Matt Clymo 
The journey of watch collecting is a long one, & we all started somewhere. With so many options these days the starting point can be tricky, so to help, we’ve picked 10 great options that can get you going.
Not so long ago, I was out the supermarket checkout and there was a young guy serving me. On his wrist was a Tissot PRX. I casually said, “Nice watch” and he went on to explain that it was his first watch, and was the quartz model, not automatic. Now Tissot is a great first watch, in fact, the Tissot PRS200 was my first Swiss watch, and as a first watch when in your teens, you could do a lot worse than a PRX!
We spoke briefly whilst he scanned the groceries and I told him what I did, so he asked me – what would be my recommendation for a first proper automatic Swiss watch? The answer to this is long and varied as there are a lot of great pieces out there now and at all different price points. But it did get me thinking. If I were back at the start of my journey, knowing what I know now with what is available on the market today, what would I choose as my foray into the watch-collecting world?
After much discussion with the Watch Advice team, we’ve come up with some great options at different price points as we realise that people are all different with different levels of income and stages of life. What an 18 year old would buy for their first ‘good’ watch vs someone in their 30’s who wants to celebrate a milestone with their first nice timepiece they’ll keep forever will vary greatly. So without further ado, let’s dive in!
Under $500
Seiko Solar – SNE525P
The Seiko Solar SNE525P is a great starter watch. It’s solar powered, or powered by any light really, so as long as you wear it in the day, you’re good and won’t run out of battery for up to 10 months once fully charged!
With an accuracy of +/-15 seconds per month, it’s more accurate than most mechanical watches out there and with both day and date indicators it’s highly functional too. Measuring 40mm and only 9.7mm thick it will wear well and has a classic steel sports watch design with the blue dial, so it won’t date easily.
Australian Retail Price: AUD $495.
Available at Seikoboutique.com.au
Hz Watches HZ-02 Chronograph
Hz Watches is the brainchild of Matt Zillman, a Melbourne based watch lover who saw a gap in the market for a good looking, well made quartz watch. Born in 2023 with the HZ-01, Hz Watches entered the market at a great price point and having a highly reliable Swiss quartz movement.
The new generation HZ-01 is better than the first, and now the HZ-02 Chronographs are about to launch, thee are a great option for those that want a little more character with the added benefit of a chronograph to time events, dinner or just because!
Australian Retail Price: AUD $379 (pre-order) / $479 (Standard).
Available at HzWatches.com
$500-$1000
Baltic HMS 002
Baltic are going from strength to strength with their vintage inspired pieces due to their build quality and design at their price point, and the HMS 002 is no exception. With a 38mm case size and 12mm thick, its more dress watch than sports, but it’s design means you can wear this casually. You also have the option of choosing the preferred strap and open or closed caseback to fit your style.
Made from 316L steel, 50m water resistance, a screw down crown and an automatic movement with 60hrs power reserve, it’s a great all round watch.
Australian Retail Price: AUD $597.60 + Taxes
Available at baltic-watches.com
Hamilton Khaki Field 38mm Automatic
Hamilton have always been well regarded by watch enthusiasts. With classic field watch style, well made and very reasonably priced, plus your choice of both automatic mechanical or quartz depending on your preferences, they tick a lot of boxes.
The Hamilton Khaki Field Watch in automatic is a great size at 38mm, water resistant to 50m to handle any splashes or moisture and has a power reserve of 80 hours, more than enough to get you through your week out and about, or taking it off for the weekend and picking it up again Monday morning.
Australian Retail Price: AUD $950.00
Available at Hamiltonwatch.com
$1000 – $1500
Tissot PRX Powermatic 80
We mentioned the Tissot PRX Quartz at the start of this article, but if you can stretch the budget to just over $1000, then the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 is a great value watch that punches above its weight with an automatic movement rather than quartz.
With an integrated bracelet design and great sturdy construction and nice finishing, it rivals watches 3x it’s price. It has Tissot’s Powermatic 80 movement, meaning you’re good for more than 3 days and with the Nivachron balance spring, it’s essentially antimagnetic. There is a range of colours, o will suit most people’s tastes.
Australian Retail Price: AUD $1,150.
Available at tissotwatches.com
Furlan Marri Castagna
Furlan Marri may not be well known outside of the more staunch watch circles, but, since their launch in early 2021, and winning the Horological Revelation Prize at the GPHG in 2021, the brand has gone on to be a powerhouse in the independent and micro-brand space, and with the Castagna, it’s easy to see why.
Sitting at 38mm and 11.5mm thick, it is suitable for most wrists being in that unisex range. Powered by a MechaQuartz, it has a sweeping hand like a mechanical, but the accuracy of quartz, so you have the best of both worlds. Don’t like this colour? Don’t stress, there is a red and a tan model to chose from.
Australian Retail Price: AUD $1,050.
Available at Furlanmarri.com
$1500 – $2500
Longines Hydroconquest
For those that want the look of a proper dive watch, then the Longine Hydroconquest in 41mm is a great entry level diver. 300m water resistance, rotating dive bezel, and steel bracelet with fold out dive extension, it’s a robust watch.
Longines has a lot of heritage in watchmaking, and whilst they’re not a hype brand, they are a solid brand with solid credentials, and this watch is an example of this. With the L888 automatic movement, 72 hours of power reserve and screw down crown, it’s a serious watch and great bang for buck.
Australian Retail Price: AUD $2,250.
Available at Longines.com
Studio Underd0g Steffany Blue
This choice is a little left of field, but oh so fun! Studio Underd0g has been making waves in the watch world for the past few years, and now, the microbrand from England has taken it up a notch with new models and colours, like this Steffany Blue.
Mario reviewed the mint ch0c chip last year, and thought is was a super watch, and while this isn’t mint, it’s better with the baby blue dial which is fully lumed, so it lights up the night. It is 37mm so will suit smaller wrists, but has the new SW210-1 Swiss Sellita movement with 42 hours of power. A great option for those who want a bit of colour in their life!
Australian Retail Price: AUD $1,750.
Available at underd0g.com
$2500 – $5000
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200
We’ve reviewed the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 in 2022, which you can read here. It’s a good entry level piece into a reputable brand that has so much history and are doing some great things today. At 40mm and only 12mm thick it wears pretty well and with a few new colours, like the green fumé dial pictured here, they look good.
It’s a highly versatile watch with 200m of water resistance and an automatic movement giving you 38hrs power reserve. Whilst that seems low, it’s designed to be a daily, so you shouldn’t have to worry the watch going dead. It also has a bright green and blue lume, so it’s highly legible in low light, adding to its versatility.
Australian Retail Price: AUD $4,500.
Available at Tagheuer.com
Breitling Endurance Pro 44
Ok, so “technically” this model is a touch over the A$5,000 limit we set, but, it does come in two sizes, with the 38mm under A$5,000. If you buy through a retailer, you’ll probably be able to shave off a few dollars as well, so this will take care of the dollar limit here.
The Breitling Endurance Pro is perfect for those who have a more active lifestyle and want a little colour in their life. It’s not mechanical, but Breitling use a COSC-certified SuperQuartz™ which keeps this ticking to almost perfect precision. Made of Breitlight, a material 3.3 times lighter than titanium and 5.8 times lighter than stainless steel, it’s hard to scratch and feels like nothing is on the wrist. Perfect for Ironmen, athletes and those who want a no fuss sports watch that’s set and forget!
Australian Retail Price: AUD $5,190 (44mm) or AUD $4,990 (48mm).
Available at Breitling.com/au
So there you have ten watches to start your watch journey, no matter what your budget is. Whilst there a lots of others out there that would suit equally as well, too many in fact for this article, we felt these would have something to offer everyone, no matter their tastes. Should you have more than $5000 saved up for your first watch, then congratulations! But this then would be another conversation.
Do you agree with these selections? Have suggestions for people? The leave us a comment below.
