The Hundred Dollar Grail: Affordable Swiss Quartz Watches

Once you get a pretty cool looking watch or two or three, you realize that you've started a collection.  You want to broaden the scope of your watches and stretch a little for unusual watches or to get the standards that seem to be the backbone of many a collection. For me, a Swiss watch was a grail. I wanted to see what the fuss was all about.  But, price was a big obstacle then--and now.  In my quest for a Swiss watch, I was fortunate to find the Wenger Swiss Military Grenadier watch (reviewed here) for just under $100 in 2015 money. Today, with inflation chewing away at currency values, finding a Swiss watch for $100 or less remains a daunting task.  However, there are three watchmakers to keep an eye on:  Swatch, Wenger, and Mathey-Tissot.

Swatch New Gent Biosourced Lacquered Quartz Watch

According to the internet, all Swatch watches are Swiss made.  With quartz movements and the Sistema 51 design to limit the number of parts to 51, they are quite affordable with many falling below $100. The Swatch New Gent Biosourced is a basic quartz watch with a 41mm diameter case, 100 feet of water resistance, and free battery exchange at Swatch retail locations.

Swatch New Gent Biosourced Lacquered Quartz Watch (Amazon Photo)

The strap and glass of this watch are bio-sourced. The dial is a translucent gray that allows the wearer to see the underlying movement. It's an interesting minimalist watch.  If you'd like to take a closer look at it or buy, please use my Amazon Affiliate link to see this Swatch watch here.

Wenger Men's Urban Metro Quartz Watch

There used to be an intense rivalry over all things "Swiss Army" between Wenger and Victorinox.  That ended when Victorinox bought out their rival.  Then, Wenger stopped manufacturing watches under their name and Victorinox started going upmarket with their timepieces.  Just when I thought we were being left behind, the Wenger name is back in the watch market.  They make a few timepieces and they are affordable for most of us.  The most affordable Wenger watch on Amazon meets our $100 Grail Watch threshold.  It's the Wenger Urban Metro Quartz Watch (below).  It has a 42mm diameter stainless steel case, 100-meters of water resistance, a canted date at the 4:30 position, and a leather strap. The numerals and fonts remind me of a Tudor Ranger.

Wenger Men's Urban Metro Quartz Watch (Amazon Photo)

You can check this Wenger watch out here using my affiliate link. It's a very practical addition to any watch collection.

Mathey-Tissot Atlas Quartz Watch

If you are looking for a manly man watch in this sub-$100 price category  from Switzerland, you might check out the Mathey-Tissot Atlas. It's a big black 43mm Swiss quartz watch with a coin-edge bezel and tachymeter markings.

Mathey Tissot Atlas (Amazon photo)

If you'd like to check out this bold watch, you can use my Amazon affiliate link to the Mathey Tissot-Atlas here.

The hundred dollar price point is a tough target to hit, but some Swiss makers are hitting that mark. If you aren't made of money, these watches provide the chance to add a little Swiss flair to your collection.

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!