Seiko · Men's Watches
Seiko Recraft Series Automatic Watch
A visible automatic movement under $250. The cheapest honest way to become a watch person.
$100–$250
Shop the Look →
Seiko · Men's Watches
Seiko 5 Automatic Self-Winding Watch
An automatic movement for under two hundred dollars, which should not be possible.
Our rating
4.4 out of 5
The Seiko 5 is how most watch collectors started, and it is still the cheapest honest mechanical watch made. No battery — it winds from the motion of the wrist, and through the exhibition back you can watch it work, which is the thing that converts people. At under two hundred dollars the finishing is basic and it will run several seconds a day out, which is normal for mechanical and infuriating to anyone expecting quartz accuracy. Buy it for someone curious about watches. It is the gateway, and it is a deliberate one.
Rated by the Build a Boyfriend editors. How we pick and rate. An editorial score, not a customer rating.
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- Brand:
- Seiko
- Category:
- Men's Watches
- Price range:
- $100 to $250
- Full title:
- Seiko 5 Automatic Self-Winding Watch
What this pick answers
The questions the Seiko Seiko 5 Automatic Self-Winding Watch is a genuine answer to.
- seiko 5 automatic self-winding watch
Complete the look
What we would buy alongside it.
Seiko · Men's Watches
Seiko Recraft Series Automatic Watch, Bronze Dial
1970s cushion case, warm dial. Looks like a vintage find rather than a new purchase.
$100–$250
Shop the Look →
Seiko · Men's Watches
Seiko 5 Automatic Watch with Day-Date
The Seiko 5 is the most recommended first automatic in the world, and has been for decades.
$250–$500
See Price →
Breitling · Men's Watches
Superocean Heritage '57
A dive watch with a 1957 silhouette, so it wears like a dress watch and survives like a tool.
$1,000+
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