If you’re on the hunt for your next watch, but you don’t have the budget to drop thousands of pounds on a brand new Cartier, Tag or Breitling, this article is for you.
Alternatively, you may be looking for the best watch to buy Dad for Christmas or Birthday.
I’ll run through some of my favourite watches I’ve owned that don’t break the bank, but I think you’ll love wearing.
I am by no means a watch expert, simply an admirer. I don’t know anything about these watches’ technical capabilities or how they compare to other watches in their price band.
I do know how I feel and my emotional connection to all of them. I also know how well they do the job I expect of them – and they all crush it.
G-Shock GST-W300
At only £100, this is my go to watch on the weekend for any outdoor activity at home (e.g. gardening), physical activity (e.g. swimming and football coaching) or family days out to National Trust venues.
It is rock solid, to the point of being seemingly indestructible and looks great. There is a lot of watch packed in to that price.
It is also the watch I take on holidays, taking sea, sun, sand and sun tan cream in its stride.
Iron Annie
A relatively small German watch brand, I instanrtly fell in love with the design of their Bauhaus watch (Iron Annie Watch Bauhaus Mens 50661).
I usually choose fairly simple looking watches, but the placing of a watch battery gauge at the top of the dial pushed this over the edge for me, and I had to buy it.
I tend to wear this when I go in to the office or for smart casual occasions where I don’t want to wear my Tag.
This is probably the watch I get asked the most about by other people when they see it. It is currently priced at around £500.
Scurfa Diver One (D1-500)
This watch is really versatile, and looks just at home with a formal outfit as it does with jeans and a hoodie.
The design is simple, with out being boring. ‘Elegantly classic’ is probably a fairer way to describe it, and I enjoy spending a few moments every so often to admire it on my wrist.
Pretty much every review for this watch marvels at the £250 price, and I am no different.
Tag Heuer Aquaracer
What was an indulgent present to myself in my late 20’s has turned in to a decade plus long love affair.
I love this watch, and I am gutted whenever I see a nick or scratch on it.
I flip and flop between this and other watches as my primary watch, but I always come back to it, and I always enjoy wearing it.
At the time it cost me £790, but similar models are now around £1,000 brand new.
Longine Evidenza
My most expensive watch and the one I save for special occasions and smart outfits. I don’t think the model I bought is produced any more, but it can be found on a reputable pre-owned websites.
The model I own is ‘Longines – Evidenza Chronograph Automatic – – L2.643.4’.
It looks and feels different to any of my other watches, and I love the weight of it on my wrist. I don’t wear this very often, saving it for situations I feel deserve it – birthdays, anniversaries etc.
