Nothing beats a good old mechanical watch. Mechanical watches rely on the well-crafted movements that give them their life. Now, there are hundreds of different options out there and a lot of them are pretty good. So it’s quite hard to pick one out of a sea of mechanical watches. But often, a good mechanical watch can cost you an arm and a leg.
Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of the 20 best affordable mechanical watches, and all of them are just under $500.
What is a Mechanical Watch?
Before getting into our list of the best affordable mechanical watches, it’s best to establish first what is a mechanical watch. A mechanical watch uses a complex movement that consists of small individual parts that work together simultaneously and harmoniously to keep the watch ticking. There are two types of mechanical watches. First is manual or hand-wound. What does this mean? Simply put, these watches do not require a battery to operate. Usually, you wind the crown a couple of times every so often to keep the watch going.
Automatic or self-winding watches are also considered mechanical watches. The main aspect of an automatic watch is that you don’t need to wind it every day as long as you wear it regularly. The motion the watch experiences when you wear it is what keeps it ticking.
Mechanical watches don’t have a battery but they do often have a power reserve. It allows the watch to continue operating even when not worn or wound for some time.
20 Best Affordable Mechanical Watches
1. Orient ‘Bambino Open Heart’ Mechanical Dress Watch
Starting off our list, we’ve got a charming traditional leather Orient Bambino watch that takes on an interesting twist. The watch has a classic white dial with silver-toned hands and hour markers and a matching stainless steel case. This is covered by a domed mineral crystal glass, ensuring minimal scratches. Its strap is made out of a neat leather band in a deep brown hue. The watch functions under a Japanese mechanical automatic movement which you can clearly see up close, thanks to the open heart dial and transparent back. Reviewers especially love the design and craftsmanship of the watch, stating how great the quality is for a watch that costs less than $200. For something that keeps excellent time, it sure has quite a timeless (pun intended) and stylish design.
2. Fossil Women’s Original Boyfriend Mechanical Watch
One look at this watch will make people give out a low whistle of appreciation. Yes, this Fossil Women’s Original Boyfriend Watch is definitely a stunner. Its skeleton dial allows people to have a look into the intricate automatic mechanical movement of the watch. The watch also features three luminous hands in a nice rose gold color, which matches the rose gold-tone stainless steel case. It also has a mineral crystal face and a genuine leather strap. The watch is water-resistant up to 50 meters, so you can easily take it with you for a swim, just as long as you don’t plan on diving or snorkeling. People have left a lot of positive reviews for the watch, admiring the design and loving how comfortable the watch feels on the wrist.
3. Orient 2nd Generation Bambino Version 2 Dress Watch
Here’s a nice little watch for those who prefer clean designs over frivolous aesthetics. This Orient Bambino Dress Watch has a beige dial with Roman numeral hour markers and thin blue hands. It’s quite simple yet carries an air of sophistication especially with its classic brown leather strap. The watch also features a stainless steel case and domed mineral crystal glass. It runs on a Japanese automatic mechanical movement and has 30-meter water resistance. One of the things customers love about the watch, in particular, is its raised lens or domed crystal which is reminiscent of the older vintage watches. For a watch at its price point, it’s definitely a catch.
4. Bulova Gunmetal Skeleton Automatic Mechanical Watch
Looking for a sleek and eye-catching timepiece? Well, have a look at this stunning mechanical skeleton watch from Bulova. This watch is in an elegant gray-black gunmetal IP stainless steel with a double-press push-button deployment clasp. But what’s really striking about this watch is its skeleton dial and exhibition caseback that gorgeously showcases the intricate automatic movement of the watch. Its face is made of strong sapphire glass and the watch is water-resistant up to 100 meters. Not only is it a beautiful watch, but it is also well-crafted and sturdy. A lot of reviewers agree that it is indeed an impressive watch, especially for its price.
5. Bulova Women’s Classic Automatic Mechanical Watch
Here’s another stunning piece from Bulova. This Bulova Women’s Automatic Watch has a beautiful white dial made of mother of pearl. This dial also features an open aperture which lets you peek at the watch’s automatic heartbeat movement. You can also see this through the back since the watch also sports an exhibition caseback. The watch’s band is in two-tone rose gold and stainless steel which matches the rose gold bezel and dial accents. Finishing off the dial, the watch features five diamonds that were individually set by hand on the dial. The watch has a domed sapphire crystal for its face and a double-press deployment clasp.
6. Orient Mako II Automatic Dive Watch
Looking for a sleek stainless steel watch you can take for a dive? The Orient Mako II is made of stainless steel and has a push-button foldover clasp with safety. Its dial is in a solid black along with its 120-click unidirectional bezel. The watch is pretty easy to read with big white numbers contrasting against the dark dial. This watch also features a day of the week and date window where the three o’clock mark is supposed to be. For a stainless steel watch, the Mako II is pretty water-resistant at 200 meters. You can have it on while engaging in serious surface water sports and even during professional marine activities.
7. Invicta 8926OB Pro Diver Automatic Mechanical Watch
Here’s another stainless steel watch with a black dial and great water resistance. But this time it comes from the watch brand Invicta. This Invicta Men’s Pro Diver Watch can go as deep as 200 meters in the water while still functioning perfectly. It has a stainless steel link band with a foldover safety clasp. The watch runs under a Japanese automatic mechanical movement and has an exhibition caseback. Its corrugated unidirectional bezel is in a solid black color, matching the dial. The watch is easy to read with luminous markers and watch hands, and it also features a date window at the three o’clock position. Reviewers love the quality of the watch, impressed with the movement and overall craftsmanship.
8. Invicta 9094 Pro Diver Automatic Mechanical Dive Watch
Not really feeling the black dial on the previous watch but still like the watch in general? Well, lucky for you, the Invicta Men’s Pro Diver Stainless Steel Watch also comes in a vibrant blue dial and bezel. To activate this watch, you simply need to unscrew the crown and pull it out. And once done setting the date and time, you just need to do the reverse. It’s quite comfortable to wear and looks excellent on the wrist.
9. Bulova Mechanical Hand-Wound Dress Watch
Here’s another stunning watch from Bulova. This Bulova Men’s Mechanical Hand Wind Stainless Steel Watch sports a nice brown and rose gold combination. The strap is in a traditional alligator grain brown leather which matches the brown-tone stainless steel case of the watch. Its bezel is in beautiful rose gold, along with its Roman numeral hour markers and watch hands. Beautiful as it already is, what makes this watch a real eye-catcher is its skeleton dial and exhibition caseback which lets you clearly see the complicated mechanical hand-wound movement of the watch. Aside from aesthetics, the watch also offers great functionality. It keeps excellent time and is water-resistant up to 100 meters.
10. Kenneth Cole New York Automatic Mechanical Watch
There is no doubt that this Kenneth Cole New York Men’s Automatic Watch is a gorgeous timepiece. It’s so sleek and beautiful with its black leather strap and rose gold-tone stainless steel case. The black and rose gold combination is also featured on the dial with minimalistic rose gold markers around the black dial. This black, however, is only seen at the outer circumference of the dial since at the center we have a skeleton dial that showcases the intricate self-wind watch movement. Customers were very satisfied with the watch, getting a classy and fashionable timepiece at such a competitive price.
11. Fossil ‘s Townsman Automatic Mechanical Watch
There really is an abundance of beautiful watches on this list. Here, we have this Fossil Men’s Townsman Automatic Stainless Steel Mechanical Watch whose main selling point is its incredibly beautiful design. The watch combines traditional with contemporary by putting a twist on the classic leather watch. This watch’s strap is in elegant distressed leather with buckle closure. The watch’s case is in a sleek black stainless steel. However, the back of the case is transparent which goes perfectly well with the exquisite skeleton dial. Not only can you see the self-winding movement of the watch, but you can also see straight through the back since the dial only consists of the silhouette of the Roman numerals and indexes surrounding the movement. This is definitely a striking timepiece that is not only beautifully designed but also solidly constructed.
12. Seiko SNKN37 Automatic Mechanical Watch
Tired of the usual round-case watch? Well, here we’ve got a Seiko Men’s Stainless Steel Automatic Watch with a cushion-shaped case. The watch has a striking blue sunray dial with silver accents and a date window beside the three o’clock marker. It also has a Hardlex dial window and a distressed leather band with buckle closure. This is quite a large watch and would definitely grab some attention.
13. Fossil Townsman ME1138 Automatic Mechanical Watch
Who would have thought blue and rose gold would make such a beautiful combination? Well, this Fossil Men’s Townsman Automatic Mechanical Watch is probably the best proof to show that these two colors definitely work well together. One look at this watch and you just know that a lot of thought was put into creating such an exquisite timepiece. The watch has a nice blue leather strap with a tang buckle that goes in hand with the rose gold-tone stainless steel case. This color combination is also quite prominent in the dial. Let’s talk about the dial. The watch adopts an asymmetrical design with the rose gold watch hands located to the right of the dial center. These hands are enclosed in a smaller blue circle with the main hour markings and even smaller circles that indicate the day of the week and day of the month. To the left of this, you can see the mechanical hand-wind movement of the watch due to its skeleton design. This is definitely a watch that will gain you compliments from anyone who sees it.
14. Seiko 5 SNZH57 Automatic Mechanical Watch
Here’s another cool-looking mechanical watch from Seiko. This Seiko 5 Men’s Watch has a classic stainless steel bracelet with a three-fold clasp and case but with a more contemporary twist in its dial and bezel. Both the dial and bezel are in black and are decorated with gold accents. The dial is very minimal, showing only index hour markers and hands, as well as a date and day of the week window at the three o’clock position. Being a Seiko watch, it is both reliable and affordable. It’s definitely a watch that offers great quality for its price.
15. Seiko Recraft Series SNKP23 Automatic Watch
If you’re a man who loves a square-case watch, then consider this Seiko Men’s Recraft Series Automatic Watch. This watch has a nice 41-hour power reserve and a 50-meter water resistance. Its dial is a mix of blue and black with white accents. The watch also has a day of the week and date window at 3 o’clock.
16. GPW German Military Titanium Automatic Watch
Next, we’ve got this pretty cool GPW military-style watch. This watch is an incredibly lightweight titanium military watch. Its automatic movement is precise and it’s also electromagnetic pulse resistant. The watch’s face is a strong sapphire crystal that has an anti-reflection coating, making it pretty easy to read even in direct sunlight. It’s a pretty functional watch. You could even take it out for a swim since its water-resistance is up to 200 meters. Now, let’s talk about its design. The dial is pretty minimalistic, taking on a German utilitarian design with luminescent markers and watch hands, ensuring optimal readability.
17. Seiko 5 SNK789 Automatic Stainless Steel Watch
Now, here’s a traditional stainless steel watch. This Seiko 5 Men’s Watch takes on a monochromatic vibe with silver and white tones. It has a stainless steel bracelet with a foldover clasp and an exhibition caseback. The design is very minimalistic. It has a traditional white dial with silver hands and hour markers. The watch also features a date and day of the week window at the three o’clock position. It’s well-built, reliable, and even water-resistant up to 30 meters.
18. Stührling Original Skeleton Mechanical Watch
From minimalistic and traditional, we go to something more eye-catching and contemporary. This Stuhrling Original Skeleton Automatic Watch is a definite stunner. It has a nice, genuine leather band in black with an embossed alligator pattern. Its case is your classic stainless steel. But what really steals the show is its dial. The watch incorporates a splash of blue on its dial with blue hands and hour markers. This watch’s design is definitely well thought out, with a cool skeleton dial that showcases the intricate automatic watch movement. The watch also has dual time, seen in a smaller dial within the main one. And for an added touch, the watch also showcases a sun and moon dial. It is, without a doubt, a beautiful watch. For this watch, it’s luxury design meets optimum comfort.
19. Seiko 5 SNK809 Automatic Military Watch
Next, we have this pretty neat military watch from Seiko. The watch has a stainless steel case with a Hardlex dial window. Its strap is made of black canvas, a perfect companion for outdoor adventures. It has a clean dial design with both hour numbers and minute numbers with five-minute intervals. The hands and the hands and the Arabic numerals are both in a silver color, creating great contrast against the black dial for optimum readability. This watch also features a day of the week and date window right beside the 3 o’clock marker. It’s a pretty sturdy, surviving the dirt, the cold, and whatever condition or environment it is put into.
20. Seiko 5 SNK805 Automatic Military Watch
Finally, we have this green Seiko 5 military watch. If you loved the previous canvas watch in black, then you should consider getting it in green as well. Like the previous watch, this is a military-style watch with luminous accents but in a green dial. It is water-resistant up to 30 meters and is also quite sturdy. Living up to the Seiko reputation, this watch is quite reliable and pretty solid.
Final Thoughts
With an abundance of beautiful mechanical watches out there, you’ll definitely have a good roster of your best bets. A lot of these watches showcase their wonderful movements through their skeleton dials while others prefer the more minimalistic route. Whichever way goes, with this comprehensive list, you’re bound to find the best and affordable mechanical watch for you.
If you’re looking for more affordable watches, check out our ultimate guide to buying the best watches under $500.
