The watch industry has more than 500 years of history, with the first pocket watch selling in the 16th century, and the modern wristwatch dates back more than 200 years. There are well-known brands like Rolex, somewhat known brands like Breitling, and obscure brands known to a handful of enthusiasts.
Those brands often come with long histories themselves, which means each manufacturer offers potentially hundreds of models for a potential buyer to choose from. With so much to know, and always more to learn, navigating the watch world might seem daunting for a beginner. To help, let’s take a look at some of the best watches for new enthusiasts.
1. Casio G-Shock
If there is truly one watch that every collector should own, it’s a G-Shock. When asked for a “go anywhere, do anything” watch, plenty of enthusiasts will name a sports watch or field watch, or something similar.
But none of those come close to the rugged nature of the G-Shock, and almost every talk of GADA watches will inevitably end with someone saying “just get a G-Shock.”
And despite sub-$100 prices, G-Shocks can be seen alongside watches that sell for 1,000 times more, with stars like John Mayer and Rihanna frequently sporting the icon of streetwear.
2. Swatch
Okay, so this is a brand, not a specific model, and the name Swatch is a contraction of “second watch,” but this relatively young manufacture is still king when it comes to starter watches.
Formed in 1983, with the goal of competing with less expensive and more accurate Japanese digital watches, Swatch has spent more than 40 years developing a colorful, quirky design philosophy that has resulted in some big hit collaborations with brands like Omega and Blancpain.
The brand’s subsidiary, Flik Flak, even has a huge following among Swiss parents teaching their children to read a clock.
3. Seiko Alpinist
The Laurel Alpinist launched in 1959 as Seiko’s first sports watch. It was a robust watch built specifically to keep time for Japanese mountain climbers and has since earned serious clout with collectors around the world.
Pre-owned prices hover around $500 at the time of this publication, so the watch is a great place for someone looking to spend a little more for their first watch, and Seiko’s longstanding history offers a nearly unmatched heritage for its price. Plus, the Alpinist is the perfect gateway for enthusiasts interested in timepieces from Seiko’s luxury brand, Grand Seiko.
4. Orient Bambino
Very few watch companies now make their components, but Orient is an exception, making all of their own parts in-house. That craftsmanship positions the brand’s sub-$500 Bambino line as one of the best values in the industry.
All of these reasons have earned the Bambino cult status among certain collector circles, and its classy style gives it a look that makes the price hard to believe.
5. Tissot PRX
It’s hard to find a sports watch with an integrated bracelet and as much hype as the PRX, but that’s for good reason. This Swiss entry-level sensation was introduced as a quartz model in 1978, combining the sporty luxury aesthetic of the time with newly-developed quartz technology.
In the nearly fifty years that followed, the PRX has become an icon in the catalog of watches that start under $1,000, offering quartz and automatic models known for their reliability and distinct design.
6. Hamilton Khaki Field Murph
What began as a prop watch for Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar quickly took on a life of its own. The first Hamilton Khaki Field “Murph” was a mix of parts from other watches, and its 2014 movie debut left Hamilton fans clamoring for a watch exactly like the one worn by Matthew McConaughey’s character, Murph.
After five years of buzz, Hamilton finally obliged the community, and the Murph now enjoys a success seen by few watches, much less those in the $1,000 price range.
7. Bulova Lunar Pilot
Most people associate Omega with Nasa’s first successful mission to land men on the moon, but when one astronaut’s Omega failed, the crew’s re-entry to Earth was timed by a custom chronograph from a lesser known brand: Bulova.
That custom Bulova chronograph, which sold for $1.62 million at a 2016 auction, served as the foundation for the Lunar Pilot, released three years after that record-breaking auction. And with new prices starting under $1,000, it’s hard to deny that the Bulova Lunar Pilot is a great value with tons of heritage.
8. Brew Metric
No other manufacture does design work like Brew, and the Metric is perhaps the prime example of the brand’s aesthetic. Its square case and vibrant colorways give this meca-quartz chronograph a distinctive, easy to read look that’s hard to miss.
The Metric has earned love from celebrities like Idris Elba, and if an enthusiast ever sees you wearing one in public, it’s guaranteed to spark a conversation.
9. Seiko SSK001 5 Sports GMT
There’s a reason Seiko is the only brand with two models on this list: it’s hard to find a brand that offers more for less. Like many of Seiko’s other models, the SSK001 has a massive following, built on reliability as much as accessibility.
It offers 100 meters of water resistance, the workhorse 4R35 caliber with a 41-hour power reserve, and a level of quality that’s incredibly rare to find in its price range, which starts under $500.
10. Certina DS Action
Arguably the lesser known of all the watches on this list, the modern DS Action builds on Certina’s renowned reliability, offering a ton of utility for right around $1,000.
The manufacture added its own “Extreme Shock Resistance” concept, and with 300 meters of water resistance as well, that makes the watch well-prepared for almost any extreme environment. Plus, the brand has more than 130 years of history in the industry.
