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Automatic watches are, at the same time, hands-off and beautiful. You get all the majestic ticking beauty of a manually-wound timepiece with no need to wind it up every day.
Yet some of the best-known luxury automatic watches command incredibly steep prices, like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. With prices like these, many feel that it’s better to go for a simple quartz watch and call it a day.
Thankfully, this is not the only way. Many microbrands and even larger ones offer exceptional timepieces with automatic movements at a fraction of the cost of more luxury brand offerings.
They’re wearable, beautiful, and if kept serviced, they can last a lifetime. All this for the price of a decent quartz watch. What’s not to love?
History of Automatic Watches
Automatic watches are a category that has been around for nearly a hundred years and has profoundly shaped the state of mechanical watchmaking in today’s world. They’re useful and versatile, as we all know—but where did they come from?
Most watch nerds are under the impression that the first automatic wristwatch was the Rolex Oyster Perpetual. In actuality, we need to credit this invention to an English watchmaker named John Harwood, who invented it in 1926. From there, the system has slowly evolved.
In many vintage watches—notably those created by Omega—the spinning rotor would spin and hit against a spring, and this compression would wind the watch.
This “bumper” system was less efficient than what’s used today, the “Perpetual” winding system introduced by Rolex. Automatic winding may be an old invention, but it remains one of the most useful today.
Top 15 Best Automatic Watches Under $500
So, if you’re looking for that automatic versatility and not interested in splurging on a high-luxury watch, where should you go? Right here! Here are 15 of the best automatic watches, all at varying prices under $500.
Seiko 5 Sports SRPD51
At a retail of $325, the SRPD51 comes right in at a mid-range for our budget, and it sure does so in style. The beating heart of this watch is the caliber 4R36, which is automatic and can run for a full 41 hours on a full wind.
You can wear this piece once every day, and it’ll always be wound for you, which is pretty fantastic and makes for a super hands-off wearing experience. In terms of the presentation, I’m a big fan of that unassuming blue sunray dial and blue bezel, which shine with just utter oceanic dive-watch charm.
My only gripe is that very unfortunate crown position at 4:00—but thankfully, with the automatic works, you won’t have to make too much use of it.
Tissot Classic Dream Swissmatic ref. T129.407.16.051.00
We just barely squeaked in under budget with this one at $495, thankfully, because excluding this watch would have been tough. Compared to the SRPD51 we just touched on, this Tissot is really a classy dream (sorry). It runs on the Tissot Swissmatic movement, which is an evolution of the Swatch SISTEM51 (more on that later!).
The Swissmatic movement is pretty fantastic, notably featuring an insane 72 hours of power reserve—for context, the Rolex 3230 only has around 70—and, of course, an automatic winding rotor. Overall, the presentation of the watch is extremely clean and refined, with a large black sunray-finished dial and thin lugs.
The hands are my favorite type, what we call a dauphine style. There’s something about it that just works so well with a dressy watch. And those polished applied indices, interrupted by the printed minutes track? Perfection.
Swatch x Blancpain Ocean of Storms
In my opinion, the Ocean of Storms is the culmination of Swatch’s bioceramic Fifty Fathoms series. It retails for $400, but you’re only able to pick up one of these bad boys in a Swatch brick-and-mortar store, so here’s hoping there’s one near you.
The Ocean of Storms features the Swatch SISTEM51, which is made out of a record-breaking low of just 51 components and only one screw. Thankfully, its “simplicity” doesn’t even begin to suggest that it’s a low-quality movement: it still has an insane 90-hour power reserve and is regulated by a laser before it leaves Swatch’s factory for extra precision.
The case itself is just so darn cool with that completely blacked-out dive watch look. The dial is black as well with a lovely sunray finish to give it that extra shine and you get a healthy dose of lume on the hands and numerals as well to make for one seriously legible dive watch. What more could you ask for?
Seiko Presage Cocktail Time SRPK15
Watches take inspiration from all kinds of sources: movies, books, architecture, art—the list goes on for a while. The SRPK15, however, is a totally new theme. The Cocktail Time collection from Seiko is actually inspired by Tokyo’s cocktail lounges, and this specific model by the Blue Moon cocktail.
With this beauty, you get 41 hours of power reserve and a custom gold automatic rotor (so you can watch it spin around in a little dazzle of light) thanks to the caliber 4R35. The dial features an interesting pattern which is much like traditional sunray finishing but much deeper and more emphasized, which adds some lovely texture.
This texture is covered by a rich blue fumé effect, a gorgeous smoky gradient from the outside towards the center. The final touch I want to comment on is that pop of shine from the gold seconds hand, which really just hits all the right buttons for me. The SRPK15 retails for $450.
Citizen Tsuyosa Automatic ref. NJ0150-56X
Currently on sale for $360, the Tsuyosa Automatic is one of the best integrated sports watches you can get at its price point. It’s very wearable thanks to its 40mm case size, and the bracelet is absolutely gorgeous with its Rolex Presidential-style bracelet with mirrored inner lugs and brushed outer.
The dial is such a rich color of green, which you so rarely see in watches today but is really well-executed here. The addition of a cyclops lens over the date window makes the date super easy to reference at a glance. The hands and indices are polished and faceted with little dollops of lume. Almost everything, in fact, is perfectly executed… except the 4:00 crown, which is a choice I lament deeply.
On a final positive note, the caliber 8210 automatic movement on the inside is absolutely gorgeous thanks to its gilt finishing, and you will definitely find yourself taking constant looks through that sapphire caseback at its mesmerizing workings.
Orient Kamasu ref. RA-AA0003R39B
The Orient Kamasu is razor-sharp and extremely modern, taking inspiration from the deadly barracuda for its off-white indices and hands, which are meant to look dangerously like teeth. I particularly like the color of the dial, which has a sunburst finish and, depending on the lighting, can appear as a deep burgundy or a rich bright red finish.
The case is quite unassumingly brushed and my eye is also remarkably drawn to the bezel, whose fluting looks to me rather much like bite marks, perhaps from our dear eponymous Kamasu.
My only gripe here is the non-color-matched date windows, which, to my eye, stick out like sore thumbs. To be fair, that does make them all the more visible, but I do wish they were a little more camouflaged by that rich red dial. This one will currently run you just $335, a great watch for well within our budget.
Seiko 5 Sports GMT SSK033
At $475, the SSK033 is certainly pushing it, but never fear—it’s a great watch for its price. It runs on the caliber 4R34, which clocks in with a solid 41 hours of power reserve and, of course, automatic winding.
Its presentation is that of an elegant dive watch which clearly takes cues from the Rolex Submariner “Batman” thanks to its black-and-blue bezel but manages to present a watch that feels fresh and new thanks to its crisp white dial. The indices are just ever so slightly off-white, which helps them pop against the dial without clashing.
I love the way the accent blue on the GMT hand, and text works with the sunray white dial and cream indices. It’s just a killer color combo. Yet, alas, there’s another 4:00 crown here. It’s one brushstroke gone awry in a painting that otherwise creates a wonderfully harmonious whole. Can’t win ’em all, I guess.
Laco Augsburg 42 ref. 861688.2
Laco offers some of the best customization options I’ve ever seen for a watch of this price, starting at a base retail of $410. It’s a slick and clean pilot watch style with some amazing heritage because the Laco brand has been around since 1925.
Upgrade options include swapping out the movement for an even better Laco 31 for an additional $70, adding anti-reflective coating to the crystal for $60, and more. The base movement, I should add, is a Laco 2S, which is a modified workhorse Miyota 82S0. The dial is squeaky clean with that matte black base, white text, and lumed numerals.
My only gripe is that it feels as if the greenish numerals clash with the white text, a visual image that leaves me just a little unsettled. As a final note, the Augsburg 42 comes on an excellent vintage leather strap, which is already patinated, so it will be unique and have its own color and style variations.
A watch’s strap is all too often overlooked, and in this case, the special attention Laco has paid it is a seriously nice touch.
Bulova American Clipper ref. 97A154
The American Clipper, aptly named by the American-founded brand Bulova, is an ultra-classy dress watch that just slips in under budget at $495. The case is clean polished gold with thin lugs, and the dial matches thanks to its matte black finish and gold indices.
Everything is executed to perfection for its simple level—in particular, I’m a big fan of the depth created by the sector dial. At 6:00, you get both an open heart (to see the ticking balance wheel) and sub-seconds indicator.
I do have a few points to touch on here: the staggered position of the open heart and sub-seconds is a little strange but visually interesting; the silver movement through the open heart does clash a touch with the case; and the text on the sub-seconds just feels not quite classy enough to fit with the watch. These, thankfully, are all small details that hardly detract from the elegant and refined whole.
Timex Marlin Automatic 39mm ref. TW2W58800
For $299, the Marlin is simultaneously one of our most affordable options and one of the coolest. It’s instantly unique and eye-catching with that cushion-case shape, which is very well made and is visually intriguing with its brushed top and then polished bevels which sweep over into the lugs.
The dial is an unassuming matte black but the silver sub seconds at 9:00 pops out to really make it an interesting layout worth a second glance. It’s also very thin at just 9mm thick and 39mm across, so it’s quite wearable.
The closed caseback, which conceals its movement, an automatic Miyota, is engraved with a depiction of a Marlin and has an exhibition window where you can see the balance wheel. Overall, you can tell a serious amount of work has gone into the design and layout of this really simple but elegant piece.
Unimatic UC2 Classic
Perhaps more than any other microbrand, Unimatic has created an instantly recognizable design language at prices that are shockingly affordable. Their UC2 Classic, perhaps the definition of their design, retails for $425. This watch is almost breathtakingly simple at first glance, thanks to its circularly brushed case and bezel.
The matte black dial almost looks unmarked until you look again and see the text positioned unusually below the hands—this, too, however, is kept clean and modest. It runs on the standard Seiko NH35A, which gets you 41 hours of power reserve with automatic winding.
It has practically everything you could want from a tool watch and none of the frills in a design package so classy and under-the-radar you could pair it with a suit.
Seiko Prospex King Turtle SRPE03
All hail the king! Just look at that magnificent cushion case and stamped tapisserie dial—if you could turn a turtle into a watch, it would look a heck of a lot like this. 200 meters of water resistance ensure that the King Turtle can thrive in its natural habitat, and it’s a monster of a legible and visible watch with a 45mm case and its high-contrast white-on-black lumed dial.
I’ll let you admire the rest of the watch yourself, but I also want to point out its gorgeous gold accent text and seconds hand, which work perfectly with the rest of the dial to provide just the right amount of pop. And the best part is you can find the SRPE03 for $500 on Exquisite Timepieces.
Nodus Sector Sport Glacial
At $475, this next watch is still an incredible piece for its price. The dial is such a lovely shade of blue which comes alive with icy sparkles thanks to its sunray finish. The applied numerals and indices seem to be a little exaggerated in height, which creates a sense of depth and contrast that’s accentuated by the sector dial construction (hence the name!).
To ensure things aren’t too bright and shiny in the dial for it to be really used, the indices and hands have a matte black trim and are filled with lume, so they’ll have superb legibility. That lovely brushed case flows right into a 3-link integrated bracelet, which even has quick-release spring bars if you’re interested in throwing a leather bracelet on it. All this in a neat wearable 38mm package.
Lorier Neptune Series IV
I’ve covered the Lorier Neptune before, and I’m always left just in awe of how spectacular this watch is for a microbrand piece at $499. It’s designed like it was made in 1957 along the vintage dive watch icons by Omega, Rolex, and Blancpain that still have a stranglehold on the watch market today.
Everything here is clean, simple, and vintage-inspired, from the gilt text to the sans-serif font used on the bezel. A final fine point that I really admire before I leave you to enjoy the watch for yourself is that Lorier completely shunned the use of any fauxtina on the dial.
While I do enjoy a good off-colored lume look, Lorier’s vision of designing this watch as if it is fresh out of the 50s means having clean white lume just like a new watch back then would have had. It’s a brilliant touch.
Baltic HMS 003 Salmon
Our final watch for this article comes in at just under $400, leaving plenty of budget room, and it’s easily one of my favorite watches at that price. It runs on the workhorse Miyota 8315, which gives you a staggering 60 hours of power reserve.
That dial is just gorgeous, with different finishings, polished applied indices, large curvy hands, and a vintage printed minutes track. As a final note, I want to touch on the leather straps Baltic includes, which are absolutely stunning.
The watch comes on a quick-release black saffiano leather strap, which is an extremely high-quality calf leather, but you can also swap out for others like different colors of saffiano leather or a sweet vintage-inspired beads-of-rice bracelet, which looks superb. You really can’t go wrong with this one.
Conclusion
Automatic watches don’t have to be a forbidding category with staggering price tags. You can find spectacular watches in every category at affordable prices, and I’ve collected here just a few of the best. Whether you found one that speaks to you or not, go out and check out more from these brands! You might just find your next daily companion.
