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 Rolex. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rolex. Show all posts

Monday, May 16, 2016

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

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

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



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

The best men's Swiss watch for under 1000 dollars

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

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

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

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

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

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




The best men's Swiss watch under 2000 dollars

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


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

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

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

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



The best men's Swiss watch for under 5000 dollars

Omega

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

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

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

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

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

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




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

Rolex
Datejust II 41mm
Model: 116334
Case: 41mm, Steel & Gold
Band: Stainless steel
Movement: 3136
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Water resistance:

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

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

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

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



Wrap Up

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

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

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

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 20,000 Dollars

20,000 dollars on a men's watch.  It is beyond what most of us would consider reasonable.  But, there are a lot of people out there in the world, who would consider spending 20,000 dollars, if the watch was a perfect piece of timekeeping, and jewelry.  If you are one of those individuals, I hope to give you exactly what you are looking for, on this list.  If this is not something within your budget, I would still suggest that you call pull up a chair and lets see what 20,000 dollars worth of watch truly looks like.

The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 20,000 Dollars


U-Boat

Chimera Sideview Gold
Model: 7225
Case: 46mm, Rose Gold and Stainless steel
Band: Alligator
Movement:
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Chronograph
Battery:
Water resistance: 100M/330ft

U-Boat is a new company here on the best men's watches under blog.  At this point, that's not something that happens every day.  And, in usual fashion I want to give a brief history on the company.  Only trouble is I have been a little hard pressed to find much about this company.  Here is what I have though.

U-Boat was not an official company until around 2000, but the designs of the watch came from a much longer time ago.  Ilvo Fontana, who was an engineer was an Italian engineer, was commissioned by the Italian navy to create highly visible, accurate and durable watches for the navy in 1942, but once his designs were completed, the project was scrapped for unknown reasons.

Then, Italo Fontana, Ilvo's grandson, came into the old designs, and the idea began to percolate.  Wish some slight tweeks to the design, Italo began designing his own watches, the U-Boat company began. In 2002 Mounir Moufarrige Joined France Luxury group, which owned U-Boat, and really began to scale the company towards a flourishing luxury product company.

The Chimera Sideview Gold is a common example of the U-Boat watches.  It is large, it has a 46mm, gold and stainless steel case, with the crown located at the 9 o'clock position.  It is a chronograph, and has the chronograph function buttons at the 10 & 8 o'clock positions.  The crown has a functional guard, all in gold.  The lens and back of the watch is sapphire crystal, and the bezel is screwed down with five screws.  The dial face is black, with Arabic numerals located at the 2, 4, 8, 10 & 12 o'clock positions.  The other hours are marked with double indexes.  All the hour markers are gray in color.  There are three sub dials, one the 12 o'clock, one at the 3 o'clock and one at the 6 o'clock position.  The band is alligator with a buckle style clasp.

Well, I am stumped, I am not sure if U-boat builds their own in house movements (I highly doubt it) or if they use some sort of modified ETA (I am almost sure). But the specs for the movement was available.  It is a 25 Jewel automatic movement.  It has a 48 hour power reserve and it runs at 28,800 bph.

I see this watch through the online retailers for around 19,200 dollars.  It is a pretty neat looking watch for the price, and U-Boat has definitely improved their product quality over the years, and are now making a very nice watch.



Rolex
Cellini Date Rose Gold
Model: 50515
Case: 39mm, Rose gold
Band: Leather
Movement: Calibre 3165 Automatic
Functions: HH, MM, SS
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 50M/165ft

I have definitely changed my position on Rolex.  Originally, before I started the best men's watches for under blog, I assumed Rolex was a whole lot of hype.  I was totally wrong, there is an immense amount of substance behind the popularity of the grandfather of all watchmakers.  This watch, the Cellini is a perfect example of top notch watchmaking.

The Cellini Date Gold has a 39mm diameter case, made of rose gold.  It has a double bezel, the inner being domed and the outer being fluted.  It has a sapphire crystal lens, and a crown located at the 3 o'clock position also made of rose gold.  The dial face is a pearled white, with the Rolex crown occupying the 12 o'clock position, and the other hour markers defined by index marks.  The outer ring of the dial face also sports a fluted design.  There is a sub dial located at the 3 o'clock position, for the date, and the hands are all manufactured of rose gold as well.  The band for the watch is alligator, with a gold buckle style clasp.

The movement for the Cellini is a Rolex 3165 automatic with date.  It has 31 jewels, it also has a 48 hour power reserve, and operates at 28,800 bph.  The movement is chronometer certified, and has a small date hand located at the 3 o'clock position.

Common online pricing varies from about 12,600 to around 14,500 dollars.  I am not positive about the fluctuations, I assume the less expensive models may be last years version of the watch.

It is a beautiful watch.  If I were to own a Rolex, this could very well be the one I would want (not that it will be happening in the near future)  But the watch has class and style not seen every day.



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

Again, I cannot stress enough that Omega watches are my favorite.  It might even skew my judgement when I am making my lists.  I almost will always see what Omega has to offer in a price range I am searching.  And, it might be that there are more Omega watches on the best men's watches under blog, than any other brand.  That being said, I really like the Seamaster Planet Ocean watch.  It is high end watchmaking at the most highest level.  The materials and looks and, on top of that, it is a highly functional dive watch.

The Seamaster Planet Ocean is a fairly large faced watch, measuring 45.5mm, the case is made of 18k red gold.  It has a large, red gold crown located at the 3 o'clock position and a helium release valve at the 10 o'clock position.  The functional dive bezel is of unique construction, being black ceramic and gold imbued.  Omega calls it Ceragold.  The dial face is black, with white Arabic numerals at the 6, 9, and 12 o'clock positions.  The watch has indexes on the remaining hour markers.  The dial also has a date window located at the 3 o'clock position.  The hands of the watch are gold with luminescence imbued for viewing in dark.  The band of the watch is leather, with a buckle style clasp.

The Seamaster Planet Ocean uses an Omega automatic 8501 movement.  It has 39 jewels and a 60 hour power reserve.  It is a certified chronometer movement.

This watch can usually be found on the online retailers for about 20,000 dollars.  Sometimes a little more and sometimes a little less.  I have seen it for as much as 21,000 dollars,  so you will have to shop around for a deal.




Hublot
Big Bang Unico White Ceramic
Model: 411.HX.1170.RX
Case: 45mm, White Ceramic
Band: Structured rubber
Movement: HUB1242
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Chronograph
Battery: N/A
Water resistance:

Hublot is another company I have not had the chance to talk about yet here on the best men's watches under blog.  They are a fairly new company, they were founded in 1980 in Nyon, Switzerland.  Carlo Crocco was the founder.  He invented the first natural rubber band.  The company sold 2 million in the first year.

The Big Bang Unico White Ceramic is a large watch.  It has a 45mm white ceramic case with a screwed down white ceramic bezel.  The crown is located at the 3 o'clock position and the chronograph buttons are located at the 2 & 4 o'clock position.  The dial face is skeleton.  It has Arabic numerals at the 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 & 12 o'clock positions, and uses indexes as the remaining hour markers.  There is a sub dial at the 3 o'clock position, and one at the 9 o'clock position, for the chronograph.  The date window is located at the 3 o'clock position.  The band is the natural rubber that Hublot is known for.

The movement is a Hublot HUB1242.  It is an in-house movement.  It has 38 jewels, and 72 hours of power reserve.  It runs at 28,800 bph.

This watch can usually be found for around 15,000 dollars through the online retailers.  It is another unique watch company that makes quality watches.  They are something that should be looked at.



Breitling
Navitimer Cosmonaute Red Gold
Model: RB0210B5/BC19/743P/R20BA.1
Case: 43mm, Steel & Red Gold
Band: Leather
Movement: Breitling 02 Hand Wound
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Chronograph
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 30M/99ft

Breitling is not a newcomer to this blog.  They have made an appearance on a few posts, like The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 10,000 dollars, and The Best Men's Chronograph Watches for Under.  I am pretty sure they have made it on one or two more, but they are not coming to mind right now.

Needless to say, I consider them great watches.  I consider the company, a great company.  They have been around since 1884, they were also one first watches in space, when Scott Carpenter approached Breitling, asking for a watch with a 24 hour ring.  Breitling did produce such a watch, a Navitimer Cosmonaute.

The Navitimer Cosmonaute on the best men's watches under 20,000 dollars is an homage to that watch.  It is a fairly large watch, at 43mm.  The case is made of steel and red gold.  It has a crown at the 3 o'clock position, and the chronograph function buttons located at the 2 & 4 o'clock positions.  The bezel is a bi-directional slide rule, and the lens is sapphire crystal treated with an anti-glare.  The dial face is black, and it is busy, which is normal for Breitling.  The outer ring of digits are Arabic and denote the minutes, and an inner ring of Arabic numbers for the 24 hour clock.  There is a date window at the 4:30 position and a units window at the 12 o'clock position.  There are also 3 sub dials located at the 3, 6 & 9 o'clock positions.  The hour and minute hands are polished steel, with all the minor hands being red.  The band is leather with a buckle style clasp.

The movement in this Breitling is a hand wound Breitling 02.  It is an in house movement.  It has 39 jewels, and a 70 hour power reserve.  It runs at 28,800 bph.  It has chronograph and date functions.  It is a solid movement that they have been producing for around 8 years.

The online retailers usually sell this watch for around 16,000 dollars.  I really like it.  It might be my second favorite watch on this list.



Wrap up

The Best men's watches for Under 20,000 dollars was actually much harder than I thought I would be.  I had a really hard time, trying to decide what makes a watch worth nearly 20,000 dollars.  I settled on my old faithful as far as criteria, with reviews of the products.  The materials of the product.  The age and reputation of the company.  Looks, and, just so much more.  I did end up finding a new favorite watch in the form of the Rolex Cellini.  I think that might be one of the best looking watches I have ever seen.

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

Friday, February 26, 2016

The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 10,000 Dollars

This post, The 5 best men's watches for under 10,000 dollars will be the last of the best 5 under lists until the end of the year/beginning of next year.  This is the list I would consider the cream of the crop as far as watches are concerned.

While there are watches much more expensive than 10,000 dollars, I will hit upon those watches individually.  There will be no need to group all the 100,000 dollar watches, and quite frankly, how can you bunch a handful of 100 thousand dollar watches and still be able to do them justice.

So, for this list, I am going to try to introduce a few new brands that we have not talked about yet, in order to familiarize you with more options.  So, even if you do not find the exact watch you might want on these lists, maybe you have found a brand that interests you.  That is my hope, as much as anything.  Considering, many watch choices can be summed up to personal prefrence.

The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 10,000 Dollars




Rolex

Datejust II 41mm
Model: 116334
Case: 41mm, Steel & Gold
Band: 
Movement: 3136
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Water resistance:

Best watch under 10000Rolex was founded in London, England, in 1905 under the name, Wilsdorf and Davis.  The trademarked the name Rolex, in 1909, and set up offices in Switzerland.  Then, quickly moved their headquarters to Switzerland in 1919.  The company has made some of the best watches in the world for over 100 years.

Classic is the best word I can come up with for the Datejust.  It is a classic Rolex watch, minus all the gold and bling.  Its 40mm stainless steel case has smooth lines, with the crown at the 3 o'clock position.  The dial face is white with gold inlaid hour markers, and silver polished hands, and a date window.  Along with the trademark crown at the 12 o'clock position.  The Oyster, polished stainless steel 3 link band with the oyster clasp.

The Datejust II features include a magnified cyclopes lens to magnify the date window, HH, MM, and second hands.  Gold Inlaid hour markers, and the Rolex crown... Ok, that is not a feature, but carries weight.

The Rolex 3136 calibre, self winding mechanical movement is what powers this Rolex.  The movement features center hour, minute and second hands along with date wheel.  

The Datejust collection of watches are solid luxury watches that, while expensive, are not even in the same stratosphere as some watches.  It's a Rolex, it has a water resistance of 100M and it has a very tough movement.  It is a great watch, and you should expect to get a great watch for the 10,000 dollar watch list.  I have found this watch ranging from 6,500 to about 7,300, so it falls well under the 10,000 price limit. 



Panerai

Radiomir 8 Day Titanio

Model: PAM00346
Case: 45mm, Titanium
Band: Alligator
Movement: Manual Wind P.2002/9 calibre
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Water resistance: 100M/330ft

Best watch under 10000Officine Panerai is a Swiss watch manufacturer, that was originally founded in 1860 in Florence, Italy.  Currently their headquarters is still located in Italy, but manufacturers all their watches in Switzerland.

By 1900, Panerai became the official supplier to the Royal Italian Navy, with cases that were manufactured by Rolex, and Movements supplied by Cortebert.  They also produced wrist worn diving instruments, along with watches for the Italian Marina Militare between 1938 and 1993, but the company ceased this production due to cost and the fact that they no longer met naval specifications.

After that, they moved to launch products to the civilian market.  In 1995 Sylvester Stallone bought a Panerai Luminor and wore it during the shooting of Daylight.  The brand quickly gained popularity, and caught the attention of Richemont, which aquired Officine Panerai in 1997, and rebranded Panerai as a luxury brand.

The Radiomir looks old, but in a good way.  For some reason it looks like a watch that was originally made in the 50's or 60's and has never changed.  That's not true, but I love the look.  It has the mid-century mod feel.  The watch has a large, 45mm square titanium case, with a sapphire screw down back, and its crown located at the 3 o'clock position.  The dark brown dial face has dashes for the hour markers, all except the 12 and 6, those positions are occupied by actual numbers.  The dial also has a date window at the 3 o'clock position and a small second at the 9 o'clock position.  The hands are white, and the alligator band is brown as well, with a buckle style clasp.

The Panerai features Sapphire lenses on the front and back, along with titanium construction.  It also includes a date window, and a power reserve meter located on the back of the watch.  Luminous hands and hour markers, and a quick second reset feature for easy syncing.

The Panerai P.2002 calibre is a manual wind, mechanical movement that has an 8 day power reserve.  The movement has center hour and minute hand, a small second hand, and a date wheel.  It also includes a power reserve indicator, and the ability to quickly zero the second hand for easy watch syncing.  The movement is a 21 Jewel, 28,800 BPH movement, with anti shock and has been in production since 2002.

I really like this watch.  I know I say that a lot, because I really do like the watches, but this watch is one of my favorites I have come across so far.  I love the mid century mod look and love the manual wind movement with the 8 day power reserve.  It looks like a great watch to me, and you will pay for it.  I have found it for just a hair under the 10,000 price point, so do not expect to find this one cheap.  There are others in the series that you might be able to find a little cheaper though, you will just have to look around.  Amazon has a lot of Panerai watches though, so it is easy to look.



Breitling

Chronograph Unitime
Model: Varies
Case: 46 mm
Band: 20 mm, Leather, Canvas or Ocean classic
Movement: Breitling 05, self wind, world time
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Chronograph, Date, World time
Water resistance: 100M/330ft

Best watch under 10000Breitling is a privately owned Swiss luxury watch maker that was founded in Grenchen, Switzerland in 1884.  Breitling designs, engineers, manufactures and distributes chronometer watches, know for being precision made and used often by aviators.

Breitling also makes several of their own movements, but from time to time, will use ETA or Valjoux movements instead.  The Chronograph Unitime uses an in-house movement.

I did not want to limit the Breitling to one single model.  There are a few watches in this collection that all look very similar, with the only changes being the band, the face color and the case itself.  With that being said, the watch has a large, 46mm case that comes in either stainless steel or 18k red gold.  It has a crown at the 3 o'clock position and the auxiliary, chronograph buttons at the 2 and 4 o'clock positions.  The screw in back is stainless steel as well.  The face of this watch is busy.  And that may be putting it lightly.  There are two outer rings on the face, listing major cities in different time zones, the next ring in, is a 24 hour disk that adjusts with the city disks for easy time change.  The next ring in is the standard clock with large dash marks on the hour and smaller ones on the minute, along with the 3 chrono dials and the picture of the Earth in the middle... Well, it's a busy face.  The band is also something that comes in different material, depending on which model you choose.  Stainless steel, Leather, or canvas are available.

The Transocean Unitime has a few features on it.  It includes the HH, MM, and second center hands, along with the chronograph dials, 1/4th second, 30 minute, and 12 hours.  Along with that it has an easy time zone change.  with a simple turn of the crown you can change your time zone accordingly to the outer rings.  Sapphire lens on the front and a 100M water resistance, make this watch pretty well packed with features

The Breitling B05 Calibre movement is a self winding, mechanical, world time, chronograph movement.  It has 56 Jewels, and a 70 hour power reserve. The chronograph includes 1/4 second, 30 minute and 12 hour dials, and the movement runs at 28,800 vph.

While the watch may take a bit of getting used to with all the information on the dial face, and the time zone setting features, I do think that it is a great watch, especially for those of us who find themselves traveling through and to different time zones for work or fun, on a regular basis.  The Breitling watches are quality built and they are a old company.  Generally I see the Transocean Unitime watches for around 6500 dollars, so it too will fall well under the 10,000 dollar price range of this list. 



IWC

Portugieser Hand Wound 8 day
Model: IW510203
Case: 43mm, Stainless steel
Band: Alligator
Movement:  IWC 59215 mechanical
Functions: HH, MM, SS
Water resistance: 30M/100ft

Best watch under 10000IWC (International Watch Company) was founded in 1868 by an American engineer and watchmaker named, Florentine Ariosto Jones, who had been a director for E. Howard & Co., the leader in American watch making.  Jones started his company in Switzerland, hoping to meld American technological advances with the precision craftsmanship of the Swiss watch makers.

Initially, he received some push back at the idea of opening a factory in Switzerland, being that most of the watch makers at the time were working out of their homes, and they were concerned about their own careers by the idea of mass producing watches near their homes.

In 1880 the company was taken over by the Rauschenbach family, and stayed in their possession for four generations, until 1905.  The Portugieser Hand Wound 8 day is a perfect example of the longevity and quality of the IWC.

The IWC Portugieser has a very vintage look to it.  The 43mm Stainless steel case has a very clean look to it, with the crown at the 3 o'clock position, and a sapphire lens, see through, screw down back panel.  The silver plated dial face has the numeral hour markers, and a date window at the 3 o'clock position, and a small second dial at the 6 o'clock positions.  The black alligator band has a tri-fold clasp, that is also stainless steel.

The Portugieser has a 8 day power reserve, and reserve gauge on the back.  It also has a date window, along with the small second dial.  Sapphire lenses on the front and the back along with the alligator band round out the features for this watch.

The IWC 59215 is a manual wind mechanical watch that has a power reserve of 8 days.  Yup, 8 days.  The Movement is a 30 Jewel, Second hacking movement that runs at 28,800 VPH.  It also includes a power reserve gauge on the back of the movement, see through the back cover.

Personally, I like the vintage look of the IWC.  I like the 8 day power reserve, and I like the history this company has.  It is an expensive watch.  I am finding it for around 9500-9800 dollars, so it will stretch your budget if you choose this one, but I feel like it is a great watch.



Cartier

Ballon Bleu de Cartier Chronograph
Model: W6920052
Case: 44mm, Stainless steel
Band: Leather
Movement: Self Wind, Cartier 8101
Functions:HH, MM, SS, Chronograph, Date
Water resistance: 30M/100ft

Best watches under 10000Cartier Is a world renowned Jeweler and watch maker that was founded in Paris, France in 1847 by Lous-Fracois Cartier, and remained under family control until 1964.  It was in 1904 that they produced their first wrist watch for the Brazilian aviator, Alberto Santos-Dumont, when he complained about the impracticality of using pocket watches while flying.

In 1907, Cartier signed contract with Edmond Jaeger to exclusively supply the movements for Cartier watches, during a time when Cartier was becoming one of the most successful watch companies in the world.

In the early 1920's Cartier formed a company with Edward Jaeger to produce movements soley for Cartier, called the Eauropean watch and clock company, but Cartier continued to use movements from many different watchmakers.

In the late 1990's Cartier realized they needed in house movements in order to maintain their prestige, and set to work on creating wholly Cartier designed and built movements with as few outside parts as possible.  They achieved this and today make most of their watches movements, in house.

The Cartier Ballon Blue Chronograph is a pretty stylish looking watch, the 44mm case is big, but not over large, with a matte polished stainless steel finish, and the crown guard, it has a bit of a different look thank lots of watches we look at here on The Best Men's Watches for Under...  The aforementioned crown is located at the 3 o'clock position, and as sleek, profile following auxiliary buttons for the chronograph functions, and sapphire lenses on both the face and back.  The dial face itself is a dark gray, and uses roman numerals for the hour markers.  It has the chronograph at the 3 o'clock and a small second at the 6 o'clock position.  It also has a date window at the 9 o'clock position.  The alligator band uses a stainless steel, buckle style clasp to round out this package.

The Ballon Bleu is a chronograph, mechanical self winding watch with Sapphire lenses on both the front and the back.  It has Small seconds and a date window, and a crown guard.  The crown itself has an inlaid synthetic spinel cabochon, and, the alligator band.

The movement for the Cartier is a Cartier 8101.  It wad designed and produced in tandem with Jaeger-LeCoultre.  It is an automatic movement with 30 jewels, and runs at 28,800 vph.  It also has about a 42 hour power reserve.

I was leery about putting a Cartier watch on my list.  Before I started researching them, I had assumed they were high end designer watches that just were Frankensteined from a bunch of other watch companies.  While they are not necessarily a completely in house watch company, they do a lot of their own work.  And they have been making watches for a very long time.  It was almost required for me to include them after I gave them a chance.  This watch should be available for around 9,000 dollars, and is a nice watch for the price.  



Wrap up
The best men's watches under 10000 dollars was probably the funnest review I have written so far.  These watches are really nice.  They are beyond nice.  When I started the best men's watches under, I have to say, I assumed I would start getting to these more expensive watches and just not see any value in them.  It's just not true.  These watches are so far and beyond a 500 dollar watch, it cannot even be quantified.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

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

The holy grail of watches are the Rolex, to many people.  There is a level of  prestige given to someone with a Rolex on their wrist.  And for good reason.  Rolex has justified their cost in many ways. Today we are going to cover Rolex,  A London company that has been producing some of the worlds finest watches since 1905.  Rolex has not only made wonderful watches, but has been an innovator in the watch industry throughout its life.  It made the first waterproof watch in 1926, and, they also made the first watch with a automatically changing date window on the face, along with several other significant breakthroughs in the watch world.  It makes them a company you should always consider, if it is a +5000 dollar watch you would be looking for.

So lets go ahead and get right into it!


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




The Best Men's Rolex Watch for under 5000 Dollars

Oyster Perpetual 34
Model: 114200
Case: 34mm, Stainless steel
Band: Stainless steel linked
Movement: Rolex automatic 3130
Functions: HH, MM, SS
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 100M

Of course this watch made my 5 best men's watches for under 5000 dollars list.  I am not a fanboy of Rolex, but I do appreciate longevity and quality and Rolex is the epitome of both.  This company makes remarkably nice watches, and the Rolex weight carries some serious weight.

The 34mm stainless steel case is fairly small, very reminiscent of older watches.  The crown is at the 3 o'clock position,  and the sapphire lens is surrounded by a polished stainless steel bezel.  The silver face has the Arabic numerals at the 3, 6 and 9 o'clock locations and the crown is sitting at the 12 o'clock.  The hour, minute and second hands are polished, and the hour and minute hands have a luminous insert.  The stainless steel, 3 link band has a Oyster clasp on it.

The 3130 Rolex movement.  It is a 31 jewel, automatic movement with a 42 hour power reserve.  It has been in production since 2001.

I like this watch quite a bit more than I did when I originally looked at it.  I originally had a anti-Rolex sentiment, but I had it for no good reason, other than some resentment for the fact that I cannot afford one a the moment, I assume.

But This watch seems to run right around 4000 dollars, and I believe it to be a great buy for someone who wants to own a Rolex, or a beginner collector.





The Best Men's Rolex Watch for Under 10,000 Dollars

Datejust II 41mm
Model: 116300
Case: 41mm, Steel & Gold
Band: Stainless steel
Movement: 3136
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Water resistance: 100M/330ft

The Datejust is a classic watch.  It has been made by Rolex for over 50 years.  It was the first watch to get the automatic date window, and although the watch has changed in appearance, it is really close to what the originals looked like.

The 41mm stainless steel watch case has its crown at the 3 o'clock position.  The silver face has Arabic numerals marking the 5 minute marks, along with polished dash marks at the hours markers.  The sapphire lens has a magnification eye for the date window on the silver dial face.  The hour, minute and second hands are polished, with inset illumination on the hour and minute hands.  The 3 link, stainless steel bracelet had the Rolex, folding Oyster clasp.

The Datejust II has the Rolex 3136, self winding, perpetual movement.  The 3100 series of movments have been used since the late 1980's and has several iterations.  the 3136 has an power reserve of approximately 35 hours, and has 31 Jewels and includes the Paraflex Shock absorber, and runs at 28,800 vph.  It is a well aged movement, and one you should have very little issue with.

The watch sells for around 6500 dollars.  And looks to be an excellent buy at that price.  You are getting a high quality time piece for well under 10,000 dollars.



The Best Men's Rolex Watch for Under 20,000 Dollars

Yacht Master II
Model: 116680
Case: 44mm Stainless steel
Band: Stainless steel
Movement: 4161 Automatic movment
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Countdown/Chronograph
Water resistance: 100M/330ft

I really like the YachtMaster II.  It is a nice looking watch and well featured watch, but I do have one little complaint.  No date window.  But that will be all I say about this watch, because otherwise, I find it to be an exceptional timepiece.

The Yachtmaster boasts a large, 44mm stainless steel case with a anodized blue command bezel that is a fully functional countdown bezel.  Spin it and synchronize it with the countdown hand.  The crown is at the 3 o'clock position and two auxiliary buttons for the countdown features, located at the 2 and 4 o'clock positions.  It has a white face with blue markings to match the blue bezel and also blue hour and minute hands, with a small seconds located at the 6 o'clock position.  It also has two red hands for the countdown mechanism.  The stainless steel band is the commonly used, Rolex Oyster band, with Oyster clasp.

The Rolex 4161 self winding movement, It has 48 jewels and runs at 28,800 vph.  It also has a 720 hour power reserve, and is one of Rolex's most cutting edge movements available.

I really like this watch, maybe because it reminds me of the Omega Planet Ocean series of watches, but maybe just because it appears to be a wonderful timepiece.  I am usually able to find it for around 16,000 dollars, so it falls well under the 20,000 price point.  And should be one considered if you are in the game for a 20,000 dollar men's watch.



Wrap up

I hope you have enjoyed The best men's Rolex watches under...  I enjoyed searching through watches for hours, to put it together.  And I hope you all come back for my future posts.  The best men's watches under blog will continue to try and find the best watches for any given price point.

Thank you,

Friday, February 12, 2016

The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 5000 Dollars

Whoa Nelly, now we are talking.  It is not every day that you will be looking for a 5000 dollar men's watch.  It is a serious investment, as far as I am concerned.  My daughters' car cost less than that.  And it is a car, we are talking about watches!

So what are you going to get when spending up to 5000 dollars for a watch?  You are going to get some of the nicest watches made, by some of the most popular and reliable and prestigious watchmakers in the world.  5000 dollars for a men's watch may seem like a lot.  But you are actually getting a lot in return.  These watches are truly, some of the best men's watches I have ever seen.

The 5 Best Men's Watches for Under 5000 Dollars

Omega

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

Best men's watch under 5000
We have talked about Omega on past posts.  But in case you missed that...

The Swiss watchmaker, Omega, has been in business since 1903.  And they are the rockstars of the watchmaking industry.  They have been official time keepers for countless events, including the Olympics since 1932.  And both the Royal flying corp, and the American Air force used Omega as their official time keepers.  It was an Omega that was the first watch on the moon. And, of course, It was an Omega that has graced the wrist of James Bond, ever since 1995.  Needless to say, they have made quite a name for themselves.  And it is not all hype.  Omega watches are one of the best watch companies in the world.  And this Speedmaster is a perfect example of what they can do.

The Omega Speedmaster is a nice looking watch, inspired by the first watch in space, it has a vintage feel to it.  With it's nearly 40mm stainless steel case, is fairly big, without feeling overly large.  The stainless steel back is embossed with the classic Omega seahorse.  The Speedmaster has its crown at the classic 3 o'clock position, along with the chronograph buttons at the 2 o'clock position and 4 o'clock position.  The black face has dashes to denote the hour and minute marking, and all the hands on the watch are silver.  The 22.9mm Band is made from brown leather and has a buckle style clasp.

The Omega Speedmaster is not going to overwhelm you with Bond-like features.  But it is a chronograph, and not just a plain'ol quartz chronograph, but a self winding mechanical chronograph.  The watch also includes a Tachymeter bezel and your standard HH, MM, and second capabilities.  It also has a sapphire, scratch resistant lens, with anti-reflective treatment.

The movement for the Omega Speedmaster is something special.  It is the manual winding Omega 1861 chronograph movement with Rhodium-plated finish.  The movement has a power reserve of 48 hours and 18 jewels.  It runs at 21,600 bph.  It has counters for 60 seconds, 30 minutes, and 12 hours.

The Omega Speedmaster is a fantastic watch, playing on history ti bring an excellent timepiece.  the fact that the same movement has been used since the moon landing that added a layer of fame to the company.  I like this watch a lot.  The company has an excellent story and nobody would miss seeing the famous Omega on your wrist.  And at a 3500 dollar price point, it is an excellent buy on this list of best men's watches under...



Zenith

El Primero Chronograph
Model: 03.2110.400/22.C493
Case: 42mm, Stainless Steel
Band: Black Alligator
Movement: Automatic, El Primero 400B
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Chronograph
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 5M/

Best men's watch under 5000
Zenith is a luxury Swiss watchmaker that has been making watches in Switzerland since 1865.  The Zenith watch company has a long an distinguished history, and they are well known for making quality, precision timepieces.  In fact, the El Primero Calibre was released in 1969 and is still in production today, it was one of the first automatic chronograph watches put into production.

The Zenith El Primero Chronograph is an awful lot like the Omega Speedmaster.  The large 42mm stainless steel case offers the crown at the traditional 3 o'clock position and two auxiliary chronograph buttons located at the 2 and 4 o'clock positions and the stainless steel screw on back also has a see through sapphire lens.  The dial has a black finish with dashes representing numerical hour and minute positions.  And the Rhodium finished hands have a nicely polished finish.  The black alligator leather band has a folding clasp.

The Zenith El Primero Chronograph is a full featured watch.  With an automatic movement chronograph, and a tachymeter bezel, the watch is competitive with the Omega, but on top of that, it adds a date window at the 6 o'clock position.  HH, MM, and second capabilities are also present on this watch.  The hands and dial have been coated in Super Luminova as well for dark.

The Zenith El Primero 400B automatic movement has 31 jewels and a 50 hour reserve.  The movements functions at a high 36,000 vbh speed,

The Zenith watch is a wonderful watch.  The Zenith name is old in the watchmaking industry and the quality will be top notch.  Coming in at just a hair under 5000 dollars, it will not leave much left of your budget, but you will be getting a quality time piece.




Rolex

Oyster Perpetual 34
Model: 114200
Case: 34mm, Stainless steel
Band: Stainless steel linked
Movement: Rolex automatic 3130
Functions: HH, MM, SS
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 100M
Best men's watch under 5000

I have been waiting for this moment since I started this blog.  The Company of companies, when it comes to watches is finally making an appearance on the best men's watches under list.

Rolex was founded in London, England, in 1905 under the name, Wilsdorf and Davis.  The trademarked the name Rolex, in 1909, and set up offices in Switzerland.  Then, quickly moved their headquarters to Switzerland in 1919.  The company has made some of the best watches in the world for over 100 years, and the idea of being able to own one for under 5000 dollars is fairly exciting to me.

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual has a classic Rolex Case.  The 34mm stainless steel case is seamlessly melded into the bands' mounting pin and has a crown located at the standard 3 o'clock position, and a stainless steel screw down case back.  The silver dial has the crown at the 12 o'clock position and hour markers made from 18ct. gold, and the stainless steel, 3-link bracelet is fitted with an Oysterclasp for securing.

The Rolex Oyster 34 is not going to wow you with features either.  The fact that you are able to clasp an honest to goodness Rolex to your wrist is feature in itself.  The HH, MM, SS are of course there, and it is a self winding number, along with gold inlay hour markers, this watch screams class, in a subdued voice, of course.

The movement for the Oyster is a 3130 perpetual self winding mechanical movement.  It is considered extremely reliable, and extremely accurate.  It runs at 28,800 bph and has 31 jewels.

The Rolex is an excellent buy, ranging in price from around 4000 to about 4500, depending on your source. it gives you an icon to strap to your wrist every day.  And a tough watch on top of that.  The 3130 movement is know for durability and accuracy.  You can rest assured you made a quality purchase with this watch.



Longines

Master Collection
Model: L2.628.8.77.3
Case: 38.5mm, 18 Carat Pink Gold
Band: Alligator
Movement: Longines automatic L619/L888
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 3M

Best men's watch under 5000
Longines watches was found in 1832, in Saint-Imier, Switzerland.  And are still located there.  Longines is now owned by Swatch Corp, but the winged hourglass logo is the oldest registered watch logo.

Longines is known for its aviator watches.  Charles Lindbergh was an acquaintance with a previous director and even designed a watch for the company that is still in production.

Longines provided timers in the first modern Olympics in 1896, and even went to the north pole with Luigi Amedeo, and arctic explorer.

The Longines Master Collection is classy.  What else to say about it.  The 38.5mm, 18ct pink gold case is sleek and stylish.  Its crown is located at the 3 o'clock position and the screw on, see through back has a sapphire crystal.  The silver face has hour markers that are Wesselton VS diamonds for a total of 0.55 ct, and slim, pink gold hands round out the looks.  The brown alligator strap has a striple safety folding clasp with a push piece opening mechanism.

The Longines master colletion watch listed here is nothing more than a nice dress watch.  It has no special functions, it tells the time in HH, MM, and seconds and also gives you the date in a window located at the 6 o'clock positions.  It's case is constructed of 18 ct pink gold and the diamond hour markers are the only things I would consider to be special features of this watch.

The movement is a Longines L619/L888 self winding movement, with a power reserve of 42 hourrs and running at 28,8000 bph, and it has 21 Jewels, it is a modified ETA 2892-A2, and is a well built movement

For 3800 to 4500 dollars, the Longines gives you a very attractive and functional dress watch.  It will surely catch the eye with the gold and diamonds, and the Longines name gives you a long lived watch maker.  Definitely a great buy in the 5 best mens watches for under 5000 dollars list.


Bell & Ross

Aviation
Model: BR-03-94-Heritage Ceramic
Case: 42mm Ceramic, PVD
Band: Calfskin
Movement: Bell & Ross automatic movement, BR-CAL.301
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date, Chronograph
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 100M/

Best men's watch under 5000
Bell & Ross is not an old brand name, but definitely is a unique watch maker.

Bell & Ross was founded in 1992 headquartered in Paris France.  They were originally produced by the German watchmaker, Sinn, but, in 2002, the partnership ended and Bell & Ross went their own way.

Today they make some truly unique watches.  The square cased watches with highly accurate swiss movements and some amazing dive watches that are resistant up to 1000M.


The Bell & Ross Heritage Ceramic watch is unique, not only in this list, but in just about any lists.  The 42mm case us square, flat black and made of PVD, and with a crown located at the 3 o'clock position.  It also has chronograph function buttons located at the 2 and 4 o'clock positions.  The flat black dial face is accented with hour markers and minute indexes in a sand color, to give it an antiquated look.  The black hands are also tipped in the same sand color.  The brown calfskin band comes with a buckle style clasp, and the watch comes with an additional canvas band, and tools required to change the bands.


The Bell and Ross heritage ceramic has some features that make this unique watch a very useful watch to own.  HH, MM, and second, along with chronograph features make this watch not only appealing to look at but functional as well.

The Bell & Ross BR-CAL.301 movement is a modified ETA 2894-2 movement.  withh 37 Jewels and a 42 hour power reserve, this chronograph movement runs at a 28,800 bph frequency, and gives the hour, minute and small second as well as date.

The Bell & Ross will not fit every ones taste.  It is for the individual who wants to sport something different and unique on their wrist, while still showing a sense of class.  the watch is well built and will serve in most environments.  I personally enjoy the looks of the Bell & Ross watches, which is something of a surprise to me, considering I tend to lean more toward classic looks.

I have seen this watch sell for as low as 3000 dollars, but for as much as 4200, so watch the prices when shopping for one. It seems to vary wildly.


Wrap up

I hope you have enjoyed The 5 best men's watches under 5000 dollars.  I enjoyed searching through watches for hours, to put it together.  And I hope you all come back for my future posts.  These watches, truly are some of the highest quality watches I have found yet.  Any of them will be wonderful choices.

Thank you for reading The best Men's Watches Under blog