Best Dress Watches Under $1000

Sometimes an occasion doesn’t require 200 meters of water resistance, the ability to time a dive or a drive, or remarkably bright lume. Sometimes all you need is a simple, elegant-looking dress watch that tells the time without being too bulky or cumbersome. Dress watches typically feature nice, supple leather straps, clean dial designs, simple bezels, and slim cases. They easily slide under a cuff and are perfect for business meetings, dates, weddings, and other formal occasions. Dress watches are also perfect for a daily watch if you just want the minimal, classic aesthetic.

If you’re unsure about getting into the dress watch world and don’t want to spend a ton of your hard-earned savings on one, you’re in luck; there are plenty of great options under $1,000 in the market today. Listed below are seven fantastic affordable dress watches, ranging from $180 to $895.

Citizen Corso
Price starts at US $180

The Citizen Corso comes with a 40mm case, which frames a silvery dial with a touch of rose-gold toned hands and hour markers. The use of an eco-drive movement means seldom having to adjust the time or even touch a battery thanks to the solar charging quartz system. A black-framed window date display at 3 o’clock shows the date with ease under the mineral crystal.

The overall thinness of the watch means it can be tucked away for those moments when you don’t need the time. A 21mm black leather strap completes the look of this elegant budget-friendly dress watch.

Orient Contemporary Classic
Price starts at US $195

Orient has released several iterations of the Contemporary Classic, watch and this one features a cream-colored dial, Roman numerals at the even hours, batons at the odd hours, and a date at 3 o’clock. Blued hour, minute, and second hands glide over the dial thanks to the automatic movement housed within the 40.5mm diameter and 11.8mm thick stainless steel case.

A push/pull crown and a solid caseback pair with 30m of water resistance, so it’s good to handle a splash or two if you get caught in some light rain. A 21mm leather strap keeps this affordable dress watch secured to your wrist.

Timex Marlin
Price starts at US $199

For a bit more of a vintage dress watch look and feel, it’s hard to go wrong with this Timex Marlin. The stainless steel case measures 34mm, which is on the smaller side by today’s norms but ideal for those looking for a compact timepiece.

A subtle gold-tone crown at 3 o’clock stays out of the way for optimum comfort, yet protrudes just enough for hand winding the mechanical movement. The silvery dial has Arabic numerals in raised rectangular boxes at 12, 3, 6, and 9, which gives this a unique visual appeal. Gold-tone pencil hands, a domed acrylic crystal, and the 18mm black leather strap round out this great-looking inexpensive dress watch.

Seiko Presage SRPB46
Price starts at US $495

Seiko is known for producing well-finished watches at prices that are easier on the wallet. The Seiko Presage SRPB46 is one example among many, featuring a striking golden brown dial with radial lines bursting out from the center towards the periphery.

The rose gold-toned dauphine hour and minute hands point towards the matching faceted indices while a date window sits at 3 o’clock. The wearable 40.5mm diameter case (11.8mm thick) offers good wrist presence. If you unstrap the 20mm brown leather strap from your wrist, you will also see a display caseback offering a view of the automatic Seiko 4R35 movement powering this well-priced dress watch.

Junghans Max Bill Quartz
Price starts at US $800

Junghans consistently produces clean, minimal designs that are easy on the eyes and desirable on the wrist. The white dial of the Maxx Bill Quartz has a date at 3 o’clock and Arabic hour numerals on the inside of the minute marker lines. The pencil-style hands are lumed and there are single lume dots at 3, 6, and 9, and a double dot of lume at 12 o’clock for easy orientation at night.

The 38mm stainless steel case is super thin, measuring a mere 7.9mm thick thanks to its quartz movement. The domed sapphire crystal has anti-reflective coating on both sides to minimize glare, and is sure to look great on any wrist. This is a dress watch that looks much more expensive than its price tag suggests.

Hamilton Intra-Matic Automatic 38mm “Champagne”
Price starts at US $845

This recently released Hamilton Intra-Matic already looks like such a classic design. A 38mm diameter and 10mm thick case is ideal for just about any wrist. The vintage-inspired champagne dial slopes down towards the edges to match the curve of the domed sapphire crystal. The stick-style hands and markers do an excellent job of telling the time when you need it, yet are unobtrusive when you don’t. There’s also a date window at 6 o’clock.

Inside the case is the automatic ETA-based Caliber 2892-A2 movement, which supplies 50 hours of power reserve. The 20mm lug width sports a brown leather strap, but can easily accommodate any of your other favorite dressy watch bands and straps.

Zodiac Olympos
Price starts at US $895

Breaking out of the typical dress watch mold is the Zodiac Olympus. The most distinctive elements of this unconventional design are the shield-shaped case silhouette and the crown positioned near 2 o’clock. The stainless steel case is very wearable clocking in at 37mm, and is furnished with a Swiss STP automatic movement.

A blue leather strap perfectly complements the light blue dial, which appears to be broken up into four quadrants with the dial finishing work. A sea foam green date window, seconds hand, and cursive “Automatic” text at the bottom of the dial pair well with the rest of the aesthetic and further emphasize the uniqueness of this sub-$1,000 timepiece.

That wraps up our recommendations for seven fantastic dress watches under $1,000. Are you a fan of dress watches in general? Or are you considering adding one to your collection in the near future? Do you have another recommendation for a dress watch that doesn’t break the bank? Let us know in the comments below!