The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 50 Dollars

The 5 best men's watches for under 50 dollars. Bulova, HMT, Casio and more. There are a lot of great options for budget minded individuals.

The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 100 Dollars

The 5 best men's watches for under 100 dollars gives you even more possibilities, companies like Seiko, and so many more watches for men.

The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 200 Dollars

The 5 best men's watches for under 200 dollars really is exciting, it offers you so many new options, and starts to show what higher priced men's watches can offer.

The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 500 Dollars

The 5 best men's watches for under 500 dollars will give you the chance to see some men's watches that could be considered family heirlooms. Something that should last multiple lifetimes.

The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 1000 Dollars

The 5 best men's watches for under 1000 dollars will include Hamilton, and Victorinox, Magrette, and Dievas, and Weiss as well, great watch companies and great watches.

Showing posts with label Bulova. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bulova. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

The Best Men's Watches for under 100 Dollars in 2017

Some of the original brands that made the first 5 best men's watches for under 100 dollars were Seiko, Bulova, Citizen, Orient and Momentum.  I have a funny feeling that some of the same companies will be appearing today on the 2017 version of the five best men's watches for under 100 dollars.

For this list I want companies that have a track record of making quality watches for a long time.  Generally if you are going to spend 100 dollars for a watch, you expect to get a watch that will stand up to the rigors of life and still look good as well.

Here is the link for the original 5 best men's watches under 100 dollars.  And if you feel like 100 dollars is a little above your price point, you may want to take a look at the last 5 best men's watches for under 50 dollars.  

The 5 Best Men's Watches for under 100 Dollars




Bulova
Classic
Model: 96B104
Case: 37 mm, Stainless steel
Band: 20 mm
Movement: Japanese Quartz (Miyota)
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: Nonstandard
Water resistance: 30 M/99 ft.

I have said this before, but I have a bit of a soft spot for Bulova.  I was given my grandfathers' Bulova 23, and I love that watch, I wear it all the time.  And since I recently lost my grandfather, it has a little more importance to me.

That being said, I had a Bulova on the original Best men's watches under 100, so I thought it would be a good idea to see if I could have another one on the list for 2017.  And low-and-behold, I was able to find another one, with really no problem what so ever.

The Bulova chose for this list is a Classic model, and I would consider it a real classic in appearance.  It is a 37mm diameter watch, which is closer to something I would consider classic.  It is not some huge monstrosity attached to your wrist.  It has a clean, smooth bezel.  The case is made of stainless steel. It has a small crown located at the 3 o'clock position.  The face of the watch is silver, and the hour markers are tick marks made from raised stainless, and there is a date window located at the 3 o'clock position.

The band is a 20mm leather band with a buckle style clasp, which is also made of stainless steel.

I like the looks of this watch a lot, but I am partial to this style.  I think it is clean and easy to read, and watches like this look great on the wrist.  And on top of all of that, you can find this watch on Amazon for about 75 dollars, yup, 75 dollars.



Seiko
Recraft Series
Model: SNKN01
Case: 43.5mm, Stainless Steel
Band: 24 mm
Movement: Seiko Automatic Calibre 7S26
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Water resistance: 50 M/150 ft.

I make no appologies for being a Seiko fan.  I have a watch that looks very very similar to this
recraft, but it is from the 70's, I love the thing, it is a tad bit funky, but if you like a little funk in your life, I would recommend you check out their Recraft line of watches.  They are pretty cool.

Previously I had the Series 5 in the 100 dollar slot, but seriously, this is a much better fit.  It is sometimes a hard one to track down, but you should be able to snag it for right around 95 dollars, if your lucky.  If you are not, you are either not going to find it or it will cost you something more along the lines of 140 dollars, it will all depend on where you find it.

It has a larger square case, measuring in at 43.5mm, it it made out of stainless steel, with a crown located at the 3 o'clock position.  It has a Hardlex crystal lens and a see through back.  It also has a fairly wide band, measuring 24mm, and being made from leather, with a buckle style clasp.

The dial is gray in the center, fading to black along the outer edges, it has Arabic numbers at the 5 minute markers along the outer rim, and it uses large tick inner markings to designate the hours.  The watch also has a day/date window located at the 3 o'clock position.

This is a pretty cool Seiko for under 100 dollars.  It may be one of the only Seikos for under 100 beisdes the series 5 watches.  It is a pretty good looker, in my book.



Citizen
Drive
Model: BM6980-08E
Case: 42 mm, Stainless steel
Band: Black leather
Movement: Japanese Quartz (Eco-Drive J165)
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Day
Battery:
Water resistance: 100 M/333 ft.

Originally I talked about the company in these little blurbs, but again, Citizen is a watch brand I have covered here, on the best men's watches under, so I will not be doing that today.  Instead I will talk about the watch I am choosing today.  The Citizen Men's Drive is the entry level watch for Citizen, you may be hard pressed to find it for under 100 dollars, but it is available, if you look, for around 90.  It features Citizens' patented Eco-Drive system.  Which is basically a form of solar power.  They used the watch dial face as the solar panel, which makes it virtually impossible to tell it is a solar powered watch.

This Citizen Drive sports a 42mm stainless steel case, with the crown at the 3 o'clock position.  It has a thin, smooth bezel and a scratch resistant mineral crystal lens.  The face of the watch is black, with raised stainless steel tick marks at the odd hours and small black tick marks for the even hours.  It has a date window located at the 3 o'clock position and the hands and crown have a green inlaid luminescence.  The band is black leather with a buckle style clasp.

I was never a Citizen fan, until last year, I actually got to handle one of the Atomic Time Citizens, and I found it really nice.  Citizen is a brand that I will try to own at some point in my life.



Orient
Capitol Quartz
Model: FUG1R003W/UG1R003W
Case: 40.5 mm, Stainless steel
Band: 22mm, Leather
Movement: HS911 Quartz
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Day, Date
Battery:
Water resistance: 30M

The best men's watches under 100
Orient is another long lived Japanese watchmaker.  Founded, in Japan in 1950.  They have been producing time pieces ever since.  In 2001, it has been a subsidiary of Seiko since 2001, and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Seiko since 2009.  Their main product is mechanical hand wind or self wound watches.

This watch, unfortunatly does not fall into the mechanical movement catigory, but for under 100 dollars, it is a little tricky to find a mechanical watch worth talking about.

This watch is nice though, the 40.0mm stainless steel case has clean, sharp lines, giving it a bit of a vintage feel to it, the crown is located at the traditional 3 o'clock position and the white face is also simple and clean, with thin, stainless steel dash lines at the hour markers, and polished stainless steel hour, minute and second hands.  The face also has a Day and date window which is also located at the 3 o'clock position.

Orient makes quality watches, they have been making watches for some time.  And with them being owned by Seiko, I am very confident you will not be disappointed with your purchase of an Orient watch.



Momentum by St. Moritz Watch Corp.
Steelix Field Watch
Model: 1M-SP74B7G
Case: 44 mm, Stainless steel
Band: 22 mm, Canvas
Movement: Japanese Quartz
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: Silver Oxide cell (3-5 years)
Water resistance: 200 M/600 ft

The best men's watches under 100
This Momentum Steelix was on the original best men's watches under 100 dollars.  And in that list, I explained about companies like Momentum.  I think I will explain it again, because it is an important point.  They basically assemble the watches.  They source quality components and put the watches together from outside pieces.  It's something to consider when choosing watches.

But I like the products.  They have been in business for about 30 years and i have talked to quite a few people that have watches that are nearly that old and still working with no issues.

The Steelix is the entry level watch offered by Momentum.  It has a 44mm stainless steel case, it has a smooth bezel, and the crown is located at the 4 o'clock position.  The dial is black and the markings on the dial are white with a indiglo.  They use Arabic numerals in the 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 & 12 o'clock positions.  The watch hands also are tipped in indiglo.  There is a date window located at the 3 o'clock position.  The movement is a Japanese quartz (I believe it to be a Miyota).  It is finished off with at 22mm canvas band,

The watch is rated up to 200m depth and is one of my favorite looking dive watches...  Ok, so it isn't a true dive watch but I still think it's good looking.



MVMT
Classic White/Tan
Model:
Case: 45mm, Stainless Steel
Band: 24 mm, Leather
Movement: Miyota Quartz
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery:
Water resistance: 30 M/100 ft

If I have a chance to promote American companies, I have to take it.  I love seeing that there are American watchmakers sprouting up again, and I love seeing that you can get an American built watch for under 100 dollars.

MVMT has been in business since 2013, started by two fellows who dropped out of college and used crowd funding to start the company, they amassed a social media following of over 1 million people and have taken off in a very short time.  Much props to Jake Kassan and Kramer LaPlante.

The White and Tan Classic is what I would call the entry level watch offered by MVMT.  It has a 45mm stainless steel case, with a smallish crown located at the 3 o'clock position.  The bezel is smooth and fairly small, really emphasizing the dial face, which is large and white.  It has tick marks, of raised stainless to indicate the hours, and has a date window located at the 3 o'clock position as well.  The lens is hardened mineral crystal, and the band is 24mm wide and made of leather.  It has a buckle style clasp, and overall, is an extremely clean looking watch.  I really like it.  It reminds me of some Bulovas, and we all know my feelings about Bulova.

If you have a hundred dollars burning a hole in your pocket, I would recommend you check out MVMT if you are having a hard time deciding.  I think you will be extremely satisfied if you like the looks of this watch.



Wrap up

I really enjoyed making the 5 best men's watches for under 100 dollars.  I liked it the first time, and I am really liking it this time.  It is probably because I am a lot more familiar with watches in general this time around.  I think the MVMT brand watches are something I will try to cover in the future, I like reveiwing the American companiess.  I hope you have enjoy this best mens watches under list, and I hope you come back soon.

Monday, February 8, 2016

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

Chronograph watches are extremely popular.  The funny thing about that though, is it has been my experience, that people generally, either never use the function, or completely are ignorant to what it means to have a chronograph watch.

Don't get me wrong, I am not calling anyone ignorant in a malicious way, only saying that there is a lack of knowledge as to the nature and purpose of chronograph functions on a watch.  Which, in turn, is fairly baffling to me.  Because generally speaking, a chronograph function on a watch will significantly increase the price of said watch, compared to a model that does not offer these extra functions.

To boil it right down, a chronograph is a fancy word for a stop watch or a timer function.  Often you will have sub dials on a chronograph.  Those sub dials will keep the time, based on seconds, minutes, and hours in certain set increments.  Watch makers often choose different variations of these.  And some watches can only keep seconds or minutes or so on.

It may not be something many of us will need on a watch, or it may be something we like, strictly from an aesthetic standpoint.  And I have no personal issue with that.  Wear a watch that you like, and if it gives you access to useful functions, all the more power to you.

So, for a list on some of the best chronographs I have found, I will try to include a wide array of prices, and movements, and brand names, so you can see some of the wonderful options that are available out there in the world.  Some of these watches have appeared on other lists I have and will make, and that is generally because I find them to be great buys, and will naturally be able to be categorized into many different locations.

I will also, hopefully be able to show you some new watches, or brands I have not had a chance to introduce my readers to. I am breaking this into two lists.  Here is the link For The best Men's Chronograph Watches for Under... Part 2, there I cover watches over 2000 dollars.



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




The Best Men's Chronograph Watch for Under 50 Dollars

Timex
Weekender Collection
Model: TW2P715009J
Case: 40 mm, Stainless Steel
Band: 20 mm, Nylon
Movement: Quartz
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Day, Chronograph, Light
Battery: Lithium metal battery


Water resistance: 30M/99ft.

Best men's chronograph watches
The Timex Weekender series
are my favorite Timex's.
The Timex Weekend has appeared on a couple lists for me already.  Although, I am not the biggest Timex fan you will ever meet, I really like this watch, especially for the price.  The problem is I have cheated a little bit.  I am currently finding it for 59 dollars.  Making it a bust for my under 50 dollars budget.  But before Christmas of 2015, it was selling for 49.99 on Amazon.  And since then, I have been unwilling to replace it with the Timex Expedition Field Chronograph T499059J.

The Expedition is not a bad watch, I just prefer the looks of the Weekender over the Expedition, and quite honestly, I do not think the 10 dollars should be enough to steer me away from it.

For the Weekender, you get a 40mm stainless steel case with the crown at the 3 o'clock position and the chronograph buttons located at the 3 and 4 o'clock positions.  The dial face is black with white being the opposite coloring for the numbers and ticks and sub dials for the chronograph functions.  The watch comes with a canvas band with a buckle style clasp.

The chronograph functions include: measurements up to 1/20th of a second.  The chronograph second is actually the second hand on the main dial, with a small seconds at the 6 o'clock position.

I really like the looks of this watch, I like the idea of the chronograph seconds being part of the bigger dial, it makes it easier to use in my mind.  And I love the price.  If you really go looking, you will most likely be able to find it for under 50 dollars, but if not, and the 59.99 price tag is a deal breaker, I would suggest you take a look at the Expedition.




The Best Men's Chronograph Watch for Under 100 Dollars

Invicta
Specialty Chronograph
Model: 10687
Case: 45mm Stainless steel
Band: 22mm Leather
Movement: 8172/220 quartz
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Day, Date, Chronograph
Battery: 
Water resistance: 100M/330ft

Best men's chronograph watches
Invicta has a lot of chronographs
available.
I have yet to talk about Invicta watches, so let me give you a brief history of the company.  It is something I like to do with all watchmakers.

Invicta Watch Company started life in 1837, by Raphael Picard, in Switzerland.  The Picard family owned and operated the company until the early 1970's.  I am unsure what happened between the 70's and 1991, but in 1991 the company was purchased by an American investment firm, and now has its headquarters located in America.  I have so many companies I have wanted to talk about, I have not found the place for the Invicta watches until now.  And it is my personal belief that Invicta watches are good watches, as long as they are under 300 or so dollars, any more than that and there are better, more reputable companies to choose from.  That being said, I find this chronograph a good buy for under 100 dollars.

The Invicta Specialty Chronograph has a 45mm stainless steel case with the crown at the 3 o'clock position and the chronograph function buttons at the 2 & 4 o'clock positions.  The face is covered by a Flame Fusion Crystal lens, and the dial face itself is a dark blue, with numerals in 5 minute intervals. The hands of the watch are silver.  The dark blue leather band is 22m wide and has a buckle style clasp.

The chronograph functions are:  A 60 second sub dial and a 30 minute sub dial.  It also includes a 3rd sub dial for the day of the week.

The watch sells on Amazon for 99.99 or there about and falls just a hair under the 100 dollar limit.   Personally, I think a sub 100 dollar Invicta watch is a good purchase for a watch you plan to wear regularly.  I would not really call it a collectible watch though.



The Best Men's Chronograph for Under 200 Dollars

Bulova
Classic Series
Model: 96B203
Case: 40 mm, Stainless steel
Band Width: 22 mm, Stainless steel
Movement: Japanese Quartz
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Chronograph
Battery:
Water resistance: 30M

Best men's chronograph watches
Bulova make some classic
and stylish watches
I could not help myself but to put a Bulova on this list.  This watch has some real clean lines, something I have come to expect from modern Bulova watches.  It also made my best men's watches under 200 dollars list.

The 40mm stainless steel case is not over large, but falls right into that perfect size, the crown is at the 3 o'clock position, and the chronograph function buttons are at the 2 & 4.  The Dial face is black with a black bezel and polished hands, and a stainless steel, 3 link band with a fold clasp.

The Chronograph functions consist of 3 sub dials, a second, hour, and 24 hour dial.  The watch also includes a date window.

The watch, in my opinion, is one of Bulovas' best looking watches, under about 200 dollars.  It can be found on Amazon for around 190 dollars.



The Best Men's Chronograph Watch for Under 500 Dollars

Hamilton Watches
Pilot Pioneer Chrono Quartz
Model: H76552955
Case: 41mm Stainless steel
Band: 22mm Canvas
Movement: Quartz CAL.G10.211
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Chronograph
Battery: 
Water resistance: 100M/330ft

Best men's chronograph watches
Hamilton watches have a
very stylish and timeless
look
The Hamilton Pilot Chrono has been inspired by Hamilton's military aviation watches from the mid 70's.

The Pilot Chrono has a modest sized, 41mm stainless steel case, with the crown at the 3 o'clock position, and the chronograph function buttons at the 2 & 4 o'clock positions.  The white dial has Arabic numerals at the hour marks, with the 12 o'clock numeral imbued with  Superluminova.  The hour, and minute hands are black and also imbued with Superluminova.  And it is all covered with a sapphire lens.  The watch comes with a canvas band with a stainless steel buckle style clasp, but it available with a leather band or stainless steel.

The chronograph functions include a seconds sub dial at the 6 o'clock position, and a 30 minute sub dial at the 10 o'clock position.  The watch also has a date window at the 3 o'clock position.

I had a hard time choosing between the Hamilton and a Victorionox.  Both companies make quality watches, but the Hamilton watches look better to me.  This Hamilton Pilot Pioneer Chrono can be had for around 410 dollars, and I believe you can get a lot of watch if you choose the Hamilton.



The Best Men's Chronograph for Under 1000

Citizen
Ecosphere
Model: CA4184-81E
Case: 48mm, Stainless steel
Band: Stainless steel
Movement: Japanese Quartz
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Chronograph
Battery:
Water resistance: 100M/330ft

Best men's chronograph watches
Citizen is a great Japanese watch
maker
The Citizen Ecosphere, like some big, dark monster is my under 500 dollar choice for the best men's chronograph watches for under... list.  It is big and it is dark, it's almost villainous looking.  Or maybe like a Knight Rider for your wrist.

The Ecosphere sports a 48mm, black, stainless steel case, with the black crown at the 3 o'clock position and the chronograph function buttons at the 2 & 4 o'clock positions.  The black face had dark grey hour markers and black hands with dark grey inlaid in them.  The sub dials are also black with grey hands, and the only bright spot on the watch is the date window, located at around the 4:30 position of the watch.  The black Tachymeter bezel is etched.  The black stainless steel rounds out this package with a folding style clasp.

The Chronograph functions are 1/5 second, a 30 minute and a 24 hour.  The watch is impressive.  I don't very often find a watch like this very visually appealing, but I do like the way they did this one.  I like it a lot, and being it can usually be found for under 350 dollars, it is a bargain in the under 1000 dollar price point.



Wrap Up

Chronograph watches are great, and versatile tools for individuals that have a need for a convenient stopwatch.  They also make nice appearance watches for those who want a large, complicated looking watch on their wrist.  They can be a great addition to anyone who loves to wear a watch on their wrist.  The chronograph style watch is a classic and is easily one of the most popular mens watch styles on the market today.

Thank you for reading the best men's watches under blog.  Please come back and read The best men's chronograph watches under... Part 2.





Tuesday, January 26, 2016

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

Bulova has been making watches for a very long time.  They have been making very nice watches for a very long time as well.  I have said it before and I will probably continue to repeat myself, but I love Bulova.  I love my old Bulova 23.  It is my favorite personal watch.  Any I am extremely excited that today I am going to be writing The Best Men's Bulova Watches for Under, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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


The best Men's Bulova Watch for under 100 Dollars


Classic
The Bulova Classic is a great
watch for under 100 dollars.
Model: 96B217
Case: 38 mm, Stainless steel
Band width: 20 mm
Movement: Japanese Quartz (Miyota)
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: Nonstandard
Water resistance: 30 M/99 ft

This Bulova classic definitely has a very classic look.  The 38mm stainless steel case is on the smaller side for many modern watches, but that also lends itself to the classic look.  It has sharp and clean lines on the case with a crown at the 3 o'clock position.  The silver face is marked with the Roman numeral '12' and dash marks at the other hour markers.  The hour, minute and second hands are all silver, and the date window is located at the 6 o'clock position.  The 20mm leather band has a standard buckle style clasp.

It has a Miyota quartz movement, which is common for quartz Bulovas, due to the fact that they are owned by Citizen and, of course, Citizen also owns Miyota, and also, of course, Miyota is probably the most popular Japanese quartz movement maker.

I think this Bulova is great.  It is one of the reasons I included it in the 5 best men's watches for under 100 dollars.  I have found this watch for 90 dollars on Amazon.  You may be able to find it for a little more or a little less.  The price is great anywhere near 100 for a Bulova.



The best Men's Bulova Watch for under 200 Dollars

Classic Series
Model: 96B203
Case: 40 mm, Stainless steel
Band Width: 22 mm, Stainless steel
Movement: Japanese Quartz
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Chronograph
Battery:
Water resistance: 30M

The Bulova Chronograph is
and excellent buy at under 200
dollars.
The Bulova Classic Series 96B203 is a stylish looking chronograph.  With chronograph watches being so popular, I thought it was important to show some of what Bulova has to offer in that department.  This Black and silver number offers a chronograph in a very professional package.

The 40mm stainless steel case is polished and features a black bezel, along with a crown at the 3 o'clock position and the chronograph buttons at the 2 & 4 o'clock positions.  The dial face is black with simple dashes at the hour marks, and the chronograph sub dials, which are located at the 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions.  The watch also has a date window located at the 4:30 positions.  The Bulova Classic has a stainless steel, 3 link band with a deployment style clasp.

The Bulova Classic is powered by a Miyota quartz movement. And should offer its owner a nice, long life.

The Bulova classic is a clean and stylish looking, casual dress watch that should draw the eye.  It is branded by a highly long lived name in Bulova and it just looks good.  This was also from my 5 best men's watches for under 200 dollars list, and, spoiler alert!  It may also appear on an chronograph list...


The best Men's Bulova Watch for under 500 Dollars

Automatic
Model: 97A109
Case: 45 mm, Stainless steel
Band width: 20 mm, Leather
Movement: Automatic movement
Functions: HH, MM, SS
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 30

This Bulova Automatic is also on a list already, It made my list from yesterday, The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 500 Dollars.  For good reason, this watch is a mechanical with a partial skeleton front face.  It is a very nice watch.

The Bulova Automatic is again, a very classic looking watch.  The 45mm stainless steel case has been rose gold plated, and the crown at the 3 o'clock position is also gold plated.  The hour, minute and second hands have been gold plated, and so have the hour markers.  The face is black with a partial skeleton face, and the brown leather band has a buckle style clasp.

The Automatic means it is a mechanical movement that will not need to be hand wound.  It will wind itself while you are wearing it.  This is one of my favorite style watches, they tend to be relatively easy to repair if something goes wrong, and you will never have to replace a batter.  Not to mention, I find the movement of the mechanical movements very cool.

I have found this watch for as low at 245 dollars on Amazon, and suspect this is a great buy for the under 500 dollar price range.



Wrap up
Bulova watches are classic.  They were originally an American company, and they have a long and lustrous history for this country.  They were commonly used as retirement watches for large companies, and have been in almost every home in this country in one way or another.

The Best Men's Watches for Under was proud and pleased by the watches that I was able to find for this post, and I hope you find it useful in your men's watch shopping. 

Monday, January 25, 2016

The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 500 Dollars

For your average Joe, the idea of spending 500 dollars on a watch will either seem like a substantial investment, or more likely, completely out of the question.  With that in mind, I expect the list of the 5 best men's watches for under 500 dollars to be a list of watches that could easily become a family heirloom. I don't think that's an unreasonable expectation.  I think all these watches should be from highly reputable watch makers, preferably have mechanical movements, and be made from high quality materials.  Either that, or such a unique piece, that I am left with no choice but to add it.  I want quality for such an investment, and expect my readers would want the same.

So, let us see what I was able to come up with for this installment of the best men's watches for under...

The 5 Best Men's Watches 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

Best men's watches under 500
Victorinox is the swiss army knife company.  Maybe you knew that, because that is really what they are known for.  They have only been producing watches since 1989.  But the product they make is quality.  They manufacture their own movements.  They use a multiple crystal hardening process to make a lens surface that is extremely resistant to scratches.

The Alliance mechanical is a self winding mechanical watch.  It is a stainless construction, 40mm case and has a black face with black leather band.  The face has Arabic numerals at the 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions, and it includes a date window.  It also includes a see through back case, along with the Sapphire lens.

I like the Victorinox brand for a quality, reasonably priced watch.  They are an old company, even though they have not been producing watches for that entire time.  They are still a company that should stand behind their product.

In my previous Men's Best Watches Lists, I couldn't really find a Swiss made watch I felt would fit the bill, but this one definitely fits well in this under 500 dollar price range, falling in the 400 dollar range.



Orient

Explorer
Model: FDH00001W0
Case: 44.5 mm, Stainless steel
Band width: 22 mm, Leather
Movement: Automatic hacking 48K40
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Dual Time
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 50M/165 ft

Best men's watches under 500
This Orient Explorer is a whole lot of watch.  I really am attracted to this Orient watch, the value is solid.  The watch has Dual time zones, it has a slide rule calculator on the Bezel, it has a Sapphire Crystal lens, and a power gauge.

Not to mention great looks, and a mechanical auto movement, which is made in-house.  I like the Orient brand, for the appearance, as well as the fact that they are not using pieces from other companies.  It's not something you find in many sub 500 dollar watches.  In fact, its not something you will find for watches in general, but this Explorer does it for around 485.

The face is a bit busy for me, but I think it could be something I could get used to.  Orient is quickly becoming a company I look at when looking at watches of any price.  The watches are priced well, and they are not quite as mainstream as Seiko or Citizen, in the Japanese watch market.  It gives them a uniqueness factor that you cannot get from the mainstream watch companies.



Laco

1925 Pilot
Model: 861688
Case: 42 mm, Sand blasted stainless steel
Band width: 20 mm, Leather
Movement: Laco 21 self winding
Functions: HH, MM, SS
Battery:N/A
Water resistance: 50 M/165 ft

Best men's watches under 500
German pilot watch. That is what this is, and nothing more.  The Laco 1925 nearly the same watch the German pilots from World War II wore.  You get a simple black face, big numbers and large, easy to read arms.  It has big rivets in the bands and the sandblasted, 42mm stainless steel case has a nice finish, that is a nice break from all the polished and chromed cases we usually see.

On top of that, the watch also has a sapphire lens, and a see through back.

I love this watch.  And if you spend any time in the watch world, you will see that a lot of people love these watches, and have loved them for a very long time.

It might be my first choice in this under 500 dollar list.  I think there are a lot of nice possibilities in the German watch market, it might just be difficult to get them in the U.S sometimes.



Bulova

Automatic
Model: 97A109
Case: 45 mm, Stainless steel
Band width: 20 mm, Leather
Movement: Automatic movement
Functions: HH, MM, SS
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 30 M
Best men's watches under 500

Bulova.  What can I say, I love Bulova.  But besides that, this watch has style.  The gold plated stainless steel case looks great, the large, bold face and partial skeleton, black face with large gold hands, and brown leather band rounds this watch out quite nicely.

Bulova is a old watch name, and although they are no longer American made watches, they are still high quality, and more than any specific watch, I would almost always recommend you consider a Bulova, if you are looking for a quality mid ranged wristwatch.

At 338 dollars, this watch falls well under the 500 price limit set on this list, making it a bargain.



Vostok-Europe

Gaz-14 Limousine 2426/5601058
Specs:
Case: 43 mm, Stainless steel
Band width: 
Movement: 2426 Vostok self wind mechanical
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Dual Time
Battery: N/A
Water Resistance: 50 M/165 ft

If you have heard the name Vostok, it is important to know that Vostok-Europe is a completely different company, that makes watches in Lithuania. But, there is a business connection.  And this particular watch actually uses a Vostok movement.  It is why I consider this a great watch.  The Vostok movements are known to be tough.  And the watches look good.  They have a very European look, and will definitely give you something unique.

The company itself is fairly new, opening its doors in 2003, but the looks and the fact that they use the Vostok movement or, in some cases Seiko movements, tells me the company is doing things right.  They are not strictly fashion watches, they are watches built for quality.

The Gaz 14-Limo is a big watch.  The case is 43mm stainless steel, with a gray metallic, 3 dimensional face.  It has a crown located at the 4 o'clock position, and an additional crown for dual time functions at the 2 o'clock position.  The watch has a sapphire lens, and a leather band.

It also has a Vostok, self winding, mechanical movement.

I see the watch on Amazon for around 360 dollars.  And it looks to me that it is a great buy at that price point.  Something I would consider a good investment, if you are looking for a Euro style watch.



Wrap up

I hope you have enjoyed The 5 best men's watches under 500 dollars.  I enjoyed searching through watches for hours, to put it together.  And I hope you all come back for my future posts.  I will be covering higher price ranges, and very specific types of watches in the weeks to come.

The best men's watches under blog will continue to also do brand specific posts, and hopefully will throw in a few other variations of the best under style lists.  I hope to give you all as much information as you could possibly ever need, regarding men's watches.

Saturday, January 23, 2016

The 5 Best Men's Watches for under 200 dollars

We are going back to the original style list today.  Today we are going to be covering the 5 best mens watches for under 200 dollars.  The best men's watches under blog loves these style lists.  It give me a chance to look for new watches, and watch companies.  It expands my knowledge and it gives me a chance to make my own wish list.

Starting now, with 200 dollar watches, we should hopefully start to see some real quality in these timepieces.

That's not to say that the 5 best men's watches under 50 dollars or 100 dollars were junk watches.  Not at all.  I think the Vostok watch, or the HMT watch might be some of the best valued watches I have ever seen.  but with spending 200 dollars on a watch, you will be expecting better quality materials and more attention to quality and detail.  And I think you should see that on the list to come.



The 5 Best Men's Watches for under 200 Dollars



Citizen
Eco-Drive

Model: BM7251-53L
Case: 41 mm, Stainless Steel
Band Width:
Movement: Eco-Drive E111
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 333 ft

Best men's watches under 200
I have talked about Citizen before, in the Best Men's watches for under 100 dollars.  They are one of the big Japanese Watchmakers, with a great reputation for making quality time pieces.  The Eco-drive line are nice, they offer solar powered watches with battery reserve.  And they have a lineup that goes on for miles, you are almost certain to find a watch that fits your needs and wants.

The Eco-drive has a classic look with 41mm stainless steel case, the size is not too big.  It has a crown located at the 3 o'clock position, and a stainless steel link band with a folding style clasp.  It has a blue dial face, with polished hour minute and second hands, and even includes a sapphire crystal lens.  It also has a date window at the 3 o'clock position.

The Eco-Drive is a lot of quality watch for under $200.  Under 170 dollars, actually.  Amazon sells it for around 170 dollars, which is about the cheapest I was able to find it, but there are a lot of sites it is available on though.

I don't think you will be disappointed with a Citizen watch.  They are continuously improving their line, and have been making quality time pieces for a very long time.



Bulova
Best men's watches under 200
Classic Series
Model: 96B203
Case: 40 mm, Stainless steel
Band Width: 22 mm, Stainless steel
Movement: Japanese Quartz
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Chronograph
Battery:
Water resistance: 30M

I'm sure you know by now, I have a soft spot for Bulova.  I will almost always look at Bulova watches before any other brand.  And even though I don't think Bulova is the same company they used to be, I think they still release quality product.  With Citizen steering the wheel now, you can be pretty confident that any Bulova watch will be made with quality in mind.

The Classic series Chronograph here, is no different.  The 40mm stainless steel case is what I would call a modern classic watch size.  It has the crown located at the 3 o'clock position, and the chronograph buttons are located at the 2 & 4 o'clock positions.  The chronograph sub dials are located at the 3, 6 & 9 o'clock positions, and the Bulova also has a date window located at the 4:30 position.  The band is stainless steel, and has a folding style clasp.

I love the combination of black face and stainless case.  It makes for a great combination.  If you are in the market for a high quality dress watch, I don't think you could go wrong with this one.  It sells for around 190 dollars, online.  So, it falls just a bit under the 200 dollar price limit of this list.



Seiko

Recraft
Model: SNKN47
Case: 44 mm, Stainless steel
Band Width: 22 mm, Stainless steel
Movement: Automatic movement 7S26
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Day
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 50 M/ 165 ft

This Seiko Recraft follows the theme of these men's watches for under 200 dollars.  The stainless steel case is a fairly large, 44mm size, with the crown at the 3 o'clock position.  The black face has Arabic numerals at the 6 & 12 o'clock positions and a day and date window at the 3 o'clock position.  The stainless steel band has a folding style clasp.  The watch also features a see through back.

On top of that, you also get the Seiko 7S26 automatic, 24 jewel movement with kinematic self winding.  It has a 41 hour power reserve and runs at 21,600 bph,  making the watch a piece that can be cherished for a lifetime and beyond, with a repairable movement.

At just a hair under 200 dollars, it may be stretching your budget, but it is an awful lot of watch for that price.  It would definitely be on my short list of watches for under the 200 dollar range.



Timex
Metropolitan
Model: TWG012600ZA
Case: 42 mm, Brass
Band Width: 20 mm
Movement: Quartz
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Pedometer
Battery: Lithium Ion Battery
Water resistance: 50 M/160 ft.

Best men's watches under 200
Seriously, this watch could not be overlooked in this day and age.  Everything is better with Bluetooth, right?  This watch is not only a watch, but it is also and activity tracker.  It will sync to your phone.  It has a fourth hand that tracks your steps, along with a daily percentage reached,

And you get this in a package that looks nothing like a Fitbit, or smart watch, which, personally, I find to be a positive.  I don't really love the looks of a ambiguous electronic devise sitting on my wrist, But this has a classic look.

I love this watch, and I have seen it for as low as 140 dollars.

The watch has a bug, 42mm brass case with a crown at the 3 o'clock position.  It also includes a pedometer button located at the 2 o'clock position.  The case is flat black and the face is a matching flat black with gray numerals and hour markers.  It has a sub dial for blue tooth status at the 8:30 position, and a step progress sub dial at the 4:30 position.  The hour and minute hands are white, and the second hand is gray.  It has easy to change bands and a quartz movement.  It has a nice look, Similar to a chronograph.  and it offers lots of unique features.  I love this watch, and would love to add it to my personal collection.



Orient
Bambino

Model: FER24005W0/ER24005W
Case: 40.5 mm, Stainless steel
Band: Leather
Movement: Orient 48743 Automatic movement
Functions: HH, MM, SS
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 30M/160 ft

Orient is another long lived Japanese watchmaker.  Founded, in Japan in 1950.  They have been producing time pieces ever since.  It has been a subsidiary of Seiko since 2001, and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Seiko since 2009.  Their main product is mechanical hand wind or self wound watches.  Making their own, in house movements.

The Bambino is a classic looking dress watch.  It has a 40.5mm stainless steel case with its crown located at the 3 o'clock position, and a matte finish.  The white dial face has silver hour markers and a date window at the 3 o'clock position.  The hour and minute hands are polished steel, and the brown leather band has a buckle style clasp.

The Orient 48743 automatic movement is a 21 jewel movement, which has a 41 hour power reserve, and runs at 21,600 bph.

Orient makes quality watches.  The Bambino is a fine looking watch and should be a quality purchase.  I have found the watch for as low as 118 dollars, which to me, is a great buy for a mechanical watch.  And one that has a movement in it that is the same that I have found in watches that cost twice as much. 



Wrap up

The 5 best men's watches for under 200 dollars ended up being what I had expected.  It is a list of quality timepieces from companies that have been making watches for 100 years, and more in many cases.  I believe that most people would be fairly satisfied with any of these watches.

I personally think, that the more I see of them, I might have to purchase a Orient at some point.  I really like the value.

The best men's watches under hopes you find this list useful.  I have enjoyed pulling it together, and cannot wait to do the 5 best men's watches under 500 dollars.  If this one is any indication, I suspect it will be full of wonderful men's watches.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 100 Dollars

The 5 best men's watches for under 100 dollars was supposed to be an easier list to make than the 5 best for under 50.  But that proved not to be the case.

With the 50 dollar watches, I tried to pick watches from different categories, for the under 100 dollar watches, I simply tried to find the best bang for your buck.  I was able to find that, but the pickings, in my eyes, were slim.

My goal in the best men's watches for under 100 was to try to find watches produced by tried an true companies,  in most cases, those watches would be entry level products, but you should still get the name, and quality expected from the name. 

I stayed away from the fashion watches from companies like Fossil or Kenneth Cole, and countless other brands.  Not because they are particularly bad watches, but because I felt that if you want a fashion watch, it is because you want a look, and this list is not for the best looking men's watches for under 100. This limited my playing field to a very few brands I would be able to consider.  I hope the choices are to your liking though.

The 5 Best Men's Watches for under 100 Dollars


Seiko
Series 5
Model:SNK809K2
Case: 37mm, stainless steel
Band: 18mm, black canvas
Movement: Seiko Automatic 7S26A
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Day
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 30M/100ft

The best men's watches under 100
I would have loved to find a Seiko for the under 50 list, but it just didn't happen.  Seiko is a quality watch maker that has been producing timepieces since 1892, and watches since 1924.  They are the official timekeepers for many major sporting events.  They are a strong watch making company.

The Sportsmatic 5 was first released in 1963, marketed as an affordable timepiece, and has continued to be for more than 50 years.

The Seiko 5 Series, it's what I would call a typical field watch.  It comes with a 37 mm stainless steel case and screw on, see through back.  The black face and hands are offset by the white numbering.  The crown is at the 4 o'clock position, instead of the more common, 3 o'clock position.  The 18 mm black canvas strap has a buckle clasp.

The watch has luminous hands, and numbering, and a Hardlex crystal lens.  The Seiko 5 also has not only a date window, but a day window as well.

The Seiko 5 is not full of fun features, but is a high quality watch for a great price.  And it is not a quarts movement timepiece.  In fact it is a Seiko 7S26A, automatic movement.  It has 21 Jewels and runs at 21,600 vph, keeping the hands moving smoothly.

Overall, I love this watch.  It is a watch I would recommend to anyone looking for a niche daily wear watch for a great price.  I have found it on Amazon for around 72 dollars, making if fall well below the under 100 dollar price point.



Bulova
Classic
Model: 96B217
Case: 38 mm, Stainless steel
Band: 20 mm
Movement: Japanese Quartz (Miyota)
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: Nonstandard
Water resistance: 30 M/99 ft.

The best men's watches under 100
I have a soft spot for Bulova, due to the long ago gift of my grandfather's Bulova 23 watch.  But the company also has a long and prestigious history.

Bulova was founded by Joseph Bulova, in 1875, in Queens, New York.  In 1912, Joseph open his first plant dedicated solely to watch production, in Switzerland.

In 2008 Citizen purchased Bulova, making them the largest watchmaker in the world.

All that said, I love the looks of this watch.  The lines are so clean, it has a feel of mid-century modern style, with sharp lines on the 38mm stainless steel case, and the clean silver face, with the roman numeral 12.  It has a screw on back and a 20mm leather band with a buckle clasp.

The Bulova classic is just that, it is a clean, classic, no frills watch.  It  is going to give you your hours and minutes and seconds, and a date window on the dial.

The Bulova Classic has a Japanese quartz.  As far as I can tell, it has a Miyota quartz.  I did not get that information directly from Bulova though.  It makes sense though, Miyota and Bulova are both owned by Citizen.

With the quality inherent with the Bulova name, I am very sure this is a watch you would be happy for.  On top of that, I have seen this watch for as low as 85 dollars.  Well under the 100 dollar limit.

 I have to admit though.  If you are willing to go just over 100 dollars, around 120, the Classic 96B104 is a better looking watch to me, but only slightly.

It may very well be in my beat watches under 200 list.  Do not be surprised.



Citizen
Eco-drive
Model: AU1040-08E
Case: 40 mm, Stainless steel
Band: 20mm, Black leather
Movement: Japanese Quartz (Eco-Drive J165)
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Day
Battery:
Water resistance: 10 M/33 ft.

The best men's watches under 100
Citizen Watch Holdings is another long standing watch maker.  The company was founded in 1918, as a watch research institute, in Japan.  Citizen was formally name as a watch company in 1924 (or there about) and have been a dominant force in the watchmaking industry ever since.  They are also the parent company for Miyota, a highly recognized movement maker.  Giving them immediate access to quality movements for their watches (along with Bulova).

The Citizen Eco-Drive is a classic looking watch.  It has a large, 40mm Stainless steel case with a screw down stainless steel back, and a black dial face with tick marks at the hours and minutes, along with polished hour, minute and second arms.  Its crown is located in the standard 3 o'clock position and it has a 20mm black leather band with a buckle style clasp.

The Eco-drive is a solar powered movement that utilizes a solar panel under the watch face in order to power the units.  They do have a battery to hold residual charge, but the Eco-Drive system is nearly battery replacement free, being it relies on solar energy to power the unit.

The AU1040-03A falls just under 100 dollars.  I have been able to find it for around 98 dollars to be exact.  It gives you an entry level Citizen watch at a reasonable price.

The watch looks good and offers some nice features.  The Eco-Drive, Stainless steel construction, and leather band.  Along with a Crystal lens, and illuminated arms.  The watch has a nice, but simple look, and would be a watch I would consider adding to my collection.



Orient
Capitol Quartz
Model: FUG1R003W/UG1R003W
Case: 40.5 mm, Stainless steel
Band: 22mm, Leather
Movement: HS911 Quartz
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Day, Date
Battery:
Water resistance: 30M

The best men's watches under 100
Orient is another long lived Japanese watchmaker.  Founded, in Japan in 1950.  They have been producing time pieces ever since.  In 2001, it has been a subsidiary of Seiko since 2001, and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Seiko since 2009.  Their main product is mechanical hand wind or self wound watches.

This watch, unfortunatly does not fall into the mechanical movement catigory, but for under 100 dollars, it is a little tricky to find a mechanical watch worth talking about.

This watch is nice though, the 40.0mm stainless steel case has clean, sharp lines, giving it a bit of a vintage feel to it, the crown is located at the traditional 3 o'clock position and the white face is also simple and clean, with thin, stainless steel dash lines at the hour markers, and polished stainless steel hour, minute and second hands.  The face also has a Day and date window which is also located at the 3 o'clock position.

Orient makes quality watches, they have been making watches for some time.  And with them being owned by Seiko, I am very confident you will not be disappointed with your purchase of an Orient watch.



Momentum by St. Moritz Watch Corp.
Steelix Field Watch
Model: 1M-SP74B7G
Case: 44 mm, Stainless steel
Band: 22 mm, Canvas
Movement: Japanese Quartz
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: Silver Oxide cell (3-5 years)
Water resistance: 200 M/600 ft

The best men's watches under 100
Momentum is a Canadian watch company.  They are not necessarily Canadian made watches.  They are built in Canada.  I think that is very important to understand about companies like Momentum.  That while they generally use quality products and make an overall quality product, the do not really have any manufacturing processes of their own.

But i like the products.  They have been in business for about 30 years and i have talked to quite a few people that have watches that are nearly that old and still working with no issues.

Its because of this that I gave momentum a place on the under 100 list.  Because, even though they are not one of the giants on this list, they are doing things right and they sell at a good price.

The Steelix is the Momentum entry level watch.  I know i had a torpedo on the under 50 list, but it was a previous model year version.  This Steelix is a watch you can buy directly from Momentum for 99 dollars.

I like this watch.  It has a military look to it. I love that the crown is at the 4 o'clock position instead of the 3.

This watch, in my mind is a good buy, and is why it is on my under 100 list.



Wrap up

I hope you have enjoyed The 5 best men's watches under 100 dollars.  I enjoyed searching through watches for hours, to put it together.  And I hope you all come back for my future posts.  I will be covering higher price ranges, and very specific types of watches in the weeks to come.  My goal for The Best Men's Watches Under blog is to present you with the best men's watches I can find within any given price range, and show you options you may not be aware of.