Since this is a fantasy for me, I’ll also assume I can purchase at retail…

• Patek Phillipe Aquanaut 5167A
• Cartier Tank Americaine in steel 

I have the SBGW231 and it’s the perfect size. The new pink GS LE release makes me hopeful there will be more offerings with the 9S64 movement at this size!

Get the watch you want. If you get something else, you’ll end up buying it anyway.

It really is a wonderful watch. Admittedly with all my time spent at home these days it doesn’t get a lot of wear — but whenever I do strap it on, I fall in love with it all over again. It’s also very charming on a more casual strap.

Used Grand Seiko SBGW231 or a Cartier Tank Must. But, as everyone else has also said, it is really hard to beat the value of a BB58.

A 36mm Nomos Club is an excellent option, and I think you may be able to find a used one around 1k. It checks most of your criteria. 

I’ve also been very confused, but this is my current understanding: there is the regular quartz must that is identical to the SolarBeat, except the SolarBeat has vegan leather strap options (blue and green); quartz has a black leather strap or bracelet option. 

The new color tank musts are also quartz, not SolarBeat. 

I’ve also read that there is no indication on the SolarBeat that it is the SolarBeat model, so you should verify the model number when purchasing. Some folks have had mix ups with ADs having purchased a quartz thinking it was solar.