Last weekend, researching this story was my way of getting back to normal after being bombarded with composite bracelets inlaid with sapphires, platinum and diamonds. Yes, Watches and Wonders was a whirlwind romance of watches, but after that, I needed to get off that gold-plated cloud. It’s easy to get carried away with the 100,000 euros of grail watches, I’ll admit it. It takes 10, sometimes 50 times longer to make a single Laurent Ferrier hour hand than it does a single digital Casio, but I still enjoy the good looks of a bargain. This story was a bigger challenge than I thought, and I seriously considered increasing my budget to 200 euros. Asking myself, “Is it still possible to start a watch collection with 100 euros?”, I pushed my creativity to its limits. And my findings will amaze you.
Even though I love bargains, I am too vain to buy a watch that is on sale at the mall. There is nothing wrong with just wearing a 49 euro watch… well, as long as it is not on a “gold” plated bracelet that wears out and loses its indexes in 2 days. No, I’m not kidding, this is a real story about a birthday gift I got from an unnamed family member. Anyway, you can’t get a cheap, cool watch that has a reputation among collectors for 100 euros, can you? So here are some great alternatives to Timex, Swatch, and of course Casio. Casio is obviously the default choice, offering fun, cool, and non-stop watches for under 30 euros. But Swatch has always been a value brand, and still is, while Timex has made a big comeback in the last decade. Both analog and digital, all for good reasons.
Timex Standard 40mm
What a great, unpretentious name. Great, Timex. And it’s also a pretty cool vintage-inspired watch. There’s a wealth of analog quartz watches under 100 euros from big brands like Timex. Most are very decent, but some push the legibility of monochrome basics to the extreme. But this one has a delicious-looking fresh apple green dial and a great vintage feel. Of course, it takes its design cues from the popular Omega Seamaster 300, but the green version has its own personality. At 89 euros, the standard only represents a big, bright value in a market where 1,000 euros is considered affordable. Sure, it may have a chrome-plated case and a basic quartz ticker instead of a heart, but that onion crown is pretty nice. The 50m water resistance rating isn’t dive-proof
Swatch Rouge & Noir
I’m wearing big wide fit chinos today, a far cry from the skinny fit I wore last year. Yes, the ’80s are back with a vengeance, and this new version of a 1984 Swatch model is a style blast. The Rouge & Noir features a striking red strap and a matte black case made from the brand’s bio-ceramic material. And just like when I was a kid, the Bauhaus ’80s style and primary colors are painfully cool. For just 95 euros, this could be your best summer watch. Sure, Swatch may be a ubiquitous brand, but take a look at all of these cheap, thrilling watches and you’ll see why. From the two-tone dial to the silver-thin bright yellow second hand, you can get a cool Swiss watch for under 100 euros.
Casio MDV Series Divers
What can I say? Bill Gates is a smart guy, and at the height of his powers, he wore a Casio Duro series diver’s watch. Not a rose gold perpetual calendar Patek Philippe, or an iced-out Hublot, but an analog Casio diver’s watch for under 100 euros. This 200m water resistant MDV-107-1A1V is now its equivalent, and the first sports watch you can buy for a few thousand dollars. The quartz movement is not the most accurate on the market, but its +20 seconds per month accuracy is better than mechanical chronometer certified watches. At 44.2mm wide and a long 49.5mm lug to lug, it’s not a dress watch, but it’s a watch you can wear every day on a sturdy resin strap, and you can’t really complain, especially considering the 79.90 euro price tag. Go for the monochrome look, or add a bit of color and go for the bold look of the “Pepsi” or “Batman GMT.”
Casio G-Shock “Casio Oak” GMA series
When I first saw the G-Shock “CasiOak” in 2019, I was lost. It says something about how intensely we have been brainwashed to accept Gerald Genta as the holy grail of all things. I’m not going to lie. If someone had offered me a Patek Philippe Nautilus, I would have gladly traded most of my collection for it, and I was shocked when I saw the first octagonal bezel G (get it?). But I still laughed, and so is Casio. Now the lineup also includes resin models like this new trio in the GMA series. Last year, Casio released the all-steel bracelet model that everyone wanted. It’s a bit like the Royal Oak Offshore in size. Now in its fourth year, the CasiOak replaces the original G-Shock “Square” and is more refined than most Gs. It’s still confusingly multi-functional, with a stopwatch function that’s almost useless on the small screen. But if you buy the blue GMA-S2100GA-3A, for 99.90 euros you get a colorful sports watch that’s so light you’ll forget it’s there. It’s not a small watch, but it’s impressive for the price.
Timex T80 x Peanuts Dream in Color
You may think of Casio as the father of digital watches, but Timex also has some pretty cool 34mm models, like the T80 x Peanuts Dream in Color. The screen of this 80s-inspired watch is a classic greenish LCD color, with the word FUN written in capital letters on the rest of the sky blue surround. It’s impossible not to smile and change your mood instantly when you see this cool digital watch. Even the greyest days are brightened by Charles M. Schulz’s beagle Snoopy resting on his cartoon rainbow roof. For just 95 euros, you get this very easy-to-read tool, not to tell you the time (it can do that too!), but to lift your spirits whenever you need it. And who knows? This might turn you into a collector of Peanuts collaboration watches. There are plenty to choose from!
I usually write my final comment for my regular readers, but this time I want to address it to the newbies. If you have never actually put a watch strap on your wrist, follow my advice: put away your shiny iPhone and enjoy the special feeling it gives on your wrist. It doesn’t feel like you have to charge it every day…
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