Time On A Budget XIII: Affordable Watches Under $60
A watch is an extension of the person wearing it. Yeah, I know that sounds a bit pretentious but it’s true. Why else would someone spend $25,000 on and obsess over a piece of jewelry that most people won’t even notice you’re wearing? But it’s not just a signifier of wealth. It can be a sign to others how you define yourself. I wear dive watches because I’m a scuba Instructor even though I haven’t actually timed a dive with my watch in over a decade. I use a dive computer instead. And to others a watch is something you just throw on your wrist that looks “pretty good.” Either way there are watches for everyone and listed here are a collection of good lucking watches that won’t break the bank while style maintaining a little bit of style. Some are better than others and in this review I try to point out the differences in what you are paying for.
Casio MTP4500D-1AV on a cheapestnatostraps.com leather strap
Before we get into it you can find previous installments of this series here.
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Howk Tangente Homage - $20
Howk on a leather strap from a Timex Expedition with AJ Morgan Castro Sunglasses
Driven by the success of companies like Daniel Wellington and the German luxury brand Nomos the past few years has seen an explosion of watches influenced by the early-to-mid-century modernist design movements. At the low end this means there is a variety of Chinese minimalist designs to choose from that all look pretty good even if they aren’t high quality or particularly original in their styling. At the high end their are fantastically made German watches using Bauhaus design aesthetics like Stowa and the aforementioned Nomos.
On a red, white and blue NATO. Good look for the 4th of July or Bastille Day.
A new (to me) entry in that category is the Hook Bauhaus model which is a shameless Nomos Tangente ripoff/homage. Like most of these cheap Chinese watches of this type Howk is nothing more than a name used because…well… a watch should have a brand name on it. Like the Corgeuts or Deberts I’ve reviewed previously it’s a nonsense name that really does not mean much of anything. It’s just a way to legally sell replica watches in the US.
At first glance the Howk really is a fantastic looking little watch which is to be expected because there’s nothing at all original about it’s design. Like the Nomos that it’s aping it features a very tasteful use of an Avant Garde Condensed type of font for its numerals which gives it a cool 1930s feel. Another nice touch is the second hand is on the subdial at 6 o’clock which gives it a bit of a classy subdued look. At 38mm it fits nicely on most wrists and will fit under a shirt cuff.
The tech specs are nothing special but for $20 you should not be expecting much. The case is made from a cheap alloy which makes it very lightweight but not very durable. However, the movement itself is a japanese Miyota quartz movement which is about as reliable as a movement can possibly be. The Howk is water resistant to 30m which means it should be fine if you are washing your hands but I would not go swimming with it on. It also looks great on a variety of straps.
The drilled lugs make it very easy to change out the stock strap.
As with most watches of this type the stock strap leaves a bit to be desired however this is far from the worst leather strap I’ve seen on a sub-$25 watch. I put it on the leather strap from a Timex Expedition Scout and thought that it looked even better than the stock strap. And of course it looks great on a brightly colored NATO strap. It’s an incredibly versatile watch.
On the wrist
The bottom line is this is a great watch for the price and I would easily put it in the same category as a Timex Weekender in terms of durability and quality. It has a leg up on the Timex in that it’s not cursed with the incredibly loud (but otherwsie reliable) Timex quartz movement. However a Weekender has the advantage of Indiglo which allows you to light up the watch at night. Unfortunately there is no lume or anything of the sort on the Howk. In low light you just won’t be able to see it.
On an Eton Dot NATO
The Kano Bauhaus inspired watch from the 1940s which influenced both Nomos and Howk.
There is no ignoring the fact that this is a watch that steals its looks from a far more expensive watch, the Nomos Tangente. In fairness to the Howk though the Nomos Tangente is not exactly an original design itself. It’s an updated take on a watch from the watchmaker Kano who was producing them in the glory days of Bauhaus design in the 1930s. It’s up to you rather the lack of originality on the part of the makers of the Howk watch bothers you. For an everyday $20 beater watch I’m not particularly bothered by it.
Note: It’s been pointed out to me that the Amazon listing for this watch list the lug width at 18mm. It’s actually 20mm.
Similar options: Timex Weekender, Timex Field Expedition
Seiko SNK809 - $55
SNK809 on a leather NATO from Crown & Buckle.
Suggesting a Seiko 5, particularly a member of the SNK family, as an intro to watch collecting is almost cliche. Damn near every list of this type is going to mention this watch. However, there’s a damn good reason for that which is that this watch is a fucking steal.
How many $55 watches have an exhibition caseback?
Very, very rarely do you find a company selling a mechanical, automatic watch with an in-house movement for less than $60. But Seiko has been doing just that with the Seiko 5 series of watches for over 50 years. The 5 in the Seiko watch branding comes from its features; 1) automatic winding, a day/date display, water resistance (which varies depending on the watch model,) recessed crown at 4 o’clock, and a durable case (which usually means it is made of stainless steel.) The SNK continues that long tradition admirably. While the watch automatically winds it’s 7s26c movement does not hack or hand-wind. Despite those drawbacks it’s an incredibly accurate and durable movement that also powers some far more expensive watches in the Seiko lineup (such as the venerable SKX007.)
On the wrist the pilot-inspired face is very easy to read even in low-light thanks to some pretty decent lume. It’s got a sporty look that is pretty easy to dress up or down on both leather and nylon straps. The look is pretty heavily inspired by the B-Uhr pilot watches worn by Luftwaffe pilots in the Second World War and coveted by collector’s ever since.
A WWII vintage B-Uhr pilot watch. Much like Volkswagen and Fanta before it the B-Uhr style has managed to lose its association with NAZI Germany which is fortunate because it really is a great looking design. Many B-Uhr style pilot watches take their cues from the Luftwaffe originals and clock in at sizes of 44+ millimeters which on a wrist like mine is absolutely massive. The SNK is a far more manageable 37mm.
My only real complaint about the SNK is that the case is brushed stainless steel. This is purely personal preference but I would prefer it to have a slightly polished case. That’s not a deal breaker though. For less than $60 the SNK provides a damn near unbeatable bang for the buck in that you get an original (albeit derivitive) design, in-house movement and a build quality that punches above it’s weight.
Similar options: Seiko SNK80X in Blue, Green, or Cream, or the Seiko SNKK27
Casio MTP4500D-1AV Slide Rule Aviator - $52
Casio Aviator on a green ZULU strap
At it’s core the purpose of a wristwatch is to be a tool that tells time easily and at a glance. That is a simple purpose but its applications run the gamut from the mundane to the monumental. From a diver using their diver’s bezel to keep track of their bottom time to the crew of Apollo 13 using their Omega Speedmaster’s chronograph complication to correct for catastrophic failure of their moonbound spacecraft a variety of complications and modifications have been made to these watches to make them more useful tools for telling time.
One such modification that you don’t see quite as often on affordable watches is the slide rule bezel. Just as the name says the slide rule bezel allows a person to make calculations on the fly using the inner chapter ring on the watch dial and a moveable bezel to act as a slide rule. With this feature you can quickly convert MPH to KPH (and vice versa) and a host of other conversions a pilot may find useful on the fly when you don’t have the time to find a calculator. A Blog To Watch has a fantastic run down of how a slide rule bezel works.
On a SB NATO from Cincy Strap Works (which is one of the most comfortable NATOs I’ve ever worn) and the classic gold Aviators.
As with most of Casio’s quartz analog watches the MTP4500D-1AV is a particularly well made watch that could sell for twice the price with a higher end brand name on the face. With a 42mm stainless steel case and matching bracelet this piece looks like a million bucks. Much like the Slide Rule Aviator’s cousin the, EF-503D racing chronograph the bracelet is solidly constructed and is much better than what you would expect to find on a $60 watch. The 42mm case wears a bit smaller than similar sized watches thanks to its thinner bezel and shorter lugs.
The movement is a Miyota chronograph with the chronograph complications being the center second hand, and the 9 and 12 o’clock subdials. I particularly like having the watch’s second hand at the 6 o’clock subdial. It makes the quartz tick-tock a bit more subtle. Add in a 50m depth rating and this would be a great watch to bang around with in the summer. You can’t go snorkeling with it but it should do fine hopping in and out of a pool.
Aesthetically this is a conversation starting tool watch. With the numbers abound on the dial and with the chronograph functions I don’t think anyone would ever call this watch “minimal.” That being said it still looks great and the orange accents on the bezel and second hands help the watch to stand out. My only complaint is the same one I have with most chronographs, which is that it’s too hard to read the time with a quick glance.
The lume is nothing to write home about. If you’re wearing it for a while in the sun it will be really visible for about 30 minutes once you go indoors.
And the bracelet is a bit too 90s for my taste but that’s neither here nor there.
If you’re looking for something in the tool watch realm that wears well, has a little bit of versatility, and is a bit different than your standard chronograph check out the MTP4500D-1AV (I really wish they would give these watches real names.)
Similar options: Casio EF-503D (which unfortunately is getting much harder to find)
Casio MDV-106 Revisited - $45
MDV-106 on a BOND Nato strap
The reigning champion of inexpensive summer watches. This isn’t the first time I’ve suggested this watch and it definitely won’t be the last. With stainless steel construction, 120 click bezel, miyota quartz movement, and 200m of water resistance this is a tool watch that punches well above its weight class. It’s understated designs pulls from a whole history of classic dive watches without being overly revertential or a homage. It’s a watch that truly does stand on it’s own two feet.
When I teach scuba classes this is the watch that I suggest my students get to start out as a backup to their dive computers. It will take whatever beating you want to throw at it and do so very easily.
On a minimalist silicone strap
The included rubber strap is a resin band that is fine but I do find it a bit too big for my wrists. I wound up replacing it with a minimalist silicone band and a Bond NATO strap. Perhaps my only complatint about the MDV-106 is its size.
Coming in at a hefty 44mm it definitely makes a statement and isn’t something I would feel to comfortable wearing with a suit or even business casual. But for a Sunday beater to wear on a boat or camping it’s a very hard watch to beat.
Similar Options: Invicta 8926OB, Invicta 8932OB, or the Stuhrling Aquadiver
Thanks for reading. I’ve posted higher res versions of all of the photos on Imgur here if you wanted to take a closer look at everything.