Affordable watches for the office

Although it is less famous in Europe than Seiko or Citizen, Orient is nevertheless a very impressive watch manufacturer offering amazing watches for the money.

The Orient Bambino is an affordable dress watch that can be bought in the $150 range. Orient is one of the rare affordable watch manufacturers developing their own in-house movements.

• Ref: FAC00009N0
• Diameter: 40.50 mm
• Thickness: 11.80 mm
• Lug width: 21.00 mm
• Caliber: Orient F6724

Here again Orient shines with this timepiece. There are 3 versions of this model, we will focus on the latter one. Our favorite is the reference FAK00002S0 which is an absolutely gorgeous and classic design. The well-executed white dial and its applied Roman numeral hour markers are protected by a scratch-resistant glass. This timepiece offers great complications for its price with (1) a date display between the 7 and 8 o'clock positions (2) the day of the week and (3) a sun and moon indicator!

• Ref: FAK00004B0, FAK00005D, FET0T001W, FAK00002S0
• Diameter: 42.50 mm
• Thickness: 14.10 mm
• Lug width: 22.00 mm
• Caliber: Orient F6B24

Those features are provided by the Orient automatic calibre F6B24 (46B46 for version 2) which has a 40h power reserve. This movement can be seen through the transparent case back. The case is 42.5mm wide and 14.1mm thick, offering a generous wrist presence. The lug width is 22mm and the water resistance is 50m, which is more than enough for this type of watch. This Orient timepiece will definitely get a lot of compliments! The amount of complications that you get for the price is astonishing, you can easily get one in the $250 range on eBay.

• Ref: FET0T002S0, FET0T002B
• Diameter: 42.50 mm
• Thickness: 14.10 mm
• Lug width: 22.00 mm
• Caliber: Orient 46B46

The Seiko SARX013 and SARX015 have a pattern of vertical stripes on their dial. Those models share the same handsomeness and differ on the color of their dials: the SARX013 has a black dial, whereas the SARX15 has a white dial. They both offer a date function, visible through a framed window at 3 o'clock. Those models house the renowned Seiko 6R15 automatic movement providing hacking and hand winding with a power reserve of 50 hours. You can observe this movement though the hardlex mineral glass of the case back. We love the masculine design of the case with a diameter of 40mm and a thickness 11.2mm, it has ideal proportions for most wrists.

• Ref: Seiko SARX013, SARX015
• Diameter: 40.00 mm
• Thickness: 11.20 mm
• Lug width: 20.00 mm
• Caliber: Seiko 6R15

The Presage SRPB Cocktail Time Series from the Japanese manufacturer Seiko offers amazing timepieces for the money, we love the SRPB41 and SRPB77 models. The design looks dressier than the SARB033 but can definitely be worn on a daily basis. The watch comes with a stainless steel bracelet but can also be had on a leather strap depending on the reference. The cocktail time series have a distinctive sunburst dial, we find the blue dial of the SRPB41 is gorgeous and plays with the light nicely.

• Ref: SRPB41, SRPB43, SRPB44, SRPB46, SRPB77
• Diameter: 40.50 mm
• Thickness: 11.80 mm
• Lug width: 20.00 mm
• Caliber: Seiko 4R35

The Baroncelli model from Mido is a very elegant and sophisticated dress watch. The timepiece is less than 10mm thick (7mm for Baroncelli II) and yet has a lot of wrist presence with its 40mm diameter. The calibre 80 automatic movement, offering a generous 80-hour power reserve, can be seen through the glass case back. The sapphire crystal protects the clean looking dial, which feature a date window which located either at 3 or 4 o'clock depending on the model reference.

• Ref: M027.408.16.058.00
• Diameter: 40.00 mm
• Thickness: 9.70 mm
• Lug width: 20.00 mm
• Caliber: Mido Calibre 80

The Tissot brand is very respectable and comes with its rich Swiss heritage, which the Le Locle incarnates proudly. Indeed, the Tissot Le Locle Powermatic 80 is a great Swiss watch that packs a lot of value for its $500 retail price. First, let's address the elephant in the room: 80 hours of power reserve. Yep, that's right, the new Powermatic models provide this amazing stamina. This watch has a lot of cool features too: a very nicely executed dial, we like the black one with its applied silver Roman numerals contrasting gracefully with the rest (ref T006.407.11.053.00). Along with the white date wheel, those markers provide a highly legible yet elegant display.

• Ref: T006.407.11.053.00, T006.407.16.033.00
• Diameter: 40.00 mm
• Thickness: 9.75 mm
• Lug width: 22.00 mm
• Caliber: Tissot Powermatic 80

The Seiko SARX049 is a very classic looking watch that will be ideal for the office and formal occasions. It has a distinctive white enamel dial which you will find amazing for its $600 price range. The case is 40.5mm wide and 12.4mm thick with a length of 47.8mm tip to tip. It comes with a leather strap, which will be easy to replace with the 20mm lug width. Under the protective scratch-resistant sapphire crystal you will find blued hands, playing very well with the light, they match perfectly with the white enamel dial and its Roman numerals. A date function is present too, surrounded by a discrete black frame.

• Ref: Seiko SARX049
• Diameter: 40.50 mm
• Thickness: 12.40 mm
• Lug width: 20.00 mm
• Caliber: Seiko 6R15

The SARX019 is another gem from the Japanese manufacturer Seiko, it provides you with a gorgeous enamel dial for an amazing price. The 6R15 automatic movement powers this timepiece, providing a date function, a power reserve of 50hours reserve and an accuracy of +25/-15 sec a day. Moreover, this high-end Seiko caliber supports hacking and hand winding. You can observe it at work through the hardlex window of the case back. The white enamel dial along with its black Roman numerals hour markers elevate this watch, giving it an impressive and luxurious look. The face of the Seiko Presage SARX019 is protected by a sapphire crystal which is scratch-resistant. The water resistance is a reassuring 100m, not bad at all for a dress watch!

• Ref: Seiko SARX019
• Diameter: 40.00 mm
• Thickness: 13.30 mm
• Lug width: 20.00 mm
• Caliber: Seiko 6R15

As you have probably noticed, we like Orient here, this manufacturer offers affordable watches with their own in-house movement. Their sub-brand Orient Star is no exception, and on top of that, their Orient Star Classic model comes with a power reserve complication! The watch sports an Orient 40N52 caliber which you can admire through the transparent case back. The lens is made of mineral crystal and it’s available with a black, blue or white dial.

• Ref: SAF02003W0
• Diameter: 38.50 mm
• Thickness: 13.10 mm
• Lug width: 20.00 mm
• Caliber: Orient 40N52

As its name suggests, the Orient Star Elegant Classic is the Elegant version of the Orient Star Classic - thank you Captain Obvious! This watch is indeed holding a lot of elegance, mainly due to the dial featuring a studded pattern accompanied by Roman numeral hours markers. This automatic watch offers the same complication as the Orient Star classic: a date and a power reserve.

• Ref: SEL09001W, SEL09004W0, SEL09003D0, SEL09002W0
• Diameter: 38.70 mm
• Thickness: 12.80 mm
• Lug width: 20.00 mm
• Caliber: Orient F6N43

The Seiko Presage SARW011 provides also an amazing bunch of luxurious features for its $1000 retail price. Similarly to the SARX019, it holds a perfectly crafted white enamel dial with black Roman numerals accompanied with blue hands. This Seiko model provides a power reserve indicator at the 9-hour marker: an interesting and useful complication. This elegant ensemble of features is protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. At the heart of the SARW011 beats a Seiko 6R27 (29 jewels) high beat automatic movement providing a 45-hour power reserve at 28800bph with a +25/-15 sec/day accuracy. You will be able to witness its work through the hardlex exhibition case back.

• Ref: Seiko SARW011
• Diameter: 40.00 mm
• Thickness: 13.30 mm
• Lug width: 20.00 mm
• Caliber: Seiko 6R27

The Hamilton brand comes with a rich American heritage and is now owned by the Swiss Swatch Group. The Hamilton intra-matic is a very elegant dress watch that was first introduced in the 1960’s. This new version features an automatic movement ETA 2892-2, in a steel case with gold PVD coating. The crown can be screwed down and is reasonably sized. The sapphire crystal glass protects the silver sunburst dial that looks very vintage and elegant. The intra-matic has a water resistance of 50m which is more than enough for a dress watch.

• Ref: H384550, H387550
• Diameter: 38.00 mm
• Thickness: 10.00 mm
• Lug width: 20.00 mm
• Caliber: ETA 2892-2

Christopher Ward is a relatively young brand that offers a lot of value for money in their watch models. This C5 Malvern Automatic MKII is a perfect example of that. With a stainless steel case that has dimensions of 39 x 47mm this dress watch definitely has a healthy presence on the wrist while remaining discrete and classy. It has a simple yet elegant shape and is all polished. The silver sunray dial makes it a timeless classic watch, it is protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. This dress watch has no lume, and it has a 50m water resistance.

• Ref: C5 Malvern Automatic MKII, C5 Malvern Automatic MKIII
• Diameter: 39.00 mm
• Thickness: 10.80 mm
• Lug width: 18.00 mm
• Caliber: Selitta SW200-1