A watch or timepiece can make any man look well put together, as long as it’s the right watch. I consider myself somewhat of a collector of timepieces. Even though I don’t have a Rolex or TagHeuer, I still stay fashionable with more affordable watches that look nearly identical. Now I’m not suggesting you buy knockoff and pretend they are real, after all lying is not part of being a gentleman. That being said, neither is being materialistic about name brands! Not all expensive things are quality, and vice versa, not all quality things are expensive! Here are a few affordable QUALITY timepieces that I love!

The Michael Kors Lexington Chronograph is available on Amazon.com at $176. It features a stainless steel case, blue dial, and mineral crystal glass. Water resistant up to 100m, so don’t worry about taking it off at the beach or pool! Michael Kors is a very well known designer as far as quality clothes, and their watches are equally high in quality but very affordable for a nice watch. If you compare the price to a Citizen watch that looks almost identical, the Citizen will cost you almost $400 more! Of course you have a cheaper movement in the Lexington, but nine times out of ten you won’t really care about that.

The Fossil Grant was my first real watch that didn’t come off the $10 rack at Walmart. I absolutely love it! It’s a perfect everyday watch that looks good, it’s comfortable, and can hold up against the days activities. Featuring a stainless steel case and a soft leather band with a buckle clasp. The hardened mineral lens is super scratch resistant, but I will warn you that mine got knocked off the nightstand and by freak accident the lens cracked! A trip to the jeweller and $70 later I had a sapphire lens put in. You can find many different variations of the Grant on Amazon.com ranging from $75-$150. This exact watch is another quartz movement, however there are automatic versions of the Grant available. Automatic basically means that you wind the watch up every day or two. (I never understood why they called it “automatic” instead of “manual”)

Akribos XXIV is kind of a weird company… but they have some beautiful watches! If you go on their website you will see some pretty high prices and you may say, “Woah there Jake! I thought you said these were budget friendly!” Well don’t worry, most of their watches are available on Amazon.com for under $200. The watch pictured is the AK446SS, my fanciest watch. I love the Milanese band, it’s so comfortable it reminds me of a leather band. I wear this watch almost any time my wife and I go out to dinner. One of the things I love is that it’s an “automatic.” Even though I have to wind and set it every time I wear it, I never have to tear it apart or take it to the jeweler to replace a battery! This style of watch is commonly called "skeleton” as you can see the mechanical gears and springs inside the watch. This watch is all stainless steel, but the blue numbers really stand out!

G-Shock by Casio has been around for quite some time and is best known for their extremely durable watches. G-Shocks are commonly used by first responders and military for that exact reason. I personally have this watch and it’s the watch I wear whether I’m fishing out on the lake, working around the house, or just running errands. This is the G-Shock GA110MB, shock resistant, water resistant up to 200m, and a battery that lasts at least 2 years. Equipped with a full calendar, it shows you the day of the week and the date in numeric month-day. The world time mode lets you see what time it is in any time zone around the world making it perfect for tourists, military, or business.

About six years ago, when my wife and I were still dating, she got me this Charles-Hubert Paris because she knows I have a soft spot for pocket watches! I absolutely love it and it was in my tuxedo pocket at our wedding. I don’t wear it often but it might be one of the most sophisticated watches you can wear. Every gentleman should have a pocket watch or two! Charles-Hubert offers many budget-friendly pocket watches that are simply beautiful. The multiple color tones in this watch are captivating! Almost all pocket watches are “automatics” but that is just part of the nostalgic feel of these time honored timepieces!

Skagen makes some of the best minimalist dress watches for men, just so happens that they are also very affordable! Booyah! Minimalist watches are typically super thin, light weight, and of course eye catching. This is one watch that I don’t own yet but would love to add to my collection soon!