14 of the best-value sports watches on the market, between $300 and $3,000
Time+TideAffordability is highly relative, but when wristwatches can range from a $20 Casio to a $2 million Richard Mille, the waters get significantly muddied. Using the US$3,000 mark as an entry point to luxury watchmaking, we’ve collated a spread of the best affordable sports watches that can thrive in an active lifestyle without breaking the bank.
RZE Urbanist
RZE specialises in rugged watches made from titanium, embodying an adventurous spirit that begs to be put through its paces. The RZE Urbanist is its most affordable watch yet, but it’s still packed with as much value as it can squeeze in. The grade 2 titanium case is coated with UltraHex to give it a hardness of 1,200HV, ensuring its scratch resistance along with the sapphire crystal. It’s a moderate yet powerful 36mm due to its 12-sided bezel and flowing lugs, while the intensely textured dials remain easy to read thanks to bold, luminous numerals. What’s more, the Miyota quartz movement is solar powered, so you never need to worry about battery life. Price: US$295
Seiko 5 Sports SRPD55
A list of the best affordable sports watches would be totally incomplete without a Seiko 5. For decades, the Seiko 5 range has been the indisputable champion of high-value, low-price beaters that look great and last forever. Although it’s gone through some pretty big changes in the last couple of years, the modern incarnation of the Seiko 5 Sports is now an adaptation of the now-discontinued SKX dive watch, which has been dubbed by enthusiasts as the “5KX”. The SRPD55 is as basic as they come, but it can also serve as a fantastic platform for modification, or just an incredibly versatile watch that you can take swimming. Price: US$350
Citizen Promaster Dive Eco-Drive
Just as the Seiko 5 is an essential on this list, so is the Citizen Promaster. Unlike the Seiko, this watch is still an all-out diver with 200 metres of water resistance to prove it. It ticks all of the requisite ISO boxes necessary to have the word “DIVER’S” printed on the dial, and its style is just an all-time classic. The toothed bezel with its bold insert, the tombstone indices at the cardinal points, and the stubby-but-distinguishable hands are all instantly recognisable as Citizen hallmarks. The Eco-Drive movement also provides solar charging, along with the knowledge that Citizen pioneered that hidden-panel technology. Price: US$375
Zelos Swordfish 40mm Ti Emerald Green
Zelos is one of the biggest names in the microbrand game. Extreme facets, buckets of contrasting lume colours, bronze cases and meteorite dials are just some of the styles Zelos helped bring to the affordable side. The Swordfish is a staple of the ever-evolving Zelos catalogue, as a constant wash of releases sells out and experimental new models take their place. This reference in a full case and bracelet of titanium is surprisingly comfortable considering its chunky aesthetic, with a 40mm diameter, compact 46mm lug-to-lug, and a 12mm thickness. The emerald green dial is marvellously dynamic and lights up with blue and green lume after dark, perfect for a fully fledged, 200-metre dive watch. Price: US$429
Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Pogue SSC947
It’s no surprise that there’s two Seikos on this list. Admirers of vintage Seiko watches have all had a phase where they salivated over a ref. 6139, but it can be hard to justify owning an old one when there are reliability questions and condition issues. Finally, a spiritual successor has been released under the Prospex Speedtimer umbrella as the ref. SSC947. It uses the V192 solar-powered quartz chronograph movement, and can even be taken swimming with 100 metres of water resistance, making it a truly usable sports watch in a daily sense. But really, the orange-gold dial with the blue and red bezel is ultimately what tugs strongest at the heartstrings. Price: US$700
Hamilton Khaki Field King
Between its long history with affordable watchmaking and its star-studded relationship with Hollywood, Hamilton has to be one of the most popular Swiss watch brands out there. The Khaki Field King is a fan favourite, with its mix of military influence and daily practicality. The day/date complication at 12 o’clock is arranged for symmetry, and the polished bezel gives it a little taste of class, contrasting the tactical nature of its 24-hour dial and rugged 40mm case with crown guards. Price: US$795, available from the Time+Tide Shop
Timex Atelier Marine M1a
While Timex have for a long time been the champion of affordable watches, they are starting to make waves in the higher end of the market – but that doesn’t mean they are going over the top. The new Atelier line is the brand’s effort to offer something a bit more premium to its clients, and this new dive watch proves they are to be taken seriously. Designed by Giorgio Galli, it boasts a Swiss mechanical movement, 200m water-resistance and more refined finishing than we’re used to seeing from Timex. Price: US$950 (on rubber), US$1,050 (on bracelet)
Farer Exmoor II
An updated field watch from British brand Farer is a welcome addition to the collection as they brought this rugged line up to date with the current catalogue and the brand’s design language. The grained dial is a rather satisfying texture with the super visible pointer date with its flashes of orange contrasting against the deep green dial. With 150m of water resistance and a tough bracelet to go along with it, this is the kind of watch that can go anywhere and do anything. Price: £1,095 (US$1,265), available in the UK from the Time+Tide Shop
Mido Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer
Although the Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961 which instantly boosted Mido’s fanfare only gets released in limited editions, you can always get the regular production Decompression Worldtimer. The gorgeous array of pastel-coloured rings is preserved on the blue dial version, while the black dial opts for a more fiery approach with yellow, red and orange. It’s still a dive-capable watch with the 40.5mm case’s 200 metres of water resistance, but the rotating bezel has been given various cities of the world to use in conjunction with the fourth GMT hand. The 80-hour power reserve of the ETA-built Calibre 80 is also a great bonus. Price: US$1,490, available from the Time+Ttide Shop
Christopher Ward C65 Dune Bronze COSC
It’s fascinating that bronze became such a popular watchmaking material when its most unique characteristic is oxidising. Although the patina is protective and not corrosive, bronze watches will take on a completely different look over time unless you maintain the golden shine. If you’re buying a bronze watch in 2024 after the craze has passed, you might as well go all out with the Christopher Ward C65 Dune Bronze COSC. The full bronze bracelet grants it a luxurious look when clean, or contributes to the shipwrecked treasure vibe if covered in verdigris. Combined with a gorgeous green dial and a 38mm case with 150 metres of water resistance, it’s a capable sports watch with heaps of personal flair. Price: US$1,550
Baltic Tricompax Panda
Inspired by the best racing chronographs of the 1960s, the Baltic Tricompax Panda is a spotless example of why contemporary design can actually be more nostalgic than the old vintage pieces. The black subdials with engraved concentric circles, the dauphine hands, and the perfect shade of off-white for the dial practically glimmer with heritage. It’s a successful example of storytelling in watchmaking, as you can easily imagine wearing it while hurtling through a chicane on the very edge of grip. The Sellita SW510-M is a manually winding chronograph movement based on the architecture of the storied Valjoux 7750, and it aids both the watch’s affordability and its comfortable 39.5mm x 13.5mm sizing. Price: €1,645 (~US$1,825), available from the T+T Shop
TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph
TAG Heuer is one of the top names in Swiss luxury watchmaking, and it’s also one of the only ones left that hasn’t abandoned its entry-level customers for the sake of the higher-end. The Formula 1 chronograph is a high-octane model that doesn’t care about subtlety. The reference CAZ101AN.BA0842 is particularly strong, with its chunky black bezel contrasting with the cherry-red sunburst dial, reminiscent of a certain Italian racing team. It may “just” be loaded with a quartz movement, but it can measure 1/10th of a second, it’s built to luxury standards, and it’s got arguably the most iconic logo in racing watch history. Price: US$2,100
Longines Spirit Pilot
Adapted from the essence of Allied pilots’ watches during WWII, the Longines Spirit Pilot gets absolutely every detail of its design spot-on. From the intricate minute track separated with a fine reflective ring, to the polished chamfer along the lug line, everything is balanced with nuance and clinical precision. At 39mm, it will suit most wrists, it’s water-ready with a resistance rating of 100 metres, and the Longines calibre L888.4 manufactured by ETA has a power reserve of 72 hours, a beat rate of 25,200vph, and is a COSC-certified chronometer. Price: US$2,700 (on rubber), US$2,850 (on leather), US$3,100 (on bracelet)
Doxa SUB 750T
Most models in Doxa’s SUB range of dive watches come in below US$3,000, and therefore would be appropriate inclusions on this list, but the recently-released SUB 750T – a variant that has been missing from the catalogue for a while now – stands out as a particularly good choice. As its name implies, it’s a proper deep diver that’s water-resistant to 750 metres and is available in eight different nautically-themed dial options: Professional orange, Sharkhunter black, Searambler silver, Caribbean blue, Divingstar yellow, Aquamarine blue, Whitepearl white, and Sea Emerald green. Price: US$2,750 (on rubber), US$2,790 (on bracelet), from the Time+Tide Shop (excluding the UK)
Bonus pick: Tudor Ranger
Playing on the archetype of a vintage field watch, the Tudor Ranger is the quirky (and much more affordable) cousin of the Rolex Explorer ref. 1016… Even if recent price increases have pushed it past the US$3,000 barrier. The 39mm stainless steel case is nicely scaled for modern presence with retro modesty, and the off-white luminous paint brings some warmth to the matte black dial. The calibre MT5402 is a brilliant time-only movement manufactured by Kenissi, a firm jointly owned by Tudor, Chanel, and Breitling. It has a 70-hour power reserve, a smooth 4Hz beat rate, and is COSC-certified for accuracy within -4/+6 seconds per day. Price: US$3,375 (on fabric), US$3,725 (on bracelet)