Best Automatic Watches Under 1000
In this Guide
As much of a fashion statement watches can be, a dead watch is no good.
Rather than having to continuously replace the battery in your timepiece, choosing an option with automatic movement can save you the hassle of dealing with a watch that doesn’t work.
You can find a great quality watch at any price point but today we’re taking you through our top picks for best automatic watches under $1000 to help make your decision easier. Industrialized production practices and economies of scale have allowed cutting-edge technology and materials to be used even in watches that are affordable to the masses.
What is an Automatic Watch?
Automatic watches are powered by the movement of your wrist. As long as you wear it, it will keep ticking. And if you go long enough without wearing it and the reserve power runs out, simply put it back on and fix the time. No more taking your watch to a jeweler for an expensive battery. Although automatic watches can cost more than a traditional watch the slightly higher price point is definitely worth it. If you’re in the market for a watch that’s just as functional as it is stylish, an automatic watch is for you.
Our Top 10 Best Automatic Watches 2021
1) Baltic Aquascaphe
Check Baltic Aquascaphe on Baltic
Key features:
The Indie-inspired Baltic Aquascaphe perfectly combines it’s indie motivated look with the perfect mix of modernity. Now with a steel 12-hour bezel and a contemporary look with white, contrasting dial elements, it still offers restrained sizing at just 39mm wide. Water-resistant to 200m, it’s available on a steel bracelet but prices start at under $600 on a Tropic rubber dive strap.
Price:
$586
2) Tissot Ballade Powermatic 80
Check Tissot Ballade 80 on Tissot
Key features:
It’s an affordable, versatile, extremely wearable watch that, in addition to its comparatively low price, offers some significant technical advantages to the owner as well. It is manifestly not fine watchmaking as the term is generally understood – there is no painstaking, elaborate hand-finishing of any of the components, nor are there any pretensions to craft or indeed, to luxury.
Tissot’s 41 mm stainless steel watch is a classic timepiece powered by the Powermatic 80.811 COSC-certified automatic movement with an 80-hour power reserve. Though the progress of innovation in mechanical watchmaking is slow, in the last decade or so, silicon balance springs have become one of the industry’s greatest innovations, albeit one primarily used in higher-end watches from brands like Omega, Tudor, and even Patek Philippe. A black leather strap completes the watch, which radiates a timeless style. It also is available in three other variations.
Price:
$925
3) Junghans Max Bill
Check Junghans Max Bill on Amazon
Key features:
Understated, slim, and impeccably clean, this Bauhaus-inspired Junghans is perfectly sized to peek out from under a French cuff. The Junghans Max Bill features an automatic self-winding movement caliber J800.1 along with a highly efficient automatic-self-wind movement. The case diameter is 38 mm and is also water-resistant up to 30 m (100ft)- in general, it can withstand splashes or brief immersion in water, but is not suitable for swimming or bathing. Super Luminova has been applied to the hour and minute hands as well as markers at both 6 and 12 to help it shine through the night.
Price:
$895
4) Versace Dylos Automatic Watch
Check Versace Dylos on Versace
Key features:
The Versace Dylos features a raw stainless-steel case paired with a grey strap made of premium calfskin leather. A light gray mesh-patterned dial features the Versace Medusa head at 12 o’clock and is accented by silver hour markers and hands. Sub-dials for date and seconds are placed at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock.
Price:
$649
5) Junghans Form A Automatic Matte Silver Dial
Check Junghans Form A on Amazon
Key features:
The Form A Automatic from Junghans, Made in the USA, is a 44 mm stainless steel timepiece featuring a concave dial with an embossed square minute track in a galvanic matte, silver-plated finish all made by environmentally sustainable Super-LumiNova material. It is powered by the caliber J800.2 automatic movement with a 38-hour power reserve and rapid date correction. It also features a polished rotor with an engraved Junghans logo.
Price:
$654.56
6) Stowa Antea ‘Back to Bauhaus’
Key features:
The case is made from a remarkable polished stainless steel which beautifully compliments the white with black/grey printing dial and black lacquered hands. Customers also get to choose between three different configurations: a 35.5mm watch with a hand-winding Peseux 7001 movement or 36.5mm or 39mm versions with automatic ETA 2824-2 movements.
Price:
$943
7) MkII Cruxible Type A-11
Check MkII Cruxible A-11 on MkII
Key features:
MkII is an independent brand that specializes in producing modern homages to historic military watches, and the Cruxible recreates the World War II-era A-11 watch. It’s available in a wearable 39mm size with an automatic Seiko movement in either a date or no-date variant along with water resistance up to 100 m. Military watches have a utilitarian charm that’s hard to beat and that’s definitely one of the more irresistible parts of this particular watch.
Price:
$649
8) Filippo Loreti Venice Automatic Watch
Check Filippo Loreti Venice on Filippo Loreti
Key features:
Filippo Loreti came to life after an extremely successful Kickstart in 2015. The brand aims to make luxury watches more affordable by cutting out the middlemen of traditional watch buying. At just over $500, the Venice Rose Gold Blue draws inspiration from the famous Italian city of Venice. The blue dial features a display for a month, day, date, and a.m. or p.m. Its automatic function 40-hour power reserve and even has a display to tell how much life is left.
Price:
$609
9) Citizen Signature Octavia
Check Citizen Signature on Amazon
Key features:
The eight-sided 44 mm stainless steel case houses the Citizen Caliber Eco-Drive 9040, an automatic Japanese movement that regulates hours, minutes, and seconds functions. Under the scratch-resistant sapphire crystal is a black dial with luminous hands and markers. This watch has a water resistance of up to 330 feet, making it a great companion during recreational surfing, swimming, snorkeling, sailing, and water sports.
Price:
$821.20
10) Raymond Weil Freelancer Automatic Watch
Check Raymond Weil Freelancer on Jomashop
Key features:
The Raymond Weil Freelancer Automatic features a handsome rose gold on the case, hands, and hour markers, which a black band and dial complete the look. To showcase the automatic movement, a small window at 12 o’clock and a see-through rear case are incorporated into the design. Other specifications include a transparent round case back with a case that measures 42 mm and are 10 mm thick. Its bandwidth is 22 mm and features a deployment clasp that is all also water-resistant at up to 100 meters.
Price:
$995
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
What happens if my Automatic Watch runs out of power?
If your automatic watch is unworn for 24 to 48 hours, it will likely stop running. An idle automatic can be wound with 30 rotations to restore its energy. Even just a couple of turns of the crown or a brief shake will usually get it started again. Simply wind the watch and set the time and your watch is ready to go again.
How long is the battery life?
The battery life is up to 36 months. When your battery dies, they can be easily changed at any watch shop — the size is No. 364, which is commonly carried around the world.
How to ensure your Automatic Watch’s long and on-time life?
- Always change the time by removing the watch from your wrist. Lateral stresses acting on the delicate winding stem when it’s on the wrist can cause it to yield or snap.
- Do not overtight the crown
- There are two proven ways of cleaning a watch – dry and wet. For a non-water resistant timepiece, avoid moisture at all costs and use a soft dry cloth instead. Water-resistant watches have a bit more tolerance to water so use a damp cloth to clean the watch case and strap. Watches with metal cases or straps can be cleaned with a mildly soaped cloth and fine toothbrush
- Always keep the leather strap dry
- Do not swim or shower with your watch on
Conclusion
The best automatic watches, like the 10 we’ve looked at above, will combine most if not all of these features into a timepiece that is so much more than an accessory; it’s more like a companion.
