10 Of The Most Complicated Watches For Every Budget

In the wild world of watches, the words “affordable” and “complicated” are most often mutually exclusive. The more complicated a piece is, I think, the more we all brace ourselves to expect the correlation of a dramatic surge in price. It’s par for the course. But in recent years, there have been some watchmakers out there that have dared to do the unexpected, to bring high complications down to the realm of mortal purchasing power. As always, measuring affordability remains a personal conundrum, but there is no denying that there are now options for perpetual calendars, jump hours, and the like that are now paired with a more easily digestible price tag. 

In today’s guide, I’m tipping my hat to the various watch brands out there that have invested time and resources into leveling the playing field, crafting pieces of high horology that are more accessible than ever before. Across 10 pieces, we’re running the gamut of style and utility, but each piece is unique in its own way, and definitely worthy of your consideration if you’re looking for a complicated watch at a not-so-complicated price point. 

Christopher Ward Bel Canto 

Case: 41mm Material: Grade 5 Titanium Movement: Caliber FS01 Automatic Water Resistance: Price: Starts at $3,995

The only logical jumping off point for a guide such as this is with the watch that revolutionized haute-horology bells and whistles at an unheard-of price tag: the Bel Canto from British maker Christopher Ward. You’ve seen it, you might have even heard the melody of its signature chime, but even three years after its debut shocked and amazed the watch world, this piece is still in a class of its own, and ultimately, continues to set the tempo for what an independent watchmaker can achieve with tenacity. 

There have now been two series of the Bel Canto – the original C1 and the C1 Classic, which maintains everything admirable about the piece the first time around, but with a decidedly more vintage, somewhat opulent flair. Aside from the novel chiming functionality (and the price tag), Christopher Ward’s Bel Canto is a dynamic piece of watch design, with one foot in the more traditional vein of watchmaking, and the other decidedly in the future. The floating timekeeping mechanism paired with the Sonnerie Au Passage complication, with its songbird-shaped bridge and hammer mechanism that rings out with a sweet song on the hour, all set over a dial that can be in a myriad of shocking (yet delightful) hues, always strikes me as endearingly steampunk.

Specifically in an era where watches have been divorced from their everyday necessity with the advent of smartphones, when you’re working with a piece that is mechanically complex, I tend to think it’s more delightful to have that analog complexity front and center. Maybe it's just a subconscious gravitation towards the new, but my preference lies with the laser-cut guilloché-worked dials on the classic, particularly in the vibrant green hue, which reminds me of a peacock, and which is fun considering the songbird motif of it all. The FS01 movement of the Bel Canto uses the Sellita SW200-1 as its base, and introduces the FS01 chiming module, which was a riff on the brand’s JJ01 jumping hour movement, and has a power reserve of 38 hours. Currently, pricing of the C1 Bel Canto begins at $3,995, and the C1 Bel Canto Classic starts at $4,840, which still baffles me, considering the unique functionality of these watches and their titanium build.

Junghans Meister Agenda

Case: 40.4mm Material: Steel Movement: J810.5 automatic Water Resistance: 3 bar Price: $1,650

This pick is inspired by my recent personal obsession with Krayon watches, which, I think it will come as no shock to hear, are wildly out of my own budget. But here on the more humble end of the watch spectrum, we have a watch that also aims to function as a wrist-bound mechanical planner, for the more reasonable price of $1,650 — the Meister Agenda from Junghans. And, I have to say, aesthetically, it’s one of my favorites on this list. 

Transparently, I’m a sucker for Bauhaus-inspired designs, and given the German roots of Junghans, that connection is wonderfully apparent with this piece, and the clean minimalism works particularly well for the planner functionality of it all. Against the dial, you’ll find the day of the week and date at 9 and 3 o’clock, along with two large subdials at 12 and 6 o’clock, which detail the calendar week number and the amount of reserve power, respectively. It’s sleek and visually harmonious with all that symmetry, but just quirky enough to make it memorable. It’s also super wearable, channeling classic dress watch codes – albeit a little larger than typical, with its 40.4mm diameter, but it wears smaller than that might suggest, thanks to its short, truncated lugs. Powered by the J810.5 automatic movement, this watch has a power reserve of 42 hours. This piece, to me, strikes a great balance between complexity and approachability. 

Tudor 1926 Luna 

Case: 39mm Material: Steel Movement: T607-9 Automatic Water Resistance: 100 meters Price: $2,800

Moving on to a recent addition to the watch world, and to Tudor’s catalog, we have the brand’s first-ever piece with a moon-phase complication. The 1926 Luna, in my opinion, has finally succeeded in making Tudor’s most forgettable collection relevant, and it turns out  this overlooked product family was the most effective vehicle for testing out moon-phase functionality for the first time. 

There always seems to be something romantic to me about moon-phase watches. Whimsical, imaginative, and often complete with tiny smiling (or smirking) celestial bodies, the humble moon-phase is actually among my favorite watch complications out there. The key details of the signature 1926 codes are all accounted for, but where the line felt like a bit of a snooze when held up with the brand’s impressive lineup of tool watches, the vintage design cues work in harmony with the oversized moon-phase subdial at 6 o’clock. With the 1926 Luna, Tudor introduced the new T607-9 movement, which is in a sort of certification limbo. While the brand details that it’s “chronometer grade,” technically, it doesn’t have the official COSC stamp of approval, so I guess we’ll just have to take the brand at its word. Additionally, this piece has a surprisingly robust depth rating for its elegant, sophisticated looks, with 100 meters of water resistance, and is paired with the line’s staple 7-link bracelet. 

Seiko Metronome

Case: 36.5mm Material: Steel Movement: Quartz Water Resistance: Splash proof Price: $185

Okay, now I’m getting into sort of a trolling pick, given that it's quartz-powered. But I will make the argument that if you want a watch at a great price point (like, under $200 great) with some really unconventional bells and whistles, Seiko’s Metronome is not one to turn up your nose at, even if it isn’t technically mechanical. 

This piece sits definitively at the intersection where watch nerd and music nerd meet, and despite that, it remains well-designed and pretty darn wearable. You’ve got your typical timekeeping at the center dial, and around the dial’s perimeter is where you’ll find a densely packed myriad of metronome functionality. Still, the Metronome remains legible, functional, and not too busy in spite of it all. The metronome function of this watch’s namesake is engaged via the pusher at 8 o’clock, which sends the minute hand keeping time, bouncing between 10 and two o’clock. You have the capability to adjust the beats per minute from 40 bpm all the way up to 304 bpm. This watch also functions as a tuner for instruments when in reference tone mode, issuing an audible tone between A and B flat. In addition to being a steadfast tool for the musically inclined, Seiko’s metronome has wearable, truly unisex proportions with its 36.5mm case (39.5mm lug-to-lug) and a profile of just 9.8mm.

Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar

Case: 40mm Material: Steel Movement:FC-776 automatic Water Resistance: Price: $9,995

I don’t think Frederique Constant gets nearly enough credit for offering some really high-horology-level complications at some of the most competitive prices on the market. Though the brand also has quite a few other options, I’m going with the most obvious at this moment, with its latest experiment in perpetual calendar complications, complete with a salmon-hued dial that is just stunning. 

A new release from this year, this Classic Perpetual Calendar marks the introduction of the brand’s 34th in-house developed caliber by Frederique Constant – the Manufacture FC-776 – which now has an impressive weekend-proof power reserve of 72 hours. Classic in name and classic in its design language, this watch leans all the way into 20th-century traditional dress watch style with its round case, short lugs, and leather strap pairing, but its 40mm diameter does bring the watch up to speed with contemporary tastes. The trio of perpetual calendar subdials is positioned at the top of the dial, while a moon-phase aperture is positioned at 6 o’clock, and the particular blue of the night sky in the moonphase just looks killer against the sunray-finished, light salmon dial. Priced just under the $10,000 mark, this might be one of the most expensive selections in this roundup, but it remains among the most approachably priced perpetual calendar watches on the market today. 

Bremont Terra Nova Jumping Hour

Case: 40.5mm diameter Material: Steel Caliber: BC634 automatic jump hour Water Resistance: 100 meters Price: $4,300 on bracelet

While Cartier’s revival of its Tank à Guichet Jump Hour got most of the spotlight this year, Bremont debuted its own rendition of the complication at the exact same time and has largely been overlooked. Somewhat futuristic-looking, but not without nods to the 20th-century field watch designs that are the brand’s bread-and-butter, the Terra Nova Jumping hour is a more muscular, toolish expression of the jump-hour functionality than Cartier’s decidedly Art Deco take on the complication. 

This piece is also a digital watch in the truest sense (i.e., using digits over numerical symbols to indicate the time), and the crisp flicking of the time as the hours pass is truly fun to watch. In addition to its jumping mechanical-digital display of the time, this piece also features a centralized running seconds hand that continuously sweeps around the dial. Measuring 40.5mm in steel, the Terra Nova Jumping Hour is powered by the BC634 automatic jump hour caliber, and to me, it is the most interesting and dynamic watch in the brand’s entire catalog at the moment. 

Vulcain Cricket

Size: 39mm Material: Steel Caliber: V10 H0 Water Resistance: 50 meters Price: $5,170

Maybe it’s the constant antagonism I feel from the alarm on my phone that shakes me out of sleep every morning, but I’ve always had a soft spot for the Vulcain Cricket. It’s a piece with a lot of fun history behind it, including its reputation as the “watch for presidents,” and Vulcain now has an entire modern collection of its classic chirping alarm watch. 

As the story goes (and as its name suggests), the watchmakers at Vulcain were attempting to solve the problem of making a mechanical alarm watch with a sound that would not be too distracting or grating for its wearer, and found inspiration in the chirping song of the humble cricket. Originally released in 1947, Vulcain’s Cricket was a huge innovation for the time, and found itself in the esteemed company of several U.S. presidents, from Harry S. Truman to Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson. The Cricket made a 21st-century comeback in 2022, complete with the new V10 caliber. Across the collection, the line pays tribute to the Art Deco and Mid-Century design of its vintage predecessors while maintaining its quintessential chirping alarm functionality. I’ve gone with a personal favorite in the Cricket collection, with this 39mm eggshell-dial model, which is so endearingly Art Deco it hurts. 

Nomos Neomatik Worldtimer 

Case: 40mm Material: Steel Caliber:DUW 3202 automatic Water Resistance: 100 meters Price: $5,190

If you told me last year that one of my favorite releases of the next year would be from Nomos, I’m not sure if I would have believed you. But the old saying “expect the unexpected” has proven to be the case here. Fun, playful, and with novel functionality at a price point that feels reasonable in the scope of things, with the Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer, Nomos has managed to deliver one of the most truly exciting pieces of the year – and I think I can say that fairly, as, at the time of writing, it’s already November.

In addition to its myriad of bright, fun colorways and various Nomos quirks, what really works about the Neomatik Worldtimer remix on the brand’s Club Sport collection is its versatility and ease of use. Measuring 40mm in steel, paired with a really nice three-link bracelet, and swim-proof with its 100 meters of water resistance, this is a watch that’s gunning to be a fun-spirited everyday wear. The execution of the world cities disk around the dial’s perimeter, partnered with the 24-hour subdial, which details an additional timezone, feels intuitive to read and not visually overwhelming, which is a feat in and of itself. The ultra-thin DUW 3202 automatic caliber that powers the collection is made in-house, and can be gazed at in action through the sapphire crystal caseback. 

BA111OD Chapter 4 Skeleton Tourbillon

Case: 44mm Material: Grade 5 Titanium Movement: BA.01 hand-wound Water Resistance: 50 meters Price: $9,200

When mechanical tourbillon complications get involved, you’re undoubtedly moving into very steeply priced territory. I am not here to say that nearly $10,000 is affordable by any means, but in the landscape of tourbillons, the BA11OD Chapter 4.1 is, relatively speaking, on the lower end of the price spectrum. 

I would say that this watch is among the most "out there" of the picks on this list, but I have to give props to the brand for managing to introduce a Swiss-made tourbillon for under $10,000. This piece takes up a lot of wrist real estate with its 44mm diameter, but its titanium construction (with gray DLC-coated finish, no less) ensures that this watch will feel nice and lightweight on the wrist in spite of its largeness. And, its large-and-in-charge looks ensures there’s all the more room to appreciate the magic of the Swiss-made BA.01 tourbillon caliber in all its glory. 

Longines Master Collection Chrono Moonphase

Case: 40mm Material: Steel Movement: Caliber L687 automatic Water Resistance: 30 meters Price: $4,100

It only feels right to close out this roundup with an old reliable favorite of mine, the Longines Master Collection Chrono Moonphase. It’s classy, it’s refined, it’s just complicated enough, and the sub-$5,000 price is just right. It’s been a cult-classic favorite in the watch game for years now, and it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. 

Positioned within the brand’s more high-horology-oriented Master collection (as we likely already were aware of from the name alone), this piece has all the bells and whistles you could dream of, from chronograph and calendar functionality to the magic of a moon-phase indicator nestled right into the trio of subdials. There is, undeniably, a lot going on with this watch, but its more classic, dressy elements, like its white “barleycorn” patterned dial, large Arabic hour numerals, and blued hands, make the business feel grounded with traditional touches. Measuring 40mm in diameter, this watch does have a 14.3mm profile that’s slightly larger than you’d typically expect or want in a dress watch, but you have to have somewhere to pack in all the complications the L687 automatic caliber has to offer, after all.