Recently, I was asked to pick a couple of wallet-friendly watches for WIRED's Gear newsletter, and it sent me down a glorious rabbit hole where I was genuinely surprised by superb timepieces well below what WIRED has previously set for affordable watches (the sub-$1,000 bracket). Far from dropping three figures on a decent automatic, you can now get almost anything you desire from a watch for far less than $500. To check my math and make sure I wasn't going slightly crazy, I reached out to WIRED's wider circle of watch experts with a devilishly tricky, unenviable challenge: Pick their favorite mechanical watch for less than $400, the sort of price where quartz watches dominate.
It was a hard ask, but they delivered. Here's the list—all are exceptional value, and watches we'd be delighted to sport on our wrists. Caravelle Sea Hunter Caravelle has no right to make a mechanical dive watch this attractive and capable for a mere $300, but here it is.
The secret to its timeless look is that Bulova's budget brand sensibly fashioned this modern Sea Hunter heavily on the diver's design from the late 1960s, while bumping the size up to a more modern 39 mm. Elegant and stylish, it's practically a GADA (go anywhere, do anything) watch. But with 200 meters of waterproofing, a 120-click unidirectional bezel, and a 42-hour power reserve, the Sea Hunter is a compelling sports watch.
Throw on a rubber strap for diving, a nato for casual (our pick is Artem), or stick with the three-link steel bracelet for a more classic look. Orient Bambino Version 7 38 mm Unquestionably one of the best-value automatic dress watches you can buy today, the $295 Orient Bambino’s timeless 38-mm design with white dial and leather strap has been carefully shrunken down from the original 40.5-mm casing, making this piece incredibly wearable (both in these smaller watch times and when case sizes inevitably get larger again.) You can view the automatic Japanese movement through the exhibition case back, and there's even 30 meters of water resistance—not that you should be swimming with such a watch. Want something less traditional?
Go for the pink dial with a stainless steel bracelet. Brew Metric Lite Retro This new smaller take on Brew's original Metric Retro is the choice of Mike Christensen, British GQ's lifestyle director and watch editor. Cashing in on the current trend for very small watches, Mike loves that this 30-mm piece is wearable for both men and women.
At just $375, the stainless steel Metric Lite Retro, complete with a matching bracelet, uses an automatic movement visible through the open caseback. It has 50 meters of water resistance, and even sapphire crystal atop the striking dial. Proper retro charm that's forgiving on the bank balance.
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