for around 21,000 dollars as well.  It is a wonderful watch though, one that will be noticed, and one I would be able to recognize immediately, but I am a bit of a watch geek.

Wrap Up

I love this list as much as I can love any of them.  I am happy that I was able to introduce a few new brands of watches to the best men's watches under blog.  I hope to be able to include both, Aquadive and Tudor to more of my lists to come.  I hope this has been of some help to you, and happy watch hunting to all!

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The Best Men's Swiss Watches for Under...Part 1

Who can even say how many Swiss watchmakers there are? I truly have no clue, without doing some heavy research.  Which worries me.  This could be a rather taxing series indeed, to make a list of the best men's Swiss watches...

Whatever the case may be, I am taking it on, in this first part, we will be covering Swiss watches up to 500 dollars, and there will probably be a part 2 & 3 for this series.

So, I hope you enjoy these watches, I am excited to see what I will come up with.

The Best Men's Swiss Watches for Under...Part 1

The best men's Swiss watch for under 50 dollars

Invicta
Specialty Black

Model: 11199

Case: 48mm, Stainless steel

Band: Leather

Movement: Quartz #517

Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Day

Battery: 

Water resistance: 100M/330ft

Invicta is a company I tend to not give much love to on the best men's watches under blog.  Mostly because I consider Invicta viable options only under around 300 dollars.  This is not me talking poorly about the product, it is just the way things work out. On most of my lists, I found watches I preferred over the Invicta watches.  The only reason this watch didn't make the best men's watches under 50 dollars, was due to the HMT Pilot.

The Invicta Specialty Black sports a 48mm stainless steel case, that has been toned gold.  It has a gold toned crown located at the 3 o'clock position.  It has a flame fusion crystal lens, covering a black dial face.  It has white Arabic numerals indicating the minutes at every 5 minutes.  There is an inner ring of small Arabic numerals, marking the hours.  The hands are gold toned as well, with an illuminated material imbued into the hands.  There is a day/date window located at the 3 o'clock position as well.  The band is leather with a buckle style clasp.  The movement of the watch is a Swiss made quartz movement.  The model number is 517.

I can usually find the Specialty Black for right at the 50 dollar mark.  It is a nice looking, Swiss made watch that should offer a good shelf life.  I think it is a stylish option for a daily wear watch.

The best men's Swiss watch for under 100 dollars

Swatch

Silver Glam Analog

Model: SOUZ147

Case: 42.7mm, Plastic

Band: Silicone

Movement: ETA Quartz

Functions: HH, MM, SS

Battery:

Water resistance: 30M/100ft

I think this is a first for me, here at the best men's watches under.  I do not believe I have ever had a Swatch watch make one of my lists.  There are reasons.  I tend to shy away from plastic watches, especially for men.  We tend to be rough on our stuff, and plastic does break.  I am still not 100% on the choice, but options were limited for this price point.  It was either this or probably another Invicta.  I just could not do that.  As much as I am reviewing and giving general specification on the watches on this list, I am also trying to make people aware of companies, and options.

So, with that, Swatch has made the lists.  Swatch was founded in Switzerland in 1983.  They were started by ETA SA, in an attempt to recapture the entry level watch market.  They had some very good success with that, choosing plastics over the more expensive steels found in most watches.  They played a huge role in re-establishing Switzerland as the quintessential watch making country, and went on to create a huge group of companies within the Swatch name.  Companies like Omega are now owned by Swatch, along with countless others.

It makes up for the plastic :)

The Glam Analog is standard fare from the Swatch Watch Co, it is a 42.7mm plastic cased analog watch.  It has a crown located at the 3 o'clock position, and it has a acrylic lens.  The dial face of the watch is a steel outer ring with holes marking the hours.  The center of the dial is skeleton, allowing you to look in and see the inner workings of the watch, it has black hands.  The band is black silicone, and has a buckle style clasp, and the movement of the watch is a Swiss quartz, presumably an ETA.

The watch can be found through many online retailers for around 60 dollars, making it a cheap option if you are trying to find a watch for under 100 dollars.  It looks pretty cool, with a modern flare, and would be an easy watch to knock around in.

The best men's Swiss watch for under 200 dollars

Mido
Dorada
Model: M1130.3.13.1
Case: 34mm, Stainless steel
Band: Stainless steel
Movement: ETA Quartz
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery:
Water resistance: 30M/100ft

Mido is another new brand of watches to the best men's watches under blog.  It was founded in 1918 by George Schaeren, in Switzerland.  In the 1920's, Mido made a name for itself by releasing fashionable women's watches, and shortly after that, with watches that resembled automobile grills.  In 1945, Mido was the first company to produce a central read chronograph.  And in the 1970's they became well known for their water resistance.

Mido is a Swatch company, and are not extremely well known, but in the circles of watch geeks, we all know that, generally speaking, Mido watches offer great bang for your buck.  You are getting higher end watches at reasonable pricing.

The Mido Dorada is a 34mm, stainless steel watch, in a gold toned stainless.  It has a crown located at the 3 o'clock position, a sapphire lens covers the brown pearled face.  The hours are marked with gold toned indexes and the hands are gold toned as well.  There is a date window located at the 3 o'clock position, and the band is a small linked, gold toned stainless steel version, with a folding style clasp.  The movement is a ETA 956.112, a quartz movement that is considered a higher end quartz movement produced by ETA.

The Mido Dorada 34mm Gents watch can usually be found online for around 190 dollars.  In my opinion, it is a whole lot of watch for your dollar, and should be a company you look at if you are in the under 200 dollar price range, and are hoping to snag a honest to goodness Swiss timepiece.

The best men's Swiss watch for under 500 dollars

Victorinox
Alliance Mechanical
Model: 241668
Case: 40 mm, Stainless steel
Band width: Leather
Movement: Mechanical Self winding
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery:N/A
Water resistance: 100 M/330 ft

The Victorinox Alliance Mechanical is not new to the lists here at the best men's watches under blog, it was on the best men's watches under 500 dollars list, Victorinox is an old company.  Not an old watchmaker though.  They make Swiss army knives.  In fact they are the company that makes the famous Swiss army knife.  And since the late 80's they have been making quality Swiss watches for reasonably prices.

The Alliance mechanical has a 40mm stainless steel case.  It has a crown located at the 3 o'clock position and a sapphire lens covering the black dial.  The dial sports Arabic numerals at the 3, 6 & 9 o'clock positions and uses index marks for the other hour markers, with a Victorinox shield at the 12 o'clock position.  There is a date window located at the 6 o'clock position.  The hands are polished steel, with a red second hand.  The band of the watch is leather with a buckle style clasp.

The watch can usually be had for around 400 dollars through the online retailers.  It is a great looking, and well built watch for the money.  If you are looking for a great Swiss watch for a reasonable price, you would be hard pressed to find a watch much better than what you can get from Victorinox

Wrap Up

The first part of the best men's Swiss watched for under, ended up being a much more difficult list than I could have expected.  The pickings for Swiss made watches for under 500 dollars are actually much more limited than I knew.  This was a learning list for me.  One that really taught me the hardships the Swiss watchmakers have actually been going through.  I have heard, in passing that the Swiss watchmakers had had a difficult time in the recent past, remaining the preeminent watch making country in the world, and I now see that a big problem is the lack of ability to be competitive.

I hope you have enjoyed part 1 of the best men's Swiss watches for under.  Part 2 will be coming soon.

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