Have you been looking for a great watch under $500? We’ve got you covered. Here are more than 20 awesome options to choose from.
Maybe you wear a watch every day. Maybe you just want one nice timepiece for special occasions. Or maybe, like most guys, you’re somewhere in between.
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Either way, you don’t have to spend a ton of money to get an amazing wrist watch. Even guys with tight budgets can even find some great watches under $100.
In this article, we’ll look at watches that cost less than $500. We won’t be including “fashion watches” in this list – just great watches from respectable brands that offer a ton of value for the price.
This list will include both mechanical and quartz watches, and it will include lots of different styles and sizes, so there’s something for everyone here.
Enjoy!
Table of Contents
Quick Take
Short on time? Here are our top three picks for the best men's watches under $500 you can buy right now:
The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical is one of the most famous field watches of all time and definitely one of the top Hamilton watches.
Dripping with vintage charm, but at a contemporary dial size, the Timex Marlin Automatic is a much loved (and somewhat recent) release from the long established brand.
A favorite among Seiko enthusiasts, this piece from the Japanese watch behemoth’s higher end Presage line is an absolute beauty.
Read on for the full list…
Best Men’s Watches Under $500
Let’s dive in (pun intended, we’re big fans of dive watches).
By the way, these are listed in no particular order…
Seiko SARB033
- Diameter: 38mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Price: $425
We had to kick things off with what is arguably the best watch under $500 in the world: the Seiko SARB033.
This is usually my #1 recommendation for first time watch buyers who want something they can wear every day and who don’t want to spend more than $500.
The SARB033 can be worn with almost any outfit and for almost any occasion. The stainless steel and black combo will look just as good in 50 years as it does now, which is a good thing because this watch will probably still be ticking.
This classic Seiko is powered by a Japanese automatic movement that has a 50 hour power reserve (this means it will keep ticking even if you don’t wear it for a couple days).
Complicated only by a subtle date window at 3 o’clock, this mechanical watch is an understated masterpiece.
Update: Since this watch was discontinued in 2018, it's been increasingly hard to find for its original price. It often goes for $600-1,200 these days!
Seiko Alpinist
- Diameter: 39.5mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Price: $475
No list of the best watches under $500 would be complete without the Seiko SARB017, known lovingly as the Alpinist.
This chunky green and gold watch is somewhat divisive, as people seem to love it or hate it. I think it’s one of the coolest looking watches you can buy.
It’s also chock full of great features: 50 hour power reserve, sapphire crystal, rotating compass ring, 200m water resistance, see-through caseback, Lumibrite hands and markers.
The dressy calfskin leather strap might seem like an odd choice for an explorer’s watch, but you can’t deny that the brown and green look awesome together!
Filson Field
- Diameter: 36mm
- Movement: Quartz
- Price: $350
We’re kicking things off with a solid field watch that leans more on the casual side and will look great all year long, with any casual outfit.
This watch has a stainless-steel case that protects the dial and quartz movement from shock, dust and water. Stylish and sturdy, this Filson field watch is especially great for smaller wrists.
Timex Marlin Automatic
- Diameter: 40mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Price: $260
Dripping with vintage charm, but at a contemporary dial size, the Timex Marlin Automatic is a much loved (and somewhat recent) release from the long established brand.
Available in a silver or gold finish, this 40mm watch gets some additional character from the mesh band and acrylic crystal.
The small date window at 3 o’clock is a practical touch on an otherwise minimally designed watch.
G-Shock GGB100-1A
- Diameter: 55.4mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Price: $380
G-Shock, a Casio brand, is known for making bulletproof watches, and the 55mm Mudmaster is no exception.
With the incorporation of an altimeter and thermometer, this mud resistant watch is a great option for the outdoorsy man, adventure race enthusiast, soldier or law enforcement officer.
Brew Retrograph Remington
- Diameter: 38mm
- Movement: Meca-quartz
- Price: $350
Most of the watches on this list are made by companies that have been around for decades, but that doesn’t mean we’re not paying attention to newer “microbrands” that are doing it right.
This watch from NYC-based Brew has been raising eyebrows with its rectangular case, meca-quartz movement and chronograph complication.
At 38mm it will work well on almost any wrist.
Withings Steel HR Sport
- Diameter: 39.5mm
- Movement: Hybrid smart watch
- Price: $200
We wanted to include something a little different with this Withings hybrid smart watch.
We’ll always love classic watches, but we also understand that times change, and some men are going to want something with a bit of modern tech built in – without sacrificing the analog look and feel.
This isn’t your average smart watch. It’s not a clunky, digital hunk of plastic and rubber that overtakes your wrist. It wears more like a traditional analog wrist watch.
Plus, with built in heart rate monitoring, GPS and smartphone notifications, it’s a very practical little device.
Vintage Omega Seamaster
- Diameter: 39mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Price: $385
Would this list be complete without something vintage and oh so classic like an Omega Seamaster? (That’s a rhetorical question.)
The truth is, if you’re looking for a great watch under $500, you should definitely consider going pre-owned, and Omega has some of the best watches available on the secondhand market.
It’s a different buying process. You figure out which reference you like best, you keep an eye on the used market, then you nab that perfect vintage piece.
Keep your eyes peeled on sites like eBay, Reddit’s r/watchexchange, Crown & Caliber and WatchBox to find a great vintage Seamaster for less than $500.
Seiko SKX007
- Diameter: 42mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Price: $315
I’ll admit it: I’ve never been scuba diving. But for some reason, I’ve always found dive watches to be fascinating, and the Seiko SKX007 is an absolute classic.
Get it on a rubber strap or jubilee bracelet, or replace the stock band with an aftermarket oyster or NATO. You really can’t go wrong with this classic diver.
This watch boasts 200m of water resistance and it has 007 in the name. What could be cooler?
If you need something smaller, check out the SKX013 instead.
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical
- Diameter: 38mm
- Movement: Mechanical
- Price: $495
If you think I have a thing for field watches, you’re right! I love the idea of a watch that’s rugged but still sharp enough to wear on a casual date or running errands.
Keeping the price point under $500, the Hamilton Khaki Field is a great introduction into mechanical watches.
This 38mm hand wound watch has a brushed steel case that’s just 9.5mm thick, which means it will wear very close to your wrist.
The stock canvas strap isn’t bad at all, although you could put this on a leather or nylon strap if you’d prefer a different look.
Dan Henry 1970 Automatic Diver
- Diameter: 40mm or 44mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Price: $290
Like all Dan Henry watches, this automatic diver is inspired by vintage pieces and designed by a total watch nerd.
Powered by a Seiko automatic movement with 200m water resistance, this affordable dive watch is available in two different sizes, with or without a date window.
It features details typically found on more expensive divers, such as an inner rotating bezel and applied indices.
The Dan Henry 1970 Automatic Diver is definitely worth checking out if you’re into microbrands.
Baltic HMS 001
- Diameter: 38mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Price: $366
The Baltic HMS 001 is cool at first glance, and it only gets cooler when you notice the “sunray” finish on the dial and the high domed Hesalite crystal.
In an ever-expanding sea of wrist watches to choose from, it’s those little details that can make one piece stand out from the rest.
Featuring blue and white analog hands and available with your choice of three different leather straps, this automatic French-made watch could easily become a unique staple in any man’s collection.
Orient Mako USA II
- Diameter: 41.5mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Price: $450
For the price, the Orient Mako USA II has more features than any sub $500 watch deserves.
Rotating bezel, 200m water resistance, screwed-down crown, fold-over push button bracelet, day-date complication, automatic movement with hand winding and hacking…you get the point.
Plus, Orient makes every part of their watches in house. This might be the best dive watch under $500 on the market right now.
Brathwait Automatic Minimalist
- Diameter: 40mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Price: $269
While some watch lovers would simply disregard Brathwait as another “fashion watch” brand, we like to give credit where credit is due.
Think of Brathwait as the Everlane of wrist watches. They focus on high quality materials and manufacturing, reasonable prices and a transparent business model.
For example, they tell us that this Automatic Minamalist watch cost $146 to produce, and they sell it directly to customers for just $269 (an incredibly low markup for this industry).
Of course, none of this matters if the products don’t look good. Lucky for us, Brathwait watches are actually gorgeous, especially if you like the minimal aesthetic.
If anyone is thinking about buying a Daniel Wellington or MVMT, they should definitely consider Brathwait instead.
Seagull 1963 Chronograph
- Diameter: 38mm
- Movement: Mechanical
- Price: $379
Most people have never heard of Seagull, but since 1955 this Chinese watch company has been making the movements that power up to ¼ of the world’s watches.
Seagull is especially well known for it’s hand wind chronographs, like this official 1963 remake of a traditional Chinese Airforce chrono.
Available in black, white or a colorful red/blue/yellow dial, this watch would easily cost 2-3x as much if it were sold by a Swiss brand.
Junghans Max Bill
- Diameter: 38mm
- Movement: Quartz
- Price: $359
A quintessential bauhaus inspired wrist watch, the German-made Junghans Max Bill is much loved among watch enthusiasts and design students alike.
This watch features minimalist design elements, a large dial and thin bezel, matte dial and generously domed plexiglass crystal.
The quartz version is just 7.9mm thick, which is extremely thin and will slide under the cuff of even the most fitted dress shirt.
If you want a mechanical watch, check out the 34mm “unisex” hand winding Max Bill or the higher end Men’s Automatic version.
Tissot Everytime Automatic
- Diameter: 40mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Price: $395
Here’s an average size, minimal, stainless steel watch from Tissot, a well established Swiss brand founded in 1853 (and now owned by Swatch Group).
This is a simple watch that can be worn casually or with formal outfits. It does have some flair with its date window, subtly domed sapphire crystal and see-through caseback.
If you like the minimal look and only want to own one or two watches, the Tissot Everytime is a great choice.
Seiko Presage Cocktail Time
- Diameter: 40mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Price: $475
A favorite among Seiko enthusiasts, this piece from the Japanese watch behemoth’s higher end Presage line is an absolute beauty.
The Cocktail Time is an automatic watch manual winding and a hacking second hand. It has a 41 hour power reserve, so it will keep ticking even if you don’t wear it every day.
This watch is available in a wide variety of dial color and strap combinations, but we’re partial to the blue sunburst dial and steel bracelet.
Plenty of Options Under $500
We hope this list proves that it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to get a high quality, good looking watch that’s built to last.
If one of these watches caught your eye, don’t be afraid to save up for a while until you can afford it. The anticipation is half the fun!
What’s your favorite watch under $500? Let use know in the comments below!
Oldie, but still a goodie….
Q: What do you call a trouser belt made entirely of Rolex watches??
A: A waist of time…
(D’oh!!)
Nice article!
I personally love G-shock. I think it is perfect for someone who loves the outdoors, like me.
Stay safe and healthy!
Cheers!