10 INEXPENSIVE WATCH BRANDS YOU NEED TO KNOW

The world of watches is dominated, at face value, by a few companies. These brands are well-known. Forbes lists Rolex alongside Lexus and Hyundai on its list of the most loved brands in the world. Even people who don’t know the brands can see that Omega is worn by James Bond.

However, recognition can also lead to spiralling prices. While Swiss luxury brands are known for their exceptional engineering, you can also ‘pay through the nose’ to get a logo on your dial. You can look further at underground and hipster watches to find timepieces that are cheaper, but less likely to be worn by your friends.

You can now get the latest information on the top 10 hipster watch brands.

KOMONO

Komono, a young Belgian brand, makes stylish sunglasses and hipster watches. Its product range is linked by a focus of classic designs made from high quality materials (without the associated price tags). The brand’s wristwear is well-known for its striking colours, including all-scarlet dials as well as subtler white faces on statement bracelets. Komono designs are a great way to add interest to your outfit at a low price.

OBJECT

Objest is a new breed of customizable watches. While it’s not new to have a customized watch, you can change your strap to make it more interesting. Customers can customize almost every feature of the watch, including the dial, hour and minute hands and seconds hands. This is done in collaboration with Swiss watchmakers.

SHINOLA

Detroit’s decline from an industrial powerhouse to a ghost city over the past three decades has been devastating for its inhabitants. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, however. Shinola was first known for its watches. They are made by workers who lost jobs in the auto industry. However, Shinola has expanded into leather goods and bikes. This is how you will get traditional pieces with a strong “Made in the USA” focus, but with Swiss guts.

TRIWA

Imagine Scandinavian design, and your mind will drift towards minimalism and affordability. Triwa Stockholm bucks the trend with an extensive range of hipster watches, ranging from two-hand white-faced models to gold-plated chronographs. Steel bracelets are available in sizes. We love the brand’s distinctive leather straps. They allow you to change up your look easily and can age with wear to give your wrist some character.

AVI-8

While you may want that Patek or Rolex, it doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money to make a statement with your horology. You can get more value for your money by thinking beyond the big brands, and hipster bragging points added. Take AVI-8. The watch brand creates aviation-inspired timepieces with meticulous attention and eye-catching designs. It’s easy to create a watch collection in a hurry with six strong collections and a variety of accessories.

SKAGEN

Skagen is named after Denmark’s northernmost city, Skagen. It lies at the tip of a narrow peninsula and juts into North Sea. The brand’s designs are clearly Scandinavian, with clean faces and brushed metals. However, they are also fashion-led. The label’s collection includes all of the major Baselworld trends, including titanium cases and mesh straps, blue faces, and black sunburst dials. Skagen is a great way to get hipster watches at a reasonable price.

JUNGHANS

Despite its rich history, which spans over 150 years and includes Max Bill’s work as a Bauhaus legend, Germany’s largest watchmaker is often overlooked. We are more fooled by it, as it produces minimalist watches at affordable prices. This makes them perfect for those who want to purchase their first “proper” watch. You can be certain that any investment you make will look sharp even if it is enlarged due to aesthetics that have not changed over the past 50 years.

MVMT

MVMT was the ‘brainchild’ of Jake Kassan, a 22-year-old college dropout, and Kramer LaPlante. It began life as a crowdfunding platform Indiegogo back in 2013. The brand’s sleek and simple timepieces, which are as affordable as possible, helped it surpass its goal by nearly 1,500 percent. It quickly became one of the most prominent names in horology. Watches made from high-end materials are available today, but at a fraction of the cost of mid-hundreds brand watches.

GEORG JENSEN

Georg Jensen, a Danish company best known for its jewelry, also makes beautiful watches powered by Swiss-made automatic movements. The timepieces of this watch are as simple as they come. White dials are adorned with delicate hands, some featuring a date window or power reserve. Watches by the brand are best paired with thick-rimmed, roll-neck glasses and the corner office of a top architecture firm.

SEIKO

The decline of Swiss watchmaking in the late 20th century is due to this Japanese brand. Its quartz watches nearly drowned in a market that was still dominated by mechanicals. The brand is tech-focused. It was the inventor of the first solar-powered GPS watch and a dual-time timepiece that is kept accurate in two time zones using overhead satellites.

Its sibling Grand Seiko is a good choice for traditionalists. It makes second-to-none automatic watches using in-house movements. This watch is perfect for those who prefer to steer clear of the crowd, as it has been only available outside Japan since 2011.