First watches!!!

For just over £200, you could probably add two older Seiko 5 watches. I would recommend an SNK809 for a daily watch, and an SNKL23 for a nicer option. Currently on Amazon, the SNK809 is $108, and the SNKL23 is $119.

You also might look on AliExpress for some options. Lots of budget options for daily beaters.

My personal favorite. 

Tougher and more reliable and more accurate than pretty much any mechanical watch - if you care about that sort of thing. It's pretty much the best bang for buck tool watch but it still feels very premium for the price.

For 160 bucks you get titanium (ultra light and comfy on the skin), solar powered, sapphire glass for scratch resistance, radio controlled so it stays accurate, excellent sizing and ultra wide/flat back for comfort. And digital timers and alarms which are super useful. It even has a great orange LED light which isn't as harsh on the eyes as many other options.

 28g weight, 9mm thick, 44mm lug to lug (that's the total length), 38mm case (or 40mm wide with the button guards) and 20mm strap size. 

As I often mention here, I'd recommend avoiding leather straps as that industry is a bit of a nightmare. Cats and dogs etc.

For the other 40 bucks it seems the most popular is maybe the ae1200. 

It's not bad but it's plastic. I don't love it but many people do. 25 bucks or so.

Timex are super loud at this price point.

I'm still looking for a nice stainless steel or titanium beater that I love enough to wear, is tough enough to take abuse, but that is cheap enough to damage.

There's 40 dollar G shocks which are super tough but also a bit boring to me and I also want something really slim that doesn't get caught on stuff while I'm jamming my arms into machines and furniture and computers etc.  

I might go for a titanium alba which is a Seiko sister brand. 

You can get a Casio Duro as your daily watch and an Orient Bambino as a more quality watch (i would change the strap on the Orient). Quick Amazon UK search and found both for under £200

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Casio-MDV106-1AV-Analog-Watch-Black/dp/B009KYJAJY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OR4NH8U8F9SB&keywords=casio%2Bduro&qid=1667823937&sprefix=casio%2Bduro%2Caps%2C121&sr=8-1&th=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Orient-Analogue-Automatic-Leather-FAC00005W0/dp/B01MXPSU8R/ref=sr_1_3?a=aps&crid=246PV9ZBG8OYU&keywords=orient%2Bwatch%2Bmen&qid=1667823984&sprefix=orient%2Bwa&sr=8-3&th=1

Good luck, im sure you will love and enjoy what ever you chose 😀

I appreciate it, thanks for your thoughts! I agree that most G-Shocks are a bit boring. The Casioak Gshock is cool but I’m looking for a more sleek analogue watch. Alba sounds interesting! 

Thanks pal! I appreciate the links. The duro does seem attractive, but might wear a bit big on my wrists (44mm diameter). The bambino is a solid option for sure - popular for the right reasons!

Thanks pal! I’m a fan of the Seiko 5 line, there’s just so many options, I’m not sure with which one to go with. Thanks for the suggestions 👍

I've been thinking of making a cheap watch interesting by adding a sticker to the dial. (Made for fingernails so very common and cheap). 

My current one is too small and low quality but it's maybe a good test subject. I only paid 8 bucks for it.

I prefer original brand merchandise but the few official Pokemon watches are ugly and rare and super overpriced.

But if you like that kinda thing there's official Mario etc on Sakura Watches. Shipping is around 30 bucks I think, so it's maybe best to check eBay for better prices. Spending 30 bucks for shipping seems a lot for a 30 dollar watch. But Sakura is great for discovering stuff or if you're spending 200 bucks then the shipping is fine. It's DHL which is normally very fast.

Maybe look for a full-lume alba. That's where the whole dial background glows in the dark. They get good reviews. 

Follow @uhrensohn .  He is wise in the ways of budget watches and AliExpress.

Also a couple of very good threads

https://www.watchcrunch.com/uhrensohn/posts/best-3-watch-collection-under-200-16566 

https://www.watchcrunch.com/justinmj01/posts/budget-watch-collections-recommendations-9840 

https://www.watchcrunch.com/Jaz173/posts/budget-watch-recommendations-5600 

Much appreciated! Will definitely take a look 😁

I got two Pagani Design watches second hand on eBay for much less than 200 — but if you don’t mind such things, look on Amazon. I know some don’t like homages, but for me, if it’s not a one-to-one copy — but in a style I do like — then a decent Japanese movement in those watches make them very appealing.

Next year I might get a PD1729, because it’s like a Seiko and a Planet Ocean had a baby, and it can tell me what day it is. A surprisingly useful feature. 

Ah interesting! 

They are the two not-quite-seamasters in my gallery. (They have too many differences to be called knock offs, no different to say a Dan Henry in that regard. Not all are like that mind you.)