The 4 Most Attractive (Reasonably Priced) Dress Watches

I feel like I have been on a bit of a “watch article” kick lately, which I really can’t explain. I’m not really a “watch guy”. Like many of you know, I only own three watches and none of them are over $300.

I think the reason why I feel it’s helpful to write about watches is because watches are a relatively easy way to change up your look.

As far as style goes, watches are low-risk. They’re not like sport coats, where you need a specific fit and then need to visit a tailor. Or a pair of shoes where exact fit is paramount for your comfort and overall health.

Watches are much easier to figure out, especially when shopping online. Most are advertised alongside exact measurements to the millimeter so you can be fairly sure what you’re buying will fit you. And if you get tired of that particular look, you can always swap out the strap for something completely different.

Not too long ago, I wrote an article about the five most attractive (reasonably priced) dive watches available right now. The reason why I chose dive watches was because dive watches are tough and ubiquitous, meaning you’re able to wear them just about anywhere, like the beach or even with a suit. One of the points I made in that article was that regular people don’t categorize watches into “dive”, “dress”, “field”, “pilot” or what-have-you. For most people the watch they wear with a sport coat to the office is the same watch they wear with jeans on the weekend.

In that regard, watch-wearing for the masses hasn’t really changed much since our grandparents’ time when a man owned one watch and wore it everywhere.

With that being said, in that time most of the watches men wore were what we would classify today as “dress watches”. That is, they were moderately sized, fairly plain, and on leather straps. Chunky, steel watches just weren’t as popular. This meant that the one watch your grandfather owned looked perfectly at home when he put on a suit.

So, if you own a watch that would be considered more on the casual end of the style spectrum, you might be thinking about how a sleeker watch might help elevate your look when you decide to wear a tailored jacket, suit, or even a tuxedo. We style-minded gents are all about little details, anyway.

I never liked the idea of owning a million different watches for a million different situations. Like with everything else, if you own a ton of stuff you never really get attached to any one thing. On the other hand, the less you own, the more attached to those things you become and the more special they are since you have more chances to build memories with them.

I think the perfect number of categories for watches is two. One is the watch or watches you wear for getting dressed up and the other is for any other time. Any more specific than that is just silly.

Like my dive watches article, the watches on this list are all under $1,000. Again, that’s a lot of money for most people (including me) but you definitely get what you pay for. If you only want to spend $20 on a watch, don’t expect much quality or longevity.

Unsurprisingly, considering the price limit I have set, you will not see the likes of the Cartier Tank or the Patek Calatrava. There will be no Langes, no Journes, no Vacherons, and no JLCs.

The pieces in this list are for regular guys who simply want an elegant, understated watch that won’t clash with their tailoring.

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of these watches. I mostly went by aesthetics and price when compiling this list. They could be a bunch of lemons, for all I know!

Also, I don’t get any commissions or kickbacks for recommending or linking to any products.

#1 – Timex Marlin Mechanical 34mm ($209)

I start this list with the venerable Timex Marlin, and honestly, it’s going to be hard to top it.

There are a handful of different iterations of the Marlin, but I am sticking with the most well-known version.

There are three things that should jump out to you about this watch.

One, is the size. At 34mm in diameter, this watch is considered a “vintage” size. At first glance, it might look a little dainty, but these were the sizes of watches that men wore back in the day. There is nothing girly or feminine about a small watch. Smaller watches are coming back into fashion, although they never went out of style.

If Muhammad Ali can wear a small watch, so can you.

They are comfortable for extended wear and slide easily under a shirt cuff.

Two, is the movement. The fact that this watch is a hand-wound mechanical movement is pretty neat! It’s not quartz, so it doesn’t need a battery, and it’s not automatic, so it doesn’t have one of those whirling rotors. A hand-wound mechanical movement is unique, especially at this price point.

Now, is the fact that it’s hand-wound a good thing or a bad thing? Well, that’s up to you. If you think it would be a nuisance to wind it every now and again, then this watch obviously isn’t for you.

Three, is the price. Timex is known for their low prices, but two-hundred bucks for a mechanical watch is an especially sweet deal.

Unfortunately, a small, inexpensive Timex isn’t exactly a sexy option. You’re not going to impress anyone with this watch.

This is a sensible watch for sensible men who have nothing to prove.

#2 – Lorier Zephyr Automatic 31mm ($499)

I love the look of this watch. As far as pure looks go, I think this watch is the best-looking one on the list.

The watch is 31mm wide, but I am not sure how long it is. The website says that the lug-to-lug measurement is 42mm so I would guess that the length of the case is somewhere in the neighborhood of 38mm, which is an excellent size for a dress watch.

It’s also only 8mm thick, which makes this the second thinnest watch on the list (the Indy Hamilton in entry #4 is thinnest at 7.8mm). A really thin, automatic watch is a rare find at this price point!

This watch comes in three colors, a white version (which you see above), a black version, and a red version. All of the colorways come with two quick-change leather straps. The white dial comes with black/tan, and the black and red dials come with black/brown.

Non-round watches aren’t everyone’s dish of tea. I used to be in that camp simply because I wasn’t used to seeing that style of watch. But they really are quite elegant. They are also rather eye-catching simply because they aren’t round. While still understated, they will stand out in a good way.

One drawback of this watch is the fact that there is no seconds hand. I’m a little torn on this one. Usually, one doesn’t really need the seconds hand, but I do like watching the nice smooth sweep of an automatic watch.

The benefit, though, of not having a third hand is that the watch is thinner. This is a dress watch, after all, so thinness should be a pretty big consideration.

I really like how this watch comes with two quick-release straps, too. Especially with the white dial, you can wear it in a very dressy situation with the black strap, but then pop the tan strap on it and it won’t look out of place with much more casual wear. This is a very smart play by Lorier to make their watches as versatile as possible.

#3 – Bulova American Clipper Automatic 42mm ($425)

I have a soft spot in my heart for Bulova. I have a 42mm, silver dial, automatic that my wife bought for me a long time ago. It was the first “real” watch I ever had and I wore it on my wedding day.

Unfortunately, it appears that Bulova no longer sells that particular version. There is a quartz version, under the “Classic” name that is very appealing for only $220, and it is quite similar to mine.

The model I want to highlight, though, is called the “American Clipper”. I feel it’s a better buy than the quartz Classic due to its movement and functionality.

 It’s 42mm (like my Bulova), which is the upper limit when it comes to size for a dress watch. This watch has a black dial, which is actually beneficial for a large watch, as dark dials wear a little smaller than their actual size suggests.

The movement is automatic, although the Bulova website says it’s mechanical on the watch’s page. Well, it says “automatic” clearly on the dial, so I presume that’s what it actually is.

As far as function goes, this watch does quite a lot for a dress watch, and it is the reason I wanted to include this particular model. It’s usually the sport watches that come with bells and whistles, but this one has a day and date complication, which is very useful.

The downside with all that functionality is that this watch will be quite a bit thicker than some of the other selections on this list, especially the Lorier which is pared down to only two hands.

What I like most about this watch is how clean and stark it is. Nothing is too stylized. The only text is the “Bulova” name and the word “Automatic”. Even the addition of the day and date doesn’t clutter the dial in any real noticeable way.

This could absolutely be a watch you wear with a tuxedo (as could the Lorier). And please don’t listen to the internet dorks who tell you that it’s improper or “against the rules” to wear a watch with a tuxedo. It’s perfectly fine. I’ve worn a watch every single time I’ve worn a tuxedo. Want to know why? Because I always wear a watch. So, of course I wear one with a tuxedo. Literally no one is going to care if you check the time during a black-tie event. It’s normal for people to want to know the time. The only people who don’t want to know the time are gamblers and bar flies.

#4 – Hamilton Boulton ($695 – $945)

There are two sizes for this watch in the men’s version.

The smaller version is a quartz movement and it’s 27mm by 31mm and costs $695 (pictured above). The “Indiana Jones” variation is also quartz, is roughly the same size and costs $745.

The larger version is a hand-wound mechanical movement and it’s 34.5mm by 38mm and costs $945.

I wanted to include them all in the same entry because, while I find the quartz versions more attractive, I like the fact that the more expensive version is a non-quartz movement. I prefer to not have to deal with a watch battery, so automatic and mechanical watches appeal to me.

Some of the reviews I read about the mechanical version said that, while the case dimensions are accurate and suggest the watch wears fairly small, the lug-to-lug measurement is quite long, which means the watch feels pretty large on the wrist.

This makes the quartz version even more attractive in my eyes.

I’m not a huge fan of the “Indy” version of this watch. I prefer the Roman numerals and the blue hands of the regular variations. The small seconds is another feature of the quartz version which you might like or not. It makes the watch thinner, which I’ve mentioned numerous times already, is a big consideration for a dress watch.

One thing to consider is that the water resistance of the Boultons is greater than any watch on this list (5 bar as opposed to 3 bar for all the others). Hilariously, the only Boulton that still has the 3 bar of WR is the Indy version. If anyone needs WR it’s Indiana Jones!

The biggest downside with these watches is obviously the price. Hamilton is a respected brand with a long history and these watches are quite handsome, though. If the mechanical was sold in the size and price of the quartz versions, that would be a home run, in my opinion.

So, which one do you think is the winner out of these four?

And just as a note, yes I realize that my dive watch article had five entries and this one only has four. It’s because I really could not think of another dress watch at this price point that I thought was handsome enough to stand next to the four on this list.

If you can think of one to slide into the fifth slot, let me know. But until then, these are the four most attractive, reasonably priced, dress watches on the market right now, as I see it.