Tested: The Best Men’s Automatic Watches Under $500

Watch collecting can be one of the most expensive hobbies there is. Some luxury watch brands’ catalogs consist entirely of watches that cost five or even six figures, and watches that retail for over a million dollars are by no means unheard of. But even if you stay a little closer to Earth, it’s still very easy to drop several thousand on a watch — especially if you’re shopping for automatic watches. But collecting watches, even automatics, doesn’t have to be so pricey. We’ve come up with a guide to the best automatic men’s watches under $500 to prove that you don’t need to spend a lot of cash to put together a quality stable of mechanical watches.

The dozen watches that make up our list of the best automatic men’s watches under $500 are a diverse bunch. There are dress watches, dive watches, field watches, and pilot’s watches. Their countries of origin vary from Switzerland and Japan to Singapore, Italy, France, and the U.S. of A. Some come from heritage brands that have been around forever, while others are from upstart microbrands. But they all have three things in common: They all have automatic movements, they all retail for less than $500, and they’re all worthy of holding a spot in your collection. Fortunately, we got to get hands-on with our favorites to present you with our guide to the best automatic watches under $500.

How We Tested

Sub-$500 automatic watches aren’t super easy to come by. Not good ones, at least. However, we see a lot of watches in this business and figured we’d compile a list of our favorites that fit these parameters. This guide had two stern requirements: that each watch be priced under $500 and that each watch had an automatic movement. Whether you’re on the lookout for dive watches, pilot’s watches, dress watches, or something else, you’ll be sure to find something that tickles your fancy here. Better yet, these timepieces are so affordable that you could potentially pick up two or more over time, guilt-free.

To make our final list, we did a bunch of research and used our extensive experience with affordable timepieces. We looked at aesthetic, water resistance, brand reputation, and price (of course). After we sourced our units for testing, we spent time with each model to see how they felt, what they looked like on-wrist, and how they operated. The overall process took weeks but now, we’re finally able to present you with the list of our favorites.

Wrist size note: Our wear tester in this video and photos has a wrist measurement just shy of 8 inches for reference.

What To Look For in a Sub-$500 Watch

Aesthetic: Be it size, color, thickness, or design, your watch says a lot about your own style and personality, so you’ll want something that you actually like when picking your next affordable timepiece.

Brand: There are a lot of cheap watches out there, so make sure you’ve heard of (or at least we’ve heard of) the brand that makes it before purchasing. Reputable brands make reputable timepieces.

Watch Type: At the very least, you should know what type of watch you want. If you’re in the market for an everyday watch, a hiking watch, a dress watch, or something else, we’ve got most of the grounds covered here.

Case Size: Like a watch of any price range, you’ll want to pay attention to its case size. No matter how much you spend, an uncomfortable watch will ensure you’re less likely to wear it. Before pulling the trigger, know what your sweet spot is in terms of case diameter, thickness, and lug-to-lug.

Movement: While all of the following watches feature automatic movements, you’ll notice a difference between the names behind each movement. The most popular come from brands such as Japan’s Miyota and Seiko, or the Swiss-made ETA. All three of these are very good in regards to accuracy and longevity, and will help you (and the watchmakers) cut costs along the way.

Timex M79 Automatic

Like their old slogan, Timex as a brand has kept a lickin’ but keeps on tickin.’ After decades of ups and downs, the American heritage watchmaker is now hotter than it’s been in years, and it’s all thanks to their string of well-designed vintage-themed releases. The M79 is one such watch, as it takes the brand’s blockbuster Q Timex Reissue quartz watch and transforms it into a highly attractive automatic, with bi-color bezels available in some truly classic colorways like “Batman” and “Coke.”

Inspired by the ’70s Q Timex family, this M79 sizes up the case to a welcomed 40mm for some extra wrist presence compared to their 38mm quartz counterparts. Affixed with a pseudo-integrated bracelet, the case sports a long flat chamfer with a 45mm lug-to-lug, which is pretty compact, making the 14.5mm thickness a bit staggering and causing it to sit a bit higher on your wrist. However, we can’t complain too much because we get a deep exhibition caseback out of it. A clean dial like other Q Timex Reissues and plenty of lume make this an attractive piece. We also love the Miyota-based movement, which has a hand-wound option for a truly mechanical experience. On the other hand, the attractive retro bracelet catches arm hairs a bit too easily.

Citizen Tsuyosa

As one of the kings of affordable automatic watches, Citizen has also become one of the most ubiquitous brand names on our wrists. Not to mention, their patented Eco-Drive solar-powered movement is enough to warrant the price tags alone. Even still, it was the release of the Tsuyosa (Japanese for “strength”) line last year that really caused us to sit up in our chairs. At 40mm in diameter, the stainless steel watch has a 9.1mm thickness which wears really comfortably on the wrist. And lest we forget the classy white dial which gets a simple, unframed date window with a bubble on top.

We love the clean all-white dial on this sports watch, elevating the affordable timepiece to retro sports watch territory –– an area that’s surprisingly limited. While we don’t love the mere 50m water resistance, especially for an everyday wristwatch, it does allow the watch to be a bit thinner. On the back, you have an exhibition caseback, which showcases the Citizen-owned Miyota 8210 automatic. As you might have guessed, this is not an Eco-Drive solar movement, which may detract some buyers but still, you’ll get solid accuracy and longevity with this automatic. Another thing we loved was the stylish 3-row jubilee bracelet with push-pin links and a push-button folding clasp for extremely easy size adjustment.

Baltic HMS 002

Since 2017, French microbrand Baltic has impressed fans with how much its elegant watches punch above their price tags. The company’s MR01 often gets compared to Patek Philippe luxury pieces. On the other hand, you have the 1940s-inspired HMS 002. Given the level of finishing and attention to detail seen on this dress watch from Baltic, it’s hard to believe this piece is priced below $500. And yet, somehow, it is. The Art Deco-style watch features a stepped sector dial with dual contrasting finishing, along with a generously domed hesalite crystal for a true vintage look and feel. Ticking away inside is the Miyota 821A, which helps keep the case appropriately thin at just 12mm including the bubble-like crystal.

Reminiscent of Longines’ 1268z from the ’30s, the HMS 002 has plenty of fine touches and overall design cues that could make a case for it as a dress watch. However, we love that despite the homage, this Baltic watch has an assertive identity in its own right, such as the absence of a sub-register above the 6, a much sharper crown design, and a complete ring of Arabic numerals. And we can’t forget the blended finishing that combines circular brushing on the outer ring with a matte center. Housed in the comfortable 38mm stainless steel case is the Miyota-base movement, which offers an impressive 60-hour power reserve. With your choice of straps, the timepiece has some versatility, allowing you to strap this on to the office, a wedding, or just a nice dinner.

Seiko 5 Sports 55th Anniversary Edition

Truth be told, Seiko dominates at this price level, and this guide could arguably consist of a dozen Seikos and few would complain. Celebrating the 55th anniversary of its 5 Sports lineup, Seiko revived the original 5 Sports 61-5D from 1968, updating things such as the movement and specifications. With a diplomatic 39.5mm stainless steel case that looks like it would cost much more than it does, this piece gets you 100m of water resistance and sports a day-date function on the dial. Oozing with old-school charm, this new limited-edition Seiko (ref. SRPK17) might even get confused with the actual vintage diver at first glance.

Aside from the dial text above the 6 to denote the updated movement, there have been very few changes on the SRPK17 compared to its progenitor, including keeping the same case finish and bezel design. Also returning is the single-row, flat-link steel bracelet, which has only been upgraded for quality and is quite the showstopper here. This is a fantastic option for those looking for original versions of the ’60s reference, which will cost you 2 to 3 times more than this one. Not to mention, there’s still an in-house movement with the 4R36 automatic caliber, which gives you 40 hours of power reserve. However, we would’ve loved if this mechanism were displayed through the caseback.

Laco Valencia 39mm

Laco is one of the five manufacturers who made the original Flieger pilot’s watches during WWII, and since the other four are Stowa, Wempe, IWC, and A. Lange & Söhne, the German brand is in some good company. You can still get an authentic Flieger today from Laco for a lot less than you’d expect, but the Valencia that we got hands-on with is part of its Naval collection –– so still military-inspired and an homage to a ship’s flight deck instruments that helped them keep time and make precise calculations. Inside this modern timepiece is a Miyota base to which Laco had added a few touches for 42 hours of power reserve. And while we love Miyota movements, it’s admittedly peculiar that the brand didn’t utilize something closer to home like a Swiss-made ETA.

Unlike other traditional military tool watches, the case size on the Ventura isn’t terribly large. In fact, it is very accessible with its 39mm case diameter, 46.5 lug-to-lug, and 11.55mm thickness. Not being a diver, the watch also boasts just 50m of water resistance. One of our favorite elements of this watch, or any watch we tested, is the unique lume trick. As opposed to a typical watch that features lume on its hands, numerals, or even date windows, the Ventura instead puts Super-LumiNova C3 lume on the entirety of its dial, with the aforementioned elements standing out by contrast with their dark silhouettes. It’s all adorned with an 18mm calfskin leather strap for a traditional aesthetic that helps the watch pair with an outfit that’s similarly heritage-inspired.

Unimatic UC4

Italian brand Unimatic has one of the most identifiable design languages of any microbrand with their minimalist and utilitarian style, and it’s executed wonderfully on this unique and beautiful dive watch. The UC4, also known as the Modello Quattro, features a vintage military-style dial in black that’s offset with bright white Super-LumiNova C3 indices and hands for high readability. The round case gives way to a massively-thick domed sapphire crystal, which helps this robust diver achieve an impressive water resistance of 300m.

Part of the brand’s Classic collection, this Modello Quattro is a very capable, hyper-refined diver, even though it admittedly looks a tad different than your traditional dive watch. Nonetheless, it sports s 316L stainless steel case, a massive 8mm crown, an internal gasket set to help its depth rating, and a fixed (yes, fixed) monobloc bezel. An exercise in aesthetic appreciation, the UC4 is a minimalist timepiece with essential dial details, including bright lume against the matte black dial. We noticed the lume here glowed for longer than your average watch, similar to what Citizen’s Promaster Divers put out. We also love that it opts for a Seiko-caliber movement rather than the Miyota or ETA that you’ll see from other microbrands. And although it’s typically reserved for field watches, the NATO strap is a nice, if not unusual addition (divers usually have rubber or silicone).

Lorier Falcon III

Like Unimatic, five-year-old New York-based microbrand Lorier has wasted no time in firmly carving out their own design language. For the Falcon, they shrunk down the formula that began with their Neptune diver and turned it into a conservative, vintage-styled everyday watch that’s reminiscent of the original Rolex Explorer. A waffle dial, arrow hands, 36mm case size, and domed Hesalite crystal bring vintage style, while blue-glowing BGW-9 Super-LumiNova, an exquisitely-brushed, fully-articulating flat link bracelet, and super-thin Miyota 90S5 movement add a luxurious modern touch.

As a 36mm watch, the Falcon is on the lower end of the men’s watch spectrum, so keep that in mind if you have bigger wrists. However, this also gives the piece a dress watch style, as much as its heritage influence still shines through. Yet our favorite part about the watch is how it blends utility and style, towing the line very well. And while many sub-$500 show their price tags with mediocre bands, the Ternion bracelet on this Lorier is a highlight, updated with rounder, thinner links and a few more fine chamfers on the edges. Likewise, instead of push pin links, you get screw pins, where resizing is a breeze thaks to the three micro adjustments on the clasp.

Nodus Sector Deep

If you’re in the market for a $500 watch, chances are you might be willing to go up on that ceiling a little bit. If so, we have a bonus pick here in the $500 range. For the task, we looked in our own backyard to California’s own Nodus, a brand that launched in 2017 and has more than a few automatic watches around or under $500. With a 38mm stainless steel case, the Sector Deep is then topped with a chunky two-tone DLC-coated 42mm timing bezel to help achieve this piece’s 500m of water resistance –– a rarity for any diver under $1,000, let alone under $500. There’s also a Seiko-powered automatic movement inside, which is regulated by Nodus itself.

Aside from its highly impressive specs, the Sector Deep just looks really cool! It’s hard not to notice the unique screw-down crown, which is located on the left side of the case, making this a Destro diver for right-handed wearers (they make a left-handed Sector Deep but we didn’t love the dial aesthetic as much). There’s also a healthy serving of Grade A BGW9 Super-LumiNova on the dial, which gives you plenty of visibility in dark conditions. We also loved the plethora of grip on the crown itself, as well as the rotating bezel. For the bracelet, Nodus’ proprietary NodeX push-button clasp lets you make easy adjustments thanks to the Tudor-esque push/pull micro-adjustment system.

Automatic Vs. Manually-Wound

For those new to the horological arena, you’ll likely notice a delineation between “automatic” and “manually-wound” timepieces. While both are mechanical movements, meaning there’s a physical mechanism moving around inside that powers the hands on the watch face, the difference is quite simple. Automatic watches tick for as long as movement is happening (by your wrist). Motion allows the rotor to spin and coil the mainspring, which powers the watch. On the other hand, a manually-wound movement, which is less common, requires you to physically wind your watch before setting the time. After a certain period of time, the watch must be wound again.

Automatic Vs. Quartz

Comparing quartz movements to automatic movements is important because quartz movements are typically the ones you’ll find in the sub-$500 range. In fact, quartz almost sank the mechanical watch industry in the ’70s/’80s because of its affordability. Quartz watches run on battery power and are largely more accurate and durable than ones with automatic movements. On the other hand, automatic movements have longevity to their advantage and can sometimes tick for decades. Not to mention, there’s an understandable romanticization of these mechanical pieces due to the craft and patience that goes into them, putting them still higher in price than most quartz movements.

The Best Automatic Watches Under $1,000

If your budget is a bit larger than $500, you should check out our guide to the best automatic watches under $1,000.