Best Watches Under $500 of 2024 Any Man Would Be Proud to Own
Just because you'd rather not shell out for pricier watch brands like Omega, Rolex and Breitling doesn’t mean you can’t find a quality watch that you love. In fact, there are a slew of excellent smartwatches, dive watches, and even GMT watches that are made with similar quality to the five-figure variety that’ll cost you less than $500 (you'll even find some stellar watches under $200).
The only problem with these sectors is all the cheaply made timepieces acting like top-of-the-line timepieces when they’re no more than fashion accessories. Fear not, as part of our 2024 Watch Guide we’ve assembled a list of well-made, well-priced watches that are worth your consideration when shopping.
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Our favorite watch under $500 is Seiko "Turtle" SRPE93, which takes all of the practicality of a dive watch and puts it into a fashionable (yet affordable) package. Peruse the rest of our favorites—some come from Japan, others are American-made and co-crafted by Navy SEALs, and some come from the watch motherland, Switzerland.
Best Watches Under $500 at a Glance
Best Watch Under $500 Overall: Seiko "Turtle" SRPE93
Best Timeless Classic Under $500: Timex Marlin Jet Automatic
Best GMT Watch Under $500: Seiko 5 GMT
Best Automatic Watch Under $500: Citizen Promaster Dive Automatic
Best EDC Watch Under $500: Timex Navi XL Automatic
Best Dive Watch Under $500: Blancpain x Swatch Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms
Best Watch Under $500 Overall: Seiko "Turtle" SRPE93
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It’s hard to compete with Seiko’s longevity, dependability, and quality, especially at this price point. After all, the company built the first Japanese-made wristwatch in 1913 and the world's first commercial quartz wristwatch in 1969. Seiko Turtle SRPE93 is another immediate classic from this timeless timekeeper. It’s a quintessential Japanese dive watch that manages to be both comfortable and stylish
CASE: Stainless steel
MOVEMENT: Seiko 4R36 automatic
DIAL: Black
SIZE: 45mm
STRAP: Silicone
Best Timeless Classic Under $500: Timex Marlin Jet Automatic
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The Marlin name has been around since the 1960s as a waterproof, dustproof and shockproof Timex that can pass for a dress watch or everyday watch. Timex Marlin Jet Automatic Watch goes big on the space-race-era retro look—chiefly the domed Hesalite crystal surrounding the polished steel bezel, concave matte silver dial, polished steel markers and hands, and the 24-hour sundial at 9 o’clock.
The 19mm lug width is less common than 20mm, so switching straps with your other watches could be limited. The brushed steel case contrasts beautifully with the polished steel bezel, and the crown is grooved for grip and engraved with the letter “T." True to the Marlin name, it’s water resistant—50 meters in this case
CASE: Stainless steel
MOVEMENT: Miyota automatic
DIAL: Matte silver
SIZE: 38mm
STRAP: Perlon textile
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Best GMT Watch Under $500: Seiko 5 GMT
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Seiko has a long history in the watch world and was responsible for the creation of the world's first commercial quartz wristwatch in 1969. Still, it’s the Seiko 5 Sports—originally launched in 1968—collection of mechanical watches that interests us. The collection was relaunched in 2019, and recently introduced a trio of GMT caliber offerings. They all have automatic movements, are made from stainless steel, and are water resistant up to 100 meters.
CASE: Stainless steel
MOVEMENT: Caliber 4R34
DIAL: Orange
SIZE: 42.5mm
STRAP: Stainless-steel bracelet
Best Automatic Watch Under $500: Citizen Promaster Dive Automatic
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Originally a Swiss-Japanese company (now Japanese), Citizen’s history stretches back to the early 20th century, and its watches deserve more recognition. They’re affordable, use innovative technology, and need minimal maintenance thanks to high build quality. The Promaster Dive Automatic dives (sorry) into the history of the original version that was released in 1989. It has an automatic movement (no battery required), is water resistant up to 200 meters, and is made from stainless steel.
CASE: Stainless steel
MOVEMENT: 8204 automatic
DIAL: Black
SIZE: 44mm
STRAP: Polyurethane
Best EDC Watch Under $500: Timex Navi XL Automatic
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With its vintage design and large face, this Timex diver can easily become your everyday watch. It features an automatic movement that can store up-to 40 hours of energy, meaning as long as you’re moving it’ll keep ticking. It’s made from stainless steel and is water resistant up to 100 meters.
CASE: Stainless steel
MOVEMENT: 02N automatic
DIAL: Black, green
SIZE: 41mm
STRAP: Leather
Best Dive Watch Under $500: Blancpain x Swatch Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms
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While the Omega-partnered MoonSwatch has been the talk of the Swatch watch world for the last two years or so (especially since it’s now finally available online), the reasonably priced Swiss brand has since turned its head from one company-owned luxury name to another with the launch of its Blancpain Diver. For the price, you’re not gonna find a much better dive watch than this bioceramic beast—and you’re definitely not digging out one with a better fishing net-made band—which manages to be an amazingly reasonable homage to the original. The collection brings in six watches to market, each color-coded to match an ocean on the planet—Antarctic, Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific—and one on the moon, a mare, called Ocean of Storms.
CASE: Bioceramic
MOVEMENT: Swatch SISTEM51 automatic
DIAL: White
SIZE: 42.3mm
STRAP: Recycled fishing nets
More Watches Under $500 We Love
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If you’re looking for a digital option under $200 that’s also environmentally friendly, then the Analog-Digital Black GAB2100 is the watch for you. Made from bio-based resin produced from renewable organic resources, this watch looks to curb CO2 emissions, reduce environmental impact, and protect workers across the globe. Even the bands are sustainably minded: they’re made from traceable organic True Cotton and colored with natural dyes made from reused food. Plus, these watches come with all of the functions you expect from a G-Shock, including Smartphone Link and solar charging.
- CASE: Carbon/Bio-based resin
- MOVEMENT: Quartz
- DIAL: Black
- SIZE: 45mm
- STRAP: Textile
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You probably hear less about Fossil than you used to, but they still make quality, affordable watches that are designed in Switzerland (and produced in China). If you’re looking for an all-black piece, take a look at this Machine Stainless Steel chronograph. It has a quartz chronograph movement and is water resistant to 50 meters.
- CASE: Stainless steel
- MOVEMENT: Quartz chronograph
- DIAL: Black
- SIZE: 45mm
- STRAP: Leather, silicone
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Hong Kong-based Undone makes surprisingly high-quality watches with a large amount of custom options. This classic 1930s Cali design (half Roman numerals, half Arabic numbers) may not be everyone’s favorite, but if you’re a fan of it and customization—you’re quickly able to change this watch from green to all black or blue with a couple clicks before hitting “purchase”—this may be the watch for you. It features a Japanese TMI NH35A/ NH39 automatic winding mechanism, is made from 316L stainless steel, and is water resistant up to 100 meters.
- CASE: Stainless steel
- MOVEMENT: TMI NH35A/NH39 automatic
- DIAL: Black, green
- SIZE: 43mm
- STRAP: Leather
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There’s a reason the Casio G-Shock has a cult following; they’re awesome. They’ve been around for 40 years at this point and people simply love them—one of the individuals behind one of the internet’s biggest watch blogs just wrote a book with the brand. The GAB2100 features a variety of colors as well as functions, like Smartphone Link and Tough Solar charging, and also uses the Carbon Core Guard structure to preserve a similar fit on the wrist as the original model. It’s water resistant up to 200 meters.
- CASE: Carbon/resin
- MOVEMENT: Solar charging
- DIAL: Black, white, green
- SIZE: 45.4mm
- STRAP: Resin
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It has been three decades since Luminox originally rolled out this watch that was specifically crafted for actual Navy SEALs. And if you’re an ocean lover looking for a durable and functional timepiece, there are few better testers to trust than the Frogmen. It’s water resistant up to 200 meters, yet lightweight enough not to be bother when worn out on less mission-oriented evenings.
- CASE: CARBONOX
- MOVEMENT: Ronda 515 quartz
- DIAL: Black
- SIZE: 43 mm
- STRAP: Rubber
What Makes for a Good Watch Under $500?
Everyone has their own sense of style and design, so simply judging a watch by taste is in the eye of the beholder or judge. When it comes to a high-quality watch made for an affordable price, there are a few things you should be looking for: watch movement, watch material, water resistance, and finish.
Watch Movement
Watch movements are basically the engine that makes the whole thing run. Without going into too much detail, they go from relatively simple to extremely complicated and that is often reflected in a watch’s price point. In most quality affordable timepieces, you’ll find a quartz movement or a certified mechanical movement (COSC)—though most handmade mechanical movement watches will cost you a minimum of $10,000.
Despite the somewhat unreasonable negative energy around them, quartz movements tend to be more accurate and more affordable, since they require fewer moving parts. Seiko (the original), Miyota, and Ronda have all made movements that have proven themselves over time.
Watch Material
While platinum, gold, ceramic, and titanium watches are great, you’re unlikely to find one for under $500, so you should generally be looking for stainless steel, which will be unaffected by moisture. There are three different levels of stainless steel that can be used, of which 316L and 904L are higher quality. There is also 304 steel commonly found in inexpensive watches.
Water Resistance
Few things are as damaging to a watch as water, so waterproofing is necessity. Some watches are made to go deep underwater, like dive watches, and are water resistant for a hundred meters-plus. Others are made for a night on the town, but even those should still be able to stand up if a sudden rainstorm hits. Overall, better-sealed watches are an advantage in many situations and give peace of mind.
Finish
In the end, a watch should look and feel good on your wrist, and that’s what separates the affordable from the cheap. There shouldn’t be any loose screws or odd bumps and it should be nicely polished without any scratches. While there are plenty of watches available, we’ve listed below brands that have proven themselves over time.
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Why You Should Trust Me
I’ve been collecting watches for nearly as long as I’ve been able to tell time. Around the age of 10, I started disassembling pocket watches to see what makes them tick. Today, I feel naked if I accidentally leave the house without a watch on my wrist—so I’ll go back and get one. (Is it horology or is it OCD? Only my shrink knows for sure.) Currently my cache includes a variety of vintage and contemporary pieces from micro brands to G-SHOCK. Most days I wear an Explorer II (Ref. 226570) but my grandmother’s Mickey Mouse watch will always be my favorite.
See more from the 2024 Men's Journal Watch Guide
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