What is an affordable watch?
Before I jump straight in and identify brands, there are a few variables to be looked at first. For this article, I am saying "affordable" is any watch under €350. I believe this price is a good starting point for anyone starting out collecting watches or ar interested in watches for purely aesthetic reasons. I also believe the majority of people looking to buy watches would not pay beyond this point.
What is a good quality watch?
For a good quality watch you want to look out for the following things:
Material - it should be 316L stainless steel
Movement - most watches in this price bracket will be quartz. I wouldn't buy a mechanical watch in this price range. Broad & Swan use ETA and Ronda quartz movements. These are good quality, durable movements.
Glass - Sapphire crystal should be on all good watches. It is much more scratch resistant than regular mineral glass.
Strap - With a steel bracelet, you would want 316L stainless steel. This material is surgical grade and is considered hypoallergenic. A good quality leather strap should be on it if it is a dress style watch.
Water resistance - If you are wearing it swimming nothing short of 10ATM should be in a quality watch. This means it is resistant up to 100m. For showering, 5ATM and washing hands, 3ATM
Which type of movement?
For a good and affordable watch at this price point, you will be better off with quartz. They are cheaper and more reliable within this range. You could go for an automatic but you will be sacrificing quality. A popular automatic watch at this price would be Seiko but again you are in the lower end in terms of accuracy.
How will the watch be used?
Is it being used for sports, outdoos, work, office, casual wear or dressing up? All of these need to be considered when choosing. It's possible that one watch will cover you for all of these...
Examples of good affordable men's watches
Broad & Swan Jack Red
From the Jack Red collection, this comes with a white dial and black leather strap. Available in other colours. Swiss Made, 316L stainless steel case, sapphire crystal and 50m water resistance. Retail €199
Seiko
This Seiko 5 has an automatic movement, stainless steel case, hardlex glass, 100m water resistance and can be found for €295
Tissot
Tissot Classic Dream T1294101601300 42mm Case with White Dial and Leather Strap Swiss Quartz Analogue Gents Watch. Available from €235
Broad & Swan Libertie
From the Libertie collection, this comes with a Black or Blue dial and stainless steel bracelet. Swiss Made, High Precision Quartz, 316L stainless steel case, sapphire crystal and 100m water resistance. Retail €249
Casio
Casio G-Shock Watch GA2100-1A1. Comes in a plastic case with a synthetic strap. Quartz. 200m water resistance. From €100
Broad & Swan Captains
From the Captains collection, this comes with a Black or Blue dial and stainless steel bracelet. Swiss Made, 316L stainless steel case, 120 click uni-directional rotating bezel, K1 mineral crystal with sapphire coating and 200m water resistance. Retail €319
Conclusion
There are a lot of affordable watches out there on the market but if you are looking for quality, take a closer look at the materials the watch is made from. This can tell if the brand has cut corners and had it manufactured cheaply. I would advise to opt for Swiss Made if you can, otherwise stick to well known watch brands with history like Casio, Seiko and Citizen. Steer clear of fashion brands as they tend to be mainly lower quality materials with a designer name.
Happy shopping
Simon
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