With Watches and Wonders finishing for this year, we saw some amazing pieces being unveiled. The problem however is that most of these pieces bar some are not entry-level or affordable to some. While it’s good seeing the luxury brands offering some incredible pieces, it’s also just as important to cover the smaller independent brands and brands that offer great reliable timepieces at affordable prices. This way it offers a gateway to future watch enthusiasts, people looking for gifts, and just about anyone that doesn’t want to break the bank purchasing a luxury timepiece. This is exactly what this article is aimed at, divided into two parts, we will aim to cover the best 10 watches under $1000.
TISSOT PRX Powermatic 80 automatic
The Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 automatic is still arguably one of the hottest releases so far even though it was released early last year, with the model being incredibly popular within the watch community. And rightly so too. The latest Tissot PRX is a testament to the brand’s own 1970s seastar collection. The iconic waffle dial design combined with the sleek and shiny bracelet is reminiscent of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, just at a much more affordable price. We certainly understand why it’s popular and a must look for anyone looking for a watch in the $1000 AUD range. The latest update for the PRX Powermatic 80 automatic is a green dial variant that will hit shelves very soon. For anyone looking for a non-automatic version, a quartz version without the waffle dial is available at roughly half the price.
TIMEX Q Stainless Steel Automatic (Tw2v25100)
An automatic watch with just the right proportions to be a great daily, the TIMEX Q Automatic is a great contender for timepieces in the $1000 or less range. Having similar stylistic cues to the Rolex Submariner, you’d be hard-pressed to find better value for money in the watch world. The watch even comes with an open case-back, which can’t be said for more expensive models with a similar design. The only drawback is the 50m water resistance, so as long as you don’t go deep-diving in the ocean, you can certainly enjoy this for office, outdoor, and all-around daily wear.
SEIKO Prospex Speedtimer Stainless Steel Solar Chronograph (SSC813P)
The Seiko Prospex Solar Chronograph is a panda dial chronograph model with a sharp design thanks to the baton-style hour indices and hands. Unlike normal panda dial models, this Seiko Speedtimer model uses navy blue for the sub-counters while the tachymeter bezel ring is kept black. To add more colour to the watch, beige has been used for the superluminova on the hands. The timepiece also benefits from Seiko’s solar-powered movement, which stores light energy in a solar cell under the dial to power the movement.
LUMINOX Men’s Black PVD Sport Watch
For something a little different and lovers of black on black, the Luminox Black PVD Sports watch is certainly worth the consideration. Featuring a black PVD case and black PVD bezel, the dial is also blacked out to match its surroundings. In fact, just about everything on this watch is black, with the Arabic hour indices having more gloss/shine than the dial for it to stand out. The watch comes in a black rubber strap, and with a water resistance rating of 100m gives it enough flexibility to be quite a versatile watch. The only drawback is that the movement is quartz, but for $500, you still get a lot of value for money.
STRATON Classic Driver
The last timepiece to round up part 1 of affordable watches is the Classic Driver from the micro-brand Straton Watch Co. Simple yet extremely stylish, the Straton Classic Driver is available in a variety of dial colours from black, green, white, maroon to blue. The watch has two sub counters for constant seconds and a 60-minute chronograph timer. Measuring a 40mm case size, it’s an ideal size for a chronograph that will suit a lot of wrist sizes. Aimed at being an affordable daily timepiece, it’s safe to say that has been achieved with the watch being only 299USD/$430 AUD (excluding shipping costs).
