Yes, luxury watches are expensive. You’ll need to throw down a few thousand dollars to buy one. However, how many thousands is the question. Luckily, there are plenty of choices out there in the market, which means you can save a pretty penny if you know where (hint: searchluxxe.com is a great start) and what to look for.
Here are some spendy options from Rolex, Omega, Cartier, and Grand Seiko versus more budget-friendly alternatives from Tudor, Oris, Longines, and Seiko to give you some ideas.
Rolex GMT-Master II vs. Tudor Black Bay GMT
Perhaps the most famous pilot’s watch ever made, the Rolex GMT-Master has been offered in various bezel colors over the decades. However, the most iconic option (which also happens to be the original one) is the blue and red bezel, nicknamed the “Pepsi.” Like all Rolex sports watches, vintage GMT-Master Pepsi watches and modern GMT-Master II Pepsi watches are pricey – particularly in the secondhand market. Buyers are unlikely to find one for sale at authorized dealers since they’re so popular and would have to pay a premium for a pre-owned version. However, a GMT-Master Pepsi is an incredible classic watch to own if you can get your hands on one.
Thankfully, there’s Tudor, Rolex’s sibling company that makes high-quality timepieces at more accessible price points. The Tudor Black Bay GMT is a fantastic alternative to the Rolex GMT-Master, right down to the blue and red (or as the brand calls it, burgundy) bezel. Tudor’s watch offers the same functions in the form of a dual-time display, rotating 24-hour bezel, date window, and a jumping local hour hand that can easily be changed as you fly to different time zones—at a fraction of the price.
Omega Seamaster 300 vs. Oris Divers Sixty-Five
Omega has had a long history of making diving watches and the Seamaster 300 range is the brand’s modern riff on its original model from 1957. Omega doesn’t shy away from the vintage vibe, including touches such as darkened luminous materials to mimic the process of aging, as well as opting for a domed (rather than flat) crystal, which is customary on older watches. This mid-century-inspired Seamaster 300 diver is one of Omega’s most handsome offerings in its broad diving watch catalog and a worthy addition to any collection. However, it will cost you north of $6,000 to own one, which if you can afford it, great!
But if that price tag doesn’t suit you at the moment, then Oris has an awesome and much less expensive alternative — the Divers Sixty-Five. Also vintage-inspired, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five is based upon an Oris diving watch from, you guessed it, 1965. Along with the caramel-colored lume and golden text on the dial, Oris also fits this particular model with a bronze bezel to play up the warm tones. While the Oris is only water-resistant to 100 meters compared to the 300-meter rating of the Seamaster, the Sixty-Five does, unlike the Omega, include a date window on the dial.
Cartier Tank vs. Longines Dolce Vita
When it comes to classic Art Deco-styled dress watches, the Cartier Tank is one of the most celebrated. The Cartier Tank watch was designed in 1917 and since then, the company has created countless iterations and variations of its famed rectangular watch. Whether you want steel or gold, large or small, slim or stout, quartz or mechanical, the exceedingly varied Tank catalog will likely have a style suited to you.
Longines also offers Art Deco-designed rectangular watches in the Dolce Vita collection, which are more affordable than the Cartier Tank. This budget-friendly watch collection by Longines is also impressively varied, with plenty of materials, sizes, movement types, and dial and bracelet colors to choose from.
Grand Seiko SBGA211 vs. Seiko SARX055
Ever since Grand Seiko launched internationally in 2010, the high-end Japanese watch brand has been impressing watch fans around the world. Grand Seiko watches are known for their solid quality, sublime finishes, intriguing movements, and eye-catching dials. One of the most renowned is the titanium Grand Seiko SBGA211, also known as the “Snowflake” for its frosty white textured dial, which is powered by the revolutionary Spring Drive movement.
For a wallet-friendly alternative, there’s the Seiko SARX055, which is, in fact, nicknamed the “Baby Grand Seiko Snowflake.” There’s the icy dial with a blue seconds hand, the titanium construction, and the near-identical proportions. The Seiko SARX055 does not have a Spring Drive movement but it is automatic. While these Baby Snowflake watches are no longer in production, they can still be sourced from the pre-owned watch market for about a fifth of the price of a Grand Seiko Snowflake.
When the Price is Right
As you can see, it is possible to find similarly-styled watches at both high and lower price points. It’s just a matter of understanding what exactly it is that you like with the more expensive version and researching watches that have most of the same traits. Of course, there will always be some variations — these aren’t replicas after all, — yet, you may just find that you actually prefer the least expensive option regardless of the cost.
The best way to start saving some money if you’re on the hunt for a premium timepiece, is to use luxxee’s powerful search engine. Luxxee is designed to search the top watch sites around the world — so you get the best listings, all in one place.
