15 Affordable Luxury Watches

Before I get into all the watch roundup goodness, I would like to begin this article with a concession: the term “affordable luxury” is somewhat of an oxymoron, a phrase inherently ripe with contradictions, beyond the scope of just watches. Getting that out of the way, moving forward, I am choosing to interpret the term as watches that punch above their weight class in terms of their looks, utility, and price point. The watches I’ve chosen range greatly in style and functionality, but the connecting thread among the pack is that they all deliver quality at what I would consider a reasonable price, especially given the often eye-boggling price tags that are so common in this hobby. 

One more concession: the very word “affordable” is extremely subjective. The difference in what one person deems affordable compared to another can be a cavernous gap with varying numbers of digits. To get personal for a brief moment, what is most comfortably affordable to me with my purchasing power is finding deals on second-hand, vintage mechanical watches on eBay, most often around or below the $100 mark. But because that method of watch shopping is full of risk (I always prepare myself that what I’ve purchased might very well not even keep time anymore), my roundup is focused exclusively on contemporary watches that you can buy from reputable retailers (us, perhaps?) or from the brand directly, often complete with reasonable warranties and receipts. So, enough yammering from your dear author – let’s get into the watches, shall we?

Orient Bambino 

Case: 38mm Material: Steel Movement: F6724 Automatic Price: $265

It only feels right to start with one of the best-value mechanical dress watches on the market: Orient’s fan-favorite Bambino. Really, I think just about any Bambino fits the bill, but for my purposes here, I’m going to hone in on one of my favorites — the beige-dialed, 38mm model (though the Snoopy limited-edition models are definitely up there, too). 

The secret to the Bambino’s lasting success is its mixing of simplicity with vintage-inspired, 20th-century dress watch design cues at a nearly unbeatable price point (this model is currently $265) – all with an automatic movement, no less. There’s something about the soft tones of the beige dial that really captures the luxury feeling for me with this model in particular, especially with the contrasting, blue-toned, dauphine hands. I do think the watch might feel slightly more elevated if the brand had gone with a color-matched date window, but the white doesn’t bother me all that much, especially at this price point. As far as the movement is concerned, this model uses the automatic Caliber F6724, which has a frequency of 3 Hz, holds a 40-hour power reserve, and features hacking seconds. 

Dennison ALD 

Case: 37mm by 33.5mm Material: Steel Movement: Quartz Price: $490-$690

Dennison Watches has been in the watch game for 175 years, but its contemporary identity is fresh on the scene, with the brand relaunching back in 2024. Essentially, the brand backstory is that Dennison was the casemaker behind some of the biggest names in the watch industry – including Rolex, Omega, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Zenith, to name a few – throughout the 20th century. Now, Dennison is back as an independent, with a lauded watch designer, Emmanuel Gueit, creating the brand’s debut collections. 

Dennison’s ALD collection is something of a breath of fresh air, and you can’t tell me that its retro TV-style case shape, minimal dial executed in various natural stones (and wood, which I have gone for in the images here), and matching alligator-textured leather straps don’t scream luxury. The best part is that the entirety of the stone-dial model series is priced just under $700, and its Sunray-dial pieces are under $500. The brand is able to achieve this price point by using quartz over mechanical movements (Swiss Ronda Quartz 1062, to be precise), but with how great these look, I’m not really mad about that detail. But it will be interesting to see if the brand expands into mechanical movement territory as it grows. If you want something just as luxurious and fairly priced, but with even more design quirk, the brand recently released dual-time models with split dials in two different stones, which might be among the most fun and experimental executions of dual-time functionality I’ve seen all year. 

Hamilton Khaki Field Murph 38mm (Bracelet)

Case: 38mm Material: Steel Movement: H-10 Automatic Price: $995

Given that many of the picks on this list of affordable luxury watches fall more into dress-watch territory, I’m going for the Khaki Field Murph to diversify my assets here. Even more specifically, I’m going with the black-dial model paired with the new(ish) bracelet.

The entire Khaki Field collection is among Hamilton’s strongest value-for-money offerings, which is the chief reason (other than its good looks) that has made it also the brand’s most hyped. Of course, there’s the connection to Interstellar to take into account as well (no one does movie watches quite like, or quite as often as, Hamilton). To reiterate what many have said before, the Khaki Field captures the spirit of 20th-century field watches, yet is a watch that is thoroughly in tune with the zeitgeist of today, combining vintage-inspired looks with wearable and versatile proportions, contemporary touches, the reliable H-10 automatic movement, and practical utility, with this particular model coming in just shy of $1,000. 

Serica Parade

Case: 35 mm x 41 mm Material: Steel Movement: Soprod M100 Price: $1,797

This pick is, admittedly, a bit on the higher end of the price spectrum for this "affordable luxury watches" roundup, but that being said, I think the Serica Parade delivers aesthetic impact, novelty, and design fun at a higher level than what many other watch brands are putting out at the moment for just above $1,700. It’s a dress watch that’s full of personality, and far from the typical design ethos of what is most typically done – full of play with color, texture, and architecture, but still elegant enough to wear with more formal dress codes. 

The brand has dubbed the unexpected case shape of its Parade a “stadium”-style case, taking the more traditional ellipse shape and adding straight sides that contrast with the soft curves around the edges. Not only is the brass dial in a unique, buttery gold hue that I don’t often see, but it also features 48 squiggly, S-shaped curves, tiny and bubbly half-sphere appliqués marking the hours, and steel hands that come off as almost puffy to me with their lack of any harsh lines. Another draw of this watch is that, despite its fun yet formal design language, it’s water resistant to 100 meters. While this likely isn’t a contender for a GADA watch, I think it's a compelling choice for someone looking for a piece that’s bound to start a conversation.

Bulova Super Seville High Precision Quartz 

Case: 38mm Material: Steel Movement: Precisionist Quartz Price: $556

This pick is for all my integrated-bracelet watch heads out there. I feel like the Tissot PRX doesn’t need any more attention in that space, and the Super Seville does have a lot of the 70s-era funkiness that has made the line such a hit, and deserves a bit more attention than it typically garners. In fact, I would say that the Super Seville line might be my favorite in Bulova’s contemporary catalog. 

The retro 1970s design cues of the Super Seville line as it exists now are not by accident – they are a direct callback to the codes of the brand’s own '70s-era Super Seville Day Date. Measuring 38mm, the steel case maintains the TV-style shape that marked the original, along with the fluted bezel and cyclops date window at 3 o’clock. Bulova brings the Super Seville up to the current day (and maintains its reasonable price point) by powering this thing with its own high-precision Precisionist quartz movement, which has a frequency of a whopping 262kHz and is promised to maintain accuracy to just seconds per year. As far as dial color options are concerned, there are several to choose from, but I would rank the emerald green as my favorite (along with the brand’s limited edition Turquoise dial model made in collaboration with Complecto). 

Breda Virgil Tethered

Case: 20mm Material: Steel Movement: Quartz Price: $185

I’m pretty sure I’ve written about this watch before, but it is in my personal collection (the black-dial model that has since sold out), and I seem to not be able to shut up about it. Additionally, I wanted to add something sort of Tank-esque to the list, and this fits the bill without falling into dupe territory, and for the amazing price of $185. 

The bracelet on this watch is really my favorite thing about it, and why I so highly recommend it, especially for younger watch enthusiasts or people just testing out if they like watches in general. It has a snaky, braided texture, which gives it a fun edginess in contrast to the more traditional and minimal square case shape, which can often come across as somewhat stuffy. What I really love about it is how easy it is to adjust the size: you simply slither it through the quick-release clasp to your desired length, which also opens up stylistic versatility, as you can size it to fit over a sleeve, which I will likely be doing during the colder months. I also like that the watch case has a brushed finish, which not only mimics the dial texture, but makes it way less prone to scratches than if it were polished. It’s all in the details. 

Tissot Gentleman

Case: 40mm Material: Steel Movement: Powermatic 80 Automatic Price: $875

Again, another somewhat no-brainer affordable luxury watches pick. But since I’m throwing in some more funky choices, it’s good to throw in some classic hits to keep things balanced. Tissot’s Gentleman, as you likely already know, makes a great case for being a GADA watch with its versatile looks, streamlined simplicity, Powermatic 80 movement, and sub-$900 price point (though you can knock about half off the pricetag if you’d rather go the quartz route). The main thing to consider when it comes to this watch is that it does wear slightly larger than its 40mm diameter suggests, and the bracelet it's paired with could be improved upon. Will Tissot answer the increasing demands for a smaller take on the Gentleman? I guess we’ll all have to stay tuned. 

Seiko SSC813 Prospex Speedtimer 39mm

Case: 39mm Material: Steel Movement: Solar-Quartz Price: $580

I wanted to work in a chronograph on this list, and wanted to offer a slew of options under the $1,000 mark, and Seiko’s SSC813 Prospex Speedtimer nails both of those requirements. Here, we’re shifting to the sportier side of luxury with chronograph functionality to boot. Though the Prospex Speedtimer comes in several color variations, I personally think the classic panda-dial tricompax layout strikes as the most “affordable luxury” of the bunch (Daytona vibes at a fraction of the price, perhaps?). Additionally, I also think the novelty of the solar-powered quartz movement is another point in the Speedtimers' favor, along with their wearable 39mm proportions. 

Longines Mini DolceVita

Case: 21.50mm x 29mm. Material: Steel Movement: Quartz Price: Starts at $1,700 on strap

This falls in line with another one of my "classic affordable luxury watches" picks, but two years after its release, my love for the minified version of the Longines DolceVita is still going strong. The Longines Mini DolceVita is also another option that falls within the Cartier Tank realms of style, and it does have its own early 20th-century design inspirations to back it up. 

Drawing on a 1927 piece within the brand’s heritage design vault, the Mini DolceVita measures a teeny-tiny 21.50mm x 29mm. Personally, I find the guilloché style dial with Roman numerals to be a touch more in step with the luxury factor, but the sector dial option also has a ton of Art Deco design elements to love. Another huge draw for this piece is its stylistic versatility, with all of the strap and bracelet options that the brand has been introducing since it rolled out its Mini DolceVita. I think my favorite among the bunch is still the chocolate-bar-style bracelet, but this thing does look classically good paired with a black leather strap, too. 

Sternglas Hamburg Automatic Bronze PVD 42mm

Case: 42mm Material: Stainless steel with bronze PVD Movement: Miyota 8215 automatic Price: $499

Sternglas has many dress watch options that are more tame – classic white dial, round case, minimal dial layout with a slight Bauhaus twist – but to keep things interesting, I’ve gone with this Hamburg Automatic that’s a touch more intriguing in its design choices. Instead of the typical polished stainless steel that the brand most often leans on, this model features a matte PVD coating in bronze. Unlike actual bronze, this model will not be subject to any patina or tarnishing, as bronze is wont to do over time. The warmth of the case and hands also pairs nicely with the deep navy hue of the dial and the rich brown leather strap. This one is slightly larger than your typical dress watch, at 42mm (45mm lug-to-lug), is powered by the Miyota 8215 automatic movement, and features a caseback engraved with the historic Speicherstadt watchmaking warehouse in relief. 

Baltic MR Roulette

Case: 36mm Material: Steel Movement: Hangzhou CAL5000a Micro-rotor automatic Price: $637.65

Baltic is proving once again that microbrands are kind of just doing it better, and with more personality, than many of the brands with much longer histories. The young brand has several collections that are attainable, visually interesting, and affordable, but none strike the affordable luxury chord quite like its MR line. And, because I like my watches a bit quirked-up, I’m going with the MR Roulette, which is even more aesthetically playful than the classic MR options. 

Whereas the staple MR features Breguet-style numerals, the Roulette models go for a more fun angle of classic Art Deco design, hosting a sector-style dial with railroad hour and minutes track, and numerals that radiate around the dial’s perimeter not unlike the roulette table this watch is named after. Another element that adds to this watch’s luxurious looks is all the contrasting textures going on, like the grained background, brushed sectors, polished dauphine hands, and snailed running seconds subdial – all of which are set within the brushed 36mm case. Additionally, the MR Roulette is super slim, with its case profile of just 9.9mm,  is powered by the Hangzhou CAL5000a Micro-rotor automatic movement, and retails for $637.65. 

Junghans Max Bill Automatic Bauhaus 38mm

Case: 38mm Material: Steel Movement:calibre J800.1 automatic Price: $1,740

I guess there’s something that feels luxurious to me about Bauhaus-inspired design, or I just can’t resist dress watches that have slightly unexpected details. While there are more tame options in the Junghans catalog, something about the bright pops of red on the hands and hour and in the date window just draws me into this take on the Max Bill Automatic more than others. This watch measures 38mm, features a minimalistic dial free of any numerals apart from the date window, and is full of dress-watch appeal. We’re more on the steep end of the price spectrum here, but in the grand scheme of watches, prices under $2,000 tend to be more on the attainable end. As its name suggests, this watch is powered by an automatic movement, the Caliber J800.1, which is quite inventively displayed partially on the caseback through the windows of a depiction of the Bauhaus school building. 

Frederique Constant Classics Index Automatic Steel 39mm

Case: 39mm Material: Steel Movement:FC-530 automatic Price: $1,595

While my gut was leaning towards Frederique Constant’s manufacture Perpetual Calendar models, which are among the most attainable of their kind on the market today, my heart prevented me from adding anything above the $3,000 mark to this list. Affordable for a perpetual calendar, maybe, but not affordable in a general sense. In lieu of that watch, I’ve gone with the brand’s more traditional watchy-watch with the Classics Index automatic. Measuring 39mm, this watch opts for simple, time-only functionality, and adds a bit of spice with the running seconds subdial and a grained, textural dial. This watch is powered by the FC-530 automatic movement, and retails for $1,595.

Longines Conquest 

Case: 41mm Material: Steel Movement: L888 Automatic Price: $2,200

Longines' other collections tend to get more time in the spotlight, but the brand’s Conquest line does make a great contender for a GADA watch, in my humble opinion. I mean, I won’t argue that it's reinventing the wheel here, but I will say that it has a similar appeal as the Tissot Gentleman I mentioned earlier – a no-fuss, versatile watch powered by the L888 automatic movement, with the added bonus of being water-resistant to 100 meters. Maybe it doesn’t have the same vintage-revival charm as other options in the Longines catalog, but it's more a testament to how Longines views itself today.

Raymond Weil Milliseme 

Case: 39.5mm Material: Steel Movement:RW4251 automatic Price: $2,195

Raymond Weil's contemporary catalog is, aesthetically speaking, somewhat of a mixed bag. But its Milleseme collection has been a breakout hit for the brand since its release, even garnering award-winning clout with its 2023 GPHG “challenge watch” win. Measuring 39.5mm, the Millesime feels equally Art Deco-inspired and modern with its combination of the sector dial and glassbox crystal, with more contemporary design elements for its typography and indices, along with its various brushed surfaces. The Millesime is powered by the RW4251 automatic movement with a “W”-shaped oscillating weight, which is on display through the sapphire caseback, and is currently priced just above the $2,000 mark.