The Best Dress Watches - Affordable to $3,000 (2021)

now in the past few years there's been a gradual just kind of i would say decline of the dress watch not in terms of what is actually being produced but more in regards to what people think about a dress watch and whether or not they'll actually use one in a modern context nowadays many people are working from home there's really no need to be dressing up as much anymore i think we're slowly going to see maybe that happen a little bit over the next i'd say several months but things have changed and i think change may be almost for good for many people out there so a dress watch with steel sports just continuing to rise in popularity is very much changing but in this video i wanted to look at some of the best dress watches at a more attainable price of say a more affordable range all the way up to 3 000 because i would say for somebody that maybe isn't needing a dress watch all the time but just wants to have one for those rare instances this would be a good range to be looking at so in this video we'll be going through a variety of different dress watches i'm going to be going through them rather quickly so if you do want to see more in detail kind of reviews of some of these watches we will have any relevant links in the description down below also please leave comments to any other dress watches that you think should be mentioned here going to keep it kind of just limited up to three thousand dollars in price and starting at a more affordable end before we jump into this video two quick updates we do have a giveaway going on right now so if you want to be entered to win that free watch up to sixteen hundred dollars go to teddyballstar.com pick out three watches three links make sure you put them in the form down below follow all the instructions and if you are chosen to win you then can pick out one of those three watches to be your own so definitely good luck to all of you that enter and definitely enter soon also say while you're shopping around on teddybaldestar.com definitely take advantage of the book of consultation feature this is something that i wanted to bring back so we now have dedicated watch specialists that will be on the phone ready to take those consultations for you so if you have a question you're looking to purchase anything and you want to talk to somebody who is specialized in that area definitely jump at that opportunity people are going to be on the phone have been in the industry for several years if not over a decade working at some of the leading brands as well as the leading jewelers really wanted to work to make that available as i think it's really important now with e-commerce more people buying watches online to have kind of a personal touch there so definitely take advantage of that all right so now where to begin all right in regards to maybe the best entry level dress watch we can talk about the orient bambinos i've talked about it so many times so just so the people that don't go crazy in the comments saying i skipped over it i didn't i give it acknowledgement but just to do something a little bit different let's go with the orient maestro and the maestro has been selling out rapidly as soon as these things kind of came on the scene i think the 100 meters of water resistance and wearable case sizes made these very attractive kind of wearing closer to a 38 millimeter uh they are probably lacking the personality that comes with a bambino the bambino just feels a bit more like thoughtful in terms of what it's going for this one i would say with the maestro and i don't mean this is a negative but kind of a safe design a very simple design which could be a good appeal but also maybe maybe not as appealing for others but for maybe that first dress watch or watch that also have some robustness in the area of water resistance this is definitely one to go for and i think from a dress watch from modern context like we mentioned in the beginning of this video this is certainly going to be one that kind of can work in those varieties just environments now for those that like vintage proportions and just watches that really key into that aesthetic i think the timex marlin hand winding is going to be the watch that represents this very well from an affordable perspective in regards to how this watch came on the scene in 2017 timex unveiled the reissue of the marlin hand winding basically uh really opening up the floodgates as you will for them to create more mechanical watches and really was that first kind of point in which this kind of all happened uh looking back it was very well received then it's still well received now now there's a variety of different color options to choose from my personal favorite is kind of that blackout version i think just looks really solid in terms of restability though maybe not the best in that arena compared to kind of the traditional silver dial variant as well as maybe the blues and things of that sort a lot to choose from here these are smaller watches so i do want to be just upfront about that and that just kind of area because if you are not prepared for what a 34 millimeter wash will look like then just just be ready that it is going to be a small watch but for those that do have a liking to that size this is going to be perfect for you now i wanted to minimize the amount of microbrands on this list but one that i'm a personal big fan of as well as other people on our team is the baltic hms-002 so this is the sector dial version of this model family and quite frankly it looks fantastic in terms of sector dials this is kind of a trend i mean we're seeing the salmon dial trend sector dials is another thing that i am seeing quite a bit more as we're kind of just in the last i would say past couple of years i would say at least but i'm all for it i'm on this bandwagon completely and this is probably one of the best i would say more attainable options in this arena now baltic originally came on the scene in their work that they've done with their dive watches so the aquascape as well as the bi compacts so kind of more vintage appeal with those designs and the same is going to be said here baltic do they have the most original designs out there in terms of what they're delivering no but i think they do it so well consistently at a price range that is from a build quality standpoint where they really do stand out and shine very good watches and this is one for a sector dial on a budget this is definitely one to include here all right so just so it doesn't turn into a seiko video i'm only going to mention a couple sega watches here of course though just go through a quick list of some of them and of course you go for the cocktail times the different sarbs the sarks's you also look at some of the new sharp edge models from seiko with the spb 167 which we've reviewed into side by side against the tiso gentlemen so definitely check out that video as well but we'll be looking at two other watches that really wowed me this year in terms of their dial finishing and what they're delivering in that arena these are some of the best looking dials that i've seen from seiko in quite some time and that's really saying something of course that is the srpf41 and also the srpf53 so these are just basically two different takes so the four one is going to be a dial design it's green that is inspired by matcha tea and it really does kind of embody that type of aesthetic and looks fantastic if you see this thing up close to the macro lens it really is uh leaving a lot of just other brands in the dust in regards to what is happening on the dial surface the color the finishing the different kind of shades that you're going to be seeing there as well as the texture absolutely winning formula then you also have the srpf53 so this has this light blue kind of granular texturized finish and why i like this one so much is of course the color but also that texture and how it really is embodied by the entire design itself so the markers on the dial as well are going to have that same matching finish in terms of legibility maybe this isn't the best thing but i like the case design as well with this it's a little bit different and distinct in the marketplace the srp f41 is really true to the kind of more cocktail time family in regards to that case architecture this one's a bit more unique and what it's going for both both of these uh two representations seiko of course yes you can mention in this video here are just two options that i would include for dress watches now next up i'm going to be looking at two different tso watches now both of these lines have a new uh variant available and not actually it's not even a new variant it's just simply a refresh of the design family the tiso visidate and the blade so if you're familiar with either of those you are probably familiar with the vis-a-date which would have had that kind of classic retro design that would be seen in the logo especially it's still remaining except it has now gotten a bit of a modification and also a larger case now at 42 millimeters which i know many people are not as happy about so just know that the 40 millimeter option is on its way out that is going to be discontinued so if you want to get one of those definitely act fast i think both of them definitely do the job depending on your wrist size it just really does depend i think more people probably in the audience that watches this gonna like the 40 millimeter more so i just want to bring that to the attention and then you also have the tiso blade now both of these watches are i say some of the better swiss made dress watches in the range the blade is going to have more of that up specs you're getting the upped powermatic 80 movement so this is a higher grade tiso powermatic 80 with a cost certified movement as well under a thousand dollars there's lots of light there the thing that changes here is the bezel so the old version that had more of that kind of like knurling kind of like style bezel along the outside is now being replaced more with a fluted bezel which of course is going to be pulling a bit more inspiration from we know where but it is still going to deliver a lot of the value that comes with the belay family these two lines have been favorites of mine that are seeing changes uh for 2021 i think probably adapting to be a bit more casual on both ends but certainly two watches to include here if you're looking at distress watches in this range now next up we have the bulova breton so this is a member of the joseph bulova collection joseph bulova the founder of the brand back in the 1800s he was a immigrant a u.s immigrant and really allowed the brand to be a strong just a trailblazer in the industry in regards to marketing as well as the different products that they were creating and this watch really embodies that kind of art deco styling as the brand was kind of rising the ranks and becoming very much a part of american americana culture during the period so this has more of that to know style case but the hands that you're also seeing on this as well as the dial i think is the start of the show you're getting a lot of uniqueness a swiss caliber inside here so you're getting sw 200 so good value here when you're looking at the price range under a thousand dollars for this movement this distinct case design this is not going to be for everybody it is a bit different in terms of the actual width of the case is going to be 32 millimeters uh lug to lug gonna wear a little bit longer than that of course at 46 millimeters so probably wearing closer to a 38 millimeter case equivalent if you had to put it towards a circular case but i love the rich kind of color of the dial with kind of those glossy black hands this is a personal favorite of mine i know the application of this in 2021 might not be as strong as it was in years prior but if you're going for that art deco classic styling this is definitely one to mention so you know how i mentioned talking about salmon champagne style dials as being a big trend you're seeing that more here with the hamilton american intramatic champagne dial so the intramatic collection really just uh looks back towards the 1960s and what it's trying to embody and the distinctness with this design on two fronts is going to be one i think the dial color with this absolutely striking with the design and just the intramatic in general with the use of its logo as well as the absence of a secondhand it is different than what you're going to see this is a full automatic movement you're getting an etta 2892 which is basically the thinner more refined at a 2824 which is going to allow this watch to wear thin to the wrist and then in addition to that be a bit different than what you're going to see from the many other calibers from hamilton in this price range so you're going to see mostly those 80 hour power reserve movements which of course have their own upside but this is a very just solid movement for the money you're typically seeing these as bases and from brands even from omega talking about iwc and breitling they're all have us utilize these out of 2892s because they are very solid movements thinner and bring on a lot of just peace of mind with their execution as well uh one point here compared to the 80 hour power reserve getting a reduced power reserve here so typically 42 to 50 hours approximately depending on where you look it's going to say different things i find it more towards the larger end of that so the um 50 hours of power reserve also comes with regulator pins to fine-tune adjust the movement but to see that caliber inside a watch under a thousand dollars pretty rare and i think what you're seeing on the front end of this watch in terms of what it's doing very different in kind of how it's going about the absence of the second hand and that dial color is certainly striking next up we have frederick on stand with their classics index so fc is a brand that has a wide range and i don't think necessary gets the full appreciation they probably deserve it if you did see their recent release of their new oscillating movement their high frequency movement pretty impressive manufacturing so fc is a serious manufacturer of what they're producing even on the higher end range but from the affordable range this is where you see a ton of great value swiss-made products that just look the part you see a lot of influence from high horology brands like patek philippe and some of their designs and this one i think is just very straightforward dress watch for a solid price getting an automatic solid sw200 a little bit of water resistance here at 50 meters so give some more peace of mind sapphire crystal nice wearable dimensions and looks that pretty much could go with essentially everything that you can kind of throw at it it's kind of more of a safe design but i think that's partially where the draw to this watch would be in the first place speaking of brands that don't necessarily get the appreciation that they deserve i think mido also is one of those brands that fits that mold with the barnechelli big date being our choice here for a watch to recommend so the heritage barn chelly is going to probably be the one that mentioned the most it's the safest design but very good dress watch for around a thousand dollars the big date is going to adapt that design and then utilize of course a big date with its execution to be a bit more distinct this is something that you're kind of going to see with say the likes of glassuto original vlanga utilizing something of this sort that big date is very just iconic and germanic watchmaking mido in terms of what they're doing here a very straightforward dress watch design that's going to be very tasteful and utilizing a complication that is going to look the part as well now as we're starting to get to a thousand dollars i'm going to start seeing some more german brands here first with jung hans and i don't want to mention the max bill all right okay we know it's a great watch i'll go ahead and just say that but let's go over something a little bit different here from the brand with the meister hand winding so when going with the hand winding you're going to get a little bit of a different approach in regards to the design here it is a little bit of a smaller case in a different case of 37 millimeters in regards to that case size wearing closer to a 38 the lugs are going to extend out a bit more and you're not getting more of that bulbous case architecture that comes with the max bill so a bit different here and also though much thinner in terms of the case you're not getting that crazy domed effect as well also the reason for this is going to be the movement inside probably one of the best looking movements from a let's say a third party of manufacturer with etta with the pizoo 7001 this is a movement that was actually adapted and now constructed in-house by nomos because they're kind of not being able to produce the amount of volume that they needed being reliant on etta to do it so they've now done it themselves but certain brands still utilize this caliber and this is personally one of my favorite looking just manual one calibers no rotor so you can kind of just see the finishing on it and for third party movement it does look the part now i always appreciate looking at underrated brands and germany has a slew of them uh within the borders of their country and one of the brands that i think is very much overlooked i just recently started getting more familiar with their models and that is tudema today we're gonna be looking at the sky automatics so first this is a brand that is based out of glaswuta like many of the classic german watchmakers and also a brand that has a wide range in what they're doing you have more affordable options or attainable options i would say affordable because usually looking around 1500 is kind of a starting price point to start looking at this brand a bit more but they do go all the way up to more of high horology pieces producing high complications and things of that sort the sky is kind of more that entry door into the brand it is going to adapt a lot of just utility with this design as well getting a day-date function really clean looking dial also coming with a melanie style bracelet that works very well with the design but 100 meters of water resistance sapphire crystal this is one of those watches that from a modern perspective i wanted to include it and kind of spinning this video a bit more for like dress watches in a modern perspective i think it's important to have watches like these on the list and if you're trying to go for something different out there this is i think cool to include on a list like this now to go into watches that kind of really embody that heritage design let's look at long gene and basically could mention i would say three watches here that be probably representative of what we're going for one would be the heritage classic sector that i've reviewed on the channel before i absolutely adore that watch probably my favorite sector design all things considered uh for those that are i think it's more reasonable in terms of their price especially love the symmetry of that dial it's just such a just a rich design in what it's doing also you could look at some other models that are very long jean true to the archive as well with the flagship heritage very attractive looking mid 20th century design dress watch from longine as well as their conquest heritage as well that is a design that i find just being so synonymous with vintage long jean you see some great vintage examples of these floating out in the market and i love just the distinctive design of those applied indices going across the dial any of the heritage collection from long jean i think are great ones to go for they're not watches they're going to probably be for everybody but if you like this type of style and watches of this ilk these are ones to look at now i need to do a video on these watches because i really do think they're probably some of the most underappreciated watches from this brand in tutor with the 1926's so i think when people look at the marketing collateral and just positioning of these watches they kind of are seen as more like blingy kind of like affordable options from the tudor line which i don't think really tells the full story about the 1926 because if you start to get past like the diamond studded like dial designs from these they're actually are some of the best entry doors into tudor as a brand and if you go for like say the silver opaline style color dial with the blue markers these are some i think really good unisex pieces that can be worn in a dressy environment and considering that these can be had for under say two thousand dollars from a brand like tutor i think these are attractive pieces to go for also getting 100 meters of water resistance yes you are getting an ada based caliber inside there but still a lot to like and it comes with the peace of mind of servicing so if so many people are looking at the black bay say like 36 is an example i don't see why more people don't look at these they are maybe a little bit more dressy in terms of their approach but if i had to pick this or royal i would go for a 1926 i think it's a bit more um and it is safer in terms of its design but that texturized finish sharp looking just uh markers on the dial as well as getting a variety of case options to choose from this is one that i think people should just look at a little bit further these ones will not be much of a surprise for those that have watched for some time but i have to mention in this range with the nomos kind of trio the orion the tangante as well as the ludwig all three of these watches i think are probably some of the best uh just dress watches in the category for around 2000 bucks give or take in terms of different size options to go for different dial colors to go for different variations from all these families there's there's a lot to like here my personal favorite is going to be the orion this is one of my first i would say proper watches that i purchased absolutely adore the thing still it's kind of my dress watch that i wear when i'm just kind of going wanting something that's very classic in its approach while also kind of fusing kind of the contemporary form that nomus does with many of their designs really the star of the show for these though is going to be the fact that what is taking place with the movement these are like i mentioned going to be based in terms of the architecture off of the bazoo 7001 but are being produced in-house with nomos's proprietary components because they wanted to create really a vertically manufacturing system for themselves so they didn't have to rely on third-party providers to create these watches in terms of the finishing standpoint look absolutely fantastic some will of course always say hey these numerous watches look pretty stale or like they just look very safe no this is one of those brands it's kind of love it or hate hate it in terms of this their design style but these three watches in terms of what you're going for the orion if you want kind of more of the traditional applied markers and want that middle minimalist style approach the tengente being a bit more bajas in its design with its use of typography with the numerals and you also have the ludwig using its roman numerals kind of being a bit more classic and i would say probably leaning away from more the contemporary type of design that comes with no most of just pieces in general with of course a great movement with the alpha manual inside of all three so now to round out our list i want to look at the obama mercier clifton bombatics obama mercy has fallen on harder times right now for being completely candid about things and brand i think is trying to figure out and navigate um and get back to where the brand once was in terms of what they're producing uh from a manufacturing standpoint with this watch this is a really value packed watch in terms of what it's going for my personal favorite is the blue dial variant kind of has that vignette style dial but really where it's falling under three grand to get a proprietary movement inside of here produced by richmond's manufacturing arm for movement production you're getting a five-day power reserve cost certified movement this is a watch that could be a daily driver and does have some i would say sporty tendencies in what it's going about this is just like one of those watches that is just incredibly underrated when looking at it i don't think a lot of people look beneath the surface of what this watch is doing i think obama mercier can continue to adapt what is being done from a movement perspective in this watch and adapting it to other designs it would probably really help the brand out but if you're looking on the basis of a modern dress watch under three thousand dollars this certainly is one of the better ones out there no question but all right guys that is a pretty comprehensive list of some of the best dress watches for under three thousand dollars of course could not mention all of them so don't come after me too hard if i did forget to mention something uh but let me see comments down below what other dress watches would you include in this list also if you want to partake in the giveaway link in the description down below definitely take advantage of the book a call feature on our site to book a consultation and also if you want to stay up to date with content follow on instagram as well but guys thank you guys so much for watching be well and i'll see you all very soon

Channel: Teddy Baldassarre

Views: 108,923

Rating: 4.9305859 out of 5

Keywords: teddy baldassarre, teddy baldassarre watch, teddy watch reviews, teddy baldassarre watch collection, watch collecting guide, watch review, best dress watches, best affordable dress watches, orient bambino, orient watch, orient maestro, seiko cocktail, best watch under 3000, best watch under 2000, best watch under 1000, seiko presage, hamilton intra matic, timex marlin, baltic hms, baltic watch, bulova, tissot visodate, tissot ballade, junghans, longines sector, nomos

Id: BIr4xlXS1G8

Length: 21min 33sec (1293 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 12 2021