NEW YORK, Dec 4 — Most entry-level watch collectors can’t afford a Patek Philippe Grand Complications Celestial (US$390,200/RM1.6 million). Even a Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande Reverso Ultra Thin (US$7,600) may be a stretch.
Luckily, a love of horology is not strictly a game for the rich. It’s possible to be a watch snob on a budget. Here are six timepieces under US$1,000 that will invite nods of approval from aficionados.
Seiko SKX007
Price: About US$175
Design cues: Brawny machismo with a proud lineage. Automatic movement, water-resistant to 200 metres; crown rakishly offset at 4pm; luminous markers (or “lume”) bright enough to scuba dive the Gowanus Canal.
Snob appeal: The ultimate “tool” watch, this affordable classic has a rich pedigree going back to Seiko’s pioneering dive watches of the 1960s. Its forebears were a favourite of soldiers in Vietnam (Martin Sheen’s Capt. Willard wore one in “Apocalypse Now”). It is nothing less than the poor man’s Rolex Submariner — and that’s a tribute, not a slight.
Orient Star Classic
Price: US$640
Design cues: Midcentury elegance for mid-three figures. Features a 22-jewel self-winding movement, 40-hour power reserve and ‘50s-style arrowhead markers.
Snob appeal: Orient may lack the Euro cachet of a fine Swiss dress watch (or the name recognition of its corporate cousin, Seiko), but this high-value brand (Orient Star is Orient’s premium line) gets high marks from watch-lover sites like Worn & Wound, aBlogtoWatch and Gear Patrol. Few except watch geeks will recognise the brand you’re wearing, but isn’t that the point?
Swatch Sistem51
Price: About US$150
Design cues: Plasticky pop-art sensibility and MTV colour bursts call to mind a college dorm circa 1987. Features a groundbreaking mechanical movement made of 51 parts, assembled by machine around a central screw.
Snob appeal: As one of the simplest, cheapest mechanical Swiss watches, the Sistem51 was the talk of the Baselworld watch fair two years ago. Tastemakers like Kevin Rose, the chief executive of Hodinkee, have one in their collections, alongside their Rolexes and Patek Philippes.
Stowa Flieger No Logo Automatic
Price: About US$830
Design cues: Minimalist chic for the historically minded. The adornment-free dial and brushed-steel case recall a 1930s aircraft gauge, which is no surprise: The Flieger (“pilot” in German) was designed for military aviators.
Snob appeal: German pilot watches from the World War II era are the province of moneyed collectors like John Mayer. An International Watch Co. B-Uhr pilot watch, for example, can go for US$50,000 at auction. But legacy brands like Laco and Stowa still offer faithful renditions.
Autodromo Stradale
Price: US$875
Design cues: Inspired by the dashboards of 1950s Italian berlinettas. Features hour indexes on a transparent glass ring that appears to hover over the dial, creating a three-dimensional effect.
Snob appeal: Founded in New York by Bradley Price, an industrial designer, Autodromo caters to the automotive set (“stradale” means “road” in Italian), as well as watch gearheads: The Stradale has a 24-jewel automatic movement and a 42-hour power reserve. Think of it as a vintage Alfa for the wrist, with none of the tinkering.
Tissot Visodate Milanais
Price: US$695
Design cues: Vintage ‘50s styling with a self-winding movement. A stainless-steel mesh bracelet (or Milanese) conjures la dolce vita, while the larger 40-mm case suits contemporary tastes.
Snob appeal: This handsome Tissot manages to quote the past without being stuck in it and is a great entry point to mechanical Swiss watches. Thanks to the Apple Watch, the breezy Milanese bracelet is no longer a secret among watch connoisseurs, but it still sends the message that you know your horological history. — The New York Times
