Watches are increasingly becoming more expensive, with plenty of brands just recently hiking their prices for 2023. I however have no doubt that if you really want a watch, you’ll save up the extra money needed to get it. To give you an idea of what’s possible on a budget of $2,000, we’ve selected five watches that could be your perfect pick. As it turns out, there are an abundance of great timepieces that fall within this price range, and today we’re even showing you five different watch styles.
Oris Big Crown Pointer Date
Let’s kick things off with the classically-styled Big Crown Pointer Date from Oris. The brand from Hölstein in Switzerland has a wide selection of timepieces around the $2,000 mark. Although the popular Aquis and Diver Sixty-Five models are just above our budget, the 40-mm Big Crown Pointer Date is an absolute peach for $1,600 in stainless steel on a leather strap. You have the choice of a black, blue, or beautiful deep red dial.
The classic-looking dial features a railroad minute track, along the inside of which the Arabic hour markers are also set. The characteristic cathedral hour and minute hands are complemented by a slim seconds hand. The fourth hand, with its red tip, indicates the date on the ring running along the periphery of the dial, beautifully designed, exuding style and class. Inside the 40-mm case, Oris equips the Big Crown Pointer Date with its Oris Caliber 754, based on the Sellita SW 200-1 caliber. The automatic movement has 26 jewels and comes with 38 hours of power reserve. The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date is a great pick if you want a retro-style watch suitable for a wide variety of occasions: It’s a true strap monster, allowing you to dress it up or down for whatever you’re doing.
Tissot PRX
The Tissot PRX gives you multiple options. You can opt for the 42-mm Tissot PRX Chronograph that comes in at $1,700. If you’re looking for an impressive chronograph, this could be the perfect option. But if you want the true style statement that has made the Tissot PRX one of today’s hottest watches, the PRX Powermatic 80 is the way to go. The watch comes in at just over $600, so with this budget, why not pick up another one while you’re at it? Let me tell you why I picked this gorgeous timepiece for our list.
The Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 is a watch that punches above its weight. It gives you the feeling of wearing a proper luxury watch that is more expensive than its actual price. The design, build quality, and finishing are on a level that we basically never see at this price. On top of that, the combination of the 70s-inspired design with its beautiful dial, and the reliable Powermatic movement with its 80 hours of power reserve rounds off a full package that is hard to beat. You have the choice of a black, dark blue, ice blue, or green dial for the fully stainless-steel version. There is also a silver dial version that comes with a rose gold PVD bezel. All of them wear like a charm: they’re just 40 mm across and 10.9 mm thick, and come on a beautiful integrated bracelet. At prices between $600 and $700, this is a fantastic, stylish modern sports watch.
Doxa Sub 300T
You just knew we had to include a diving watch on this list. Now, there are plenty of choices here within this budget. I decided to go with an absolute classic that not only looks as great as it did back in the 1970s, but has the story to match. Doxa sells multiple modern versions of the brand’s famous 300 series. The regular Doxa SUB 300 is a remake of the illustrious SUB 300 from 1967. But at a list price of well over $2,000, this watch unfortunately didn’t make our list. The Doxa SUB 300T, however, did. This is a remake of the 1968 SUB 300T Conquistador. It was the first publicly released diving watch with a helium escape valve; Doxa reissued it in a modern version in 2019.
The watch features the characteristic SUB 300 case that measures 42.5 mm across and 13.65 mm thick. Its bulk is the result of its helium escape valve and 1,200 meters (120 bar, 3,937 feet) of water resistance. It also features the patented Doxa dive bezel and its no-decompression dive time calculator that lets you know how quickly to return to the surface after a deep dive. The watch is powered by the trusted automatic ETA 2824-2 movement that has a power reserve of 38 hours. You have the choice of six great dial colors ranging from the standard black, dark blue, and white, to the funkier bright yellow and turquoise, and orange. Get it on a stainless steel bracelet for just under $2,000, buy yourself a rubber strap to go with it for the summer months, and you’ll have the perfect year-round diving watch.
Nivada Grenchen Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver
This list obviously wouldn’t be complete without a chronograph. To be sure, I did in fact mention the Tissot PRX Chronograph. But how about a nice, classic-looking chronograph as well? The Nivada Grenchen Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver is a classic from the 1970s that was resurrected in 2020. And the best thing about it is that it remains faithful to the original watch, almost down to the last detail. We often see re-issues that are updated in size – often to a bigger case – or optimized in their dial design. Not so with the Chronomaster collection that Nivada Grenchen created. Plus, the brand didn’t just bring back one design, but gives buyers the option to choose their favorite.
These watches come in a 38.3-mm case that is 14.80 mm thick for the automatic version, and 13.75 mm thick for the manual winding editions. Along with different dial designs, the brand also offers different hand designs, leaving the choice entirely up to you when it comes to this stylish chronograph. Nivada Grenchen fits the automatic and manual-winding versions with the Sellita SW510 BH B chronograph caliber, which boasts 63 hours of power reserve. This stylish retro-inspired chronograph is truly the full package. At $1,795 for the manual-winding version and $1,995 for the automatic, this is one of the best chronograph options under $2K.
King Seiko
The last watch on this list is actually a series of watches. Or better said, it is one watch that comes in six different dial colors. Early last year, Seiko brought back the illustrious King Seiko name. King Seiko and Grand Seiko were two brands within the Seiko Watchmaking Corporation that strove for horological perfection back in the 1960s. As the story goes, the two brands, produced mostly in two different factories, battled for the crown when it came to creating the best watches possible in terms of design and accuracy. While Grand Seiko became the most famous, and today boasts a stunning collection of amazing timepieces, the King Seiko was known more by collectors who wanted an affordable but amazing vintage timepiece. When Seiko decided to reintroduce King Seiko, it was done in part to honor the great design language that made the vintage pieces such classics to begin with.
This series features a 37-mm case with stunning sharp angular lines and elegant lugs. The watches are 12.1 mm thick and feature a box sapphire crystal for that extra vintage feel. The watch comes on a beautiful stainless steel bracelet that makes the King Seiko an absolute joy to wear. Inside the watch, Seiko uses the relatively simple in-house 6R31 caliber. This automatic movement is very reliable, making this the perfect daily wearer, and at a price of $1,700. This watch comes in silver (SPB279J1), vertically brushed silver (SPB281J1), dark gray (SPB283J1), dark brown (SPB285J1), and red (SPB287J1). The boutique edition with a light purple dial is a bit more expensive, but will still keep you within your $2,000 budget. On top of that, Seiko just released a few new 39-mm versions with a date complication, and an updated automatic movement featuring 72 hours of power reserve. There is simply no going wrong with the stunning King Seiko.
There you have it, our Top 5 best watches under $2,000. Keep in mind that there are plenty more great options that could turn out to be your perfect daily wearer. It’s great to see all the fantastic timepieces out there for people on a limited budget.