You may have heard the term “automatic” thrown around a lot when talking about watches. On the most basic level, it means that the watch runs without a battery. Instead, it’s powered by you! Essentially, there’s a tiny machine that’s “charged up” by a spinning rotor, completely driven by the movement of your wrist throughout the day. They keep running as long as you wear it, and the work that’s involved in designing an accurate time telling machine is equally impressive. Fortunately, you can find a few solid watches featuring this fascinating movement that actually stand up to daily use without costing an arm and a leg. In this guide, we’ll highlight our top 5 automatic mechanical watches for EDC on a budget.
Best Mechanical Watches on a Budget
Seiko SNK809 |
Orient Bambino V2 |
Hamilton Khaki Field |
Seiko SKX009 |
Orient Defender |
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| ★★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★ |
| Case Size: 37 mm | Case Size: 40.5 mm | Case Size: 38 mm | Case Size: 43 mm | Case Size: 42 mm |
| Water Resistance: 30M | Water Resistance: 30M | Water Resistance: 50M | Water Res.: 200M | Water Res.: 100M |
| Origin: Malaysia | Origin: Japan | Origin: Switzerland | Origin: Thailand | Origin: Japan |
| Pro: Value | Pro: Office wear | Pro: Reliability | Pro: Diving | Pro: Daily wear |
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Why EDC an Automatic Watch?
With all of the quartz and digital watch options out there, why invest in and wear an automatic watch?
- No Batteries to Change: An automatic watch can run for years without requiring service. If the movement runs out of power, simply give it a little shake (or wind, depending on the movement) to get it running again.
- A Watch for Life: Automatic watches can be serviced, repaired, and worn for decades without giving out. A quartz watch with a PC board and battery doesn’t have the potential to last quite as long without issues.
- Cool Factor: At the heart of the watch is a tiny, complex machine with dozens of moving parts that all work in conjunction to tell the time. It’s just plain cool.
Now that you have an idea of why an automatic watch works well for EDC, here are 5 great options to choose from that won’t cost you a fortune.
Seiko SNK809
The Seiko 5 SNK809 represents the best value in mechanical watches today. This feature-packed time piece has a ton of useful features bundled into a classic looking field watch package. To be a part of Seiko’s “5” line, the watch must be water resistant, shock resistant, have an automatic movement, have a day/date display, and a recessed crown at the 4 o’clock position. The best part? This watch will only run you right around 80 bucks.
Orient Bambino Gen 2, V3
Orient’s Bambino dresses things up a bit. This take on the classic dress watch adds in a little bit of Bauhaus-inspired minimalism to the design. The sleek hour and minute markers pop out against the contrasting black face, while the squared-off hour and minute hands stay discreet yet legible. The domed mineral crystal adds a touch of vintage flair and wrist presence that’s typically found on watches several times the price of the Bambino. Of course you get an automatic movement, steel case, and leather strap as well.
Hamilton Khaki Field
When talking about automatic watches, it’s hard to leave Switzerland out of the discussion. This country is known for their high level of detail and precision in watch manufacturing, and the watches hailing from Switzerland typically have the price tag to match. Hamilton’s Khaki Field is one of the most affordable Swiss watches out there. This 38mm field watch wears well on almost any wrist thanks to the conservative size.
Seiko SKX009
When looking for an automatic watch, you’re bound to come across one of these legendary divers from Seiko’s SKX line. These ISO-certified dive watches are built like tanks, with plenty of welcomed features inside. In addition to the automatic movement, there’s a day/date display, a sturdy screw down crown, and a stainless steel case that will hold up to years of use and abuse. The watch comes on a rubber dive strap, but switching to a nylon nato style, or bracelet can add a level of personalization to really make the watch yours.
Orient Defender
The Defender is Orient’s unique entry into the field watch category. What stands out about the Orient Defender is the grey dial and day, date, and 24 hour sub dials. It’s not often that you see that much complexity on an affordable mechanical watch. It’s got an in-house (“made by the brand” in watch speak) automatic movement, hardened mineral crystal, and 100M of water resistance. The Defender makes for an excellent everyday watch, whether you’re in the office or out in the field.
What’s your favorite budget mechanical watch tough enough for EDC duty? Let us know in a comment below!
