Cool watches (for not much money)

 CWC

British military

Ray Mellor established CWC in 1972 after Hamilton closed its UK operations. Mellor had previously managed Hamilton UK and supplied watches to the British Ministry of Defence (MOD)

Named after the 15th-century explorer John Cabot

Unlike brands that merely adopt a "military style," CWC builds watches strictly to official MOD specifications for active service members, including the Royal Navy, British Army, RAF, and SBS

 Focused entirely on functional durability, reliability, and ease of owner maintenance over luxury finishing.

Iconic Models

CWC G10 (The "Fatboy"): Introduced in 1980, the G10 is the quintessential general service quartz watch issued to British infantry and personnel. It features a simple matte black dial, high-torque Swiss movement, and an iconic battery hatch on the solid steel case back. [1, 2, 3]
W10 Navigator: A classic 1970s mechanical general service watch featuring a distinctive tonneau-shaped case, famously issued to army personnel. [1, 2, 3]
Royal Navy Diver (RN300 / SBS): Issued from the late 1970s and 1980s onward to replace Rolex Milsubs and serve elite units like the Special Boat Service (SBS). These robust tool watches feature fixed strap bars and 300m water resistance. [1, 2]

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Seiko Turtle

The Seiko Turtle is an iconic, cushion-cased automatic dive watch named for its rounded shell-like profile

History and Origin

The 1970s Roots: Seiko introduced the original lineage (reference 6306/6309) in 1976 as a rugged tool watch for professional and recreational divers. [1, 2]
The Nickname: Fans gave it the "Turtle" moniker because the side-profile and case back curve resemble a turtle shell. 

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Seiko presage Cocktail time

The different dial colours are named after different cocktails

The collection draws from specific drinks created by Hisashi Kishi, head bartender of Tokyo’s Star Bar

Automatic Caliber: Most core models run on the in-house Seiko automatic Caliber 4R35 (or 4R57 for power-reserve variants), offering manual-winding and hacking seconds.

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seiko 5 sports GMT

super cool and cheap gate way mechanical GNT

SKX-Style Series: Launched initially in 2022, these models borrow the iconic 42.5mm case shape and jubilee-style bracelet from the legendary SKX dive watch line. They feature rotating two-tone 24-hour Hardlex bezels to track a second time zone. Popular colorways include black/grey ("Batman" SSK001) and blue/black ("Blueberry" SSK003)

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Citizen Promaster FUGU

Puffer fish

left side crown

The Three Pillars

Promaster Marine (Sea): ISO-compliant professional dive watches featuring robust screw-down crowns, rotating bezels, and 200 meters (or more) of water resistance. Popular iterations include the "Fugu" series with a serrated bezel inspired by the Japanese pufferfish. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Promaster Land (Land): Tough field and outdoor adventure watches engineered with shock-resistant cases and practical field complications. [1, 2]
Promaster Sky (Sky): Aviation and pilot-inspired timepieces offering slide-rule bezels, chronograph functions, and high-precision radio-controlled atomic timekeeping. [1, 2, 3]

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Orient bambino

Vintage Look: It features a classic, old-school style with a curved domed crystal and dial

Automatic Caliber: It runs on an in-house Japanese automatic movement (such as the F6724)

one of the most popular and affordable automatic dress watches in the world

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Casio AQ 230

(sold at the MOMA)

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Casio F-91W

Certina DS super PH 2000M

Marathon MSAR

baltic MR series

Hamilton

Brew metric PVD (physical vapor deposition)

Tissot PRX or Citizen Tsuyosa

luxury integrated bracelet sports watches

sheffield QL1

Tilted dial - inspired by early pilot and drivers watches

Vario 1918 pilot watch

also tilted