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What to Consider
Case Diameter
How can you tell if a watch you find online will fit your wrist? All you need is the case diameter and a ruler with a cm scale—remember that there are 10 mm in 1 cm because the metric system is easy. Place the ruler flat on top of your wrist perpendicular to your arm. This will give you an approximate idea of how much room a watch case will take up on your wrist.
For reference, men’s watches range anywhere from 34mm to 45mm and up. Most dress watches run in the 36mm to 42mm range, while dive watches and chronographs run from 40mm to 45mm.
Movement
What’s under the hood? Movement refers to the power used to operate watches.
Quartz
Battery or solar energy is used to power a tiny quartz crystal that vibrates at a constant frequency. This frequency is translated into seconds to maintain a consistently accurate watch. Being the smallest and simplest type of watch movement makes them by far the most affordable.
Automatic
A mechanical movement that winds itself with the motion of your body. As the most technically complicated variety, automatic watches are usually the most expensive. You will never need to buy a battery, but you will have to get the watch serviced every few years, kind of like a car engine.
Mechanical/Hand Winding:
A mechanical movement that has to wound by hand to keep ticking. This is done by turning the crown. Hand winding movements were all but extinct until making a comeback in recent years thanks to a tactile affinity among horology fans.
Mecha-quartz:
This new hybrid movement has become popular among micro-brands making chronographs. It combines elements of a quartz and automatic movement. Generally, the main time runs on automatic, while the other complications use the quartz power.
How We Selected
We’ve been updating this story since June 2023. Since then, Lanphear and Men’s Health editors have tested more than 60 watches under $500. We considered each timepiece’s movement, size, materials, and just how great they looked. We considered all sorts of watches that work for a variety of looks and occasions. We also consulted with our fashion director Ted Stafford, who has more than a decade of experience trying and testing the best watches on the market now. Ahead, read on for our shortlist of the best watches under $500.
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Visually, Seiko pretty much copied the 5 Sport directly from the fan-favorite SKX line that ran from 1996 until 2019, making it one of the most iconic watch designs of all time. So adding a GMT complication is the first major upgrade, aside from an improved movement, in several decades. It is both stylistically and functionally refreshing. GMT watches are having a moment right now, and this is easily the best automatic option for under $500. It is a watch that you can wear every day and will remain a foundational piece of any collection.
| Movement | Automatic |
| Case Diameter | 43 mm |
Yes, the Lunar Pilot runs on a quartz movement, but it is an ultra high frequency quartz. Without getting into too much technical detail, that means the watch ticks at more beats per second than all but the most expensive automatic watches. The result is a timing accuracy down to 1/25th of a second. In more practical terms, the black and silver design has wide style range. You can dress it up with a suit or wear it as a casual every day piece.
| Movement | Quartz |
| Case Size | 45 mm |
Vaer built this retro-inspired chronograph with a mecha-quartz movement to combine the best of both worlds. What exactly is a mecha-quartz movement? It is a hybrid built specifically for chronograph watches that keeps active time with a super precise quartz component, and tracks elapsed time with an old fashioned mechanical component. Mechanical movements tick at a much faster beats-per-minute rate, which is why the hand sweeps so smoothly. This makes for a more accurate stopwatch. To further assist accurate readings, the sub-dials are painted with different colors to denote different blocks of time.
| Movement | Meca-quartz |
| Case Diameter | 38 mm |
Take a look at the history of field watches and one name boldly stands out: Hamilton’s Khaki Field Watch. With rugged good looks, well proven durability, and a dependable movement, this timepiece has secured a place in menswear infamy. There is no date or day window, just the time with inset 24 hour “military time” markers, an indication of the watch’s military heritage.
I have found that band dictates the style category of this watch. Meaning that a leather band makes it a little dressier, every day option, while a fabric nato strap gives a more rugged military look.
Read more: Best Outdoor Watches
| Movement | Hand wound |
| Case Diameter | 38 mm |
Hong Kong-based watchmaker Undone brings vintage design elements into the modern age. Three distinctly shaped hands run along a simple dial with big curvy numbers in a black and tan color scheme. As unique as each aspect is, it all somehow flows together. Capping it off is a high domed crystal face that adds a bubble effect when viewed from flat angles. It is hard to stand out in the watch world while still offering useful every-day style, but Undone has certainly pulled it off.
| Movement | Automatic |
| Case Diameter | 40 mm |
Some of the design features of this watch are so subtle that you hardly even notice them, until they are glaringly obvious. For example, the dial is concave and the lens has two layers, working together to capture light in a way that creates exceptional readability from most angles. It is low tech, but brilliant, which is how you could describe the Gents Classic Chronograph in general. This is a perfect business casual office watch because it is unique, but not flashy.
| Movement | Quartz |
| Case Diameter | 40 mm |
Resembling a bathroom scale more than a wristwatch, this Breda is certainly a change up. Think of it more as a piece of jewelry that tells time than a typical timepiece. The Pulse Tandem offers an easy way to freshen up your work and social vibe. As unusual as this watch looks, it actually works well with suits and formal attire. The solid gold or silver appearance, depending on which look you go with, is more elevated than a leather watch band.
Read more: Best Gold Watches
| Movement | Quartz |
| Case Diameter | 26 mm |
No watch brand does elegant design at a friendlier price than Orient. The Bambino provides a simple and sleek look usually associated with luxury dress watches. Sword style hands, dash indices, and a two-tone color scheme are all markers of a classic dress watch. Landing a dependable mechanical watch for $250 is a real treat. A faux-croc leather band puts a little extra icing on the cake.
Notice the oversized crow? Manual winding watches are often equipped with larger crowns to make the hand winding process a little easier.
Read more: Best Luxury Watches
| Movement | Hand wound |
| Case Diameter | 38 mm |
If you hide the price tags, Tissot fits right in with all the Swiss luxury watch brands. Take the PRX for example, a modern dress watch with a Swiss made quartz movement in a perfectly balanced 39.5 mm case. It is a perfectly professional watch because it affirms good taste while remaining modest. The steel and navy color scheme will match every level of office attire, from khakis and a polo, all the way up to a three piece suit.
| Movement | Quartz |
| Case Diameter | 40 mm |
It isn’t easy to blend optimized performance with impeccable style, but Citizen pulled it off with the Brycen chronograph. At face value, this is a stylish ticker with a nice blue paint job that goes well with a suit or just about anything else. Take a closer look, and you’ll see that this is a precision timing machine. The stopwatch hand, which normally the second hand, measures the seconds in a minute. Minutes that have elapsed are tracked in the black sub-dial up top. Real time seconds are on the biggest sub-dial at the bottom.
| Movement | Solar powered quartz |
| Case Diameter | 44 mm |
Call it minimalist or modernist, either way Nordgreen makes a beautiful, simple watch. Not only does the face have just enough detail to tell time, the case is almost impossibly thin, leaving the tiniest impression on your wrist. However, you can spice things up with a range of customizable options and take it even further by purchasing multiple quick-change bands. There are four case colors, eight face colors, and over a dozen strap options. Depending on where you go with those tweaks, this can be a fun casual timepiece, or a classy work watch.
| Movement | Quartz |
| Case Diameter | 36mm or 40 mm |
Pulled straight out of 1971, this funky reissue from Timex is a breath of fresh air for a sport watch category that can start to all look the same. For a long time, features like the roulette table dial and speedometer second hand could only be found on the vintage market. Now, you can get the throwback look with the dependability of a brand new build and a state of the art quartz movement. With a super friendly price tag, this is an easy addition to any watch collection as a fun change of pace.
| Movement | Quartz |
| Case Diameter | 36 mm |
Part dive watch, part dress watch, the SRPG05 from Seiko is a timepiece for all occasions. It has a sleek vintage look that is easy to style with suiting, but looks great with casual attire. Considering it will complement absolutely anything you wear, there is no reason to ever take it off. Well maybe to sleep, if that gets uncomfortable for you.
This is the ultimate vacation watch because it can dress up for going out at night, and it is rugged and waterproof for daytime adventures. You won’t have to worry about packing any additional watches, just roll with the one on your wrist.
| Movement | Automatic |
| Case Diameter | 40 mm |
There is something fascinating about tech that looks like what people in the ’80s expected it to look like now. Take this future-retro wrist watch for example. A digital analog watch face is just plain cool. This modest little Casio is action packed with features like a calendar, a stop-watch, an alarm, auto- daylight savings, and 31 time zones. It is ideal for travelers who don’t want the distractions of a smartwatch.
Read more: Best Digital Watches
| Movment | Quartz |
| Case Diameter | 34 mm |
Everyone knowns G-Shock as the quintessential old-school smart watch. This includes a digital face in most cases, but not all. The analog-digital combination of the Black and Rust series provides the best of both worlds. You get all the G-Shock performance – an alarm, timer, calendar, and stop watch – combined with a more traditional analog hands look. Being shock resistant and waterproof means that you can wear this watch on absolutely any adventure.
| Movement | Quartz |
| Case Diameter | 48 mm |
Canada isn’t exactly know for its rich watchmaking heritage, but there is one exception: Marathon. Few companies combine rugged durability and heritage aesthetics quite as well. Take the General Purpose, a ticket originally designed for pilots and parachuters, but also has a business casual style. The composite fibreshell case is soft on the wrist, but extremely durable. At 35 mm, it is extremely light and makes a minimal impression on the wrist. Finished off with MaraGlo luminescent paint, the hands and indices are very visible in the dark.
| Movement | Quartz |
| Case Diameter | 34 |
Kuoe is a new Japanese micro-brand that sticks to pre-WWII design principles. The Old Smith looks like your grandfather’s watch that has been passed down for generations, but with all the benefits of being brand new. Under the hood is a Seiko NH38, a dependable workhorse movement that is easy to service. At 35 mm, the case is true to mid-twentieth century men’s wristwatches. It feels light, and makes a subtle impression when worn.
| Movement | Automatic |
| Case Diameter | 35 mm |
Brad is a contributing style commerce editor. After a decade working for menswear brands including J.Crew and Ralph Lauren, Brad switched from selling fashion to writing about it. His words have appeared in Huckberry, Heddels, and The Manual.
Christian is the deputy commerce editor at Men’s Health and Women’s Health, where he oversees shopping content for both brands. He started his magazine career as an accessories assistant at Vogue, and has since held editorial roles at Tatler Asia and The Manual. When he’s not online shopping, you can find him on long walks with his two corgis.
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