Feature: Sub-£1,000 Watches
Timex Q Timex Reissue TW2T807007U
If you like nostalgic throwbacks, bright blue and red colour schemes and spending less than $200 on your watches, then the American Timex Q Timex Reissue has quite non-literally got your name on it. When Timex wistfully remembered the 1979 Q Timex and how popular it was back then, they could hardly wait to rekindle that success all over again. With this combo of stunning good looks and bargain basement affordability, bringing it back was a complete no-brainer.
The 38mm watch borrows from all the most popular Swiss watches of the period, from the Rolex GMT-Master II to the hallowed Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. You could call it a rip-off, and really it is, but when the deed was done almost half a century ago—and when the price is so low—there’s not a whole lot to complain about. It’s not like any of the other Timex offerings have captured the imagination anywhere near as well.
Of course, for less than $200 you’re not going to be expecting the best watchmaking has to offer. The bracelet links are folded metal and love to get closely acquainted with your arm hair; the crystal is plastic and will likely end up more scratched than a winning lottery ticket; and of course it’s powered by a quartz movement, with the added benefit at least of being able to easily change the battery yourself.
But when a watch is this good for this little, all that really doesn’t matter, and it’s why you’ll see them in collections alongside watches costing ten if not twenty times as much. It’s a looker, it’s a genuine part of watchmaking history and it’ll cost you less than a meal for two at a decent restaurant. Winner!
Tissot PRX T137.410.11.041.00
Okay, so let’s say the Timex is doing everything right for you … almost. Let’s say it just falls a little short of all the things you want most in a watch, and that you’re willing to pay a couple hundred bucks more to iron that out. You want it to be properly Swiss made, you want the quality to be up there and you want it to have proper heritage—all for less than $400.
A tall order, you might think, to effectively triple the Q Timex’s output by only doubling the price, but Tissot are here to tell you that’s possible with the PRX. You want a Swiss watch? This is it. It says so on the dial. The Swiss get very funny about that, requiring 60% of the watch’s value as a minimum to be made in Switzerland, so when they say, they mean it. Or guess what? Jail.
So, it’s Swiss. Awesome. How about the quality? To be honest, the jump in finish to this PRX really belies the $375 price. If anything, it looks like it should cost much, much more. The links are solid, the 40mm case well-finished, the dial popping with a hit of blue sunburst and the hands and markers gleaming with a bright polish. Never mind being an expensive Timex—this is a cheap Rolex Oysterquartz.
Yeah, it’s still a quartz, but it’s a Swiss one at least. If you’re looking for a fix of heritage with the watch, the movement won’t give it to you—but the brand will. Tissot has been making watches since—as the dial will attest—1853, being one of Switzerland’s older watchmakers. And if you so desperately want the cherry on the cake with a Swiss mechanical movement too, then an extra $275 will get you that as well.
Furlan Marri Havana Salmon Ref.1031-A
Sticking with the quartz theme, perhaps your interests lie in the chronograph arena? There’s something very visually appealing about the combo of pushers and sub-dials that make a chronograph watch pop, but usually to get one you’ll be reaching far deeper into your pocket than perhaps you’d like. Don’t worry, because Kickstarter brand Furlan Marri have you covered.
By using a Seiko VK64 mecaquartz—a quartz movement with a mechanical chronograph module for the best chronograph feel—and a whole dose of inspiration from Patek Philippe’s back catalogue, Furlan Marri gives us ordinary folk a taste of the highlife without robbing us blind. At just $500, you can wear a watch that looks and feels far more expensive than it is. Sounds like the dream!
Throw in a pleasing 38mm size and particular care to get the proportions just right and you’ve got yourself a watch that seems to do a lot more than it should for the money. It really does look like it’s been unearthed fresh from a time capsule buried in the 1930s, free of the usual bloating and other weirdness today’s manufacturers insist on to bring vintage reissues up to modern sizes.
Unfortunately, such is the popularity of Furlan Marri’s offerings that there aren’t any left, but the brand insists more will be along shortly—and if you really just can’t do without a full mechanical watch, we’re told those will be coming soon as well.
Baltic BICOMPAX 002
If you can’t be bothered to wait for Furlan Marri to get their act together, however, and you want a vintage-inspired mechanical chronograph on your wrist now for less than $1,000, then French brand Baltic has got your back. The Bicompax 002 gets the same 1930s treatment, complete with a contrasting sector dial and textured finishes that should make any fan of men's watches weak at the knees.
All looks and feels very similar to the Furlan Marri, and at around $600 is priced very similarly as well, so how has Baltic managed to do what Furlan Marri couldn’t and fit its chronograph with a genuine mechanical movement? The answer is China and the Seagull ST1901 hand winding movement.
Before you recoil in horror, you should know that Seagull has been making watch movements out of China since 1955, and while they may not be the most well-finished or best-performing, they do tend to be sturdy and reliable—and for this money, you’ve not really got much else to choose from.
If that’s a real fly in the ointment for you, perhaps this will begin to turn you around: for a little extra, you can have a see-through case back on the 38mm case that will let you see the movement with your own eyes. And believe me, that’s a good thing, because the ST1901, being hand wound, is actually a rather pleasant thing to look at, and the perfect vintage-esque touch to a watch that looks so far back in time for its inspiration.
Baltic MR01 Salmon
But perhaps you’re looking for more, to stretch your $1,000 budget to the absolute max. You want not only beautiful watchmaking on the outside, but something special on the inside too. Well, here’s Baltic again for round two with the MR01, and what it’s packing for the $650-asking price just about near blew my socks off.
If you think of all the best watchmakers, chances are you’ll find a theme in the ultra-thin, and the way that’s usually done is by incorporating a micro rotor, a shrunk down version of the normal winding weight, that tucks neatly into the movement itself. But those are usually very expensive, and definitely not to be found in a watch costing this much.
Usually, because Baltic has partnered with another Chinese watchmaker to bring you the calibre 5000A, putting the MR in the MR01’s name. The micro rotor movement is surprisingly attractive and even more surprisingly thin, bringing the 36mm case down to a tiny 9.9mm thick. It’s not the biggest watch for sure, but if you’re looking for something in the vein of a dress watch and don’t want to spend big money, this is a very serious contender.
So, there you have it, five reasons you don’t have to spend big to win big when it comes to watchmaking. Whether you want seventies style, Swiss watchmaking, rich heritage, there’s something for everyone for a thousand and under. What are some of your favourite affordable watches?
Longines Conquest Heritage L1.611.4.52.2
It’s a wonder that Longines is a brand that doesn’t share its status with much more expensive watchmakers. It was founded before Patek Philippe, manufactured its first in-house movement in 1867, won multiple awards and is even considered to have introduced the industrialisation of watchmaking to the Swiss, who had previously relied on independent specialists.
The precision achievable with the introduction of machine tools not only laid the foundation for watchmaking as we know it today, but also allowed Longines to manufacturer some of the most accurate movements in the world, competing with the likes of Vacheron Constantin and, again, Patek Philippe.
This precision earned contracts with the US Navy, the Aeronautical Federation and even with the pioneering aviator and first person to make a solo crossing of the Atlantic nonstop, Charles Lindbergh. The brand even holds the accolade for manufacturing the first chronograph movement designed for a wristwatch, the 13.33Z and the first with a flyback function, the 13ZN.
It seems at odds with its history that Longines is not regarded more highly today—but depending on your outlook, this can be a good thing, because it means a watch from one of horology’s most influential pioneers can be yours for less than £1,000.
Based on a collection first introduced in 1954, the Conquest Heritage is every bit the vintage watch—without actually being old, of course. You get a delicate 35mm case, angular dauphine hands, double-size markers and a simple black dial. Only the addition of the date separates the appearance of the new and the old.
Being part of the Swatch Group, there’s no in-house Longines calibre like there was before, an ETA 2824 fulfilling time-telling duties instead, but for less than £1,000, it still equates to a whole lot of watch and a whole lot of heritage.
Oris TT1 WilliamsF1 Team Pointer Date 754 7585 41 64 RS
For something a bit more energetic, it’s to Oris we turn next. If you think Oris is some middle-of-the-road brand with no history to speak of, you’d be wrong. Founded a year before Rolex, it was one of the largest watchmakers of the early 1900s, with hundreds of staff across six manufacturing locations—including its own electroplating facility.
This is a company that was managed by Jacques-David LeCoultre for a decade—yes, that Jacques-David LeCoultre, co-founder of Jaeger-LeCoultre—that manufactured its own escapements and earned over 200 distinctions for accuracy. By the 1960s, the company produced over 1.2 million watches per year, employed over 800 people and even developed its own tools and machinery. It was one of the top ten largest watchmakers in the world.
As many of these stories go, Oris’ fate was met with the devastation of quartz technology, which reduced the brand’s workforce down to just a few dozen. At the time, the company was owned by the Swatch Group’s predecessor, but after a management buyout, Oris was independent once again—and the first order of business was to abandon quartz and focus solely on mechanical.
Although the company survived, it never managed to regain its former glory—but that just means its watches are more affordable today, so it’s not all bad. And there are some exceptional watches to be had, such as this WilliamsF1 Team Pointer Date. It takes a complication first adopted by Oris in the 1930s, the pointer date, and applies a liberal dose of F1-inspired touches.
It’s a very different watch to the traditional Longines, textured dial emblazoned with the logo of Frank Williams’ eponymous racing team, 42mm steel case fitted with hinged lugs to keep the treaded F1 tyre-like rubber strap comfortably in place. If it’s a unique, sporty watch you’re after, it’s a good bet for under £1,000.
Ball Engineer II Marvelight NM2026C-S6-BE
When an American railroad conductor’s watch stopped for four minutes in Kipton, Ohio, 1891, it resulted in a head-on collision between two trains, killing eight. Officials vowed never to let a disaster like that happen again, and so Cleaveland jeweller Webster Clay Ball was enlisted to bring accurate and consistent time to America’s railroads.
Ball instigated watch and timekeeping standards across the network, which according to the Ohio Historical Society, prompted the expression, ‘Get on the Ball.’ He enforced fortnightly checks of all the watches worn by railroad workers, insisting they be within thirty seconds per day, earning workers a reputation for always having the correct time.
These origins continue to play an important role in the brand’s direction, inspiring functional, practical designs such as with this Engineer II Marvelight here. The ‘RR’ railroad logo remains a prominent feature of a Ball watch, complemented by the train medallion on the case back.
But the Engineer II Marvelight isn’t just about the past—it provides a very modern set of features that make it a more rugged wear than its polished, DateJust-esque appearance suggests. The movement is protected from magnetism, for example, to 4,800 A/m, and can withstand shocks of up to 5,000 g.
The best trick is saved for last however, for when the light fades and the sunburst blue dial can no longer be seen, because while many watches use Super-LumiNova as a luminescent material to make the hands and markers glow, this Ball uses tritium. Super-LumiNova, a phosphorescent paint, absorbs light and slowly releases it, offering a glow that ultimately fades with time if not recharged.
Tritium, however, when interacting with a phosphorous material, emits light continuously via radioluminescence, because tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. Not to worry, though—the beta particles can’t penetrate skin, and are here shrouded in glass vials.
These are three of a vast selection of sub-£1,000 watches that could be gracing your wrist. Doesn’t matter if you’re looking for something vintage-inspired, something sporty or something somewhere in-between, there’s plenty to choose from.
TW Steel CEO Canteen CE1027
If you want your watch to be seen, 45mm and bright orange is going to be a good start. If that sounds up your street, TW Steel is happy to oblige with the CEO Canteen. Whilst that sounds like a lunch break room for company heads, canteen is actually in reference to the unsubtle crown guard arrangement, which threads a secondary crown over the top of the primary one, that’s prevented from being lost with a flexible link a bit like the pens at the bank. The ‘CEO’ part is perhaps a bit more optimistic a naming convention on TW Steel’s part.
These canteen watches—so-called because of the similarity to the way an inversely waterproof military drinks canteen secures its cap—were originally used by navy frogmen in World War Two before the more complex screw-down crown mechanism was fully developed. This crown guard serves to protect the watch from water more than it does from knocks, although it does help with the latter, sometimes in conjunction with a grille over the crystal, a bit like a diver’s helmet. It was featured for a short period on military issue Hamilton and Elgin watches, then later popularised with the 1943 Cartier Pasha.
Although the likelihood of this TW Steel ending up on the wrist of a frogman is about as likely as it finding its way onto the wrist of its CEO namesake, its bold, colourful persona and vintage-inspired design—matched with a military-esque vintage style riveted strap—is sure not to go unnoticed.
Oris BC4 643 7617 47 64 LS
A good shout for a striking watch would be the BR-01 collection from Bell & Ross, great big square watches styled in the vein of aircraft cockpit instruments. Those cost a significant portion more, however, so for our sub-£1,000 budget, they’re a no-go.
But what if you could get a similarly styled watch with an aviation flavour from a brand founded before Rolex for a significant amount less? Sounds like the work of fiction, but this is a tale that’s not only true, but also doesn’t end after a long-awaited finale with confusion and disappointment. No—this is the Oris BC4.
The instrument theme is definitely strong with the four bolts in each corner of the squared-off case, but the Oris doesn’t outright ape the Bell & Ross—it brings its own style to the table. Well-defined white markers and hands on a matte black dial are classic aviator’s watch, and the seconds sub-dial and layered chapter ring bring further instrument flavours to the BC4’s look.
Despite the relative affordability, there’s still a Swiss automatic in the back, and the just-shy-of-44m case size will certainly do an adequate job of looking imposing on the wrist. The fact that Oris is over a century old, was one of the largest watchmakers in Switzerland and was run for a time by Jacques-David LeCoultre—yes, the very same man who joined forces with Edmond Jaeger to form Jaeger-LeCoultre—is all just a nice big bonus.
TAG Heuer Micrograph CS111B.FT6003
If you know anything about TAG Heuer, you’ll know that the brand has a bit of an obsession with timing things—mostly racing cars. Heuer, as it was then known, cut its teeth making dashboard timers for rally cars, and later became the first non-motorsport sponsor of F1—opening up a whole can of worms with it. The lineage is abundantly clear, even without the plethora of watches named after famous race circuits like Monaco, Silverstone, Monza etcetera.
What’s less well known is TAG Heuer’s pursuit of technological advancement—again, in the name of timing things that go really fast. Obviously, the difficulty with attempting such a thing is that things that go really fast need to be timed down to very small fractions, and for the most part, a watch movement can’t even accurately record a tenth of a second.
Enter the 1916 Heuer Mikrograph, a pocket watch with the ability to not only record a tenth of a second, but a hundredth as well. A 360,000vph beat from the calibre 601 was impressive at over twelve times the accuracy, but equally so was the rock-bottom price of 100 Swiss francs.
Affordable, innovative performance was still the name of the game in 2002 when TAG Heuer honoured the Mikrograph with a new, digital Micrograph—now with a C instead of a K. But the spelling variation was far from the biggest change, because this 999-piece limited edition with its inverted display looks like nothing ever seen before. The award-winning design treads a line between retro and futuristic now, and with the continued one hundredth of a second timing functionality and sub-£1,000 price, is an intriguing choice for those looking to make a statement.
Three watches, three ways to make your wrist stand out from the crowd. Okay, so they’re not going to be for everyone, but then not everyone wants to look the same. If you want something different, something that shouts instead of whispers but doesn’t cost the Earth, these three will do all that for you and more.
Looking for a pre-owned Longines watch? Click here to shop now
Looking for a pre-owned Oris watch? Click here to shop now
Looking for a pre-owned Ball watch? Click here to shop now
Looking for a pre-owned Tissot watch? Click here to shop now
Looking for a pre-owned TW Steel watch? Click here to shop now
Looking for a pre-owned TAG Heuer watch? Click here to shop now
