Iconic watches from luxury watch brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet typically come with an intimidating price tag, especially if you are a beginner in the watch world who just recently decided to start your own luxury watch collection.
But don’t worry. There are entry-level watches from high-end watch brands that can still work with your budget while building savings for much more expensive timepieces in the future.
In this article, we will show you a list of the most affordable luxury watches in the market that you can invest in, from classic dress watches to the most trendy sports watches available today.
To make things easy for you, the most affordable timepiece is the Bulova Lunar Pilot, but we will discuss more of that later.
So don’t miss out and read further!
Related: Rolex vs Rado Brand Comparison
Want To Listen Instead? Click Play Below
Our Picks: 10 Entry-level Luxury Watches
Here are 10 luxury watches that are surprisingly affordable:
| Watch | Dial Color | Strap / Bracelet |
| #1. Bulova Lunar Pilot | Black | Stainless Steel |
| #2. Mont Blanc Star 108770 | Silver | Leather |
| #3. Hamilton Ventura | Black | Leather |
| #4. Hamilton Khaki Aviation | Black | Rubber |
| #5. Longines HydroConquest | Blue | Stainless Steel |
| #6. Tag Heuer Formula 1 | Blue | Stainless Steel |
| #7. Omega De Ville Prestige | Blue | Stainless Steel |
| #8. Cartier Tank Solo | White | Stainless Steel |
| #9. Breitling Navitimer 1 | Black | Leather |
| #10. Grand Seiko Blue Snowflake | Blue | Leather |
#10. Grand Seiko Blue Snowflake
- Dimensions: 40.2mm diameter, 12.8mm thickness
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Water resistance: 100m
Our Experience With The Grand Seiko Blue Snowflake
The first entry-level luxury watch we will feature today is a gorgeous dress watch made for men of all ages, the Grand Seiko Blue Snowflake.
The Grand Seiko Snowflake in winter blue dial showcases a perfect blend of classic design with a sophisticated modern touch.
Moreover, it also features a high-performance automatic calibre that can be manually winded. It has an accuracy of ±1 second per day, equal to a quartz movement while using a mainspring used in a mechanical watch.
#9. Breitling Navitimer 1
- Dimensions: 38mm diameter, 10.1mm thickness
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Water resistance: 30m
Our Experience With The Breitling Navitimer 1
The Breitling Navitimer 1 might be the most basic watch from the famous Swiss luxury watch brand. But honestly, this timepiece has a lot to offer.
This pilot’s watch (like other all Navitimer models) acts as a portable calculator on the wrist, thanks to its innovative circular slide rule bezel that can calculate airspeed, time, and distance, perfect for aviators.
It also has a matte black dial and an “unconventional” beaded bezel, which gives this aviation watch its distinct look and personality compared to other models in the luxury watch industry.
#8. Cartier Tank Solo
- Dimensions: 27.4mm diameter, 5.55mm thickness
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Water resistance: 100m
Our Experience With The Cartier Tank Solo
Probably the most iconic watch on this list is the Cartier Tank Solo Ref. W5200014. A timepiece known for its square case shape, this watch features a silvery white dial with blue sword-shaped hands and black Roman numerals hour markers.
The 27.4mm stainless steel case houses a high-performance quartz movement, making it more than just a simple and elegant timepiece but also a reliable time-keeping device.
This battery-powered watch is best used as a dress watch for formal settings. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t use it as an everyday watch to stand out from the crowd.
#7. Omega De Ville Prestige
- Dimensions: 39.5mm diameter, 9.8mm thickness
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Water resistance: 30m
Our Experience With The Omega De Ville Prestige
Omega is a watchmaking luxury brand known for its classic and elegant timepieces. But did you know that they also offer affordable watches without compromising the quality and design of their timepieces? One example of this is the Omega De Ville Prestige.
This timepiece has a scratch-resistant domed sapphire crystal and a blue sunburst dial with a date window at 3 o’clock. It is powered by an in-house automatic movement and has approximately 48 hours of power reserve.
If you want to build your personal collection of luxury watches, this piece is a great watch to start off with.
#6. Tag Heuer Formula 1
- Dimensions: 43mm diameter, 11.65mm thickness
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Water resistance: 200m
Our Experience With The Tag Heuer Formula 1
Tag Heuer Formula 1 is a quartz watch and a proud member of Tag Heuer’s unique racing heritage collection.
It showcases a highly blue legible dial with hands and indexes applied with Super-LumiNova. It is also designed to have a steel bracelet that has a double safety folding clasp to prevent accidental opening.
Considered by many watch enthusiasts as one of the best entry-level sports watches in the market today, this timepiece has an affordable price that wouldn’t cost you more than $2,000.
#5. Longines HydroConquest
- Dimensions: 41mm diameter, 11.90mm thickness
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Water resistance: 100m
Our Experience With The Longines HydroConquest
If you are looking for an affordable luxury dive watch other than Omega Seamaster, the Longines HydroConquest is a reliable and highly recommended watch you must consider.
A timepiece designed for underwater functionality. This watch has a unidirectional ceramic bezel with a 60-minute dive-scale insert that helps divers track their time under the water and enables them to monitor the available oxygen level of their air tanks.
Furthermore, this automatic watch displays large numerals and bolder indexes for ultimate legibility compared to other models of dive watches.
#4. Hamilton Khaki Aviation
- Dimensions: 46mm diameter, 13.7mm thickness
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Water resistance: 100m
Our Experience With The Hamilton Khaki Aviation
Don’t think that because these watches are run by quartz movements, they are less capable of doing things other mechanical timepieces can do. The Hamilton Khaki Aviation is one of the few watches with crosswind calculators, chronograph operation, and a GMT function.
This pilot’s watch has a 46mm stainless steel case, a black dial, and a thin polished bezel perfectly designed for both aviators and travelers alike.
It is an excellent choice and a great entry point to kick off a watch-collecting journey.
#3. Hamilton Ventura
- Dimensions: 32.3mm x 50.3mm, 9.27mm thickness
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Water resistance: 50m
Our Experience With The Hamilton Ventura
With its classic, elegant design and unique case shape, you will be surprised that this piece belongs to the category of entry-level luxury watches. The Hamilton Ventura is a model that even the legendary Elvis Presley loves to wear.
As we said, it has a unique stainless steel case shaped like a shield and is powered by a COSC-certified chronometer.
This affordable luxury watch has an amazing price that would only cost you less than $1000.
#2. Mont Blanc Star 108770
- Dimensions: 39mm diameter, 7.5mm thickness
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Water resistance: 30m
Our Experience With The Mont Blanc Star 108770
Want a timepiece with the same aesthetics as the Rolex Oyster Perpetual or Vacheron Constantin Patrimony? If so, we recommend you try the Mont Blanc Star 108770. It not only can compete with the designs of other luxury brands, but also with its quality and precision.
This dress watch has a stainless steel case with a brown alligator leather strap. It is paired with a silver dial, silver-toned hands, and stick hour markers. It also features a date window in its 6 o’clock position and is run by an automatic movement.
#1. Bulova Lunar Pilot
- Dimensions: 45mm diameter, 13.5mm thickness
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Water resistance: 50m
Our Experience With The Bulova Lunar Pilot
A watch inspired by the Bulova chronograph worn by the commander of Apollo 15, the new Bulova Lunar Pilot offers timeless design while continuing its legacy of precision timing.
It features a six-hand chronograph dial with silver-toned indices and a tachymeter ring. It is powered by high-precision quartz movement, resonating at a frequency of 262khz for exceptional accuracy here on Earth or even at the surface of the moon.
It possesses an ideal combination of design and functionality that is rarely seen on an entry-level luxury watch with a very affordable price tag.
It is the best timepiece on this list that we definitely recommend.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Bulova is an American luxury watch brand that was founded in 1875.
Yes, Grand Seiko is a Japanese luxury brand widely regarded for its accuracy, craftsmanship, and attention to detail in watchmaking.
Yes, Tag Heuer is known for their high-quality luxury timepieces usually associated with motorsports.
The cheapest Rolex watch is the Rolex Air-King Ref. 14000 for an estimated price of $5,000.
An entry-level luxury watch is a high-quality, branded timepiece that is regarded as a luxury despite being on the more affordable and modest end of the price and prestige spectrum.
Affordable Luxury Watches – Conclusion
There you have it! Those are the 10 shockingly affordable entry-level luxury watches you might consider to start your personal collection of watches.
We certainly recommend the Bulova Lunar Pilot as the best affordable watch on this list based on our research and personal experience.
And to have a short recap, here are the 10 affordable luxury watches you should try on.
#10. Grand Seiko Blue Snowflake
Want to know more about inexpensive luxury timepieces? You can check out our article about the cheapest Rolex watches here.
