6 Best Affordable Watches You Should Buy Right Now

If you're a watch enthusiast like me or just hunting for your next cool pickup, you need to see these six new releases. We have an awesome mix of different styles and designs from everyday hitters to watches that really stand out. I'm Eric, and this is One Watches. The indie watch world is packed with cool ideas, but if we're being honest here, new features don't really pop up all too often. Which is why it's so fun to see what Notice did early last year with its collaboration with Beers and Cameras. They released a watch with the first-ever Exposure Gauge bezel. It's actually based on the Sunny 16 rule that film photographers swear by. Notice even patented the design in 2024. The 16-click rotating bezel works like a mini slide rule, lining up a shutter speed scale on the bezel with an f-stop chart printed on the re-hot, so you can quickly figure out the right settings depending on ISO and conditions. It's built into the brand's Sektor platform and looks closest to the Sektor 2 Dive GMT with the arrow hands and trapezoid markers, just without the GMT function. Visually, one of the coolest details is that sky blue and white seconds hand. It borrows the shape from the GMT, but adds a unique pattern you won't find on any other Notice watch. The 38mm brushed steel case, chunky knurled crown, and tapered 3-link bracelet is familiar if you know the Sektor lineup. But here, the crown and coin-edge bezel frame are done in bronze with a DLC finish. Designed to wear in and patina over time, kind of like an old vintage camera. Notice also said they improved the bezel action on this second generation, making it smoother and more responsive. The big new addition is a fully blacked out DLC version with matching case and bracelet, giving it a stealthy look to go along with the original steel model. Inside it runs the reliable Seiko TMI NH38 automatic, beating at 4Hz with a 41-hour power reserve. It's also been regulated by Notice to ±10 seconds per day. Even though I'm not into photography at all, I guess I don't really time anything with my chronographs or go diving with my divers, so I do like this watch quite a lot. The price is $650 in steel and $725 with that DLC coating, a really amazing price for an innovative, really stylish watch. If there's one watch brand that consistently releases some of the best affordable watches out there, it is Timex. Out of all of them, their most talked about releases looks a lot like one of the chronograph grails, the Rolex Daytona. The Waterbury Heritage Chrono has been getting Paul Newman Daytona comparisons since it dropped in March of last year, and the inspirations are quite obvious, but I do think they pulled back enough to make it not look like a straight-up copy. For starters, it runs a two-register layout instead of the Daytona's three, uses chamfered indices instead of sharp pointed ones, and the chronograph's seconds hand has this bold, loom-filled spear tip that gives it its own personality. You still get the fixed tachymeter bezel and the faux screw-in pushers. Things continue to get quite interesting, especially when it comes to the colorways. Timex just dropped an ice blue version that very clearly winks at the platinum Rolex Cosmograph Daytona. You know, that really awesome one that only costs 84 grand and you'll never actually get the call for from an AD? Yeah, that one. Obviously, this Timex isn't platinum, nor does it have a Cerachrom bezel, but the way they've executed the ice blue sunburst dial is really quite impressive. It adds depth, catches the light beautifully, and honestly, might be the best-looking version of this model we've seen. Functionally, it has the same quirky setup as before. A 60-minute counter at 9, a somewhat random 24-hour indicator at 3, and no running seconds. The ice blue Waterbury Heritage Chrono is available for $349 on a quick release steel H-Link bracelet with the butterfly clasp, and there's also a brown perforated leather strap that comes in at $299. I mean, look, not everyone has or even wants to spend 80 grand on a watch, so this is a really great alternative with a lot of those same vibes, but at a fraction of the cost. It seems like every week we get a new integrated sports watch that releases, and although it is quite saturated now, I am a fan of this design and the comfort that they offer. Yema is not only one of my favorite watch brands, but they were early to the affordable integrated sports watch party, dropping the Wristmaster Traveler back in 2021 before the trends really exploded. Then they followed it up a few years later with the Wristmaster Slim, which brought in the brand's in-house micro-rotor movement to slim things down and elevate the whole package. Now we've got the Wristmaster Slim small seconds, and I think it's the most refined, coolest version yet. It still has the 39mm asymmetrical octagonal case with brushed surfaces, polished chamfers, an integrated bracelet, and a thick steel bezel with six notches that's inspired by the vintage Yema sous-marine. Aside from the slight trim in height, the rest of the case hasn't really changed since day one. The real evolution has always been on the dial. Early models borrowed hands and markers from the Superman line, then shifted to Alpha hands and applied batons, and now we get a small second sub-dial at 9 o'clock, tucked into a recessed chamfered register that adds depth without clutter. But if I'm being real here, the real upgrade isn't the small seconds. It's the toned-down dial texture. The older, super 3D garage door style pattern just wasn't really hitting it for me. This new subtle vertical brushing works a lot better. It flows really nicely with the brushing on the case and bracelet, giving the whole watch a more cohesive, industrial look, and is much more wearable. Inside, you still have the in-house CMM29 micro-rotor movement, regulated to minus 3 to plus 7 seconds per day with a 70-hour power reserve. For those who want something a little louder, there's also a limited camo version that goes in the opposite direction, with a laser-etched camouflage pattern across the case, bracelet, and dial in varying gray tones, leaving only the black tracks and framed markers for contrast. It's bold, it's really awesome, and it is limited to just 100 pieces. The price ranges from $2490 up to $2649, and this is once again another home run from Yema. Back in 2018, the military watch brand Marathon dropped the Anthracite SAR, and it wasn't just another blacked-out diver. It was built for real-world stealth during night missions, with SAR standing for Surgeon Rescue. Now it's back as part of the new Marathon Anthracite SAR unit lineup. If you know the brand, then these names will sound a bit familiar. The collection is based on the 41mm GSAR, which stands for Government Surgeon Rescue, and it's the sweet spot in the lineup. Then you've also got the 36mm MSAR, which is perfect if you like a more compact, modern size. And at the top end, there's the beastly 46mm JDD, aka the Jumbo Day-Date. Different sizes, slightly different looks, but they all share the same core DNA. The cases are 316L stainless steel with a tough black ion-plated finish that cuts glare and adds durability. So it's functional stealth, not just for looks. And it gets even cooler because the Swiss automatic movement inside is coated in Anthracite as well, so the toughness isn't just skin deep. The JDD runs the Selita SW220, while the GSAR and MSAR use the SW200. And they all have great shock resistance, so they can handle some serious abuse. These watches look awesome, built tough, and there's a reason why the US and Canada military continue to use Marathon watches. Depending on the model and configuration, the price ranges from $1900 up to around $3200. One of the most popular colorways of any watch has to be the Pepsi. Something about the red and blue combination that just looks really cool and works really well on a watch. It goes all the way back to the GMT Master in the 50s when Rolex was requested by Pan Am to make a multi-time zone watch for their pilots. The red represented daylight hours and the blue marking night time on a 24-hour scale. And now Timex is bringing it back on what might be the best-looking budget piece in its lineup. The Timex Harborside Coast Multifunction. But there is a little bit of a twist. This isn't actually a GMT. The bezel might look the part, but it doesn't have 24-hour markings. It's actually a diver-style countdown bezel, so the Pepsi split is purely aesthetic. Instead of timing laps, these sub-dials track the day of the week, the date, and a 24-hour indicator for time of day, which is a bit more useful for everyday use since I don't really need to track another time zone. It runs on a reliable quartz analog movement, keeping things accurate and affordable. And it even bumps up the water resistance to 100 meters, which is even better for an everyday watch. If you're just not into the whole Pepsi thing, there is a green version available that equally looks amazing. The real headline has to be the price, which is $179, super affordable, super stylish, Timex. When I first got into watches, one of the brands that I was a little bit obsessed with was Fossil. And I suspect a lot of you owned at least one of their watches at some point. Their catalog was filled with big and bold timepieces that really caught my eye, especially as a teenager. One of the coolest models I can remember was the Big Tick, so it's really cool to see and make a comeback. This new version sticks close to the original formula. 40 mil stainless steel case, brushed bezel, domed mineral crystal, and that signature animated digital backdrop. Most come on a very 90s integrated steel bracelet, while Runrock's brown leather bun strap. You've got the classic scrolling number version, plus flame additions with bluer orange fire blazing across the dial, and the specs are solid as well. 50 meters of water resistance, a pusher at 2 o'clock that cycles through 7 different animations, sharper displays than the originals. It is unfortunate that Fossil's had a bit of a tough stretch lately, which even led to the quiet shutdown of Zodiac. So this new release is definitely a smart play. The Big Tick might be the coolest watch Fossil's ever made, and if they keep digging into their archives the way Timex has over the past decade, there's a real shot at a comeback story here. Best part is, it's still affordable. The pocket watch comes in at $175, and the rest of the collection is $195. Well, that's it for the watches today. Definitely let me know which was your favorite, or if there's just one you didn't like at all. As always, thanks for watching. I'll see you next time.