The Best Men's Mechanical Hand Wind Watches for 2017

One of the most popular posts on this blog was the original best men's mechanical hand wind watches post. So, I figure I might as well go ahead and write another one, I mean it is a couple of years old now, and there are some new products out there that I would like to talk about.

Also, in the original post, it was broken up into 3 parts.  I am not going to do that this time, I am going to put it all into one big ass post.  I am not in a hurry to get my posts published anymore, so I can take a week or two to get this one done.

The Best Men's Mechanical Hand Wound Watches for 2017

The Best Men's Mechanical Hand Wind Watch for under 50 dollars

HMT

Pilot

Model:

Case: 35 mm, Stainless steel

Band: 18mm Leather

Movement: HMT 0231 Mechanical

Functions: HH, MM, SS

Battery: N/A

Water resistance:

If you have read The Best Men's Watches under blog in the past, you will be aware of the fact that I am a big fan of HMT watches.  In particular, I am a big fan of the Pilot.  I can't even remember how many times I have pushed this watch now.  At least 5 times.  I love this watch, and I own two of these watches.  They are refurbished and I got them off Ebay, and I love them.  They are the perfect knock around watches in my book.  I think everyone should own at least one.

If you look on my original best men's watches under 50 dollars, or on the first part of the best men's hand wound watches, you can find all the specs and more details about the HMT pilot.  I suggest you take a look.  I have to figure that at some point, these things will start to become worth more than the 10 dollars you can buy them for right now!

The Best Men's Mechanical Hand Wind Watch for under 100 dollars

Parnis

47mm Black Dial

Model: H2113

Case: 47 mm, Stainless steel

Band: 24mm Leather

Movement: Sea-Gull 6497 

Functions: HH, MM, SS

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 30M

I will start by saying I love Vostok Komandirskie.  In the original best men's mechanical watches, this spot was filled by a Komandirskie, and generally speaking you can find a few different Russian watches that will fall into this same slot, if you look around.  But I am going out of the box a little bit. I own a watch with a Sea-Gull movement watch, it has always worked well for me.  I cannot complain at all, and the Parnis watches have generally been found to be really well built watches, even though they are Chinese.  In general, I would not steer you toward a Chinese watch, but the Parnis watches are pretty cool and there are a lot of people out there who have had great luck with them.  Just don't expect any customer service if anything goes wrong with it.

This watch is BIG, it has a 47mm stainless steel case, it has a smooth bezel, and a rather pronounced crown.  It has a domed lens with a black dial face, and Arabic numerals at all the hour markers, except the 9 o'clock, which is where the sub dial is for the seconds hand.  The band is wide, at 24mm and made of leather, and it has a buckle style clasp.  For 100 dollars I think this is a winner, as long as you don't get yourself a dud.

The Best Men's Mechanical Hand Wind Watch for under 500 dollars

Hamilton

Khaki Field Officer Handwinding

Model: H69419363

Case: 38mm Stainless Steel

Band: 20mm Canvas

Movement: Sea-Gull 6497 

Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 50M/165ft

Hamilton is not new to this blog.  I am a fan of Hamilton watches.  They were originally an American company and have a very long American history.  But, in 1974 they were sold to Swatch.  So, now they are a Swiss company, but they still do have an American look to their products.

The field watches have made my lists several times now.  I love the field watches.  I love the hand wound version most of all.  This watch is really what I would expect from a field watch.  It is not overly huge.  It has a 38mm stainless steel case.  I is unassuming, the bezel is smooth and the crown is located at the 3 o'clock position.  The dial of the watch is black and the Arabic numerals are white and coated with a luminous material.  Along with the hands, and tick marks.

The band of the watch is a canvas strap, with a buckle style clasp.  The clasp is also stainless steel.

All-in-all this is a nice little watch.  It is well built, and even sports a sapphire lens.  It should be durable, and nice looking for many many years.

The Best Men's Mechanical Hand Wind Watch for under 1000 dollars

Laco

Memmingen

Model: 861746

Case: 42 mm, Stainless steel

Band: 20mm Leather

Movement: Laco 04 Hand Winding 

Functions: HH, MM, SS

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 50M

I have talked about Laco watches before on this blog.  I might have even covered this particular watch, but I am having a hard time tracking it down if I ever did.  Doesn't matter much though, because we are gonna talk about this one today.  

The Laco Memmingen is a nice looking watch, if you are into Laco that is, because it is not going to dazzle you with bling or wow.  But mostly if your into that kinda jazz, you are probably on the wrong blog right now.  I do not like it, I like this Laco though.

German made and looking like it, the Laco Memmingen is 42mm in diameter, and it is 13mm thick.  It is a fairly big chunk of stainless steel.  It has a over sized crown located at the 3 o'clock position and a flat, thin bezel, which gives you a lot of watch face.

The watch face itself is black with white Arabic numerals.  There is a triangle at the 12 o'clock position with two small dots on each side.  It is all coated in a illumination.  The band is 20mm and made of leather.  It has over sized rivets, and a stainless steel buckle style clasp.  It all gives the watch a rugged, and solid look to it.

The Laco 04 movement is actually a modified ETA 2804.  I do not have the specifics on how it is modified though.

All-in-all, I think this is a really nice looking watch.  And a really well built watch.  Definitely something worth looking at, at the 1000 dollar price point.

The Best Men's Mechanical Hand Wind Watch for under 2000 dollars

Weiss

Limited Edition American Issue Blue Dial
with Cal 1003 

Model: 

Case: 42 mm, Stainless steel

Band: 20mm Leather

Movement: Weiss Cal 1003 

Functions: HH, MM, SS

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 110M/330ft

Bam!
I love Weiss watches.  They are one of my favorite watchmakers.  And they are all American.  They even make their own movements.  The 1003 movement is a mechanical movement.  It runs at 21,600 bph, it has a 46 hour power reserve, and it has a hacking sub second dial.  It is really nice.  And this one is only being made as a limited edition.  200 watches will be released.

I have covered Weiss before.  They are a California based watchmaker that has been making watches for about 4 years now.  Cameron Weiss is the owner/watchmaker, and he has found a wonderful little place.  The Weiss field watches are some of my favorite watches, and I would love one for Christmas this year.... Hint, hint.

The American issue limited edition blue dial is a 42mm stainless steel field watch.  It has a crown located at the 3 o'clock position.  It has a thin bezel with large lugs, giving it a substantial look to it.  It has a blue face with large Arabic numerals indicating the hours, and smaller Arabic numerals indicating the minutes, in five minute intervals.  It has a sub dial for the seconds located at the 9 o'clock position, and the hands and numbers are coated with a luminant.  The band is a 20mm leather band with a buckle style clasp.

I love this watch.  I love this watch for the 1995 price tag as well.  I think this is one hell of a watch.

The Best Men's Mechanical Hand Wind Watch for under 5000 dollars

RGM Watch Co.

Model 222 (921 movement)

Model: 222

Case: 41 mm, Stainless steel

Band: Leather

Movement: Hamilton 921 Movement

Functions: HH, MM, SS

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 50M/165ft

RGM watches is another American watch maker that I really really like.  And I am so happy I was able to include one of their watches on this list.  The Model 222 is not the only product they have.  In fact, they have quite a few watches, and they are all something unique.  The Model 222 had a bit of a Mid Mod look to it, and that may be why I am drawn to it, but I think it is an impressive looking watch.

The Model 222 has a 41mm stainless steel case, with a smooth bezel and the crown located at the 3 o'clock position.  The dial face is silver, with large tick marks marking the hours and small marks indicating all the minutes.  There is a sub dial for the seconds located at the 9 o'clock position, and the hands of the watch are blued steel.  The band is leather with a buckle style clasp.

I really like this watch, and I really like this company.  I think RGM is a wonderful American watch maker.  I would love the opportunity to own one of these one of these days.

Wrap Up

I know that sometimes I go to higher in my price points, but I do not think I need to go much higher than 5000 dollars.  These are all really good watches, and I think you would be happy with pretty much any of them.  I am a fan of the HMT for a cheap knock around watch, and I love the RGM and Weiss because of what they are doing as a company.  Hamilton is a proven and wonderful brand name.  The Parnis might be a bit of crap shoot but a lot of people have had really good luck with them.  

I hope you like this list of the best men's mechanical watches, I am a pretty big fan of it!

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

IWC, or International Watch Co. is a luxury watchmaker located in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.  The company was founded by Florentine Ariosto Jones, and American watchmaker, in 1868, after leaving Howard & Co, in Boston, which was America's leading watchmaker at the time.  Florentine's goal was to combine the craftsmanship of Swiss watchmaking with the technology of the U.S to manufacture movements and parts for the American market.

Schaffhausen was a town that was in danger of being left in the dust, with the industrial age in full swing, so together, with Johann Heinrich Moser, they laid plans to industrialize Schaffhausen.  Moser built the first hydroelectric plant for the town, laying the groundwork for IWC to begin manufacturing.

In 1880 Johann Rauschenbach Vogel, the CEO and a machine manufacturer from Schauffhausen took IWC over, and the comany stayed in the Rauschenbach name for four generations.  The family was finally unable to come up with the nessessary moneys to afford the extreme rise in gold prices, and had to change directions, bringing in the Swiss Banking Corp to assist.  The SBC brought in VDO Adolf Schindling AG, who took a majority interest in IWC in 1978 and began to reorganize the company.

In 1991 IWC director Gunter Blumlein founded the LMH Group, located in Schauffhausen.  The group owns a 100% stake in IWC, along with large portions of Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Lange & Sohne.

LHM was acquired by Richemont in 2000.

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

The best men's IWC watch under 5000 dollars

Portofino Automatic Silver Dial

Model: IW356501

Case: 40mm Stainless Steel

Band: Crocodile

Movement: IWC 35110 Calibre Automatic

Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 30M/100ft

Simply classic is really the best way to describe the Portofino series of watches.  The Portofino Automatic Silver dial reminds me of watches my grandfather would wear,  Stainless case, stainless arms, white face, no muss no fuss.

It has a 40mm stainless steel case with a small fluted crown located at the 3 o'clock position.  It has a smooth bezel and sapphire lenses in both the front and back of the watch.  The dial is white, and uses tick marks for the hours, except for the 12 and 6 o'clock markers, which are Roman numerals.  There is a date window located at the 3 o'clock position, and there is an outer ring of Arabic numbers for minutes.  The band is crocodile leather, and it has a belt style clasp, which is also in silver.

The Portofino is actually my personal favorite type of watch.  I love the simple looks and clean lines.  I love to be able to look at a watch and quickly tell what time it is.  I love that it is an automatic.  This is actually a watch I would like to own.  If you look you can easily find this watch for under 3500 dollars, it is a great buy at that price point, in my personal opinion.

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

Portugueser Hand Wound 8 Day
Model: IW510203
Case: 43mm, Stainless Steel
Band: Alligator
Movement: IWC 59215 Hand Wound
Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 30M/100ft

This watch was originally posted on the 5 best men's watches for under 10,000 dollars.
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.

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

Aquatimer Deep Three

Model: IW3557010

Case: 46mm Titanium

Band: Rubber

Movement: IWC 30120 Calibre Automatic

Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 100M/300ft

I have never pretended to be a huge dive watch fan.  But I know there are a lot of folks out there who do like them, and I can understand.  They tend to be some of the more durable watches available, and even if you have no intention on diving, you can be pretty sure you are getting a watch that can take a bit of a beating.  The Aquatimer series of watches are really no exception to that rule.  They are built tough and offer a lot of features that you would expect on a good dive watch.

The Aquatimer Deep Three has a 300ft water resistance depth.  It comes with a large 46mm titanium case and has a crown located at the 3 o'clock position.  The crown has a guard.  It has a rotating bezel, that is internal and external with the safedive system.  The lens in the front and back are sapphire and the dial is black with luminescent elements on the dial, internal bezel and hands.  It has a mechanical depth gauge, and hour, minute and hacking seconds hands.  There is a date window located at the 3 o'clock position.  There is a inverted triangle at the 12 o'clock position, and the quarter hours are denoted in Arabic numerals.  The other hours are denoted with simple ticks.

The watch is nice looking, and large.  I would not mind wearing this, and that is saying something, considering my aversion to dive watches :)  The only real issue I have with this watch is the price.  I do believe that if you are a true diver, there are other men's dive watches that are better suited for the tack for more reasonable pricing.  I do believe this watch is purchased more for the brand then the actual utility of it.

The best men's IWC watch for under 30,000 dollars

Big Pilot Midnight Blue Dial

Model: IW502701

Case: 46mm, Gold

Band: Leather

Movement: IWC 52850 calibre Automatic

Functions: HH, MM, SS, Month, Date, Day

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 60M/196ft


There are quite a few watches in the big pilot series of watches.  The Big Pilot Midnight Blue dial is a watch that sports the Automatic 52850 calibre IWC movement, and offers time and calender capabilities.  The case is gold and measures 46mm.

The crown is gold also and is located at the 3 o'clock position.  The bezel is smooth gold and has a sapphire face and a sapphire back as well.  The dial is midnight blue.

The watch uses roman numerals, along with tick marks to denote the hours, with a classic triangle marking 12 o'clock.  There is a is a sub dial for seconds located at the 9 o'clock position and a sub dial for the day of the week located at the 3 o'clock position.  There is d Month/Date/Day window located at the 12 o'clock position, and an outer ring of numbers denoting the minutes.    The hands of the watch are all gold.  The band is leather with a gold, tri-fold style safety clasp.

It's a really nice looking watch,  It has good size to it, and the crown has a very nice fluting to it.  I think this is an excellent example from a high class watchmaker.  Something that would be a heirloom for sure.

Wrap Up

IWC is a company that I often overlook.  It doesn't seem to get much publicity, at least in the places I frequent.  But they are one of the top watchmakers in the world, and should not be overlooked.  Quality and attention to detail are second to none from this company.  And it is a company that has been doing this for a very long time.  It even has some American ties to it.  These are some of the best men's watches money can buy, in looks and quality and prestige.

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

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

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

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

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

The best men's RGM watch under 5000 dollars

Professional Pilot with Date/Titanium

Model: 151-PR-Titanium

Case: 38.5mm, Titanium

Band: Leather

Movement: RGM-ETA 2892-A2

Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 50M/165ft

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

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

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

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

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

COE "Corps of Engineers"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pennsylvania Series

Model: PS-801-EE

Case: 43.3mm, Stainless steel

Band: Leather

Movement: RGM mechanical, 801

Functions: HH, MM, SS

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 50M/165ft

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pennsylvania Series

Model: PS-801-E Rose Gold

Case: 43.3mm, Gold

Band: Leather

Movement: American 801 hand wind

Functions: HH, MM, SS

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 50M/167ft


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

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

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

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

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

Wrap Up

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

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

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

So, Thank you very much!

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

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

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

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

The best men's American watch for under 5000 dollars

Kobold

Phantom Chronograph Night Stalker

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Devon

Tread 2 Murder

Model: Tread2Murder

Case: 44mm x 42mm, Stainless steel

Movement: Electro/Mechanical

Functions: HH, MM, SS, Chronograph

Battery:

Water resistance: 100M/330ft

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

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

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

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

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

RGM

Pennsylvania Series

Model: PS-801-EE

Case: 43.3mm, Stainless steel

Band: Leather

Movement: RGM mechanical, 801

Functions: HH, MM, SS

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 50M/165ft

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

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

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

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

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

Keaton Myrick

Custom

Case:

Band:

Movement: Keaton Myrick calibre 29.30

Functions:

Battery:

Water resistance:

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

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

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

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

Wrap Up

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

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

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

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

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

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

The best men's Swiss watch for under 1000 dollars

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

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

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

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

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

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

The best men's Swiss watch under 2000 dollars

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

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

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

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

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

The best men's Swiss watch for under 5000 dollars

Omega

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rolex

Datejust II 41mm

Model: 116334

Case: 41mm, Steel & Gold

Band: Stainless steel

Movement: 3136

Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date

Water resistance:

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

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

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

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

Wrap Up

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

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

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

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

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

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

The best men's dive watch for under 2000 dollars

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

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

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

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

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

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

The best men's dive watch for under 5000 dollars

Tudor

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

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

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

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

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

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

Breitling

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

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

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

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

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

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

Omega

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wrap Up

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

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The Best Men's Bell & Ross Watches for Under...

Bell & Ross watchmakers have only been making watches since 1992.  The were founded and are currently headed by Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo.  Belamich was the original watch designer, creating watches that were intended to replicate the appearance of the instrument of a aircraft cockpit.  They were originally produced by Sinn, a German watch maker.

In 2002, Bell and Ross broke ties with Sinn and opened their own production facilities in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.  Over the years they have made some impressive looking and functioning watches.  Utilizing highly accurate Swiss movements, and adding special functions for specific uses.

I generally don't focus in on the younger watchmakers here at the best men's watches under blog, because I think a 100+ year track record carries a lot of weight behind it.  But the Bell & Ross watches have really stood out to me, and I could not resist giving them a company review.

The Best Men's Bell & Ross Watches for Under...

The Best Men's Bell & Ross Watch for Under 2000 Dollars

Vintage Original Beige

Model: Br123-Original-Beige

Case: 41mm, Stainless steel

Band: Leather

Movement: Automatic

Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 100M/330ft

The Bell & Ross Vintage line is one of the more classic looking watch lines they offer.  In fact, it may be the only real classic looking lines of watches they have.  It is a great place to start, for those of you who are not completely sold on the square case style they lean toward.

This watch has a 41mm stainless steel case, with a crown at the 3 o'clock position.  It has a sapphire crystal lens covering the dial face.  The beige original version has a beige face, with Arabic numerals marking the 3, 9 & 12 o'clock hours, and indexes marking the remaining hours.  All the markings are in black.  There is a date window located at the 6 o'clock position and the hands are black, imbued with a super luminova to provide nighttime use.  The band is a brown calfskin leather, with a buckle style clasp.

The Bell & Ross Br123 uses a ETA 2892 movement.  It is an automatic movement with 21 jewels.  It has 42 hour power reserve.  It runs at 28,800 BPH.  they are proven movements, and are used in a tone of watches today.

The online retail price of the Br123 averages at about 1800 dollars.  A couple hundred below the price point of this review, and stacks up nicely in comparison to a lot of my previous 2000 dollar watches.  The biggest downfall for me with this company is longevity, and I do believe if they keep their unique looks and quality build, they could be a long standing company.

The Best Men's Bell & Ross Watch for Under 5000 Dollars

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/330ft

This is not the first time the Aviation Heritage Ceramic has made my list.  This was my first experience with Bell & Ross, and I completely enjoyed the looks of their watches.  It is why this post was made.

The Heritage Ceramic has a 42mm Ceramic and PVD, square case.  The crown is located at the 3 o'clock position and the chronograph function buttons are located above and below the crown, basically at the 2 & 4 o'clock positions.  The case and buttons are all black, and the lens is sapphire crystal.  The dial face is also black, with Arabic numerals at the 6 & 12 o'clock positions, and with indexes marking the other hours.  there are two sub dials, located at the 3 & 9 o'clock positions, one being for the chronograph and the other being a small seconds.  The watch uses the large central sweep second hand for the chronograph functions. There is a date window at the 4:30 position.  The hands are black with imbued, super luminova on them for nighttime usage.  The band for the watch is leather, and it has a buckle style clasp.

The movement is called by Bell & Ross, a BR-CAL.301.  This is basically a ETA 2894-2 modified movement.  It has chronograph functions, Date, HH, MM, and a small seconds.  It has 37 jewels and a 42 hour power reserve.  It runs at 28,800 BPH.

Generally, I can find this watch through the online retailers for around 4200 dollars.  It is a pretty unique piece of wrist art, that will get lots of looks, and is a very well built product.  It should last a lifetime.

The Best Men's Bell & Ross Watch for Under 10,000 Dollars

Marine Automatic

Model: BR02-92-Rose Gold and Carbon

Case: 44mm, Rose Gold & Steel

Band: Rubber strap

Movement: Automatic, Sellita SW200

Functions: HH, MM, SS, Date

Battery: N/A

Water resistance: 1000M/3300ft

Something of a forgotten, or unrealized fact about Bell & Ross.  They make some pretty nice dive watches.  In fact, at some later date, this watch may make the best men's dive watches under list.  They are slightly unconventional looking, but pretty much all Bell & Ross watches are.

The BR02-92 Marine Automatic has a 44mm steel and gold case, with the crown at the 3 o'clock position.  There is an additional button at the 2 o'clock position for the bezel.  The bezel is an internal, unidirectional, 60 minute dive bezel.  The watch also sports a helium release valve at the 9 o'clock position.  The lens is a sapphire crystal.  The dial face is black.  It has white Arabic numerals at the 3, 6, 9 & 12 o'clock positions, and uses indexes for the remaining hour marks.  There is a date window located at the 4:30 position.  The hour, minute, and second hands are black, with a photo luminescent coating for nighttime viewing.  The band is a rubber with a gold buckle style clasp.

The best I can say about the movement on this watch is, the blue and orange faced version of this watch uses the Sellita SW200, but I am unable to confirm that this version of the Marine Autos use it too.  I am assuming it does, it only makes sense, so I am going to go with it and say that the Sellita SW200 has 26 jewels and a 38 hour power reserve.  It runs at 28,800 bph.  It is a common movement, in several different watches on the market today.

I have been able to find this watch for around 7700 dollars.  It is a really nice, full function diver, made with high dollar materials.  Bell & Ross did really well with this watch.

The Best Bell & Ross Watch for Under 20,000 Dollars

Aviation Carbon Forge
Model: BR-X1
Case: 45mm Titanium and Ceramic
Band: Woven black rubber
Movement: BR-CAL.313 automatic
Function: HH, MM, SS, Date, Chronograph
Battery: N/A
Water resistance: 100M/330ft

The Aviation Carbon Forge is a limited edition watch.  It is a skeleton square case chronograph made with cutting edge materials.  The case is 45mm square and made from titanium and ceramic.  The crown is at the 3 o'clock position and the chronograph buttons are at the 2 & 4 o'clock positions.  The lens is sapphire crystal.  The face is a skeleton face, it uses indexes to mark the hours.  The sub dial at the 9 o'clock position is a 30 minute timer, and the sub dial at the 3 o'clock position is a small seconds.  The central sweep second hand is the chronograph counter.  The hands of the watch are chromed steel with super luminova, for night time viewing.  And the Band is rubber with a buckle style clasp.

The movement for the Aviation Carbpn Forge is a Bell & Ross BR-CAL.313.  It is a ETA 2894-2 base, meaning it has 56 jewels, and a 42 hour power reserve.  It runs at 28,800 bph.  Again, this is another very popular movement, that you can find in a lot of watches.

I find this watch through online retail outlets for around 17,500 dollars.  It is a very pricey watch, but its use of materials and design and features call for a high price tag.  Then throw in the fact that these are limited edition watches, it is no surprise to me that this is nearly a 20,000 dollar watch.

Wrap Up

The best men's Bell & Ross watches for under was a fun list for me.  I really enjoy these watches and hope that I was able to show some people a watch brand that they have never heard of before.  The best men's watches for under is glad to have been able to assist you in finding a new watch for you or for your loved one.

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