Buying guide · under €1,000
The best men’s watches under €1,000
Between €600 and €1,000 you enter Swiss mechanical watchmaking. Tissot, Hamilton and Mido share movements with an 80-hour power reserve: put down on Friday evening, the watch is still running on Monday morning. What sets them apart is design and purpose.
The short answer
Which watch to choose
The best choice
Tissot PRX Powermatic 80: Swiss automatic, sapphire, integrated bracelet.
For diving
Tissot Seastar 1000 or Mido Ocean Star 200.
The field watch
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical, hand-wound.
The top of the spec sheet
Squale 1545, with its Sellita movement.
Ranking
The ranking at a glance
- Movement : Automatic Powermatic 80
- Diameter : 40 mm
- Thickness : 10.9 mm
- Movement : Hand-wound mechanical, H-50
- Diameter : 38 mm
- Thickness : 9.5 mm
- Movement : Automatic Powermatic 80
- Diameter : 40 mm
- Thickness : 12.5 mm
- Movement : Automatic Powermatic 80
- Diameter : 38 mm
- Thickness : 11.5 mm
- Movement : Automatic Calibre 80
- Diameter : 41 mm
- Thickness : 11.7 mm
- Movement : Automatic Calibre 80
- Diameter : 37 mm
- Thickness : 10.5 mm
- Movement : Automatic Sellita SW 200-1
- Diameter : 40 mm
- Thickness : 12 mm
- Movement : Automatic, calibre F6N43
- Diameter : 39.3 mm
- Thickness : 12.2 mm
Selection
The 8 watches, one by one
- 01
Photos: Tempus Shop
The best choice
Tissot PRX Powermatic 80
The 1970s design that relaunched the brand, with an integrated steel bracelet, a sapphire crystal and the Powermatic 80 automatic movement, which runs for 80 hours off the wrist.
- Movement
- Automatic Powermatic 80
- Diameter
- 40 mm
- Thickness
- 10.9 mm
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Water resistance
- 100 m
Who it is for
Anyone who wants one fine watch to wear everywhere.
The real flaw
The integrated bracelet cannot be swapped for another.
- 02
Photos: Tempus Shop
The best field watch
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38
The direct descendant of American military watches. A brushed 38 mm case, a sapphire crystal, and an H-50 movement that you wind yourself at the crown.
- Movement
- Hand-wound mechanical, H-50
- Diameter
- 38 mm
- Thickness
- 9.5 mm
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Water resistance
- 50 m
Who it is for
Anyone who enjoys the ritual of winding and likes sober watches.
The real flaw
It has to be wound by hand, and it has no date.
- 03
Photos: Tempus Shop
The best diver
Tissot Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80
A 40 mm Swiss automatic diver, water resistant to 300 m, with a sapphire crystal and the same Powermatic 80 movement as the PRX, for slightly less.
- Movement
- Automatic Powermatic 80
- Diameter
- 40 mm
- Thickness
- 12.5 mm
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Water resistance
- 300 m
Who it is for
Anyone who wants a sports watch to wear at the office too.
The real flaw
A 12.5 mm case, thicker than a dress watch.
- 04
Photos: Tempus Shop
The most classic
Tissot Gentleman 38 Powermatic 80
A steel everyday watch in a 38 mm size, with a sapphire crystal and the Powermatic 80 movement. More discreet than the PRX, it draws less attention and dates less.
- Movement
- Automatic Powermatic 80
- Diameter
- 38 mm
- Thickness
- 11.5 mm
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Water resistance
- 100 m
Who it is for
Anyone who wears a watch every day with a shirt.
The real flaw
A tame design that does not try to stand out.
- 05
Photos: Tempus Shop
The discreet diver
Mido Ocean Star 200
Mido belongs to the same group as Tissot and uses a comparable movement, the Calibre 80. The Ocean Star adds a sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective coating, in a 41 mm case.
- Movement
- Automatic Calibre 80
- Diameter
- 41 mm
- Thickness
- 11.7 mm
- Crystal
- Sapphire, double anti-reflective
- Water resistance
- 200 m
Who it is for
Anyone who wants a Swiss diver you do not see on every wrist.
The real flaw
A lesser-known brand, so harder to resell.
- 06
Photos: Tempus Shop
The period design
Mido Commander 1959
The reissue of a 1959 model, with its 37 mm case and steel mesh bracelet. Under the dial, a Calibre 80 automatic movement and a sapphire crystal.
- Movement
- Automatic Calibre 80
- Diameter
- 37 mm
- Thickness
- 10.5 mm
- Crystal
- Sapphire, double anti-reflective
- Water resistance
- 50 m
Who it is for
Anyone who likes vintage watches without vintage trouble.
The real flaw
A 37 mm size that will look small to anyone used to 42 mm.
- 07
Photos: Tempus Shop
The noblest movement
Squale 1545
Squale has been making dive-watch cases since the 1950s. The 1545 gets a Sellita SW 200-1 automatic movement, found in far more expensive watches, an anti-reflective sapphire crystal and 300 m of water resistance.
- Movement
- Automatic Sellita SW 200-1
- Diameter
- 40 mm
- Thickness
- 12 mm
- Crystal
- Anti-reflective sapphire
- Water resistance
- 300 m
Who it is for
Anyone who chooses a watch for what is inside.
The real flaw
A specialist brand with limited distribution.
- 08
Photos: Tempus Shop
The Japanese alternative
Orient Star RE-AU0006S
Orient’s upper line. An automatic movement designed by the brand, a sapphire crystal and a 39.3 mm steel case, for €100 less than the Swiss equivalents.
- Movement
- Automatic, calibre F6N43
- Diameter
- 39.3 mm
- Thickness
- 12.2 mm
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Water resistance
- 100 m
Who it is for
Anyone who prefers the spec sheet to the label.
The real flaw
A brand few people know.
Comparison
The 8 watches side by side
| Model | Movement | Diameter | Crystal | Water resistance | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 | Automatic Powermatic 80 | 40 mm | Sapphire | 100 m | €825 |
| Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38 | Hand-wound mechanical, H-50 | 38 mm | Sapphire | 50 m | €625 |
| Tissot Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80 | Automatic Powermatic 80 | 40 mm | Sapphire | 300 m | €795 |
| Tissot Gentleman 38 Powermatic 80 | Automatic Powermatic 80 | 38 mm | Sapphire | 100 m | €795 |
| Mido Ocean Star 200 | Automatic Calibre 80 | 41 mm | Sapphire, double anti-reflective | 200 m | €910 |
| Mido Commander 1959 | Automatic Calibre 80 | 37 mm | Sapphire, double anti-reflective | 50 m | €740 |
| Squale 1545 | Automatic Sellita SW 200-1 | 40 mm | Anti-reflective sapphire | 300 m | €890 |
| Orient Star RE-AU0006S | Automatic, calibre F6N43 | 39.3 mm | Sapphire | 100 m | €690 |
Method
How to choose at this price
What the power reserve changes
A classic automatic stops after about 40 hours off the wrist. The Powermatic 80, Calibre 80 and H-50 movements run for 80 hours: you can leave the watch for a whole weekend.
Tissot, Hamilton, Mido: what is the difference?
All three brands belong to the same Swiss group and share their movements. Tissot is the best known, Hamilton has an American style, Mido is the most discreet.
Automatic or hand-wound
An automatic winds on the wrist. A hand-wound mechanical watch is wound at the crown: a daily gesture that some people seek out.
Plan for servicing
A mechanical watch is serviced every five to ten years. It is a cost to plan for, one a quartz watch does not have.
Questions
The short answers
What is the best men’s watch under €1,000?
The Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 is our first choice: a Swiss automatic with an 80-hour power reserve, a sapphire crystal and an integrated bracelet.
Which Swiss automatic watch under €1,000?
The Tissot PRX, the Tissot Seastar 1000, the Tissot Gentleman, the Mido Ocean Star 200, the Mido Commander 1959 and the Squale 1545 are all Swiss automatics.
Which dive watch under €1,000?
The Tissot Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80, the Mido Ocean Star 200 and the Squale 1545.
Is a Tissot or a Hamilton better?
They share the same movements. Tissot mostly offers everyday and sports watches, Hamilton field and aviation watches with an American style.
What do you gain going from €500 to €1,000?
A Swiss automatic movement instead of quartz, an 80-hour power reserve, and finer finishing.
Further reading