Tested: The Best Automatic Watches You Can Buy Under $1,000

Within some corners of the watch industry, there is a perception that you can’t get a quality automatic timepiece without spending luxury-level prices. But nothing could be further from the truth. Fifty years removed from the onset of the quartz crisis and smack dab in the middle of the current Apple Watch takeover, there are still loads of great automatic watches you can find for under $1,000 — as long as you know where to look. And that’s where we come in. We’ve tested options from our favorite microbrands, entry-level luxury Swiss watchmakers, and reliable Japanese favorites to bring you the best automatic watches under $1,000.

How We Tested

For this guide, we had but two requirements: All watches had to have an automatic movement, and they had to be priced between $500 and $1,000 (we have a separate guide to automatic watches under $500). With those parameters in place, we got to work hunting down the best the industry has to offer and came up with our shortlist of watches for testing. From divers and pilot’s watches to trendy integrated bracelet sports watches and classic everyday timepieces, from vintage-inspired to the ultra-modern, we left no stone unturned in our pursuit of the best affordable autos.

Once we sourced our units for testing, we spent considerable time with each watch, taking in wrist presence and paying attention to comfort, fit, and overall user experience. Our results are detailed below.

Wrist Size: We should also mention that our tester has a wrist diameter of around 8″, so keep that in mind when comparing it to your own wrist.

Automatic Vs. Quartz

It’s worth comparing automatic to quartz movements for the purpose of this article because the latter is typically associated with affordable watches. The Quartz Crisis in the ’70s and throughout the ’80s is important to note because it was the cheapness of the timepieces that nearly eliminated the automatic and mechanical watch industry. Quartz movements, which are run on battery power, are more accurate and durable than their automatic counterparts. However, automatic watches can theoretically tick for decades and have a sort of craft in their mechanics that batteries just won’t. This is why, even at a budget level, automatics will largely still be pricier than quartz timepieces.

Why Are Some Watches Cheaper?

Many associate luxury watches with quality, and that may be simply due to the fact that often more research and development goes into producing those watches and, most importantly, their movements. On the other hand, some brands may want to focus more on the case and dial aesthetics and performance over that of the movement and may outsource their movements to brands that specialize in making them, such as Sellita, ETA, and Miyota. Many times a watchmaker may even slightly modify these outsourced movements to fit their own watches, while other times the movements are used relatively untouched. This helps drive down costs that would be spent on making a movement in-house.

What to Look For

Aesthetic: Ultimately, you’ll want something that you like to look at on your wrist. Whether it be color, size, bulk, or design language, a watch is an extension of your own style and personality.

Brand: Quality watches come from quality brands. When looking at sub-$1,000 options, pay attention to reputable brands. In the watch world, many of these companies are reputable for a reason.

Watch Type: Be it a GMT, adventure field watch, or dress watch, we’ve done our best to delineate between the different types of sub-$1,000 watches below. If there’s a gap in your watch selection that needs to be filled, the $1,000-or-less range is a good place to start.

Water Resistance: A watch’s water resistance will give you more play with it. However, you don’t need much more than 50m or 100m of water resistance if you’re just looking for an everyday watch. On the other hand, divers and field watches should start at 100m.

Movement: While all of the watches in this guide will feature an automatic movement, they’ll likely come from third-party manufacturers. The most popular options are from Miyota, ETA, and Sellita. However, Seiko produces both in-house movements and puts its engines in other brand’s models as well.

Brew Metric Auto Black PVD

If you’re familiar with Brew, whose range of funky, evocative timepieces typically utilize meca-quartz movements, you may be surprised to find out that the New York-based watchmaker has one of the best budget-friendly automatics in the space as well. Tapping into the brand’s same knack for design, the Metric Automatic takes inspiration from ’70s and ’80s aesthetics blended with its own unique design ethos. A sort of amalgamation of retro Porsche Design pieces and other old-school all-black TV-style dials from the era, this version sports a blacked-out PVD-finished 316L stainless steel case that’s more stealthy and industrial than what we’ve seen from Brew in the past.

With a 36mm case size, this watch wears a bit larger thanks to a 10.75mm thickness and 41.5mm lug-to-lug, along with the integrated bracelet which also adds another layer of class to the piece. Despite the all-black design, there are pops of color such as the bright red-orange lollipop seconds hand, bringing a unique, playful touch to the overall look. The watch is powered by a Seiko NH35A, which is a solid caliber, albeit not the most accurate with a 3Hz beat rate. However, the movement is also easily serviceable if anything does go wrong over the years.

Lorier Hydra

You shouldn’t be surprised to see several microbrands on a list such as this. With small batch numbers, microbrands are able to dial into what their buyers want in a watch and can really maximize their value. Take New York-based Lorier’s Hydra, for instance. Here we have a dive watch powered by a Miyota automatic movement for well under $1,000. It has an original vintage-inspired design that can stop traffic, 200m of water resistance for dependable diving capability, and Lorier’s signature design language and cult-favorite bracelet. If you’re on the hunt for a solid automatic diver under a grand, this is the one to get — if you can get a hold of one, that is.

Housed in a 41mm 316L marine-grade stainless steel case, the watch has the vintage elegance of a refined everyday-wear timepiece but also a practical GMT movement which adds some utility to the diver. It sports a 120-click timing bezel and glows extra bright with Super-LumiNova BGW9 and C1 lume. We love how Lorier works with each lume to delineate between the two separate time zones (blue or green, respectively). As for the dial, its handset is a mix of styles with arrow, dauphine, and a unique diamond shape. Considering all the divers out there that are significantly more expensive than this, there’s honestly nothing to complain about at $599.

Seiko Prospex Land SPB210

In terms of offering brilliant automatic timepieces for under $1,000, Seiko may be the de facto king. They can even compete in the same arena as some (much) higher-priced luxury brands with their innovative movements and superb knack for layout and design. Today, we’re talking about the Japanese brand’s Prospex SPB210, also known as the Alpinist, as part of the Land series of field-style watches. Originally designed for climbers, the Alpinist dates back around seven decades and is a favorite for outdoor watch enthusiasts

Like Seiko’s premium sister brand, Grand Seiko, the Alpinist does a great job of capturing the natural world. Showcasing the in-house 6R35 movement, the green and gold timepiece is visually evocative of the outdoors but also looks fantastic in any setting you take it to. Housed in a 39.5mm stainless steel case with a 46.4mm lug-to-lug and 200m of water resistance. However, it has another feature tailor-made for adventure: an internal bezel that can be utilized as a compass –– although you may need to get used to this function if you’re unfamiliar. Design-wise, we love the readable cyclops over the date window, the framed squelette handset with plenty of lume, the 70 hours of power reserve, and the brown leather strap which matches the watch’s vibe perfectly.

Certina DS PH200M

Like Doxa, Certina is a Swiss heritage brand that returned to U.S. shores this year after many years away. And boy, are we happy to see them. Another underrated Swatch Group member, Certina offers loads of killer watches at bargain prices, but none are better than this outstanding diver. A reissue of one of the brand’s divers from the ‘60s, the modern-day DS PH200M has been updated with a striking domed and engraved ceramic bezel that you won’t see anywhere else, along with an 80-hour Powermatic movement that’s visible through a sapphire caseback.

Everything from the domed Hesalite crystal and the sector dial motif harkens back to old-school divers, even those from Omega. We love the mesh bracelet that goes along with the timepiece, adding a decidedly vintage appeal in and of itself, albeit one that may have its stylistic limitations. Uniquely, the case diameter here stretches 42.8mm across which, along with the 51mm lug-to-lug, gives this watch a significant wrist presence. However, it still hugs the wrist well despite the size, in part thanks to the 12.9mm thickness. The watch is also powered by a Powermatic 80, giving you a whopping 80 hours of power reserve.

Christopher Ward C65 Dune Automatic

If you’re looking for an alternative to the budget-friendly Hamilton Khaki Field Watch that seems to grab people’s attention much of the time (and for good reason), then check out this C65 Dune Automatic from British watchmaker Christopher Ward. Designed to capture the classic military field watch ethos but with a more refined touch, the C65 Dune has a desert-themed aesthetic redesigned from the C65 Sandhurt, equipped with a sand-colored NATO strap. While there are a handful of dial variations, we liked the White Sand colorway, which felt the most appropriate for a field watch.

Highly wearable at 38mm, the case wears exceptionally well, especially with the 43.6mm lug-to-lug and 11.7mm thickness. In comparison, the Hamilton Khaki Field has the same diameter but is much larger in height and thickness. The center of the dial features a well-worn handset with brilliant use of the trident counterbalance over the sand-textured dial. While we don’t mind the performance of the Sellita movement, we do wish it had more than just 38 hours of power reserve, which can be a hindrance at times. However, we do love its visually smooth sweeping seconds hand.

Tissot PRX Powermatic 80

One of the most successful watch releases of 2021 was Tissot’s PRX, a well-finished integrated bracelet ‘70s throwback that brought Gerald Genta style to the masses. But because it was powered by a simple quartz movement, many watch enthusiasts held off on buying one. Now Tissot has released an automatic version of the PRX with the same stunning retro case and bracelet, a new premium (and Royal Oak-adjacent) waffle dial, and a Powermatic 80 movement with 80 hours of power reserve. We also love the ’70s-style waffle texture on the dial which brings just the right amount of flair to keep things interesting. And since it still costs around $700, you literally have no excuse for not buying one (as long as you have the money, at least).

As you saw above with the Certina, the value proposition of the Powermatic 80 is its power reserve, which brings the native beat rate of the ETA-base movement down to 3Hz with less accuracy. However, for many, that’s a willing trade-off. Super compact thanks to the integrated bracelet design, the PRX stretches 40mm across with a 39.5mm lug-to-lug. Yet it still wears slightly larger than you’d expect because of the lack of curve on the case and how the vertical length sprawls over your wrist with the integrated bracelet. If you don’t have a wide wrist, you might find that it’s too large. Luckily, there’s also a 35mm version of the PRX too.

Baltic Aquaschape GMT

While a majority of third-party automatic Swiss movements come from ETA and Sellita, the calibers from Soprod are nothing to sneeze at. Using the Soprod C125 GMT as its heartbeat, the Baltic Aquascaphe GMT is a four-handed travel version of its non-GMT Aquascaphe. A modern-day take on mid-century divers, the timepiece sports an orange and blue bezel with 24-hour markers. Wearing really well with excellent proportions, the watch is 39mm across with a 47mm lug-to-lug and 13mm thickness (11.2mm without the domed sapphire).

The case on this Baltic watch is incredibly handsome, drawing the eye to its brushed surfaces in different directions for a sophisticated, tool-like look. The caseback features an engraving of the Earth’s time zones with some cities for each. We love the double-domed sapphire which protects the simple, old-school dial with blended markers (circular and triangular). It also has a solid anti-reflective coating that gives you good visibility of the dial regardless of the angle. The biggest downside of the watch comes from the crown, which we experienced the slightest amount of wiggle when adjusting the time and date. It’s not a deal-breaker; just be careful here.

Zodiac Olympos

The history of the Zodiac Olympos dates back to the early ’60s when the Swiss brand partnered with the British Royal Navy. Zodiac still makes the Olympos but this version blends old with new for a modern take on the legendary timepiece. A solid entry at right around one grand, this is one of the most distinct-looking field watches around, in part from the little points at the side of the case (it’s why the model is nicknamed “Manta”). An acronym for “Swiss Technology Production,” STP is another Swiss movement manufacturer. Zodiac frequents the brand for their watches, and this caliber boasts a highly accurate 4hz beat rate and an admittedly low (for a field watch) power reserve of about 44 hours.

Visually arresting with its texture green fume dial, the Olympos is made in a non-winged case shape too but we prefer this field version above, not just for the brushed surfaces but the thicker, more stylized handset. On the side of the 40mm case is a uniquely positioned crown at the 2 o’clock spot tucked within the right “wing.” Blending the simple with the unorthodox, this field watch can transpose very well to be a dress watch if you so wanted it to be. We love how this timepiece oozes with heritage flavor while still feeling fresh.

Tested: The Best Automatic Watches Under $500

If $1,000 is still too much for your budget, then check out some picks from our guide to the best automatic watches under $500.