In an age when quartz watches offer dirt-cheap time-telling and superior accuracy, the popularity of mechanical watches is curious. It’s grown substantially over the last couple of decades, and especially in the last several years โ even when smartwatches more or less offer a computer on your wrist. But we’re among those smitten with anachronistic tech of springs and gears, and even those at the cheapest end of the spectrum can be incredibly fun.
Products in the Guide
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Orient Tristar
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Seiko 5 SNK
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Swatch Sistem51
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Vostok Amphibia
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Citizen NJ0100 Automatic
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Marlin Sub-Dial Automatic
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MVMT Arc Automatic
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Bulova Hack Watch
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Orient Sun & Moon Automatic
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Dan Henry 1970 Automatic Diver
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Seiko 5 Sports SKX Sports Style GMT
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Nodus Sector GMT
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Lorier Neptune
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Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical
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Maen Hudson 38
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While producing a mechanical wristwatch can be an expensive proposition, large-scale production from Japanese brands focusing on basic and affordable movements means that just about anyone can afford a mechanical timepiece. We’re talking watches from those brands themselves, like Seiko and Citizen, but also from smaller boutique brands that make use of the movements as well as sourcing other components and labor. Yes, you can get a very cool hand-winding or automatic watch for not a lot of scratch, but there are a few things to know and some questions you should ask.
Start Shopping for an Affordable Mechanical Watch Here
“Affordable” means different things to different people โ and it’s a relative term. Maybe under a grand is totally affordable to you. Here, we’re starting at the lowest point at which we can conscionably recommend a mechanical watch. That’s just upward of around $100 at the time of writing (just be aware that prices fluctuate significantly for this kind of watch), but even going up a few hundred bucks from there counts as “affordable” because of the value you can find.
Orient Tristar
Orient Tristar
- Diameter: 37mm
- Movement: Orient 469 automatic
- Water Resistance: 30m
Around the very entry point into Orient’s mechanical offerings has long been the obscure โTristarโ line that feels in many ways like the brandโs counterpart to the Seiko 5. Hell, the movement inside (the Orient 469) is based on a 1970s Seiko caliber which itself formed the basis for the modern 7S series of movements found in old Seiko 5s. Like the old Seiko 5 watches, Tristars were long available for under $100 but more recent prices are up. Still, at under $200, it’s pretty damn good considering the cool looks, Japanese automatic movement and features like stock stainless steel bracelets.