Not every prospective watch buyer is a collector in the making, and not everyone is willing to spend thousands to get a watch with a good mechanical movement and high-end finishing. That’s fine. One really good watch is all you need. Something mechanical but built to withstand the rigors of everyday life. It should be simple but have enough visual flair to make it feel special. You don’t even need to spend that much to get such a watch. In the range of $1,000 to $2,500, there is a myriad of options from German, Swiss and Japanese brands that combine mechanical watchmaking, durable engineering and visual artistry.
Tissot Ballade Powermatic 80 COSC
The most downplayed achievement in mechanical watchmaking as of late just might be Tissot’s Powermatic 80 movement. It uses a silicon balance spring making it exceptionally accurate and anti-magnetic. That itself isn’t necessarily novel — plenty of high-end brands use silicon balance springs — but it’s a rare sight in watches coming in at under $1,000. Also rare at that price point is an honest-to-god, COSC-certified chronometer. In the Ballade here, it pairs that timekeeping prowess with a handsome exterior. You get distinguished Clous de Paris texturing on both the dial and the bezel, and a case that comes in at a modest and well-proportioned 39mm.
Case diameter: 39mm
Movement: Tissot Powermatic 80
Water resistance: 50m
