AFFORDABLE WATCH BRAND TIER LIST (My Sub-$200 Rankings)
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- Опубликовано: 5 июл 2024
- In this video, I compile my affordable watch brand tier list under $250 USD. I rate brands like Casio, Citizen, Fossil, MVMT, Vincero, Timex, Orient, Fossil, Filippo Loreti, Invicta, AliExpress, Seiko and more.
Affordable Watch Brand Tier List: tiermaker.com/create/affordab...
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Ben's Watch Club tends to cover affordable watches like Seiko, Timex, Casio, Citizen, MVMT, Vincero, Bulova, Orient, Hamilton, and more. We rarely feature luxury watches like Rolex, Patek Philippe, Breitling, Tag Heuer, Tudor, Grand Seiko, Cartier, Omega, Audemars Piguet, or Hublot due to their price. 
Хобби
For those wondering...yes the Filippo finally arrived 😂😂 stay tuned for that video!
Invicta is even above God tier! 😏
Make sure to wear the £18 suit in that video!
F**k me! Can't wait😆
Jesus!! Its only taken about 5 months
Sounds to me like someone at Filippo HQ stumbled upon your video and thought, 'gee, maybe we should send this guy his watch?' 😏
That’s a clickbait thumbnail if I’ve ever seen one 😂 I came here fuming
Same
SAME HERE I WAS BOUT TO THROW HANDS
Yeah that tier list had me pissed
Same bro
@@se7ense7ens37 yeah, nobody talks smack about casio!
I got so triggered when i saw Casio D Tier in the thumbnail
fuckin same
Clickbait af
Me too, casio is still the best when it comes to quality compared to mvmnt and Daniel wellington
Wanted to punch the man thorough the screen
I know clearly that he didn’t mean it, but it feels triggered to be deceived.
Citizen, Orient, Seiko, G-Shock and Lorus should be a solid S. The japanese brands are so competitive in the quality items.
YEAP
Bulovas are decent
Meh...I had 2 Seikos, first one went in twice for repair on a third trip I demanded a replacement, died a year later, never bought another Seiko.
Had a G-shock, the band turned color and broke, replaced the band a year later stop charging, never bought another G-shock.
Yet my 2 Timex' s are still going strong; one is 15 year old the other only a week old.
My 2 YO Armitron is also working well.
@@pjfsr7024 how the hell did you manage to break a G-Shock ? 😅
@@VihaanBelani I didn't physically break it, It stopped charging.
Citizen and Seiko need to go up to "S". They both do a fantanstic job within the quartz chronograph sector with many sub $200 offerings that look nice and are extremely reliable, and Seiko's NH35/36 is practically the foundation of the budget automatic market.
Yeah but for what they ask they don't even give a sapphire crystal. You get the HaRdLeX which is apparently wayyyyyyyy better than mineral. So Seiko is where it should be. But the watches themselves are really good.
@@saivishwath3773 It's not all about the crystal though is it? Consider the Omegas and Rolexes with plastic that sell for tens of thousands? I have only one work watch (Citizen) that I have had to replace a crystal on, it was dragged across a stucco wall, having the crystal replaced by a Citizen authorized service place was about $35.
@@saivishwath3773 where in the world are you gonna find a sapphire for 200 bucks? The fact that Seiko offers a proprietary crystal harder than mineral which you usually get at that price range is just another plus for them.
@@saivishwath3773 if you go a little over that price point in the sales you can get a sapphire crystal. I picked up Citizen’s radio-controlled Perpetual Chrono A-T for about £270 in the sale a few years back, with sapphire crystal.
@@hypersynesthesia The same applies for Seiko though. Got myself a Seiko Solar SNE523P1 with sapphire glas on sale for 116 € (they retail price is about 220). There are actually plenty of saphir glas options from Seiko at that pricepoint. Although it is kind of an either automatic movement with hardlex glass or quartz/solar movement with sapphire glass decision.
This is some triggering clickbait 😆
Orient, Seiko , Citizen , Casio are all s tier for god's sake!
Absolutely
@Frank Andreas Bauer No, just no
This is the way
Yip you are right on that!
@@Notorious544d let me guess, you wear a 150 dollar dress watch to your minimum wage job?
I have a soft spot for Fossil, when I decided to be more dapper and less slobbish in my appearance in my mid 30's. Among the first items I bought, along with a Brown pair of chukka boots and a Navy Blazer was a Rose Gold Fossil Grant Chronograph with a blue dial and brown leather straps, and these 3 items became my foundation items for well over a year. It was the watch that got me back into all things watches. Sure, the watch isn't anything special, but it's one of the core items that I will always look back fondly on.
I appreciate that if you go for something like a Seiko or Orient, it can look impressive to most untrained eyes, but it can even get the nod of approval from those who know their watches, unlike the heavily-marketed fashion watch brands.
Just ordered my first Orient Star :D
Ive been a Seiko fan since i was a kid. My dad wore them and still does ;)
Ben: Dropping Seiko because they don't advertise
Also Ben: Dropping Vincero for advertising
Lmao exactly. I honestly thing Vincero are B tier. Albeit bottom of B but B nonetheless. What do you think?
@@OfficialJamesGardner nahh, if Vincero would be B, then Seiko shoukd be S+. Vincero is nowhere near Timex
@@olivermj69 I agree. I think Vincero at bottom of C was already generous.
Seiko dropping because of poor advertising is justified. Seiko admitted it themselves that their market share is eroding partly because of it.
@@OfficialJamesGardner did buy one? hahaha
Citizen is not on the same level as Invicta, Timex or Nixon! :) Citizen is way better and deserves an A. ;)
This list is a train wreck!
Nixon's poop I've had 3 of them
Citizen is the worlds biggest watch company with zero iconic models. They are the king of buying up shitter watch brands (bulova, Frederic constant). Best thing they do is the Miyota 9000 movement series which gives sub $1000 watches a decent 28k auto movement.
@@ericmittens Are you serious? Citizens are awesome so are Bulova. I think you have been watching too many shitty Archie the numbnut watch rants!!
I thought both Citizen and Timex should be higher.
Timex seems slightly overpriced for what you get in terms of specs, but have massive brand heritage and some amazingly good designs. The Navi Harbor watches are really classic.
Citizen is definitely on par with Seiko, Casio and all. Being from India i have an, added respect for them, as they help build the first indigenous watch company in India called HMT, in 1961. HMT made very high quality mechanical and quartz watches. Mechanical watches were based on citizens parashock design. HMTs calibre 0231 is fabled for it's robustness. These watches keep on running! I have my grandfather's 50 year-old HMT mechanical watch and it still works flawlessly!
Yeah man, I love Citizen. They're such classic watches for damn good prices.
@@KNuckleZification one thing I've noticed with Citizen compared to Seiko , is that citizen have better quality control, when it comes to the assembly of their watches.
The problem with citizen is the models they have are not so nice and also the quartz models are trash. I was looking for a descent everyday watch and i ended buying a casio edifice over a citizen watch just because of the specs. My watch has a screw down crown and also a screw down cover, the citizen watch i wanted has none of that. Maybe the automatic citizen watches are another story.
@@Drhomelander The Citizen quartz watches do quietly work for 20 years without any required maintenance though. But Casio is a god-tier affordable brand.
@@Drhomelander What are you smoking? Citizen's quartz watches are some of the best in the world, alongside Casio and Breitling. Quartz is the thing Citizen is best at.
My first watch as an adult was a Fossil. I really enjoyed it and it was quality enough to be happy for 4 years with no other watch, but i have moved on. Watches at just a slightly higher price are a big leap in quality.
Still have my Fossil 'Big Tick' which I bought in Rotterdam over 20 years ago... and it's going strong.
Same the first watch I bought for myself was a Skagen watch from Fossil.
I have a Fossil I bought 8 years ago, and indeed still going strong
I also have two Fossils, they're pretty good (for the price). I would've put it in the B-category tbh
@@grantsmith3843I have one of those too, how do you like yours?
I disagree with Citizen at B tier. I can understand they barely have any offerings for smaller wrists but their eco-drive movement will outlive you and it will keep perfect time.
Great vid btw
@@mikedandurand3548 I also have girly wrists, slimmer than his actually. And Citizen is 99% of the time a no go for me but I still appreciate their quality and reliability of their watches.
I agree and please forgive my surly comment. Had a bad day and was grouchy but no excuse for that comment.
@@mikedandurand3548 it's all good no offense taken, you have a good day sir!
citizen should be in class, A ... it is definitely better than NIXON and others...
Is it though...
@@armandr1613 have a look at the black pro master tough. Great watch
I am surprised at the low ranking Citizen receives.
I have owned 4 Seiko watches, ranging from 200€ to 720€, and only one was faultless.
Bezel alignment, chapter ring alignment, badly regulated movement..
Not to mention their cheap stamped clasps...
I own one Citizen, the bn0150-61e, and it is a great watch.
Quality control is spot on, fit and finish is faultless, accuracy is astonishing.
Citizen beats Seiko in value for money and should rank much higher.
Hey, I love my nixon. Gunmetal sentry, I quite enjoy it
My promaster will sad
I found a Timex watch that I fell in love with, it's the Timex Expedition Scout 40 Indiglo. Love this thing. Fun Fact: in season 1 and 2, Richard Dean Anderson wore that watch in MacGyver.
Love the looks of that watch
I have 2 Scouts, one I just broke the stem off hitting a door frame, it's 15+ YO ( still working), I just bought a second one same model; I expect to get just as long a life as long as I don't hit a door frame at the wrong angle.
I've got one too! Love it.
Timex deserves A tier at least. The fact that you said they are bringing more people to like watches gives them a lot of solid ground on A tier. They have been around for almost 200 years and they make very stylish watches that don't cost an organ. The Easy Reader is as iconic as the Alarm Chrono from Casio too being a popular choice for guys who want to have a more formal time piece in their wardrobe.
Agreed! Timex is my favorite, having owned both S and many As on this list.
They really are an historic brand, although my only Timex watch died within 2 years. It was a mechanical one though, probably using a cheap Chinese movement. Their quartz watches are probably a lot more reliable.
Citizen should be higher in my experience, the Eco-Drive is a tank of a movement.
Agreed. The WORST thing you can say about Citizens is that they tend to be kind of boring, design-wise. But they have a lot of nice designs too. And they're tanks.
Agreed. They might not S tiers in design
But for their eco drive models they can be S or A tiers
I have a few Citizen watches and would definitely get some more, the Promaster Eco drive range is a nice looking diver in my opinion
Yes citizens are bulletproof i know probably 5 or 6 people who have worn theirs daily since the 90s and are still going - I have had 3 in the last year or two and the qc and specs are great for the price - the best watch you can buy and wear for 20 years without touching
Yeah but its an old mans watch with hideous styling.
Dude why you gotta do citizen like that :(
Its brutal - Citizen are a tier in my opinion
Yea they're definitely an A in my personal collection, their QC and overall packaging is excellent but even here in Malaysia Orient has a larger following amongst watch enthusiasts.
@@lewisprice-nutman6974 A is fair.
I think it is just his opinion so respect that but , my opinion is he has no clue on watches , soon he could be a new watch blogger , let’s see
I do watch repair. I definitely facepalmed his Citizen placement. Ridiculous.
Seiko and Citizen have a long history and they make some solid watches, they definitely needs to be on the top.
I've had several Citizen and Seiko watches. To say they are below Casio is very, very strange. For me, Citizen and Seiko are top quality and highly respected watch brands
I personally feel offended about Citizen, I've had a citizen watch since I was extremely young and it has stuck with me for a long time. I'd say probably A tier at least, definitely miles above Invictia
Don't worry mate he hasn't a clue! If its isn't girl size he hates them.
He could buy the women versions
My Citzen Promaster Diver has ruined every other watch. Nothing beats it
@@blackhandofset same with me. i have the citizen promaster pepsi diver automatic and i love it.
S bro s tier
Seiko should be in S, tons of history, still a full in house movement and watch. And a full range within their company from 100 to 100k.
💯
Seiko is legendary. I was chocked it was not s tier.
@@shyguy.654 absolutely chocking!
Seiko is the only movement that can’t be replicated. Should be in the God tier. Also do A+ watches.
For less than 200 usd. Most feature packed ones are atleast 350 usd.
With Fossil I would recommend the Rhett chronograph, it's much better for skinny people. Even though the brand seems heavily criticized, I really loved mine in middle school. I once imagined one watch in my head before knowing of the brand's existence and I saw that watch at an outlet store. Black and gold, black band, caught a lot of people's attention in middle and high school, then the band fell apart 5-6 years later, I miss wearing the thing. Even though my bias is for other reasons.
Hi Ben. As others have pointed out, if this were my list I would definitely put Citizen in the S tier. I have two in my collection and both have been bulletproof. Well made, great quality and no alignment issues whatsoever. Both mine are lumed (one of them is a Promaster Diver, the other a Field Watch) and they are up there with the best of 'em. Very good indeed. I'm temted by Orient as a brand but would not put them in the S tier since there is no service (and therefore aftersales) network in the UK. Shame. Great video as always 👍
This guy ranked invicta up there with Citizen !!!!!! As you Brits say “ are you daft?!”.
he completely forgot about their pricing!!!!!.. no doubt D tier rip off
i have invicta and citizen in the s tier.
No he didn't?
Invicta isn’t as bad as everyone says they are. I have a few and I love them. Just not the super oversized ugly ones.
As a brush
Not bad on the ranking. However, Seiko is "S". They are one of the most important watch companies of all time and offer a wide variety of choices for all budgets. No question on Casio as the best bang for the buck. Cheers!
The only issue I have with Seiko is their dial alignment issues, which are unacceptable when the watches are created by machines IMHO.
Definitely!
Casios are like £500 now. An Orient Kamasu is like half that.
@@Tobiemoss Well, they range from £15 to £1,500 (I'm wearing a £500 Casio as I type this) but the higher priced pieces are generally anniversary or special material editions. The standard editions, and the Orient Kamasu are all great value for money. I'd love to own an Orient.
seiko is not S anymore. The new seikos are too expensive to be S. Orient is definately S.
You lost me by putting Citizen so low, and below Casio ... surely you can't be serious.
I have a Citizen Eco-Drive CC9015-54E GPS watch. It is hands-down the best watch I have ever owned. Of course, I know it cost quite a lot more than the more affordable watches you review, Rob, but it's nowhere near Rolex, Breitling or Omega-level cost. Yet, because of GPS synch, it is always correct to the very second, doesn't need the battery changing because of the Eco-Drive movement, and because it has a titanium case and bracelet and sapphire crystal, it looks as good as new after 5 years of daily wear, and it has an "align" feature where, if a hand is out of alignment, the wearer can make micro-adjustments to realign the hands, all without stripping down the movement or even opening the case.
Horses for courses, I suppose.
That might be true, but is costs more than a mechanical Tissot PRX
Seiko and G-Shock are the most widely respected affordables in all of watchdom. Making them below Orient and on par with Avi-8 is just weird
Yea, I felt the same way, it doesn’t make any sense.
me too come on.
I have had a LOT of seikos and orients, and in THIS price category orient beats seiko no contest. When you take a bigger price category then seiko wins.
Orient >
Seiko has gone a bit up market, Orient has taken over this space and quite convincingly too. Typically more accurate than equivalent Seikos and got sapphire crystal at unreal price points
I thought G-Shocks were just tough Casios
"no where to chuck them (Daniel Wellington) other than d-tier"
How about the trash can?
Putting Citizen, Timex and Swatch in the same tier as AliExpress, Nixon and Rotary is a crime. What a joke.
My go-to everyday watch atm is a Rotary, and so far I’ve had absolutely no complaints. It works well, looks good, and I feel like I got a good quality automatic watch without having to pay through the nose for one. :)
Citizen should have gone in the A tier...a very underrated brand.
Citizen should be top of the A List
Casio is an _easy_ God-tier.
I agree I've got Rolex and Omega and like Citizen just as much for the money it's the best I own
Bought myself a citizen to celebrate my 5 year anniversary at my job. When I hit 10 years I saved up to buy something high end, but was so happy with my Citizen I just bought another and put the rest in savings.
Citizen was the first manufacturer that could mass produce titanium watches. Casio or seiko do not have the eco drive technology. It is just amazing. I have 3 of them and will buy more in the future.
You could easily make a tier list with the AliExpress brands alone.
Heimdallr, Steeldive, Pagani, Sugess, Cadisen = God tier
Those are the ones i've ordered watches from, rest seems either very pricey or trash. I'd love a video on that, too
Yes. I'd like the JOMW dude to make this. He has a lot of experience with those.
Aliexpress no. I don’t want to give China any more money. Especially directly Personal preference
@@henrikgostomski286 San Martin and Sea-Gull are S tier. The ones you mentioned are A or solid B imo
@@mikehatfield3561 what difference, other than making yourself feel better, if your money goes to China directly or indirectly? Pretty much all your swiss/german watches are all manufactured in China with final QC or assembly in Switz/Germany.
Hey, man. I really like your videoa and I'll like a part2 with more watches. Keep up the good work 🙌🏻
Its interesting how personal experiences can shape the way you view brands... for example, the watch that got me obsessed was a vintage Bulova that my dad gave me, so as a consequence I have a love for pre-2008 Bulova watches. Where as every d-bag and their brother had a Nixon growing up and I just associate the brand with absolute classlessness
This is precisely the reason luxury car brands don't sell to just anybody
Have had multiple citizens, including one from the late 90s. Best watches ever. Never had alignment issues. Not one ever needed service. Quality for the money makes them my favorite brand. Idk how they could end up in B tier other than the creator just had very little experience with them. From the comments it seems most strongly disagree with this rating.
I completely agree with you. I’m a huge fan of citizen.
I'm a HUGE Citizen fan! Own six of them; my collection is a mix of Navihawks, Nighthawks, and Skyhawks. I LOVE THEM! They offer great quality for the money. They're also innovators in the world of watchmaking; it was Citizen who brought out the quartz movement, titanium case, and solar power. They belong higher up on the list.
Also, I think Swatch should be higher on the list. Though I wasn't a fan of their multicolored watches in the 1980s, they were unique, different, and fun. They also saved the Swiss watch industry; for that alone, they should be higher up!
I love Citizen too. That said, I did have one where the eco-drive turned distinctly less than perpetual - I had to leave it in sunlight whenever not wearing it to maintain the charge, which isn’t how that’s meant to work. But I think that was an unfortunate blip. Overall they’re phenomenally durable, high on function, and good-looking with it.
I really like Citizens too, for both design and quality. BUT, like the reviewer, my wrists are fairly slim and most Citizens are 41mm + case size - just too big for me, sadly. Wish they’d do some 37 or 38 mm case size watches.
In my opinion Citizen is the poor mans Rolex. I absolutely love the brand. I have had 3 watches over the last 10 years and they are absolute show stoppers. I have never been complemented more on my citizen watches then I have been on any other brand (I own Seiko, Casio & Timez as well)
I would put Citizen in the A tier at least, maybe even S. Their Eco-Drive line is very innovative and they have amazing, feature packed models. They also have some amazing automatics, including their Pro Master divers. Overall, I think they offer excellent value for the price.
Seriously, I feel personally attacked that he put *INVICTA* on the same level as Citizen...
Same here
Fuck that seiko ftw
Yeah citizen should be up there with teh best, Seiko too.
I agree
When I say Casio on the bottom on the thumbnail I almost died
Hey Ben, hope you see this comment. It’s obvious you put a lot of effort in your videos, and it shows. Really well done; looking forward to seeing more.
The only thing that offended me is where he put Citizen, Citizen Eco-Drives rule. Definitely A or S tier.
That thumbnail baited me so hard, ngl
Great framework! Would be great to see this also for other price ranges!
Citizen eco drive titanium watch is real nice. I've had one and wear it every day for the last 5 years with no problems. It's light weight and easy to read.
Orient, in house movement, bright lume, my favorite brand.
orient star seeker gmt... really unbeatable
not to mention a lot of their watches just use mineral crystal
What's the best daily from Orient for around $200?
@@silverghost4206 Thanks, Anthony. I appreciate the detailed reply.
@@andrewrobertson3894 for around 200 bucks? The Kamasu is a great option. You can find the kamasu below 250 bucks in a lot of places, specifically ebay. The Kamasu is a steal. It has a sapphire crystal, above average movement, good finishing, lume, and 200 meters water resistance.
The thumbnail is the proof that MVMT is better than Rolex.
I bought a nice Citizen Ecosphere two years ago. I think the brand's natural tier is A. The watch is freaking awesome.
Nice video Ben! I personally would have put Seiko and Citizen in the S category, and probably G-Shock as well. These are iconic Japanese brands who have made significant innovations in watch making. Yes, they all miss the mark on occasion, however; Seiko- first Asian watch to get a chronometer certification by the Swiss, Citizen- first solar watch and largest watch company in the world, G-Shock's anti-shock case design, etc. By the way, I'm not sure they still make them, but there used to be a Baby-G, G-Shock watch that was only about 40mm or smaller. And Citizen does make small case sizes then 42 mm. I own several, including the perpetual time Calabre (not sure I spelled this right...deal with it!). Great video!
Putting citizen on B because of misalignment... at 100£ prices and putting seiko on A is just insulting.
I’ve got a 650£ king turtle full of issues including misalignments... so yeah... placing citizen there... insulting
True, Seiko is the king of lousy QC..
Citizen belongs in the A tier imho. There are tons of options at afforfable prices. I own 3 and none of them have misallignment issues and the build quality is superb. The lume on my diver's watch is spectacular to say the least.
Try an eco-drive field watch BM8180-03E at 37mm, they are suited for smaller wrists.
Actually, there is a big misconception on Citizen lume.
A lot of reviewers state that the lume is good, but not at Seiko’s level.
It is true that Seiko’s lumibrite initially glows brighter, but after a few hours there is no difference.
After 8 hours of darkness, my Citizen Promaster bn0150 outshines my Seiko Turtle.
JOMW pitched the Promaster against some tough competition in one of his “lume wars” episodes, and it easily won, even beating a Rolex...
I love this kind of clear judging videos :)
I own only one watch, a Citizen Eco-Drive from 2011 and I have to tell you that I can see a misalignment, you are absolutely right!
The main problem I have had with those is the "capacitor", I have some on their third.
It’s easy to micro adjust the alignment. Please see the manual.
Interesting video. I just picked up a vintage Seiko pepsi chrono from 73 and it's quickly become my favorite watch in my collection. I think Seikos were great up until about 10 years ago. Seems like marketing began getting a larger budget than design/engineering.
Being a Citizen fan boy, seeing it on B tier hurt me!
@CarFreak I feel like actual watch enthusiasts would shit on that hot take.
What are your thoughts on the new 6000 dollar citizen ?
At least Citizen makes their own movements. A lot of these other brands use either a Miyota or a Seiko movement to power their automatic watches.
Miyota is part of the citizen group that also includes Bulova. They developed so many different technologies it's crazy.
Casio also uses some Citizen quartz movements in Edifice models. They usually perform more accurate than Casios own quartz.
Citizen now had a 6000 dollar watch
never knew that
Orient is special too. Their mechanical movements are all in house. A rarity today. Other notable brands that are in house are Rolex and Omega and some of the super insane expensive brands like Patek lol.
Thank you Ben for the chart. Based on you opinion, I think I will look at the Orient. I am somewhat biased, but would put the Seiko at the bottom of the "S" catagory. I have more Seiko/Pulsar watches than any other brand. Never a problem with any of them and quite a variety of styles. You probably don't see them in the UK and they are north of the $200 range is the Shinola from Detroit. It truley is a "niche" watch, I love the history of the company and being from Detroit. Buying the Shinola shoe polish name and nameing the company "Shinola" and established in Detroit makes it somewhat unique. They do seem to hold their value for a low-mid level watch and they have quite a following.
I’m late to the party, but I feel this list. A few I’m completely unfamiliar with. I have a few Timex and Casio pieces with what will be my first automatic, a Seiko 5, on the way in the mail. I’m excited to start customising it.
Citizen and Timex should be on the A tier. G-Shock & Seiko on the S teir.
Agreed
definitely
Strong agreed
Clearly
G shock 🤭
At 37.2mm, the Citizen Chandler field watch would be perfect for you Ben. Definitely A tier.
Im happy for Timex 😊 I have bought my first watch as an adult which is arriving on Tuesday and it's a Timex. Im glad I did my research and didnt fall for the overpriced designer watches
I was once an admirer of fashion brands, thinking DW, Nixon were aspirational watches, until I discovered Ben and other reviewers, what an eye opener. I’m now aspiring to be an Hamilton owner.
i think Hamilton is my longer term goal right now as well....probably a jazz master. do you think they're probably the best value in the 500 to 700 USD range? Thanks! I'm a newbie.
@@bassguitar1919 depends what you want but is alot of good micro brands that seem to offer a lot for that price as well.
I have a Khaki and I just love it. For the price I paid, it’s a super nice watch and I hope you’ll get a Hamilton- I doubt you will be disappointed:)
As a Seikoholic I am disturbed that they were not placed at S tier. C'mon who else makes everything in house and have made huge innovations over the years? Also Citizen needs to be bumped up also.
seiko is not S anymore. The new seikos are too expensive to be S. Orient is definately S.
look at the 5KX vs the orient kamasu. Not even a fight
@@henryettoit897 He already had Orient at S tier so they don't need to be moved up. Think about how many people over the years started the hobby because of the skx and how many high end collections still have one as a beater. I started out with the Mako 1 but prefer the skx. Currently the Kamasu is better than a Seiko 5.
Respectfully disagree. When I can buy a brand new (real) divers Save the Ocean Turtle on ebay right now for $295 it still fits S tier.
@@mrbacchus6127 BRO the save the ocean turtle still comes on hardlex lmao. Even even a $75 pagani design gives you saphhire. Its not about seiko in the past but seiko now. Kamasu literally gives you sapphire under $200. Seiko has been terrible with QC issues too, chapter ring misalignments and lousy bracelets . The SKX is overrated for what it is. 7s26 is notorious for being inaccurate and thats usually they 1st thing that gets replaced when people mod their SKX.
You can’t go far wrong buying a watch from a company that actually makes watches.
exactly as long as it isnt a fasion watch it will be ok
And here in April 2022 I'm just catching up on this video and discovering more watch brands that I've never heard of before. Being a retired commercial (charter) pilot, I immediately was taken with the AVI-8 watches and so went straight over to their website and bought myself a new pilot's watch, even though I don't fly any more. Cheers Ben.
The fact that the thumbnail said MVMT was god-tier had me ready to throw hands🤣
Bro same. I don’t hate on a lot of brands but movement and Movado are the two that put fire in my eyes
@@WatchUnwind yeah and the fact he put citizen at the bottom made me question everything lol
Citizen, Casio and Seiko for me, in that particular order. Can't beat the Nippongang.
thats the holy trinity
Best value for the money
But no Orient, eh?
Put Orient along... and that's "The Four Horsemen" to me...
@@user-ez5vq9fd2t it is, but only if you value mechanical movements.
Calling Swatch a "bigger" brand is one hell of an understatement...
"I have small wrists so this brand sucks"
Citizen is ranked too low. Their JDM models are much better and have smaller sizes. Also Lorus is a sub brand of Citizen.... Citizen has better quality control than Seiko nowadays.
Agree
Lorus is part of Seiko. Not Citizen.
@@watchandjewelryloft4713 You're right my b
Crazy to see citizen so low. No way they’re on the same tier as invicta and nixon. Funny to see that’s what about 90% of the comments are about too, you know you fucked up man 😂
The top tier should be Seiko, Citizen, Orient, and Casio.
Take a look at the tech behind Citizen's Eco Drive....it's pretty impressive!
Ohhh gosh you cracked my up with the beginning of the video 🤣
I think citizen is higher in quality than Seiko when it comes to entry to mid range. Less quality control issue imo
you would be correct sir
Honestly, citizen echo drives blow seiko out the water. But you are correct, grand seikos and even the alpinist are very well crafted.
People keep saying that about seiko but my bezel alligns and the only issue i got is a slightly grindy crown (when unscrewing) other than that no issues
@@ROrneli it's not like the majority of their watches have serious issues. It's just that a larger percentage of them do than they should, considering the history and know-how of Seiko.
Casio, Orient, Seiko, Citizen would be S for me. As much as it pains me to say it, I think Invicta should be near the top of A tier. Their watches that aren’t ridiculously large and gaudy are honestly pretty great even though their pricing tactics are terrible.
Not to mention, they also uses the nh35 movement.
Are u kidding? They are so bad!
the problem with invicta is their deceptive market practices ... "800 dollar retail now 100!" BS that really gets me. but invicta could be packed into many different companies in one.. some watches are very decent and even carry seiko or swiss movements but some are chinese crap.. as long as you know a bit about watches you can walk away with a nice invicta BUT you are problaly better off spending that money somewhere else like in Casio, Seiko ,Orient or Citizen to be fair or even a micro brand.
Also invicta needs to chill with 5 atmosphere watches with helium release valves and quarts watches with exhibition backs honestly i think they prey on people with no to little watch knowladge ..
@@ROrneli couldn’t agree more Robert. Their pricing tactics are horrible and they have some ridiculous watches. They prey on the uninformed but they have some real gems if you know what to look for!
@@colonelangus3826 i think a lot about a watch is the name. Even if the watch itself is really nice it would still be stained by a name that would evoke laughter at parties and it would require for you to explain and try to defend your purchase.like buying real state in afghanistan.
I mean if that does not bother you then yeah i agree.
I have a Citizen AT Blue Angel and it’s pretty technologically advanced for what you get. Set time zone, atomic clock sync, day of the week, battery charge, automatic date change, chrono and a whiz wheel. It’s great
This watch is outstanding. Definitely S tier.
The 2018 UK only Citizen Pro Master tough "Ray Mears" is glued to my wrist. A tank. Hitting the markers every time is extremely satisfying.
Hard to beat Japan. Casio, Citizen, Seiko, Orient.
Surprised you've had Citizen QC issues, they've always been great for me. A real sweet spot in the $200 range.
Also surprised the DW-5600 isn't a good fit even on a slim wrist. They're supposed to be a bit large, but I think the square is very reasonable.
I have bird wrists¹ and the iconic DW 5600 looks & feels just right on me. I'm wearing mine right now. Some G-shocks are comically oversized (👀 Casioak), but the OG DW5600 is absolutely perfect (for me - it is subjective). It's a watch that doesn't wear as large as it measures. The octagonal, rounded square shape sits nicely where it should, on top of my arm where the bones meet, and the downward curving integrated lugs hug my wrist quite nicely. It's a classic & am icon for a reason. 💯
¹Edit: 6.75" wrists, so I guess pretty avg., just always seemed slim compared to my more robust & durable arms & torso
agree. I have sadly small wrists and the DW fits fine
if the dw5600 isnt for ur wrist try the gwm 5610 its a good watch very similar to dw 5600 bit more expensive than it bur its smaller than that.its also got solar power
S tier: I agree with Casio & Orient, would put G-shock & Citizen here as well
A tier and lower: yes I agree with you.
You got me with that thumbnail 🤣
Not sure about Skagen watches in general, but I have one of their older (pre-Fossil) slim titanium models with a mesh band and really quite like it to be honest. The overall quality seems decent, the design is relatively original and the minimal thickness makes it very comfortable to wear, especially under shirt cuffs.
You did Citizen dirty!
miyota movements are pretty solid
Great video mate. Didn’t know where to start when working out what brands to look at, this really helped. I already have a Citizen watch (bought for me) and it seems like a lot of people think that’s A class so that’s good. Looked into Orient, Seiko, Lorus and Casio/G-shock and see now why they’re so well thought. Bought a blue dial Orient AA02002D diving watch, a black dial Casio Edifice EFV-100D, a brown leather strap Lorus R3A61AX9 and a G-Shock GBA-800-1AER to start off my collection. These should give me a nice range of occasions to be able to wear them. Going to look for a nice Seiko down the line and I really like the look of Avi-8’s watches as well. Thanks so much!
Because I looked at a watch on eBay you tube and it's algorithm as put your channel in my you tube suggestions. And for once iam glad they did. Can't believe how confident and professional you are in front of the camera. Your reviews are precise honest and totally unbiased. I've subscribed and am currently going through your videos to pick out a new watch il be buying in a month or so... Brilliant work Ben 👍👍
I have Longines, Ball, Tissot and Citizen. The Citizen has been great for ten years owned it, used for sports and really like the Eco drive power.
Let me pile on with one more scolding for placing Citizen so low. Definitely deserved higher.
There are too many other factors to make a comprehensive list with tiers! And Citizen is certainly above a Vostok!
That thumbnail is excellent lmao
Loving the videos and would love to hear your opinion on Steeldive watches. I have the SD1954 and from what I can tell it has decent specs but only downside is the bracelet
No one is on casio's level
God of all gods! (c)
@@maxant4285 casio needed it's own tier
I feel about Casio the same as the reviewer feels about Swatch. Plastic.
@@davidthom7127 casios last though
@@antyvirusuk8056 I don't think they are as bad as to be in last place. You're too harsh.
How did Swatch end up next to Aliexpress ? Doesn't Swatch deserve at least an A ranking for innovation and history (with system 51 and partly saving Swiss watchmaking) ?
Yea but as an individual, a switch watch sucks as they are built to last maximum 3 years
@@94jmbottaro My Sistem51 is 6yrs old. It still works great and I wear it every day.
@@94jmbottaro I know my experience isn't indicitive of all of them, but I currently have 3 (an 84 White Mephis, an 85 Red Wave and one whose model I forget from the early 90s,) and they all still work wonderfully and get worn regularly.
@@94jmbottaro my swatch is 10 years old and still working perfectly
I generally agree with most of this, but you really missed the mark on Swatch and Citizen. I don't even like citizen and I know they belong in the B tier; so does Swatch.
the thumbnail really got me😂 i was ready to argue
Glad to see AVI-8 up there. Bought one when they were a brand new watch company... their Hawker Hurricane is still one my favourite "dress watches".
I bought an Orient Kamasu about a month ago for my first automatic and first real watch, and I have to say I'm in love with it. The bracelet is starting to feel a little shoddy after taking some fun window shopping trips and getting hands on time with the likes of Oris, Rado, Tudor, Omega, Breitling etc, but the actual watch itself is very nice and worth every penny and I can easily get a higher quality bracelet.
My RADO captain cook is my favourite watch. It’s amazing, well it better be for $3k 😅
Yeah, Citizen should definitely be higher. I'd put it with Casio and Orient in the S tier without a doubt in my mind. Better quality control than Seiko and Orient which I love, especially Orient.
And they do have some smaller watches that are quality classics, such as the BM8180.
i LOVEloveLOVE my two orient automatics!! also a huge swatch fan, since their beginning. thanks for this helpful list.
My Voctok Scubaman had the smoothest second-hand sweep of any watch I've owned - absolutely hypnotic.
I'm mostly a Seiko fan, but Citizen has been drawing my eye lately, especially if you go beyond the relatively boring selection of eco-drive models UK highstreet stores seem to stock, go online to their JDM models at a higher price point and they're amazing.
Yea citizen is one I don’t agree with. Every Citizen I’ve had has been extremely high quality for the $$$. I really don’t think they’ve had mass quality control issues (at least not like seiko has, or so I hear.) To me, value for buck puts Citizen above Seiko on the list.
I still can't believe he put Citizen with Invicta. 😡
Citizen have "Asia-only or South-east-Asia-only" and "Japan-only" models, even limited models not sold anywhere else
Personally I'd rank Citizen the same as Seiko, they've got just as much expertise in trustworthy reliable quartz, and their mechanicals are precise and functional. Seiko has the edge in horological history due to being older and being the first to release a quartz wristwatch, as well as improving so rapidly in the Swiss trials. But Citizen still deserves a massive amount of respect for their approach to high quality watches.
My favourite that I'll probably never get to own is the Titanium Caliber 0100 with mother of pearl dial, ±1 second per year and an amazing bracelet. While I'd love a spring drive too the Caliber 0100 seems like the gold standard in high precision quartz.
I think for me Citizen just has an even worse marketing (in the UK at least) and stocking issue than even Seiko, compared to the fashion brands. In stores like John Lewis I see a few cocktail times, a turtle, some samurai and a few different quartz models from Seiko but the selection in most shops of Citizen seem to be very bland looking eco-drive models. It's not necessarily even Citizen's fault but the selections shops choose to stock makes me realise why fashion brands like Micheal Kors and Armani Exchange sell so many watches.
Got to say, i have both a pro-master and an echodrive... They are phenomenal watches for the money. No way is citizen placed correctly on this list (in my opinion)
Thumbnail is so freaking great 🤣🤣🤣
Muy buena lista estoy totalmente de acuerdo contigo. Muchas gracias por hacer Videos así y sobre todo por subtitularlos en español así aumentamos la comunidad en la buena