With the rise of cellphone usage, men don’t wear watches as much as they used to. Which is exactly why you should wear one – it’s an easy way to turn heads and stand out. As one of the only widely accepted forms of jewelry men wear, you can easily add this accessory to your style. Many of you may not have experience with watches, so we’ll review the best starter watches to help find your style.
Watches can certainly take a huge chunk of your paycheck if you don’t know what to look for. That’s why it’s important to test these starter styles before investing in a higher priced piece. Plus, if you become a watch fanatic, some of these will likely find their way into your rotation for different occasions.
Before we dig in, it’s important to note what style of watch (or watches) will suit your lifestyle best. Do you dress up a lot? Do you work from home, or is your workplace business casual? Does your style lean more rugged/outdoorsy (flannels, jeans, boots, etc…) or more modern chic?
For the intent of this post, we’ll look at watches around or under $300.
Casual
If your style leans more casual, like jeans/chinos and t-shirts/polo shirts/button-downs, then you should start with a classic, versatile, clean watch like the ones below.
Timex has really stepped their style game up in the past few years and offers a great variety and price point for starter watches. The first one we recommend is the Standard. While they offer quite a few options, the black textured strap and cream dial will work great as an everyday watch – although it’s too casual for a suit, you could wear this with anything else. And for $90, it’s a steal.
An all-stainless dive style watch covers many of the same bases. So many brands make an entry-level stainless watch, but Seiko does it best in terms of looks, value, and technical specs with its Seiko 5 model. This watch has a decent weight, an automatic movement (meaning there’s no battery, it runs on the movement of its wearer), a matte finish, and comes in a variety of dial colors. This wouldn’t look out of place with a suit either. With their $100-$200 price tag, it provides great value for this level of watch.
The last type of classic watch comes with a more casual nylon strap. The Timex Weekender and Fairfield models are great options, but the clean styling of the Tissot Everytime elevates this simple style just enough to turn heads. This model works great if your style leans preppy. Can usually be found in the $120-$140 range.
All of these watches with a nylon strap are best for warmer weather or very dressed down looks, but they wouldn’t look out of place with a casual blazer and chinos. Another benefit – you can swap out the straps for a leather strap to dress up the look.
Dressy
Despite the reputation for extreme cost, the best starter watches for dressy situations can come in at a reasonable price. It’s best to dip your toe in the water with these timeless examples. These will work well with a polo and chinos all the way up to a suit – great if you dress up a lot and/or work in a business casual environment.
Orient has perfected the simple dress watch with its Bambino model. A clean off-white face, quality leather strap, domed crystal face, automatic movement, and a tasteful 40mm case diameter hit all the sweet spots for a starter dress watch. It also comes in a few different colorways in case you prefer a black band or face (pick the band color to match whether you wear black or brown shoes more often when you dress up). These can usually be had for under $200, which is incredible for what you get.
We go back to Timex for our next option, the Waterbury. At a very reasonable entry level price around $120 (and often on sale), this model can help you test out the dress watch aesthetic without denting your budget. It has all the looks you need with a basic quartz movement.
The last option is my personal favorite from this category – the Seiko Presage Cocktail Time. This model comes in a little pricier than the others, at just over $300, but it will cause people to do a double-take. The first thing you’ll notice is the unique icy-hued sunburst dial – an upscale detail at this price point, which complements the shiny black calf-skin band and blue accent stitching. An automatic movement and hardlex crystal face round out the impressive set of features for this elegant piece.
Rugged/Sporty
If you find yourself outdoors often, and if your style leans more towards jeans/flannels/henleys/shirt-jackets/workwear boots, then the best starter watches with more rugged and sporty details will suit your style best.
Again, we look to Seiko for the first option. The SNK 807 is a personal favorite. It can hang for most outdoor activities while looking great. The hearty canvas strap, 30m water resistance, automatic movement, matte stainless case, and hardlex face make for durable, performance-oriented watch at around $150. The hands light up in the dark too. Have some fun swapping out different strap colors and materials.
The Bertucci A-2T field style watch gives a similar vibe to the Seiko option, with its nylon strap and matte finish, with some performance-specific features. The titanium case gives you great durability at a fraction of the weight. It will hardly seem like you’re wearing anything. It also has 100m water resistance and looks similar to the Hamilton Khaki watch, which will cost you much more than the $120 or so needed to purchase the Bertucci model.
The biggest steal of the bunch is the Casio MDV-106 dive watch, coming in around $50. Supremely functional for almost all of your outdoor activities, with a simple charm. With 200m water resistance, an elevated screw-down bezel, a durable stainless case, a mineral face, and a flexible silicon strap, you really can’t get more watch for this much cash. And it looks great too! You can swap out the rubber strap for a nicer nylon or canvas one to elevate the look a bit. But if you’re just wearing it for your outdoor activities, it will work great out of the box.
Summary
Hopefully this bit of information can help you find the best starter watches to elevate your wardrobe. While the watch has lost its popularity, it gives you the opportunity to express your personal style with a timeless accessory.
