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 Momentum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Momentum. 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.

Saturday, March 26, 2016

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

We have covered a lot of different types of watches, here at the best men's watches under, but I realized I had not yet done a best men's dive watch list.  I was actually surprised of that.  So, here we are.  Today I am going to be covering the lower cost dive watches,  we can call this part 1.  Then, soon I will also write part 2, to cover the high end watches.


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


The best men's dive watch for under 50 dollars

Vostok
Amphibia 1967
Model: 0900380
Case: 41mm Stainless Steel
Band: 22mm, Stainless steel
Movement: 2416B, Automatic
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 200M/660ft

This spot was supposed to be taken by the watch that appears on the 5 best men's watches under 50 dollars list, the Momentum, but that watch has been price creeping and is now selling for 100 dollars.  So, instead I will give the nod to Vostok.  You can never go wrong by strapping a tank to your wrist.

The Vostok Amphibia is a tough watch.  I have talked to people about their Vostoks, who have said they would be willing to throw it off a roof, or run it over, they are so confident that the watch would continue to work.  It is the first thing that grabbed my attention with Vostok.  

This Amphibia sports a 41mm Stainless steel case, with the crown at the 3 o'clock position.  The case has a pillow shape.  There is a functional dive bezel.  The watch face is black and uses indexes for the hour markers.  There is a date window at the 3 o'clock position, and the hands are polished steel.  The band of the watch is 3 link, stainless steel style with a folding clasp.  

The movement for the Amphibia is a 2416B, automatic.  It is a 31 jewel movement with a 33 hour power reserve.  It is a decent little movement, especially at the price point we are covering with this dive watch.

The watch can be found in a few places.  You can get it on amazon, but I personally would suggest you try a different location.  Maybe Chistopolcity.com would be my first suggestion.  There are several different versions of this watch that vary in iprice from about 50-65 dollars.




The best men's dive watch for under 100 dollars

Momentum
Torpedo
Model: 1M-DV74B7B
Case: 44.15 mm, Solid 316L Stainless Steel
Band: 22mm, Nato Nylon
Movement: Japanese Quartz analog
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: 371 silver oxide cell (3-5 year)
Water resistance: 200M/660ft

This is the watch that originally showed up on the 5 best men's watches for under 50 dollars, but there was a bit of a price creep, so, since I still consider Momentum watches a quality purchase, I decided that it was a good choice for the best men's dive watch for under 100 dollars.

The Torpedo has a 44.15mm stainless steel case, with a crown at the 4 o'clock position.  Putting the crown at the 4 o'clock position minimizes the dig that you can sometimes feel when the crown is located at the 3 o'clock position, especially with some of the bigger watches.  The bezel is a functional, bi-directional bezel.  The face is black with indexes marking the hours and minutes of the watch.  The watch has a date window located at the 3 o'clock position.  The hands are black with lumination on the ends.  It utilizes a Japanese quartz movement (Miyota). There is also lumination on the indexes.  The band is a Nato Nylon strap with a buckle style clasp.

This watch can usually be found for right around 100 dollars through online retailers.  It is a quality and tough little watch for under 100 dollars.



The best men's dive watch for under 200 dollars

Seiko
Series 5 Marine
Model: SRP489K1
Case: 44mm, Stainless steel
Band: Stainless steel
Movement: 4R36, Automatic
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Day
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 100M/330ft

The Seiko Series 5 line of watches are some of my favorite, lower priced watches.  They are well built and they have been in production for a very long time.  They have automatic movements, they have day and date windows, and overall, they are just great little watches.

The Series 5 Marine is no exception.  It has a 44mm stainless steel case, with a crown at the 3 o'clock position, that has a guard around it.  The stainless steel has been blacked out on this watch.  The bezel is a functional dive bezel.  The face of the watch is black with large, indexed hour markers.  all imbued with lumination.  The watch has a day/date window located at the 3 o'clock position.  The watch hands are over sized, and also imbued with lumination.  The band is stainless steel, with a folding style clasp.

The movement for the is a Seiko 4R36 automatic.  It is a 24 jewel movement with 41 hours of power reserve.  It runs at 21,600 bph.  These are nice movements for the price.  And Seiko has a great history with their movements.

The Seiko Marines I have been able to find, have been for around 165 dollars through online retailers. They are a great purchase, in my mind.  But I do have an affinity to the Series 5 watches.



The best men's dive watch for under 500 dollars

Orient
M-Force Delta
Model: SEL07002B0
Case: 49.1mm, Stainless steel
Band: Stainless steel
Movement: Orient Automatic 40N5A
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 200M/660ft

Orient watches, in my mind, are some of the finest Japanese watches around.  Of course, there is Seiko and Citizen, and I would put Orient in the same category as those two companies, as far as quality of product.  They are an old time company that has been making watches for a very long time.

The M-Force Delta watch is one of Orients' contribution to the Dive watch world.  It has a 49mm stainless steel case, with a crown at the 3 o'clock position.  It has a 120 click, fully functional, unidirectional dive bezel, in black stainless steel.  The lens is sapphire crystal, The dial face itself is also black with luminscent hour markers, in the indexed style.  The hands are easy to read and also imbued with luminance.  There is a date window at the 3 o'clock position and a power reserve meter located at the 12 o'clock position.  The band is stainless steel and has a folding style clasp.

The movement is a Orient 40NSA hacking, automatic movement.  It has a 40 hour power reserve.  It is a 21 jewel movement that runs at 21,600 bph, it has hacking second and hand wind option.  It is an in-house movement.  It is a great complement to the form and function of the watch.  It may be the most well rounded dive watch on this list.

The M-Force can usually be had for around 350 dollars on most online retail sites.  It is well below the 500 dollar price point, and gives you a great little (or, not so little) dive watch that should give you years of great operation.



The best men's dive watch for under 1000 dollars

Citizen
Eco-Drive ProMaster Aqualand Depthmeter
Model: BN2029-01E
Case: 53mm, Stainless steel
Band: Polyurethane
Movement: Eco-Drive J250
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Depth Meter
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 200M/660ft

Citizen watches, quite honestly, do not get enough love on the best men's watches under blog.  They make great watches with great technology, for great prices.  This ProMaster Aqualand Depth Meter, is a perfect example of some of the wonderful options you can get from Citizen watches.

The Watch, first off, is huge.  It is a 53mm stainless steel, cased watch with the crown at the 4 o'clock position.  It has two other buttons at the 8 o'clock position and the 10 o'clock position.  They are related to depth meter.  There is also a water pressure sensor at the 9 o'clock position.  Giving this watch one of the most busiest outer edges I have seen on a non chronograph watch.  The bezel is a fully functional dive bezel, and the lens is a anti-reflective mineral crystal.  The face of the watch is black, and the hours are marked with index marks.  There is a depth meter inner ring with arabic numerals.  There is a date window at the 3 o'clock position.  The hour hand is white, with luminous material imbued.  The minute hand is red with a luminous tip.  The second hand is red, and the dept meter hand is blue with luminous material imbued into it as well.  The band of the watch is polyurethane, with a buckle style clasp.

The movement it the Promaster is a Eco-Drive J250.  It is pretty impressive.  It utilizes the Eco-drive technology, meaning it is a solar powered watch.  It is a quartz movement, and it includes a depth meter.  It has date as well.

This watch can usually be had for around 750 dollars.  It is a whole lot of watch for the price.  It is not every day you find a sub-1000 dollar watch with a depth meter in it.  And although that most professional divers will have a dive computer to provide that information, it never hurts to have a second source of information.

Wrap Up

The best men's dive watches for under, part 1, took a seriously Japanese turn.  I can honestly say, I had no idea that I would have 3 Japanese watches the first part of my dive watches review.  That being said, they offer a nice watch, and ones that surprised me in their features and functions.

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

Thursday, January 21, 2016

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

Some people will be particular to a specific watch brand.  And I can completely understand that.  We often become loyal to particular companies, and would prefer to remain loyal whenever possible.  So, as another series of posts for the best men's watches under blog, I will be focusing on brand while still organizing the watches into price ranges.

We are going to cover Momentum today, a company that focuses on watches for active lifestyles.  They have been in business for about 35 years now, and seem to be making durable, well priced watches, in Canada.  I like this company, they seem to be doing things right, and a lot of people have a lot of good things to say about their product.  Some owners of Momentum watches have watches that are 25 years old, and more.  They can be a sound investment for someone searching for an inexpensive, yet durable all purpose men's watch.


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


The Best Men's Momentum Watches for Under 50 Dollars

The best men's momentum watches
Torpedo
Model: 1M-DV74B7B
Case: 44.15 mm, Solid 316L Stainless Steel
Band width: 22mm, Nato Nylon
Movement: Japanese Quartz analog
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: 371 silver oxide cell (3-5 year)
Water resistance: 200M/660ft


Seriously, there is good reason this watch made my 5 best men's watches under 50 dollars list.  You are getting a lot.  It is a large 44.15mm stainless steel case with the crown at the 4 o'clock position to eliminate and discomfort it may cause against the wrist at the 3 o'clock position. It has a functional dive bezel, a black face with Indiglo and a hour, minute, and second hand, along with a date window.  The Nato canvas band is easily replaceable and has a buckle style clasp.

On top of that, you get a 200M water resistance depth,  and you get this for under 50 dollars.  Now, you will not find it everywhere for under 50, you will have to search.  I found it on Amazon, but there may be other locations you can find it.  And I believe it to be a great buy for under 50 dollars.




The Best Men's Momentum Watches for Under 100 Dollars

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

The best men's Momentum watchesThe Steelix is similar to the Torpedo, It has the same size case, it is stainless steel.  It has a crown at the 4 o'clock position The black face has large, white numbers that are coated in Indiglo, along with the hour, minute and second hand.  And the Steelix also has a date window.  This watch also made the 5 best men's watches under 100 dollars list, due to durability and company quality

The canvas band has a buckle style clasp and is a quick change style, giving you the ability to change your colors as needed.

The Steelix is a very nice looking watch, if you are looking for a field watch instead of a dive style watch.  Even though it is being called a field watch though, it has a water resistance depth of 200M.  Which is pretty impressive.

Personally I like the look of this watch over the Torpedo.  But I am also not a big fan of the look that most dive watches have, and this is a nice break to me.  And for well under 100 dollars, it looks like a really good buy to me.  I have found it for around 75 dollars on Amazon.





The Best Men's Momentum Watches for Under 200 Dollars

Logic SS 42 Leather
Model: 1M-SP10U2U
Case: 42mm, Solid 316L Stainless Steel
Band width: 22mm, Leather
Movement: Japanese Quartz analog
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: 371 silver oxide cell (3-5 year)
The best men's Momentum watches
Water resistance: 100M/330ft

The Logic SS 42 is self proclaimed to be the thinnest 100M dive watch out there.  I'm not sure if this is accurate, but let's say it is.  That being said, it is quite a nice looking watch you are getting for under 200 dollars.

The Logic SS 42 has a 42mm stainless steel case, with the crown in the 4 o'clock position.  The blue face is large with dashes at the hourly marks, and large, easy to read hour, minute and second hands.  There is also a date window.  The leather band has a buckle style clasp.

This watch has a casual dress feel to it, while still being a durable watch that can be wore in any situations.  I believe it to be a great buy at under 200 dollars.  In fact, in many cases I find it well under 200 dollars, and often even under 150 dollars.  Just with a little looking you should be able to find it as well.




The Best Men's Momentum Watches for Under 500 Dollars


Aquamatic III Rubber
The best men's momentum watches
Model: 1M-DV56B1B
Case: 43.0mm, Solid 316L Stainless Steel
Band width: 22mm, Leather
Movement: Japanese NH35 automatic
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 300M/990ft

I don't try to hide the fact that I prefer a mechanical watch over any other watch out there.  That is probably why this watch makes my best men's Momentum watches.  It has a NH35 mechanical movement.  It is an automatic with the option to hand wind and with a hacking second.

The watch itself looks like many standard dive watches.  It has a 43mm stainless steel case with a functional dive bezel, and a guarded crown at the 3 o'clock position.  The black face utilizes large dashes to mark the hours, and the Aquamatic III has Indiglo on the markers and the hands to illuminate in the dark.  The watch also has a date window that is magnified for easy viewing.

The Aquamatic is often found for around 470 dollars.  I find it a nice buy at that price.  You are getting a awful lot of watch for under 500 dollars.  A lot of watch, in a very durable package.  It is a watch I would highly recommend for an active person who wants an automatic movement watch.




Wrap up
I hope you find this list of the best men's Momentum watches for under... useful.  I was pleasantly surprised to be able to put on a mechanical watch.  Before I started this list, I didn't even realize that Momentum made a watch with one.  It shows me that they are not cookie cutter watches.  I look forward to doing more of these brand specific lists in the near future.  I think it benefits me as much as it will my readers, here at the best men's watches for under blog

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.


Tuesday, January 19, 2016

The 5 Best Men's Watches for under 50 dollars

It is possible to find good men's watches for under 50 dollars?  It's a really good question.  I am a watch fan.  I am also often short on disposable funds for things like watches.  And I assume, I am not alone in this issue.  So, for us lesser financially fortunate individuals, the best men's watches under... is bringing you The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 50 dollars.

I have scoured every source I know to pick out the best men's watches I can find for under 50 dollars, then whittled down my list to the 5 best men's watches that fall under 50 bucks.  It hasn't been easy, there are much more choices than I ever imagined.  The goal, of course, is to try to find the best bang for your buck, not only in this price range, but every price range I will be posting about on the best men’s watches for under blog.

I tried to make this list, along with all of my "best men's watches for under" lists, have variety.  That variety can come in many different ways.  I will try to vary price, style and brands, to give you options, and not stick with one particular watch, or brand because I like it.

When making my choices, not only do I consider the company and overall specs of any individual watch, but also buyer reviews from the sites that sell these watches.  Consumers usually have a good grasp on what they expect to receive for their hard earned cash and they should play a very important part in deciding on a new watch, not to mention any other purchase you may be planning to make.

So, the very first list on The Best Men's Watches for Under... will now begin. 


The 5 Best Men's Watches for under 50 Dollars


Momentum
Torpedo
Model: 1M-DV74B7B
Case: 44.15 mm, Solid 316L Stainless Steel
Band: 22mm, Nato Nylon
Movement: Japanese Quartz analog
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: 371 silver oxide cell (3-5 year)
Water resistance: 200M/660ft

The Torpedo is a good buy at under 50 dollars
Momentum watches are a division or the St. Morris Watch Corp. that designs and assembles sport watches.  It's what they make and what they specialize in.  They are rugged watches that will hold up to the punishment of an active lifestyle, whether your intention is to have a dive watch for the purpose of diving with it or just a watch that is built for all conditions, Momentum can fit that bill. Momentum watches are assembled, by hand, in Vancouver Canada, and has succeeded in creating quality watches at reasonable pricing.

The Torpedo itself has a large, 44mm stainless steel case, with the crown at the 4 o’clock position, to keep it from digging into your wrist.  The watch face comes in white or black, and has large dashed lines to mark the hours.  The hands are large and easy to see.  The watches come with a web Nato nylon strap for comfort and strength, with a buckle closure.

The Momentum has an hour hand, minute hand and second hand, and includes a stainless steel dive bezel with 120 clicks and is unidirectional.  It also includes a date window, with a lumi dial face, if purchased in white. It also has a typical screw down back.  On top of that, it is rated for 200M water depth.  The hour markers, and minute markers, along with the hour and minute hand have illumination imbued into the features for easy dark reading. This is a lot for a men's watch for under $50.

The Torpedo utilizes a Japanese Quartz movement.  I am not sure of the brand or model of the movement at this time.  Generally, Momentum uses Miyota movements, but has also used Time Module movements.  More than likely, the Torpedo uses a Miyota.

I should also disclose the fact that it is available for under $50 dollars on Amazon, not the Momentum watch website.  Purchasing it on the Momentum website will set you back 100 dollars instead of the 50 it is available for on Amazon, this being said, Momentum is a solid company that stands behind its product.  The Torpedo is a watch I would consider, which is why I am placing it on my list of best watches under 50.

If you like the looks of the Momentum watches, you can see more at The Best Men's Momentum Watches for Under...



Vostok
Komadirskie
Model: 431171
Case: 40mm, stainless steel
Band: 18mm, black leather
Movement: Vostok Mechanical 2414A
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 30M/100ft

Nice Russian watch with style
Vostok is a Russian watch company that has been in existence since 1942, producing rugged military and diving watches from its factory in Chistopol, Russia.  The company originally only produced defense equipment during the war years, but as soon as the war was over the company started making mechanical wrist watches, but did not take the brand name “Vostok” until the 1960’s.

The company was appointed an official watch supplier for the defense department in 1965, which was the same year they started producing the Komandirskie.  A watch that appears to be a wonderful deal, making the best men's watches for under 50 dollars, easily.

The Komandirskie is not a huge watch, measuring in at a 40mm diameter, stainless steel case, with a stainless steel screw on back, and crown located in the standard 3 o’clock position.  It has a black hour hand and minute, and a red second hand.  The white dial face includes the minutes and hour numerals. The band is black leather and is 18mm wide, with a buckle closure.

The Komandirskie has luminous features on the hour and minute hand, along with places on the dial face itself. It has a date window on the watch face, and is water resistant up to a depth of 30M.

The Komandirskie includes a Vostok 2414a mechanical movement.  Shock resistant and rated at 19,800 BPH.  The movement is a hand wound unit, and, should not be considered a precision time piece.  I have heard of them losing as much as a minute per day, but they are tough, that is what makes them a great buy at under 50 dollars.

There is no real Vostok website.  You can find authentic Vostoks on both Amazon and Ebay though, along with a couple of other sites.  The Zenitar store on Ebay has been selling authentic Vostoks for some time now.  But, other than possible troubles with getting the watch, the watch itself is tough. It will give you a Russian watch at under 50 dollars.  Uniqueness for such a low price is really hard to beat.



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.

The best men's watches under 50
Timex Group USA is the current rendition of the long lived company, which began as the Waterbury Clock company, in 1854.  The Waterbury Clock Co. was located in Connecticut, USA.  The company was one of the largest producers for both U.S sales and Europe. 

Down on their luck, the Waterbury Clock Co had a very tough time, after the great depression, until a license agreement was reached with Walt Disney, resulting in the production of the Famous Mickey Mouse watch.

In 1943 the company was renamed, the United States Time Corp., and by 1950, with some very exciting innovations, the company released the first Timex brand watches, marketed as inexpensive, yet durable watches.  The Timex history is long and always in a state of flux, but they continue to make quality time pieces, and the Weekender series is a perfect example of what they are capable of.  Giving us a stylish, yet well priced men's watch for under 50 dollars.

This Timex Weekender is a Chronograph with a gun metal black 40mm round case. The crown is located at the 3 o’clock position and the two chronograph buttons are located at the 2 & 4 o’clock positions.  The dial face is black with white numerals and chronograph sub dials.  The hands are black.  It has a screw on stainless back and a 20mm black nylon band, with buckle clasp.

The watch features Indiglo Arabic numerals and Indiglo piping on the arms, along with chronograph, and a crystal mineral dial window.  It is water resistant up to 30M.  The case is stainless steel finished with a gun metal style.

The Movement for the Timex Weekender is quartz.  It’s all I can seem to find out about it.  That, and that it is probably manufactured in the Philippines.

The Timex Weekender is a good looking watch, with a list of nice features for a watch for under 50 dollars.  It looks great, and is produced by a well know company.



Casio
G-Shock Multi-Function
Model: DW9052-1BCG
Case: Hardside/ABS Plastic
Band: 
Movement: 
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Day, Date, Stopwatch, Alarm
Battery: Lithium metal battery
Water resistance: 200M/600 ft.

The best men's watches under 50
Casio has been around since 1946 in Japan.  But they did not get their start as a watch company.  Originally, they produced something called a yubiwa pipe, a ring that would hold a cigarette.  But this was just their beginnings.  Shortly after the success of the yubiwa pipe, they set to develop their own electric calculators, and by 1954 and was Japan’s first electro-mechanical calculator.

It was during the 1980’s when they became one of the first manufacturers of quartz watches, both digital and analog.  And by 1983 they released their first G-shock.

The G-Shock looks like most G-Shocks.  It is not to my personal liking, but I will not judge a book by its cover.  The watch has multiple digital displays and 4 buttons, set at the 2, 4 8 and 10 o’clock positions, it is made of black ABS, and the band is a black resin with a buckle clasp.  It looks like it could be run over and still keep working.  Toughness is an important feature for a watch that will cost less than 50 dollars.

The G-Shock has a ton of features on it.  It is shock resistant of course, it is water resistant up to 200M. It has a backlight with afterglow.  It has a daily alarm and a countdown timer that can be set for up to 24 hours.  It has an auto repeat function and a 1/100 second stopwatch.  It has an hourly time signal and a calendar that is pre-programed until the year 2039.  Like I said, a lot of available features.

The watch has a quartz movement, as to be expected from Casio, and despite my qualms with the looks of the G-shocks, and digital watches, in general.  I have to say, I am rather impressed that you get all this for less than 50 dollars.



HMT
Pilot
Model:N/A
Case: 35 mm, Stainless steel
Band: 18mm Leather
Movement: HMT 0231 Mechanical
Functions: HH, MM, SS
Battery: N/A
Water resistance:

The best men's watches under 50HMT has been making watches in India since 1961 in a collaborative effort with the Citizen watch company.  Producing watches for the Indian military.  They had a scare in 2014, when they intended on closing their doors, but they received a flood of orders when the word got out, and instead, minimized production.  This is not to say it will be easy to get one of these.  It will take some searching, and it is possible to get a fake or frankenwatch, meaning one built from pieces.  You will need to do your research before purchasing.

The HMT Pilot is fairly small, the stainless steel case measures 35mm.  It has a screw on back that has the model and other information etched on it.  It has a black dial face with the numeral 12 only.  It has the tick marks for the other hour markings.  Its crown is located in the standar 3 o’clock position.  And it comes with a black leather band, with a buckle clasp.

Features-wise, well, you don’t really get any features.  This is a old fashioned timepiece.  You have your hour, minute and second hand.  I am not even convinced it has any luminous feature.  I have had a hard time verifying that.

The movement is a HMT 0231 hand wind mechanical.  17 jewels and a 38 hour power reserve.  It supposedly keeps adequate time, but it’s not a precision time piece.

The main purpose of owning this watch is that you are getting a watch that has been almost the same for over 50 years.  It is a piece of history and a conversation starter.  It is a nice looking watch in my mind as well.  And it’s usually found for under 40 dollars.  Sometimes, lately I have seen them for as much as 70.  I believe that is a supply and demand issue though.  This is a watch I intend on owning in the very near future.  I love it.  From the 5 best men's watches for under 50 dollars list, this is by far my favorite.



Wrap up
I hope you have enjoyed my first post on The Best Men's Watches for Under... blog.  I intend on writing a lot more posts over the next few  months to get this blog populated well with all kinds of men's watches.  I hope you find the blog helpful in your personal search for the perfect watch for you or a loved one.

Thank you for reading The Best Men's Watches for Under...