Try as hard as we might, a watch collector’s journey is marked by continuous expectation setting. Achieving this grail, having a certain number of watches in the collection, reducing the collection to a more manageable size – you name it. The truth of the matter is that we’re in a small (though admittedly rapidly more relevant) minority; most people wear Apple Watches, and to that same majority, the expectation of spending more than $1,000 on a watch could seem far-fetched. And you know what – in some ways, they’re absolutely right. Other than some fancy bells here and shmancy whistles there, I’m comfortable in saying that there isn’t a watch for under that ceiling that can’t do everything a watch ten times the cost can do. Does that mean I’m done advocating for haute horlogerie and six-figure independents? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves now… All I’m saying is, there’s enough horological value in a thousand bucks to last you a lifetime, both from affordable micros and big box brands alike. Unless you’re one of us greedy watch nerds, then you’ll want to know what gets you the most watch for that money. In either case, read on. You might learn something new.
RZE x WatchPoint UTD-8000-AUS Australia Edition
In their endless quest for making watches tougher, Singaporean micro RZE has managed to make the perfect beater watch, combining their proprietary titanium hardness coating with the shock-resistance of a digital module (custom-built, in this case). Like any great watch, this one comes with a great story, and it’s one of our favourites as it both shows that the UTD really is as tough as nails, but that the brand’s founders also fully stand behind their product. So, if you ever have the pleasure of attending an event with one of the RZE team members in attendance, don’t be frightened if (or rather, when) one of them decides to smash a UTD with a hammer, or propel it at a concrete floor at high velocity. The watch will be fine, and you’ll likely buy one. It’s a hell of a pitch, and it worked on me – even more so now that we have the UTD-8000-AUS as our own limited edition. Price: A$450. Find it in the WP Webstore and WatchPoint Melbourne Showroom
Lima Kronosprinter
The Indonesian watchmaking outfit Lima is as much a microbrand as it is a design firm, no matter where in the catalogue you look. We’ve already been on record about how much we love the brutalist GMT Transit, and while that watch could’ve easily ended up on this list, we thought we’d give some love to the Kronosprinter too. Racing watches have been done countless times, but Lima takes a refreshing approach to the genre, stripping it back completely and letting the clever colour choices do the talking, all fitted in a squircle case that just delights on the wrist. Price: A$430. Find it in the WP Webstore and WatchPoint Melbourne Showroom
Orient Bambino 38 No Date
We could’ve easily filled this entire list with microbrand options, but variety is the spice of life, after all, and Orient’s latest Bambino is pretty much a shoo-in. It has finally appeared in its best format yet, with a 38mm case size and no date, while the details that made it so well-loved remain unchanged. There are plenty of colour variants on offer, and all at a still-reasonable price – so you really should have no excuse for wearing a fitness band at a wedding. Price: ~A$580, €340. Find a huge selection of Orient in the WP Webstore and the Melbourne Showroom
Hamilton Khaki Field Quartz
From one beloved model to another, Hamilton’s Khaki Field has long been the entry-level enthusiast darling. With rising prices, however, the mechanical models have become less and less of a value proposition, something that Hamilton quickly addressed with a quartz version. I actually like these dials better, especially the old-school Khaki script at 6 o’clock, and the 33mm variant has become my unsuspected favourite, as it captures both the aesthetic of the 1950s originals, and the Y2K look that I just can’t explain. Price: A$675, US$445
Sunrex Banana Reef
We’ve stuck pretty closely to the categories most watch enthusiasts have defined – beater, chrono, dress watch, field watch, etc. But what if you just want something plain fun, rather than ticking a box? Sunrex is the brand we’d turn to, as their approach takes recognisable cues from the best watch design trends over the decades, and then wrap them into something uniquely theirs. The Banana Reef is the perfect example of this – why not make a cushion-shaped, dive-style chronograph with wire lugs? There are a million and one NH35-powered, $300 dive watch specials on Kickstarter, this is most certainly more refreshing – oh, and let’s make it solar! Price: A$775. Find it in the WP Webstore and WatchPoint Melbourne Showroom
Traska Commuter
Over the years, Traska has become a known quantity in the microcosm for their elevated takes on the basics, but especially so for the build quality of their offering. We picked the Commuter as it makes the best use of our budget, but as a daily wearer, it has pretty much everything you’d ever want. There’s a wide range of dial options, a slim, water-resistant case, and a comfortable, micro-adjustable bracelet that tops it all off. It may look simple at first glance – and that’s kind of the point – but this is a brand that’s happy to decorate the blades of their clasps with perlage, even though nobody would dock them points for not doing it. Price: starting from A$928, US$630
Vario Futurist
The 1970s called, and they want their Vario back! The Futurist is one of the very few watches across the entire industry that really nails this retrofuturistic design. The faceted crystal is one thing, but having enough foresight to move the crown to 12 o’clock and free up the flanks for a sleeker feel is a touch that too many brands miss. The sunray engraving on top of the case is just the cherry on top of an already very compelling watch. Price: A$960. Find it in the WP Webstore and WatchPoint Melbourne Showroom!
Monbrey MB2
While it would be unfair to call Monbrey dial merchants given the quality of the other parts of their watches, it’s clear where their design passions and foci lie. The compact MB2 works in both of its expressions, whether that’s engraved mother-of-pearl or a grained, glittering surface. Sure, some dials are more muted than others, but being able to choose between something more subtle and going toe to toe with Grand Seikos at watch meetups is a good thing, I promise. Price: A$990. Find Monbrey in the WP Webstore and Melbourne Showroom
Formex Field Automatic
The Formex Field is the only reason why I chose to tell you the prices of all the watches so far in both Aussie and American dollars. Yes, I know it exceeds our AUD budget by nearly 30%, but if I was given A$1,000 and told to buy a watch, I’d see which body parts I haven’t been making the most of lately just to stretch the budget. From the excellent case finishing to the excellent sandwich dial, Formex could’ve easily made their entry-level collection worse and I doubt anyone would’ve complained. But they didn’t, and what you have in return is an overbuilt, Sellita SW200-powered field watch that will be more than happy to take on more than just fields. Price: A$1,380, US$975
