Watch Experts Say These Under-$300 Timepieces Are An Excellent Value

These Seikos, Casios and more functional designs won’t break the bank.
A Seiko 5, Casio G-Shock and a Seiko 5 Sport.
Nordstrom Rack, Amazon
A Seiko 5, Casio G-Shock and a Seiko 5 Sport.

We live in an era of digital timekeeping on our phones and computer screens, but some people insist nothing can ever replace the timelessness of a watch.

Eric Wind, a leading expert in vintage watches and owner of Wind Vintage, told HuffPost that non-battery-powered mechanical watches, if built extremely well and taken care of properly, should last for hundreds of years.

“For instance, a Rolex from the last few decades should last 500 years. Very few things in our lives will last as long as a great mechanical watch. Phones and most things in our life will [eventually] be obsolete, but watches endure,” Wind wrote in an email.

Newly minted college students that want to start the school year with a new timepiece may not have a Rolex budget, but Wind and watch expert Raymin Rafii, from Southern California-based retailer Expert Watches, assured us that there are excellent watches available at lower price points, as long as you know what to look for.

“It is more a matter of brand heritage and lineage,” Rafii said. “For example, Omega has been making fine watches for over 100 years.”

He said that typically, fine watches worthy of investment are associated with automatic or manual winding movement (non-battery powered), but that does not mean you can’t find a good watch with quartz movement (battery powered).

Rafii also recommends avoiding the hype surrounding watches made by trendy fashion brands and to first consider what type of watch you want, whether it be for daily wear or more formal occasions, and to think about the activities you will be doing while wearing it.

Both Rafii and Wind believe that the vintage watch realm in particular is a great starting point for young collectors. However, if you’re looking to own a quality watch now, you can peruse the upcoming selection of watches that can be worn through college and beyond.

HuffPost may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Every item is independently selected by the HuffPost Shopping team. Prices and availability are subject to change. The experts we consulted for this story do not necessarily endorse the products ahead unless otherwise noted.

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Casio
A Casio G-Shock digital series watch
Watch expert Raymin Rafii recommended the Casio G-Shock, an all-purpose watch that is one of the brand's bestsellers and is both shock-resistant and water-resistant up to 200 meters. The digital display has two optional backlight settings, a stopwatch, timer and a flash alert with buzzer feature. Made from a durable resin material, the G-Shock comes in a wide variety of color combinations and various models, like the GWM5610-1, that offer extended features like Bluetooth connectivity and a solar-powered operation.
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Amazon
A Seiko 5 Sports automatic watch
"The best recommendation I can make is to get a Seiko," said watch expert Eric Wind, who also co-designed Seiko’s recent collaboration with fashion brand Rowing Blazers. Wind said that there are many good options in the Seiko 5 Sports line.

"These are fantastic watches that can often be found for under $300 online and are truly excellent. You can have an automatic watch (powered by the movement of your wrist) that looks great and can withstand a lot of wear and tear, plus you never have to worry about replacing a battery," he said.

This automatic watch is durably housed in stainless steel, is waterproof up to 100 meters and features a day-date display. The Sports collection offers a variety of styles from colorful canvas bands to leather, each one promising steadfast reliability.
3
Swatch
The Swatch x Omega Moonswatch
According to Rafii, the Swatch Moonswatch, which was created in collaboration with Omega watches, may be hard to get but supply is becoming more accessible, and it's a great option for college students. Encased in bioceramic, this watch features a tachymeter scale and quartz movement, a type of movement that uses a battery to send an electrical current through a small quartz crystal, which electrifies it and creates the vibrations required for the watch to keep time. The Moonswatch comes in several color themes like canary yellow, pastel pink and gray.
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Nordstrom Rack
A Tissot leather strap watch
Rafii considers Tissot watches to be the best entry-level Swiss watches. This timeless, minimal design features a rugged leather strap and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal face. It's water-resistant up to 100 meters and offers trusted Swiss-quartz movement.
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Amazon
A Seiko 5 canvas strap watch
Rafii said that most Seikos are good watches — notably Seiko 5s, which are affordable automatic models durably set in a stainless steel and recessed crown. This particular Seiko 5 features a casual canvas strap, a Hardlex mineral crystal dial window and a precise hand movement across the analog display.
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