Dipping into mechanicals: what price point?
What would you consider a good entry price range for a first-time mechanical buyer? I’d like one that’s of actual quality with no issues on build (Presage, Sea-Gull) or servicing (anything Powermatic it seems).
All the complaints about $500-ish watches make me think I should aim higher. Open to watch suggestions too!
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Hiya Dagon
I like cheap watches and I cannot lie
New York, NY, USA
Member since
Last active: 1 hr ago
17.15 cm
What complaints do you hear about 500ish watches? Just so you know, you’re going to hear complaints on watches of all price ranges.
What complaints do you hear about 500ish watches? Just so you know, you’re going to hear complaints on watches of all price ranges.
My first go-to was a Seiko Cocktail Time, but a bajillion YouTubers and Redditors complain about the basic movement as well as everything else but the dial. Then I was gonna pull the trigger on an AliExpress 1963 that Watch Geek recommended, but multiple reports say the crown breaks off easily.
Very much open to suggestions for any kind of mechanical that won’t just end up being discarded as my collection grows!
My Seagull 1963 is a fantastic watch. But the crown broke soon after delivery. The AliExpress seller offered to send me a replacement. I asked for three. I have one (spare) remaining.
I would deinitely suggest the sub-$500 category though. Plenty of great options.
My first go-to was a Seiko Cocktail Time, but a bajillion YouTubers and Redditors complain about the basic movement as well as everything else but the dial. Then I was gonna pull the trigger on an AliExpress 1963 that Watch Geek recommended, but multiple reports say the crown breaks off easily.
Very much open to suggestions for any kind of mechanical that won’t just end up being discarded as my collection grows!
With manufacturers that produce watches in large volumes you will always hear complaints, it's just the nature of the beast. A lot has to do with expectations fueled by social media, and how much watch a certain dollar amount will get you.
For example the "basic movement" is a 4R35 in case of the Seiko Presage. It's one of the most common movements out there. But there is a reason for that: It works as designed at a reasonable price.
The 1963 is actually a type of watch, and not a specific watch. (There is actually an interesting history behind the different manufacturers.) Whether the watch is reliable will depend on the actual company that assembles the watch.
Also, if you can, I would look at the actual watch. It is not that easy to determine whether you like a watch just through online pictures. Unfortunately, we all like different things. But I would stay with an established manufacturer for your first watch, just so you know where to turn if you have an issue with it.
With manufacturers that produce watches in large volumes you will always hear complaints, it's just the nature of the beast. A lot has to do with expectations fueled by social media, and how much watch a certain dollar amount will get you.
For example the "basic movement" is a 4R35 in case of the Seiko Presage. It's one of the most common movements out there. But there is a reason for that: It works as designed at a reasonable price.
The 1963 is actually a type of watch, and not a specific watch. (There is actually an interesting history behind the different manufacturers.) Whether the watch is reliable will depend on the actual company that assembles the watch.
Also, if you can, I would look at the actual watch. It is not that easy to determine whether you like a watch just through online pictures. Unfortunately, we all like different things. But I would stay with an established manufacturer for your first watch, just so you know where to turn if you have an issue with it.
Thanks, that does put the Cocktail Time into perspective. Of course there’s still the issue of mineral crystal, but I can live with that if it’s on sale and everything else is fine.
My Seagull 1963 is a fantastic watch. But the crown broke soon after delivery. The AliExpress seller offered to send me a replacement. I asked for three. I have one (spare) remaining.
I would deinitely suggest the sub-$500 category though. Plenty of great options.
Wow, glad the seller was nice! It’s one thing for a watch to be a cheap beater, another thing entirely when the sole external component that controls the rest of the piece falls off easily!
Even with all of the AE discounts this week, I can’t bring myself to pull the trigger.
Thanks, that does put the Cocktail Time into perspective. Of course there’s still the issue of mineral crystal, but I can live with that if it’s on sale and everything else is fine.
Okay, a mineral crystal is also one of those things. A mineral crystal is less scratch resistant, but more shatter resistant. It is also much easier to shape than sapphire, and that's where the price differences come in. (There are also differences in regard to the need for reflective coatings.)
It's another one of those questions of what matters to you.
Sub $500, your choice of movement whether you go for a established brand or a micro, NH/4R movement is what you are going to find in the watch. Its a proven movement that will last you a long time, easy to service and maintain. A proper workhorse movement that one doesn't have to worry about. In some you may find the Miyota 8000 series which I personally stay away from because it is known for noisy and second had stuttering issues. The 9000 series Miyota are also there around the $500 mark which can be a good upgrade to the NH movements.
You can pick up a 4R powered prospex with good specs for around $500.
Okay, a mineral crystal is also one of those things. A mineral crystal is less scratch resistant, but more shatter resistant. It is also much easier to shape than sapphire, and that's where the price differences come in. (There are also differences in regard to the need for reflective coatings.)
It's another one of those questions of what matters to you.
Appreciate all the info, thanks!!
And now to wait for my next paycheck before I go on another spree lol
Thanks, that does put the Cocktail Time into perspective. Of course there’s still the issue of mineral crystal, but I can live with that if it’s on sale and everything else is fine.
Enthusiasts, new or seasoned, both have a tendency to blow minuscule things out of proportion. 😜
Crystals are consumables. They all end up scratched or broken over years of wear and are meant to be replaced. Yes, Hardlex may not be as scratch-resistant as sapphire. But it's still going to be a serviceable crystal for multiple years if you don't ding your watch left and right. Worst case scenario, if it's badly damaged you just drop the watch at your local watchmaker and they'll install a new crystal, sapphire if you want, for 50€. It's a detail that should never stop you from buying a watch you enjoy.
Same deal with movements. Yes, the 4R36 or NH36 is a basic movement. So what? It works just fine and you can have the movement regulated by your local guy within COSC margins if this level of accuracy is important to you. It might not have the most advanced technology, silicon hairspring, 15.000 gauss resistance, 80 hours of power reserve, and fine decorated anglages, but will those things really affect your wearing experience? For the average consumer, these are just fluff specs on a sheet to justify a higher price point. Trust me, you'll learn to LOVE these entry-level Seiko movements that do the job and can just be swapped for 35€ in case of a malfunction, instead of having to pay 600€ to 1000€ to service a fancy in-house movement sent back to Switzerland or Japan for months. 😂
People can get so nit-picky on mechanical movements. Any seiko or orient would do great. Miyota 9000 and sw200 are great movements that are available in some microbrands around the $500-750 range.
I’ve never had luck keeping scratches out of seiko Hardlex crystals, so I would recommend sapphire. TBH I put my watches through the ringer though.
For less than $500 you have plenty of 4R/NH-powered options, a movement that has never given me a single issue and I consider the best on the affordable end.
I’ve never had luck keeping scratches out of seiko Hardlex crystals, so I would recommend sapphire. TBH I put my watches through the ringer though.
Yeah I never break my glass devices (watch or phone), but scratches? Ugh, when’s Spigen releasing Presage tempered glass? 😂
Wow, wasn’t expecting results to be so overwhelmingly sub-$500!
Thanks everyone, I guess watch complaints are like air conditioner reviews on Amazon: not many people go in to say “wow this unit made my bedroom really cold A++++” 😂
The longer I am in to watches, the longer I realize price point is just one facet, and to me not a very important one.
You can get some fantastic designed, long lasting watches for under $500. With today's manufacturing tolerances, I'd argue even the sub $100 autos from China will last as long if not longer than any mid century Rolex. Just due to modern manufacturing techniques.
I have nothing against expensive watches. I also have nothing against affordable watches either.
Look at @Kalsota 's recent post. His Timex watch went into combat and is still running strong.
As enthusiasts communities often do, we get wrapped around the smallest design details, or the minutia of scratches, flaws. Sometimes we forget to enjoy the daily adventures while wearing the dang things.
To the OP, I'd wholeheartedly recommend looking at Lorier. Solid design, good movement, great company, classic looks. YMMV.
I agree on both accounts.
Thanks for the shoutout!
Thanks, that’s really insightful for me because so far I’ve barely touched anything above $200.
If going above $500 isn’t going to make a huge improvement in reliability, guess I shouldn’t go that route to start off. Hell I’m wearing a Timex Weekender right now and wondering if I’ll enjoy a field watch that costs up to 20x more…
Yeah, my feeling is that when you buy something in the $500-$1K range, you may buy a "nicer" movement, but there's no guarantee that this will be noticable in day-to-day use. I mean it might matter in some cases, but not reliably. I've got $300 watches that gain a couple of seconds per day and $800 ones that lose 10. What you are really paying for is a bit of aspirational branding and (hopefully) a design that's slightly more refined or unique. Does my Nivada Antarctic have better finishing than something from San Martin? Absolutely not, both are great. But the way that Nivada finishing is executed works extremely well in expressing the era which originated the watch and the history of its previous versions. It was worth the extra money to get this lovely and cohesive design. But I have watches that cost 1/3 as much which operate more smoothly and accurately.
I imagine things do change once you get into much higher price ranges. But I find that when shopping in the high-affordable/low-luxury range, I'm happier if I just focus on percieved value and aesthetics, rather than internal mechanics. Whether a $250 Citizen or a $900 Maen, whatever's inside will probably work fine, and anyway it will look cool as hell. 🤷🏽
My first was the Hamilton Khaki mechanical. Once you start, it’s hard to turn back.
What’s the problem with the Powermatic 80?! I’ve got one in my Tissot SeaStar Pro 2K and it’s excellent
Ehh... I based my impressions entirely on YouTube and Reddit. Would go back and edit if I could, lots of replies here helped me be just a bit less noob today!
If you want something solid in the $500 dollar range, you have tons of options from popular micro-brands- but you don’t have to spend that much to get started!
My first mechanical watch was one of the older Seiko 5 models, which you can still get on Jomashop for $100-$175. Stylistically, there are tons of options! They’re all automatic, come with a day-date complication, are modestly sized, and reasonably accurate. Plus, for a first mechanical watch, you’ll probably appreciate the display caseback (even if the movements themselves aren’t too fancy to look at).
The main downside in my opinion is the lack of hand-winding, but there’s something genuinely charming about the “Seiko shuffle” (giving the watch a shake to move the automatic rotor and get the watch going if you haven’t worn it for a couple of days). It gets the job done and is really no inconvenience. Additionally, I wouldn’t recommend any of the old Seiko 5’s for swimming, but you’ll have nothing to worry about if it rains or while you’re doing the dishes, and you don’t have to baby it.
The Seiko 5’s are a fanstastic starting point for a first mechanical watch!
Think you read my mind! I wound up ordering the SRPH33 that I'll be pairing with a NATO strap for most occasions.
A Hamilton Field Mechanical woulda been phenomenal, but with this price point + Macy's taking 15% off + Rakuten offering 10% cash back, I couldn't resist. Especially with that orange on black--probably not for everyone, but I love it and have an LED nixie tube clock running the same color scheme. 😎
Think you read my mind! I wound up ordering the SRPH33 that I'll be pairing with a NATO strap for most occasions.
A Hamilton Field Mechanical woulda been phenomenal, but with this price point + Macy's taking 15% off + Rakuten offering 10% cash back, I couldn't resist. Especially with that orange on black--probably not for everyone, but I love it and have an LED nixie tube clock running the same color scheme. 😎
This is their promotion material and they photograph a strap with a stitching defect. 🤦
This is their promotion material and they photograph a strap with a stitching defect. 🤦
Wow, for once stitches got snitches! 😂
Get a sub-500 watch with a NH35, NH38, or NH38. If the movement dies, which is unlikely with these Seiko movements, you can just replace the whole thing.
Think you read my mind! I wound up ordering the SRPH33 that I'll be pairing with a NATO strap for most occasions.
A Hamilton Field Mechanical woulda been phenomenal, but with this price point + Macy's taking 15% off + Rakuten offering 10% cash back, I couldn't resist. Especially with that orange on black--probably not for everyone, but I love it and have an LED nixie tube clock running the same color scheme. 😎
Very cool! That would be one of the more modern Seiko 5’s, so the specifications and everything should be a good bit better than what I was saying!
You can get a very nice mechanical Orient or Orient Star for 500 or substantially less.
The real answer is that the decision depends on a few things. Firstly, how long do you envisage to keep this watch? Is it a "rest of my life" watch, or is it the beginning of a collection? If it's the beginning of a collection - a toe in the water - then by all means, go for a sub-500 watch. Why? Well, if you buy yourself a cheap watch, the service at 5 years may cost more than what you actually paid for it. This particularly goes for Seikos. You may have to spend substantially more than what you originally paid, and definitely more than what the watch is actually worth for service. It's cheaper to buy a completely new movement, but at that time, it might also be more than the current value of the watch.
If you plan to extend your ownership of the watch beyond the distance of the first service, sub 1,000 and perhaps up to 1,200 will put you in the right space - particularly when it comes to stock ETA or Sellita movements, which can be serviced cheaply by local watchmakers.
So find out what local watch services cost and what kind of service they offer. If they are acceptable, get a watch with a movement that they service cheaply. If there is no local service, take a hit on getting your Seiko/Orient replaced.
There is a 3rd option - Vostok - hard as nails, sub 200, fiddle with it yourself. You can buy the parts on Ebay.
The real answer is that the decision depends on a few things. Firstly, how long do you envisage to keep this watch? Is it a "rest of my life" watch, or is it the beginning of a collection? If it's the beginning of a collection - a toe in the water - then by all means, go for a sub-500 watch. Why? Well, if you buy yourself a cheap watch, the service at 5 years may cost more than what you actually paid for it. This particularly goes for Seikos. You may have to spend substantially more than what you originally paid, and definitely more than what the watch is actually worth for service. It's cheaper to buy a completely new movement, but at that time, it might also be more than the current value of the watch.
If you plan to extend your ownership of the watch beyond the distance of the first service, sub 1,000 and perhaps up to 1,200 will put you in the right space - particularly when it comes to stock ETA or Sellita movements, which can be serviced cheaply by local watchmakers.
So find out what local watch services cost and what kind of service they offer. If they are acceptable, get a watch with a movement that they service cheaply. If there is no local service, take a hit on getting your Seiko/Orient replaced.
There is a 3rd option - Vostok - hard as nails, sub 200, fiddle with it yourself. You can buy the parts on Ebay.
Wow thanks, I was just looking into Vostoks and had the impression they cost way more than that, let alone the self-service aspect. I haven't gotten into dive watches yet so I'll keep that in mind once I expand my collection.
Wow thanks, I was just looking into Vostoks and had the impression they cost way more than that, let alone the self-service aspect. I haven't gotten into dive watches yet so I'll keep that in mind once I expand my collection.
There are two brands of Vostok. There is the original Vostok in Russia, and there is a European version. The European ones are (in my view) overpriced quartz watches:
https://vostok-europe.com
The original Vostok watches are much cheaper and have rough but robust mechanical movements - not just divers - but the Amphibia the one that everyone buys:
https://www.meranom.com
https://meranom.com/en/vostok/
https://meranom.com/en/amphibian-classic/
There are two brands of Vostok. There is the original Vostok in Russia, and there is a European version. The European ones are (in my view) overpriced quartz watches:
https://vostok-europe.com
The original Vostok watches are much cheaper and have rough but robust mechanical movements - not just divers - but the Amphibia the one that everyone buys:
https://www.meranom.com
https://meranom.com/en/vostok/
https://meranom.com/en/amphibian-classic/
This might be the best thing I’ll learn today, thanks!
Danger of buying sub $500 is you can get the itch and before you know it you’ve got a box full of watches but potentially not found a keeper that scratches the itch…Japanese watches are great entry level. Casio is awesome and then there’s the Citizen v Seiko v Orient arm wrestle. Good luck 🤞