While the top brands with their ‘exhibition only’ timepieces really don’t have to try that hard to grab headlines and see their waiting-lists grow ever longer, manufacturers in the more competitive sectors have really had to up their game in recent years to appeal to an ever more informed watch buying public.
And today, this often means that it is watches in the more accessible and affordable arenas that are the most exciting.
Names like G-Shock, Swatch and Seiko have always had that elusive ‘cool’ factor, enhanced by collaborations with the hottest names from alternative fields such as fashion, art and sport, but the sub-£500 market as a whole is now one of the most fun areas to search for watches that stand out from the crowd.
When asked by friends and family what they should be looking at for their first or next watch purchase, I am increasingly deviating from past stock answers and suggesting more realistically attainable choices instead.
Tissot’s on trend PRX.A runaway success of the past 12 months has been the Tissot PRX.
My nephew recently bought one for himself with no prompting from me, as did the young son of a very well-known WatchPro contributor.
This is a watch that is getting noticed not only for its on point design, slick marketing and real heritage, but also for its entry price of £600.
By pure coincidence, two of my favourite models of the moment are gracing the covers of the UK and US August editions of WatchPro – both of which are likely to join my own humble collection in the near future.
Citizen’s Tsuyosa is a lesson in meeting trends head-on, particularly in its yellow and turquoise versions. Its unisex size, automatic movement and minimalist coloured dials are certainly head-turning, but the deal-breaker is again the retail price of £299.
Bulova meanwhile, with its Archive Series models, including the new Classic Jet Star (£429), offers vintage style with the authenticity (watchmaking’s favourite buzzword) to appeal to enthusiasts, plus all the 21st-century updates needed to make it durable enough to be worn as an everyday watch.
And the trend for chic and affordable timepieces stretches well beyond those mentioned above.
It’s a global phenomenon, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a browse through the collections of American-owned Timex, British-based Accurist, quintessentially French Herbelin, Swiss favourite Mondaine and Japanese company Orient, among dozens of others.
The overriding message is that attainable does not equal lacklustre.
The options are endless and watch shopping today on a £500 budget can open up a world of quality craftsmanship and design and a path into a lifetime of collecting.
