A good price can range from $500 to $10,000 for a watch, and is dependent on who the watch is for, what the purpose is, and your budget. The starting price point for a new watch buyer can be $500. This is a good price point to get you into reputable brands such as Seiko, Casio, Swatch and even Tissot with both Quartz and Automatic Movements.
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Good Value Watches Under $500
There are many great watches available for under $500, and the best one for you will depend on your personal style and needs. I will cover a few watches here at this price point for you.
Seiko
Seiko is a brand that first started making watches in the 1880’s in Meiji Japan. It is a brand that produces affordable watches and is renown for their craftmanship. The brand makes fantastic watches and has a good reputation and have been making watches since 1895. A good quality watch to buy is the Seiko 5 range of Dive Watches. You can find this from Amazon for an entry level Seiko SRP D51 5 Sports Men’s Watch Silver and it costs about $280.
Tissot
Tissot is a Swiss brand that first started making watches in the 1850s. In 1853, Tissot first produced their pocket watches and premiered the first mass produced pocket watch in the same year. For someone who wants a quality Swiss watch, you can buy a new Tissot Seastar 1000 quartz version for under $500.
Swatch
Swatch was developed in the 1970’s and 1980’s in response to the “quartz crisis”, in which the relatively affordable battery power watches were competing with the Swiss watch industry. The Swatch brand is known to produce very affordable Swiss-made quartz watches that are extremely durable. If you are looking for something that is more stylish and Swiss you can go for Swatch for a lot less than $500. This includes the recent Omega X Swatch Collection at approximately $280. Unfortunately, the Swatch Moon Watch range is only available in store and not online.
Casio G-Shock is a good watch to buy under the $500 mark if you’re looking for something for the outdoors.
Good Entry Point Watches Around $1,000
When you get closer to the $1000 price range you can get the higher end Seiko 5 Automatic watches. This price range can get you a Tissot Automatic Watches where in the previous price range you are getting the Tissot Quartz version. Seiko watches prices range from $275 to $6000. A Tissot Men’s Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80 will set you back around $650 depending on the site you visit.
Longines
Longines was founded in 1832 and is one of the first Swiss watch brands to mechanize the production of its watches. You can enter brands such as Longines at this price point. For the $1,000 price point you can choose both the Quartz and Automatic versions for the HydroConquest. You can get a Longines HydroConquest Quartz for under $1000, and the Longines HydroConquest Automatic version costs over $1000.
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- Tissot Men’s Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80
- Longines HydroConquest Quartz
- Longines HydroConquest Automatic
Affordable-luxury Watches Around $3,000
Once we get past the $3000 range we are entering the affordable-luxury range of brands. At this price point can get into brands such as Tag Heuer and Oris. You can enter brands such as Tudor at this price range for their entry level watches. I will go through each brand and a suggested watch below.
Oris
Oris was first founded by Paul Cattin and Georges Christian in the Swiss town of Holstein in 1904. They named their new watch company by a nearby brook. The Oris Brand is only a handful of Swiss watchmakers who only make mechanical watches. The brand is famous for its mechanical watches. The Oris Aqua released in 2011, represents the brand’s most successful watch in recent history. It starts around $2000 and up to around $3500 with 4 sizes, various case and dial variations. The divers collections’ 65 design for diving up to 100 meters. This is more of a diving style than a true diving watch. Driver 65. The price range for the Aquis is between $2000 to $4,000, depending on the model.
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Tag Heuer
Tag Heuer Watch Company was first founded by Edouard Heuer and back in 1860. In the 1920s, Heuer watches were used during the Olympics in Antwerp, Amsterdam. Tag was the first Swiss watch to go into space. This event took place on February 20th, 1962 when John Glenn flew the Mercury “Friendship 7 Mission”. Steve McQueen made the TAG Heuer Monaco watch famous when he wore it in the film Le Mans. It became famous in the US with Tiger Woods as its ambassador. A good watch to look for in this price range is the Tag Heuer Carrera Black Dial Automatic Men’s Chronograph Watch
Tudor
Tudor is most famous for its linkage to the Rolex Brand. In 1926, “The Tudor” was registered as a trademark by a watch dealer. In 1936 Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex, took over ” The Tudor ” brand with a desire to offer watch lovers a more affordable brand alongside his Rolex timepieces. The Tudor 1926 Automatic is a good watch at a price just over $2000. It’s a good price point to get into the Tudor brand.
- Tag Heuer Carrera Black Dial Automatic Men’s Chronograph Watch
- Oris Aquis Blue Dial Automatic Men’s Stainless Steel Watch
- Tudor 1926 Automatic 41 mm Opaline Dial Men’s Watch
Entry Level Luxury Watches Around $5000
This is a price range where we are getting into the top end of the entry level luxury watch brands. Not everyone can afford to pay $5000 for a wrist watch. Luxury brands such as Omega, Tudor and IWC come to mind at the $5000 price point.
- Omega Seamaster Diver 300
- Tudor Black Bay
- IWC Pilot’s Spitfire
Omega
Omega Seamaster Diver 300
The Omega Seamaster 300 is one of the most classic and yet ultra-accomplished model underwater dive watches. It comes in a number of sizes, colors and dials. You can find out more about this Omega Seamaster 300 in our other blog post. Click here!
Tudor
Tudor Black Bay
The Tudor Black Bay 58 is powered by Tudor’s Manufacture Calibre MT5402. The watch boasts significant improvements as compared to its ETA/Sellita peers. It is COSC certified, meaning that it has an average accuracy of -4/+6 seconds per day. This is a very stylish watch that can be worn on any occasion. It comes in various types of dials, bracelets, straps and versions.
Go to our other blog for more information about the Tudor Black Bay. Click here!
IWC
IWC Pilot’s Spitfire
The new Pilot’s Watch Automatic Spitfire is equipped with new manufacture Caliber 32110. IWC presents two versions: stainless-steel case, black dial and green textile strap; and a version with a bronze case, green dial and dark brown calfskin strap. Both watches are around the $5,000 price point.
Luxury Watches Over $10000
When we are looking at watches over $10,000, the Rolex brand come to mind. It’s an aspirational price point for most watch buyers. The Rolex Submariner cost around the $10,000 and the Daytona and can easily set you back $40,000. The Omega Seamaster Diver 300 N New 2023 James Bond 007 is good option around $8,000.
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- Rolex Daytona
- Rolex Submariner
- Omega Seamaster 300 James Bond 007
I have provided my thoughts about what is consider as a good price point for a watch and have covered a range of watches at different price points. Like all things, it depends on each person’s personal preference (functionality, style and brand). Good luck with your watch buying in 2023!