Most “Top 10” watch lists are written by people who get paid by the brands or by some AI that thinks we all have $50k sitting in a high-yield savings account just waiting to be spent on a piece of jewelry. They aren’t real. They talk about “horological significance” and “investment value” like you’re buying a piece of real estate instead of a machine that tells you you’re five minutes late for a dental appointment.
I’ve spent too much money on watches over the last decade. I’ve bought the hype, I’ve bought the fakes (once, by accident, in a dark bar in Seoul—don’t ask), and I’ve bought the stuff that looked great in photos but felt like wearing a manhole cover on my wrist. Here is the truth: most watches are overpriced, but a few of them actually make your life slightly better.
The cheap stuff that actually wins
Let’s start with the Casio F-91W. It is $20. It is plastic. It looks like something a math teacher in 1984 would wear. But it is perfect. I lost one in a lake in Wisconsin back in 2016 during a particularly messy bachelor party. I bet if I went back and found it, the alarm would still be going off. It’s thin enough to slide under a sleeve and it doesn’t care if you drop it. If you don’t own one, you aren’t a watch person; you’re just a person with money.
Then there’s the Seiko 5 (specifically the SRPD line). I used to think you needed a Rolex to be a “watch guy.” I was completely wrong. This watch is the gateway drug. It’s mechanical, which means it has a tiny little engine inside powered by your movement. It’s not the most accurate thing in the world—mine gained about 12 seconds a day when I tracked it over a three-week period in 2021—but it has soul. It’s the watch that teaches you how to appreciate the sweep of a second hand.
Key Takeaway: Expensive does not mean better. A $20 Casio has more integrity than a $500 fashion watch from a mall kiosk.
The part nobody talks about (including my own failures)
I need to tell you about my biggest mistake. In 2012, I lived in South Jersey and worked a job I hated. I wanted to feel like a boss, so I bought this 52mm Invicta chronograph. It was huge. It was gold-plated. It was hideous. I wore it to a cousin’s wedding and I kid you not, I hit the door frame three separate times because I wasn’t used to having a literal brick strapped to my arm. I felt like an idiot. I looked like I was trying too hard. What I mean is—actually, let me put it differently. A watch should fit your life, not the life you’re pretending to have on Instagram.
Anyway, that leads me to the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical. This is the watch I should have bought back then. It’s 38mm, which is the perfect size for almost any human wrist. It’s based on old military designs. It’s rugged, it’s matte, and it doesn’t shout. It’s the watch for people who actually do things with their hands. I’ve worn mine hiking, gardening, and once while fixing a leaky sink that ended up soaking me completely. The watch didn’t care. It just kept ticking.
I know people will disagree with me on this, but I think the Apple Watch shouldn’t even be on these lists. I actively tell my friends to avoid it if they want a “watch.” It’s not a watch; it’s a wrist-leash. It’s another screen to distract you from the person sitting across from you. It’ll be obsolete in three years. A real watch should last thirty. Total waste of money.
The heavy hitters that are actually worth the hype
If you have the money, there are only a few “luxury” watches that aren’t just status symbols for insecure people.
- Rolex Submariner: Yes, it’s a cliché. Yes, every guy in finance has one. But it’s a cliché for a reason. It’s built like a tank and it looks good with a suit or a t-shirt. I’ve tried to find reasons to hate it, but I can’t. It’s just correct.
- Tudor Pelagos: This is actually the better Rolex. It’s made of titanium, it has a ceramic bezel that won’t scratch, and it feels like a tool rather than a piece of jewelry. If I could only own one watch for the rest of my life, this is it.
- Omega Speedmaster Professional: The “Moon Watch.” I’m going to be honest here: it’s actually kind of annoying because you have to wind it every day like a Victorian clockmaker. But when you look down and realize the design hasn’t changed much since it was on the moon, you forgive it.
- Cartier Tank: A Cartier Tank is like a secret handshake for people who don’t feel the need to shout. It’s small, it’s rectangular, and it’s incredibly elegant. It’s the only “dress” watch you ever need.
I might be wrong about this, but I think the Nomos Tangente is the smartest watch on this list. It’s German, it’s Bauhaus, and it’s for the nerds. I wore one for a week and felt like I had suddenly gained 20 IQ points. It’s thin, precise, and doesn’t have a single unnecessary line on it. It’s the opposite of that Invicta I bought in 2012. It’s restrained.
The ones I refuse to like (and one I love)
I refuse to recommend anything from Hublot. I don’t care if everyone loves them. They look like they were designed by a twelve-year-old with a sugar rush and a limitless budget for industrial screws. It’s all flash and no substance. There, I said it. My editor would probably tell me to be more “balanced,” but I’m not an editor. I’m just a guy with a blog and a strong dislike for overpriced portholes.
On the flip side, the G-Shock DW5600 is basically a tank for your arm. I’ve dropped mine off a second-story balcony just to see if it would break. It didn’t. I use it as a timer when I’m grilling steaks. It costs $50. It’s the most honest object I own. No frills, no ego. Just 200 meters of water resistance and a backlight that actually works.
Finally, if you’re dreaming big, there’s the Patek Philippe Calatrava. It’s the end of the road. It’s the watch you buy when you’ve stopped trying to prove anything to anyone. It just tells the time. That’s it. It costs more than my first car (a 2004 Honda Civic that I eventually crashed into a ditch), but it’s beautiful in a way that makes you quiet.
I used to think that the more features a watch had, the better it was. I wanted chronographs, tachymeters, moon phases, and GMT hands. Now? I just want something that feels right when I strap it on in the morning. I’ve realized that a watch is the only piece of jewelry most men feel comfortable wearing, so it might as well be something that says something true about you.
Which one should you actually buy? If you have $20, buy the Casio. If you have $500, buy the Seiko. If you have $10,000, buy the Tudor and spend the rest on a vacation.
Does anyone even use the chronograph function on their watches anymore? I’ve had my Speedmaster for years and I think I’ve used the timer exactly twice—once for a soft-boiled egg and once to see how long my boss would talk during a meeting. It was 42 minutes.
Buy the Hamilton. You won’t regret it.