Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Under €1,000 — Daan’s Picks From Baltic, Seiko, Vero, And Autodromo
As RJ said at the start of his “best watches under €1,000” article, it’s not easy to make a list like this at all. That’s not because there aren’t any options to choose from; actually, the opposite is true. Sure, the fact that they have to be new and available watches limits the range somewhat. However, even then it’s quite hard to just stick to three attractive and affordable options. So that’s why I went with four — I hope that’s all right with Nacho. As an excuse, though, I can say that all four of them use a different kind of movement. There’s a Baltic with an automatic mechanical movement, a solar-powered Seiko, a Vero that’s kinetic, and an Autodromo with a digital quartz module inside.
The first watch that jumps to my mind when I think of the best options under €1,000 is my Seiko SPB317. You voted it as your favorite watch under €1,000 last year. It almost won the final in our Seiko World Cup against RJ’s Marinemaster 300 SBDX001 too. So I get why Thomas decided to put it on his list again for this year. Luckily, there was another nice Seiko that came out recently that I’ll feature instead. But first, I’ll highlight a watch from a brand that has to be mentioned when talking about sub-€1,000 or affordable watches in general — Baltic.
Baltic Hermétique Tourer in beige
Just last week, I wrote an introduction article for the limited-edition version of Baltic’s Hermétique — the Glacier. Of course, those 400 pieces already flew out of the brand’s online store, but the regular Tourer version is still available. The black and white limited editions with their glacier texture on the center of the dial were very nicely done indeed. Still, my favorite of the series has to be the beige one. I think that color matches the best with the Hermétique’s classic ’40s-inspired case shape. It looks great both on the beige Tropic-style rubber strap and the stainless steel beads-of-rice bracelet.
If I were to buy this watch with the bracelet as well as the beige strap, it would arrive at my doorstep for just less than €800. At that price, I feel this is such a good deal. The dial of the Hermétique offers so many nice details. The 3D lume indexes give it a lot of depth, and the different sectors are separated by a steel ring. Overall, the styling is damn near perfect. Inside, it has a reliable automatic Miyota 9039 movement ticking away. There are very few brands that get it so right at this price point.
Seiko SSC937 Prospex Speedtimer European Limited Edition
Both RJ and Thomas already featured a watch from Seiko on their lists, so I’ll follow suit. I’ve tried the 39mm solar-powered Speedtimer on my 17cm wrist, and it’s a little bulky at 13.3mm thick. But I have to say I quite like the limited edition that the Japanese brand made for the European market. The regular versions look good as well, but they all have a dark-coated bezel. The limited-edition Prospex Speedtimer ref. SSC937 has a bezel in brushed stainless steel. It makes the watch look a little cleaner, and it works very well with the light blue dial. This looks like a great watch for summer.
As mentioned, it houses a solar-powered movement, so you practically never have to worry about it running out of power. That’s a very convenient thing to have in an age when everything needs to be plugged in all the time to be charged. The Speedtimer comes on a sturdy stainless steel bracelet, but I’m sure it’ll also look great on other straps. NATO straps will look particularly great on it, I think. At €780, the Seiko SSC937 offers a lot of watch for the money. It’s still available despite it being a limited edition. Then again, I suppose a run of 3,000 pieces isn’t that limited after all.
Vero Forest Service Edition Hotshot
This next one is a release I completely missed last month. The new Forest Service Edition (FSE) from Vero has a similar design language as the brand’s Workhorse Chronograph. However, the latter is a 44.5mm watch, while the FSE has a smaller 39mm case. It comes in four funky colorways, and the yellow Hotshot version is my favorite. I think that style matches best with the utilitarian character of the case. It looks like a proper field watch that can take a beating and will keep working, no matter what happens. And the great thing is that it doesn’t only look like it.
The Vero Forest Service Edition’s case is made of stainless steel with a color-tinted ceramic coating. The crystal is made of sapphire, the case has two screw-down crowns, and it features two rubberized steel “bullhorns” for protection. Furthermore, it’s water resistant to 150 meters and is powered by an old-school Seiko PX28A Kinetic movement. For me, this brings back good memories of my old Seiko Premier Kinetic Perpetual Calendar ref. SNP005. But one of the best features of the Vero Forest Service Edition Hotshot has to be its US$475 (~€444) price. That makes it a very fun and capable watch for not a lot of money.
Autodromo Group C in silver and yellow
I already featured the Autodromo Group C as a nice bonus watch when I built my ideal (fictitious) €25,000 watch collection. Just like the Seiko and the Vero, it combines a stainless steel case with a quartz movement. This time, however, it’s a digital LCD module. I like how this is like a high-end version of the typical digital watch. Its steel case means that it’s heftier than most similarly designed digital watches out there. It also makes it more durable, just like the sapphire crystal that covers the display.
Like the Vero Forest Service Edition, you can get the Autodromo Group C with a color-tinted coating. But my favorite, actually, is the “naked” brushed version with the yellow accents around the dial and on the pushers. It’s a great twist on the archetypal digital watch. And at €515, it certainly doesn’t break the bank as much as some higher-end G-Shocks do.
There you have it — four very different watches under €1,000. Let me know in the comments below which one’s your favorite. And if you have other suggestions, please also let us know.
