The Top 10 Watches Under $500 Reviewed by StrapHabit

As StrapHabit website approaches its 5-year anniversary, I thought it would be fun to look back at the watches I've reviewed. New collectors or those on a budget often set hard limits on what they can spend on a watch, and that number is often $500. Despite recent cost increases, there are still a lot of great watches that can be bought for (often significantly) less than that amount.

Rather than an extensive list of all available watches, here you'll find a list of my top ten favorite watches that I've owned that can be bought for under the magic $500 mark. You'll find a brief summary and a link to a full review for each watch listed.

You can also visit this link to view more watches under $500 that StrapHabit has reviewed.

Most of the watches in this article are compatible with StrapHabit 20mm or 22mm straps. You can view our favorite straps for all of your watches at the links below. You can also view our Guide to Choosing a Watch Strap.
-All Straps
-Best Sellers
-What's New
-Rubber Straps
-Accessories

10. San Martin Watches Bronze Water Ghost

One of the earliest watches that I reviewed was also one that surprised me the most. I didn't know what to expect from a Chinese watch brand, but San Martin Watches impressed me. While many of its models at the time were homages, the Water Ghost is a distinctive design. At the time, I wanted to try out a bronze watch without spending much, and that goal was achieved!

9. Undone Aqualume Automatic

Besides being fun to look at, the Undone Aqualume has a stacked feature list for $395. Titanium case, sapphire crystal, lume dial, HEV, and 500m of water resistance. It's powered by a Seiko Automatic too. An Undone was the first watch that a brand sent me to review for the blog, so it's fitting to put one on the list.

8. Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Dive Super Titanium Land Mine - BN0228-06W

A great watch for summer, the Citizen Promater "Land Mine," aka Ashtray, aka Beast is lightweight and rugged titanium and is powered by a worry-free solar quartz movement. Plus its camo dial looks cool! The legibility is much better than the more expensive Sinn U1 Camo and it sits stable on the wrist with a 24mm strap.

7. Modified Casio World Time Royale Watch Review - Metal Case, Sapphire Crystal (AE1200WH-1CV)

Even with a metal case with sapphire crystal and a new metal faceplate installed, this Casio Royale is still well below the threshold. The original watch was only $30! Throw on a TQ18 strap (or any 18mm), and you have something much greater than the sum of its parts.

6. Seiko 4th Gen Monster SRPD25

Although it's becoming hard to find a Prospex for under $500, you know there had to be some Seikos on this list. The iconic Monster was reborn a few years back with some nice upgrades, yet it retains the charm of the original. Its MSRP is technically $510, I bought this one at a discount. Not bad for a watch with such a cool case, bezel, and bracelet.

5. Seiko 5KX Sonar SRPJ45

4. Q Timex Chronograph 40mm

I liked the Q Timex lineup so much that StrapHabit developed a whole line of straps for them. The 38mm Quartz and M79 models hold places in my watch box, but my favorite is the white dial Chronograph on a white strap. It has a fun, vintage vibe without being pretentious.

The strap that comes on these feels a bit cheap, and the bracelet is a hair-puller. Luckily we have straps for Q! You can check them out at the links below.

3. Blancpain x Swatch Scuba Fifty Fathoms Ocean of Storms

After the success of the Omega x Swatch Moonswatch,  it should come as no surprise that Swatch looked for other brands under its umbrella to collaborate with. Surprisingly, that came in the form of the Blancpain x Swatch Scuba Fifty Fathoms. I've reviewed most of the variants, but my favorite is the Ocean of Storms. When I bought it, I was not planning to keep it, but I ended up liking it more than the white Antarctic. All-black works well in Bioceramic, and I like how bright the white markers are. It reminds me of my Sinn U1 S, but in a might lighter and more wearable weight. Like the Moonswatch, the straps it comes with aren't great, but we have a tool for that!

2 Omega x Swatch Moonswatch Mission to Mars

Of course, the Moonswatch had to be on this list. Not only do I like them, but readers do as well. At this point, I've reviewed most of them. While I have a few favorites, the Mars is the one that I'm most fond of. As I mentioned in the original review, it's taking place the place of the Omega Speedmaster Alaska project that I didn't buy (and probably never will). Plus the Mars has those cool chronograph hands!

1 The Manga Casioak - Casio G-Shock GA-2100MNG-2A

Like the Moonswatch, I've owned a large number of Casio G-Shock "Casioak" or Casio Oak watches at this point. My wife likes them, I like them, and readers also like them. The GA2100 takes the durability that we love about G-Shock but puts it in a slim and stylish package reminiscent of an AP Royal Oak. My favorite, however, is the Manga edition. I love its color and cartoon styling!

If you're looking to accessorize your new under $500 watch, here is a list of some of the straps that would fit and we think look great.
-Deployant Rubber
-Ribbed Rubber Pass-Through
-Ridge Rubber
-Tropical Rubber
-Premium Sailcloth and Sailcloth Colorway Collection
-Smooth Rubber
-Rubber and Sailcloth Hybrid Straps
-Pro Diver
-Vented Rubber
-Slim Ridge Rubber
-Waffle Rubber
-Beads of Rice Bracelets
-Epsom Leather
-Elastic
-Seatbelt