The Hundred Dollar Grail: Affordable Moonphase Watches

The moonphase complication is a staple of the most sophisticated European watch makers like Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, and Breguet. During the day, the sun shows in an aperture and at night a sun shows. Sometimes, the sun and moon have delightful faces and smiles reminiscent of old fairy tales. I've enjoyed moonphase watches since my first one from Relic (reviewed here on this blog).

Mondia Mistral Moonphase Watch - Photo by Clyde94, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Today, we can find affordable quartz moonphase watches from a variety of manufacturers. While the mechanical masterpieces from the elite watchmakers may never grace our wrists, the elegant looks can.  If you collect watches, a moonphase watch is an attainable $100 grail.

The Harry Williams Moonphase Quartz Watch

I recently bought a Harry Williams Moonphase watch off of Amazon. I like the clean minimalist design and the contemporary 40mm diameter size of this watch. However, this whimsical brand has one definite quirk that may be upsetting to some. The sun and moon phases appear upside down in their aperture. I think it is just European humor from an unusual brand. These watches have commanded nearly $80 on Amazon, but now they are available for a song.  Check out my affiliate link here for astonishing savings on the Harry Williams Quartz watch.

Peugeot 14K Gold-Plated Moonphase Watch (Amazon Photo)

Another brand that offers a variety of inexpensive quartz moonphase watches is Peugeot.  The have several dial options and many of their watches are plated in 14K gold.  Amazingly, they all cost less than $100. To check out the Peugeot Men's 14K Gold Plated Men's Vintage Leather Dress Watch, check out my Amazon affiliate link here. Peugeot also offers free lifetime battery replacement.

Several other brands also offer inexpensive moonphase watches.  Check out brands like Fanmis and Olev's on Amazon. If you'd like to add a moonphase watch to your collection, it's a very attainable grail!

Watches A to Z: Harry Williams

When I was searching for watch values on Amazon over the weekend, I came across an unfamiliar brand:  Harry Williams. I wondered if it was an old British brand or a newfangled Asian brand. It turns out that it is actually an Italian brand. It was founded in 2015, by watch industry veteran Stefano Abbati. A veteran of watch brands including Sector, Binda Group, and Fossil, Abbati chose the name as a playful nod towards Britain's royal family with Harry being the rebel and William being the traditional. The design ethic is one of homage to the Swinging London era of the 1960s and 70s where tradition and rebellion were often at odds. Perhaps, you can see some of that conflict, in the design this Harry Williams Moon-phase Watch. 

The Harry Williams Moon-Phase Quartz Watch

[You can get this interesting watch (above) for 40% off on Amazon.com as of April 2026, just click it here for this Harry Williams watch.]

On the one hand, it has electric blue hands and a modern minimalist dial, but the moon phase complication and the Roman numeral at 12 o'clock remind the wearer of tradition. It makes for a captivating look: minimalism, modernism, and tradition. It makes for a sophisticated and transgressive combination for a watch that costs less than $100. 

The Harry Williams Skeleton Watch

Another cool watch from Harry Williams is this colorful skeleton watch with a Japanese automatic movement. It provides an unusually vibrant and youthful look for a fairly traditional automatic watch. It's also a very reasonably priced watch at less than $130.

[You can also get this skeleton watch (above) on Amazon for 27% off as of April 2026, just click it here for the Harry Williams Skeleton Automatic watch.]