You spot a gold watch on Tom Brady’s wrist while scrolling TikTok. After some quick research, you discover it’s a custom one-of-one Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon, priced at a cool $240,000. Suddenly, your Apple Watch feels a bit pedestrian. You’re craving something that will elevate your fits but with more soul—something with great design, craftsmanship, and a story behind it—but without the sky-high price. Not to worry.
In this beginner’s guide, we’re cutting through the noise. In no particular order, we compiled a breadth of brands and their best timepiece models that go toe-to-toe with those grail-worthy wristwatches, but without the eye-watering price tags.
Baltic MR Roulette
The Keystone / Baltic / Complex
The aspiration: Patek Philippe ref. 96 ($25,000)
The steal: Baltic MR Roulette in Salmon ($545)
Founded in 2016 by Etienne Malec, Baltic has become a darling of the watch community, with watch nerds queuing diligently but unsuccessfully for new and limited releases. Despite the relative youth of this brand, Baltic has already become a mainstay for its breadth of thoughtful, classic collections. In particular, the MR Roulette pays homage to the elusive Patek Philippe Ref. 96, capturing its Art Deco dial, three-part construction, and dauphine hands. While it doesn’t have the Ref. 96’s manual movement, the MR Roulette boasts a micro rotor movement as its acronym implies. As a cherry on top, the micro rotor is showcased by a see-through caseback—an enhancement over the Ref. 96’s closed one.
Lorier Hyperion
Wind Vintage / Lorier / Complex
The aspiration: Rolex GMT-Master 6542 ($60,000)
The steal: Lorier Hyperion Series II ($599)
Lorier, a microbrand based out of NYC, epitomizes what a mom-and-pop shop should be: honest, dependable, and full of its own flair. Husband-and-wife duo Lorenzo and Lauren Ortega have essentially created a time machine with their watches. Let’s say you’re lusting after an infamous 1950’s Rolex GMT-Master 6542 but don’t want to shell out $60,000. With the Hyperion, you pay 100 times less and still get a similar aesthetic with its bakelite-esque bezel, gilt dial, and acrylic crystal. Add subtle but modern additions such as a clasp with micro adjustments, and you get all of the vintage charm without the hassle of authenticating and servicing a 70-year-old watch.
Tissot PRX Powermatic 80
Audemars Piguet / Tissot / Complex
The aspiration: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra Thin ($55,500)
The steal: Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 ($725)
Stainless steel watches with integrated bracelets have captured the world by storm with an almost comical rise in popularity, the most representative among them being the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. But the $55k model’s unattainability in price and scarcity has led to a hole in the market, which is now filled by Tissot. Don’t let the Swiss brand’s ubiquity fool you—Tissot has quite a few gems, including the PRX Powermatic 80 that’s directly comparable to the AP. It has the same stainless steel integrated bracelet, as well as sharp, angular chamfering and a textured dial.
Doxa SUB 200T
Brietling / Doxa / Complex
The aspiration: Breitling Superocean 36 ($5,150)
The steal: Doxa SUB 200T ($1,590)
Imagine you’re in an oversized Hawaiian shirt sipping Mai Tais on the beach after a surf session but before your three-tank dive. If you look around, you’re probably surrounded by wrists sporting Breitling Superocean 36’s with their bright orange dials and unidirectional bezels. Doxa solidified its niche in dive watch history with the SUB300T, and with their new watch, the SUB 200T, you also get an orange dial, unidirectional bezel, a cushion case shape, and a built-in US Navy No-Decompression dive chart. The only difference is that the Doxa has a 200-meter water resistance rating instead of Breitling’s 300 meters—but how deep are we really diving on a daily basis?
Rado Captain Cook Automatic
Blancpain / Rado / Complex
The aspiration: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms ($19,300)
The steal: Rado Captain Cook Automatic ($2,200)
Le Brassus, Switzerland is home to Blancpain, a storied watchmaking house known as the inventor of the modern dive watch, the Fifty Fathoms. This watch has it all: a timeless design, a US Navy Seals association, brand pedigree, and real engineering. But just an hour north in the city of Lengnau lies Rado, founded in 1917 not just to make watches, but to become the “Master of Materials.” From making the first scratch-proof watch to launching an all-ceramic one, the brand has pushed the boundaries of what can be done at the intersection of materials science and horology. Rado’s Captain Cook Automatic shares a similar design language with the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, but has a more subtle approach with its inward-sloping bezel, broad arrow hour hand, and use of ceramic. And it’s a fraction of the price.
Hamilton Intra-Matic Chrono
Tag Heuer / Hamilton / Complex
The aspiration: TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph ($6,450)
The steal: Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto Chrono ($2,295)
What do Tenet, Interstellar, and Men in Black have in common? All of the leads wear Hamilton on their wrists. And there’s solid quality to back up the brand’s star-studded product placements, as Hamilton represents the marriage of Americana design and Swiss precision. Founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Hamilton became the leading watch brand for railroad conductors, soldiers, and airmen in the 1940s. In the same period, Heuer, the precursor to the TAG acquisition, was creating reliable timing instruments for motor racing, regattas, and flying. Fast forward nearly a hundred years, and Hamilton and TAG Heuer have maintained incredible accuracy and consistent reliability. So, what’s the real difference between the two of their most popular models, the Carrera Chronograph and Intra-Matic Auto Chrono? Practically nothing, except for a different logo and your preferred colorway.
Christopher Ward C1 Moonphase
H. Moser & Cie / Christopher Ward / Complex
The aspiration: H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Moon ($45,700)
The steal: Christopher Ward C1 Moonphase ($2,325)
Christopher Ward was once the new kid with the funny haircut, but the British watchmaker has since grown up. In 2022, the brand achieved the near-impossible with the Bel Canto, a watch adored by even the snootiest and harshest of critics. And it turns out, the Bel Canto has an underrated brother, the C1 Moonphase. While H. Moser & Cie is famous for its minimalist dials and haute horlogerie accolades, its rare pieces are almost impossible to actually source in real life. The CW C1 Moonphase, however, is easily accessible. Although its movement may not directly rival Moser’s, the execution of aventurine, moonphase, and minimalism is strikingly similar.
Oris Big Crown Pointer Date
The Keystone / Oris / Complex
The aspiration: Patek Philippe Calatrava 6006G-001 ($40,400)
The steal: Oris Big Crown Cervo Volante ($2,500)
When you think of early pilot’s watches, Breitling or Cartier may first come to mind, but resist that urge. Oris, a brand with a lot of personality, punches well above its weight. By the mid-1920s, just a decade after its founding, Oris was already making waves with its Big Crown model, which became synonymous with aviation. The Big Crown Cervo Volante is a modern re-release of that classic, offering the same iconic look with upgrades. If you’re after vintage vibes and unique complications, some would even argue that Oris beats the Patek. Both of their watches feature the old-school pointer date and high-contrast dials, but Oris goes further with Art Deco typography, cathedral hands, and a coin-edged bezel—details the Patek 6006G-001 simply does not have.
Longines Spirit
IWC / Longines / Complex
The aspiration: IWC Mark XX ($5,250)
The steal: Longines Spirit ($2,500)
So you’re eyeing your first adult watch after your first big promotion? Longines is a great place to start. With nearly 200 years of heritage, Longines has pioneered innovations like the dual timezone dial in 1908 and the modern chronograph in 1913. The brand consistently delivers thoughtful, robust, and accurate timepieces. When comparing the Longines Spirit to the IWC Mark XX, the latter might seem like the obvious choice with its flieger styling, in-house movement, 40mm case, and 120 power reserve. However, the Longines Spirit’s 37mm case offers a more comfortable fit for most, its applied hour markers add a touch of luxury compared to the Mark XX’s painted ones, and its chronometer certification ensures reliability far beyond anyone’s needs. While the Mark XX sounds great in theory, the Longines Spirit is better suited for real life.
Grand Seiko SBGX355
Rolex / Grand Seiko / Complex
The aspiration: Rolex Oyster Perpetual ($6,100)
The steal: Grand Seiko SBGX355 ($3,800)
Even the most avid watch enthusiasts still give pause to paying anything more than a few hundred dollars for a Seiko. But Grand Seiko, a separate company, is in an entirely different echelon filled with its own lore. You could easily write a book about the technical achievements of Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive, the insane (but genius) impracticality of Zaratsu polishing, or the depth of its dials. If you want both the essence of innovation as well as classic character, the watch to get is the Grand Seiko SBGX355. It has all of the trimmings and goodies that a true Grand Seiko should have: hand finishing, an incredible textured dial that emulates fallen snow, a blued steel seconds hand, and a full titanium case and bracelet. The only reason you’d get the Rolex OP is if you really needed an automatic movement and a specific logo.
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