By Request: Rob’s Top 10 Badass Watches Under €1,000 — Laco, Marathon, Hamilton, And More
A few days ago, we heard from Fratello’s sparkling-eyed sweetheart, Balazs. In his very popular article, he referred to me as the “annoying little Brit”, which, thanks to the arrival of my new, black British passport is now officially true. I am annoying. I am quite little. And, alongside my Irish nationality by birth, I can now start singing God Save the Queen should the fancy ever take me. I earned this nickname by insisting he write a run-down of his Top 10 Badass watches. He complained before ably turning in a masterpiece. Pleasingly, the comments were engaged and plentiful. One of them asked me to chime in with my Top 10, and so here we are…
Where to start? Mostly, we talk about watches that cost several thousand euros. That’s our wheelhouse. Brands like Omega and Grand Seiko dominate our pages for good reason. It’s what we like and, if viewing figures are to be trusted, it’s what the Fratelli likes to see also.
But the sub-1k bracket is intriguing. If you listened to my most recent Podcast, you will have heard my unfettered rant regarding brands attempting to do too much on the back of too small an investment. When you look at the black and white specs of a watch, it is easy to come away confused. How can a watch powered by a Seiko NH35, for example, be “better” than a watch powered by a Swiss movement at the same price? Well, it all comes down to where and how the money is spent. Read on for a few curveballs that I think deserve your love.
1. Any NOS Poljot/Luch dress watch
I really thought this task was going to be difficult. After Balazs’ whinging intro I thought I’d really struggle to find 10 decent options to present to you. I had the opposite problem. I had to scythe a few off my list at the last minute when I realized I’d hit 14 without even thinking about it.
One thing I could not get rid of, though, despite it being more elegant than badass, are these New Old Stock Poljot watches from the USSR. I included watches from the Luch brand as well in this suggestion as they are basically the same but for the brand name on the dial.
These come with loads of different hands. They are worth practically nothing so don’t worry about provenance or correctness, just pick the ones you like. There are quite a few of these on eBay for about €100, so take your pick. The one I’m wearing in this picture was a present for my girlfriend last Christmas. She adores it but makes me wind it for her when she wants to wear it because the crown action is about as smooth as you’d expect from a mass-produced, soviet-era timepiece that costs about the same as the NOMOS strap I put it on above.
Price: ca. €100 (NOS)
Badass factor: ??????
2. Marathon
I do like quartz watches, you know. I rarely think about whether the watch I’m strapping on in the morning is mechanical or quartz. Of course, I know if I have to wind it, shake it, or simply buckle up, but I don’t have any judgemental feelings regarding the internals.
As such, a hyper-functional quartz piece is often welcome. Marathon never disappoints in this regard, and the prices are truly phenomenal given the cool, retro, high-grade military styling the brand excels at. My choice is the desert-inspired sand version with the brown case, strap, and dial, and warm-toned lume.
Price: €174
Badass factor: ?????????? (five out of five for this price point)
3. Helm Komodo
I’d be lying if I said I’d heard of Helm before Balazs wrote his article. The brand popped up in the comments courtesy of Doug Cunningham (cheers, Doug). He favored the Helm Komodo and Khuraburi, so I diligently checked up on both. My preference lies with the Komodo. I would definitely shift this bad boy onto a custom made rubber strap from Yellow Dog Watch Straps in the UK (probably the rally-style with brushed hardware), because the bracelet on the Komodo has that dreaded “wobble” reflection on the end links, but the watch head is truly fantastic.
Super lume. A dial with depth. Crisp, legible, glow-in-the-dark numbers on the bezel insert. Red/orange detailing that I wish, wish, wish more brands deployed as effectively as this unsung micro. You see, guys and girls, THIS is exactly why I want your comments on Fratello. This hobby is always a two-way street. There are hundreds, thousands of awesome watches I still know nothing about. So thanks again, Doug, I’ll be contacting Helm to see if they want a review on Fratello, because I’d love to see one of these in real life.
Price: $295 plus $35 shipping
Badass factor: ?????????? (five out of five for this price point)
4. Kienzle Markant
If you remember my recent article about my Top 5 purchases this year, you might remember this cheeky little Kienzle popping up. I bought it for €28 from a German thrift store, polished the crystal with toothpaste, and stuck it on a $125 JB Komfit bracelet from Forstner. The result? One of my most worn watches of the year.
At 31mm this is not for everyone, but it looks amazing alongside 1950s-style casual garb. A fur-lined cord or denim jacket, authentically worn-in jeans, leather boots, a simple white t-shirt, and this “grandad” Kienzle is what I’m talking about. Think James Dean, think a young Brando, think Eddie Cochran… You get the picture. For that reason, this kind of soft strength is all the way back in fashion. Do it. You won’t regret mixing it up. And certainly not for less than 200 bucks…
Price: €28 for the watch, $125 for the bracelet
Badass factor: ????????
5. Seals Sea Storm
Coming-up with cool names for dive watches that haven’t been used 100 times before is tough. The Sea Storm makes a pretty good fist of it. This is a brand I’ve never worn, but have handled several times thanks to my friend and colleague Dave Sergeant’s obsession with them.
This model has been doing the rounds in the @redbarmcr group. I think this Californian company is going to see a few purchases coming from the north of England over the next few months, and with this kind of crisp styling at this kind of accessible price, is it any wonder.
NOTE: I started writing this bit on the Seals Sea Storm without checking the price. I had a feeling it was just under the 1k mark but wasn’t sure. Panicked that I’d picked something that could easily command a four-figure price tag on looks alone, I checked it out on the site. I needn’t have worried. This thing is a ridiculous bargain. It’s one of Seals’ cheapest models. I don’t get it but I won’t be complaining…
Price: $575 ($300 deposit, $275 upon delivery)
Badass factor: ????????
6. Paulin Neo C
We covered the charming Paulin brand recently. I couldn’t not include one of the Scottish outfit’s watches here. The value is just too strong for that kind of colorful statement. The best thing about these watches (especially for this price) is how they are created in batches, meaning the dial colors are not always exactly the same. I like having a piece of art on my wrist, and for around €400 it’s hard to grumble.
Price: £395
Badass factor: ??????
7. Hamilton
I was not convinced that I should include such a mainstream watch in this list, but the bang-for-buck ratio of the Hamilton Khaki Field mechanical is just undeniable. If having a renowned Swiss name on your wrist matters, look no further than Hamilton, Tissot, Longines, or Certina for credible options below the 1k bracket.
The Swatch Group makes some serious hay in this category. It just knows which strings to pull. Here, the almighty conglomerate is effectively mocking its competitors by showing off what the economy of scale can get you for a few hundred euros. It’s sickening really. Now, take my money.
Price: CHF 475
Badass factor: ??????
8. CWC Mellor-72
I borrowed this military baby earlier this year. I took some of my favorite ever photos of this watch resting on my trusty Ykra backpack (another recommended brand from Balazs’ homeland, by the way).
The photos tell a story that is worth listening to. I am not a gifted digital photographer. Therefore, the quality of my images is largely reliant on the quality of the subject. Here, I was pleasantly surprised by the way this watch came out. It is clearly a no-nonsense time-telling tool, but it has a weirdly charming character that I couldn’t ignore. It is a dainty little thing that looks quite at home on a variety of wrists due to its highly-function focus.
Price: £449
Badass factor: ??????
9. Any vintage Landeron-48-powered Chronograph
It’s a bit tough to guarantee you’ll find any or even one of these on Chrono24.de when this article goes live, but there are usually a ton of decent options. If you don’t like a bit of patina or slightly worn chromed-base-metal cases then steer clear. But if you want to buy-in to a fascinating movement with a long and prestigious history, and get some sexy-sixties-vibes on your wrist, do it.
I lingered over mine for ages until one day a massive discount was applied, bringing it down to about €380. I pulled the trigger immediately and plan on using its style and layout to inspire a future watch project of my own…
Price: ca. €300–700
Badass factor: ??????????
10. Laco Squad Amazonas
IT’S GOT A FREAKING SCORPION ON THE BACK. Badass enough for ya? It should be. I actually know a dude that wears this thing one or two notches too tight so the scorpion gets printed onto his wrist after a long hard day at work. I wouldn’t recommend that for your circulation, but it is pretty damn cool. And isn’t that the point of this list?
Being a badass doesn’t mean you have to be a Hell’s Angel (although that is kind of badass). It means you have to express yourself your way and not give a damn about what anyone else thinks. I think all the watches on this list meet that criterion. This one, however, has the meatiest horological chops in many ways. Laco is just a bargain brand from top to bottom. I think its basic Pilot watches are a no-brainer and I would prefer one of them to an IWC of the Flieger variety. Seriously. I get a lot of pleasure from well made, well-priced products. This Squad Amazonas is not the most obvious choice from Laco, but it is exceptional. I love mine. I think you would love it too.
Price: €930 on rubber (my preference)
Badass factor: ??????????
