Buying on a budget doesn’t mean you have to skimp on style. We’ve got five budget-friendly watches that won’t break the bank, and look a million bucks!
When considering how much to spend on a timepiece, it can get daunting with how many different options there are for each price bracket. All things considered, the more you spend, the more quality, standard of manufacture, features, and craftsmanship you are offered. To get quality watches, however, doesn’t always have to break the bank.
Not everyone is looking to spend heavily. Whether this is your first luxury timepiece or you just want to add another piece to the collection, there certainly are affordable great watches in the lower price brackets. So the Watch Advice team has put together a short list of five budget-friendly watches that look great and are all under A$1,500
Furlan Marri Rosso Grigio
Starting off this list is the Furlan Marri Rosso Grigio (ref. 1085-A). This chronograph timepiece comes with a dual-counter layout, with the 3 o’clock counter being a 24-hr timer and the 9 o’clock counter being a 60-minute counter. The outer part of the dial features an asthmometer (5 respirations) scale. The asthmometer is used to measure respirations per minute by using the chronograph hand and stopping it after the patient/person’s 15th respiration.
The timepiece comes in a 38mm 316L stainless steel case (50m waterproof), which has a beautiful shine under light. I personally own the “Mare blu,” and under different lighting conditions, the case shines so well, even more so in sunlight. The 38mm case size makes it a great fit for the average wrist (6.5-7 inches), however, if you have a larger wrist size, you may find this small. Legibility of the dial is fairly easy thanks to the white markings on the grey dial background. The hour indexes are a mixture of baton-style black markings or Arabic numerals for the 12 and 6 o’clock.
The movement in this piece is a MechaQuartz Seiko VK64. Mechquartz movements are hybrid movements that use quartz technology for the chronograph watch movement and a mechanical module for the operation of the chronograph. Priced at A$1,250, this timepiece is a great contender for the under $1,500 budget-friendly category.
Australian Recommended Retail Price: A$1,250. Available via furlanmarri.com or the Time+Tide Shop
MIDO Baroncelli Signature Gent
The MIDO Baroncelli Signature Gent is a three-hander timepiece that slips just under our A$1,500 budget-friendly limit. The watch comes in a 39mm stainless steel case that offers a see-through case back, and looks like every part of a modern dress watch. Sleek, monochrome with the single pop of blue for the hand.
The open case back shows the ETA developed movement with its finely decorated oscillating weight, with its Geneva stripes and MIDO logo, and encorporates a a balance-spring in Nivachron™, which is widely used in Swatch Group ETA based movements you see in Tissot, Longines and Rado.
This, modern and elegant timepiece is a great option to consider, as it offers great readability with a beautiful silver dial while having the performance of an 80-hour power reserve movement to back up the aesthetics. Just under A$1,500, a great budget-friendly piece.
Australian Recommended Retail Price: $1,450. Available at midowatches.com
TISSOT PRC 100 Solar
A list of budget-friendly watches under A$1,500 wouldn’t be complete without the addition of Tissot’s PRC 100 Solar. Released last year with a big event out in Central Australia, at Uluru, which our intrepid reporter, Mario, went to, it’s a great value sports watch from the Swiss brand.
Mario has also given a full review on the watch, which you can read here, and rather than stealing his thunder, he is an excerpt from the review: It’s a shining example of what entry-level solar quartz watchmaking can look like when done by a brand firing on all cylinders. At AU$810, the PRC 100 Solar positions itself as a premium option within the solar quartz segment.
But what really sets Tissot apart is the Lightmaster technology. While Seiko and Citizen may have led the solar quartz race for years, Lightmaster feels like a genuine leap forward. By integrating the solar cells directly into the crystal instead of the dial, Tissot gains newfound design freedom not seen in offerings from its competitors. And because this tech theoretically works with any quartz movement, it has the potential to scale across Tissot’s entire lineup, unlocking creative and technological opportunities that neither Seiko nor Citizen have yet explored. A big tick fort this budget-friendly watch!
Australian Recommended Retail Price: A$810. Available now at Tissot boutiques, retailers or online at Tissotwatches.com
Seiko 5 Sports Ref. SRPL87K
A few short months ago, Seiko unveiled a host of new Seiko 5 Sports models, based on the SKX series. While the collection has SKX in the name, the collection was inspired by the “pre-SKX” collection: the 7002. Featuring a sharper, more traditional case design, with rectangular indices and dual-coloured bezels, they are the modern iteration of the older models. For this budget-friendly guide, we’ve chosen the yellow dial SRPL87K.
A bright yellow Seiko that reminds you that watches are meant to be fun. They don’t all have to be technical and serious, just pure enjoyment on the wrist! And what better budget-friendly watch, especially now for summer, than the Seiko 5 Sports SRPL87K? A banger for only A$650 on a rubber strap!
If you’re not a strap fan, you can opt to upgrade it with a steel bracelet, as Sam did when he bought his piece late last year. And it looks good. If you’re interested in his thoughts, read his review here.
Australian Recommended Retail Price: A$650 (Rubber strap). Available through Seiko boutiques, retailers online at seikoboutique.com.au
Galvin Loimu Tuxedo
For the last watch, we have an Australian brand – Galvin. Founded by Susan Galvin, a Finnish-born Australian watchmaker, the brand was born out of necessity after COVID made her redundant. Persevering through it all, Galvin’s brand has become a culmination of her Australian spirit, Finnish heritage, and the skills she honed while working with brands such as Omega and TAG Heuer. So this is a budget-friendly, and home grown!
The Loimu, Finnish for ‘flame’, is one of the brand’s premium collections. Combining capable mechanics with a distinct aesthetic, it has become known as one of the microbrand scene’s most accessible and well-regarded lines. More recently, Galvin has chosen to expand the Loimu range with a duo of new designs.
Known as the Loimu Tuxedo, the watches are available in either Frost White or Tundra Purple. Featuring a two-tone dial, an applied Galvin ‘G’ logo, and a no-date Miyota movement, the Loimu Tuxedos present themselves as handsome alternatives in the dress watch space. In that sense, they may be some of the most compelling budget-friendly watches for the entry-level watch enthusiast.