Great watches exist at every price point, and today, we’re taking a look at three watches that are under $1,000. In fact, one of these watches is even under $500. Having serious horological chops isn’t necessarily a function of price, and these three watches prove it. Industrialized production practices and economies of scale have allowed cutting-edge technology and materials to be used even in watches that are affordable to the masses.

Today, we have three watches that embody the notion that you can get a whole lot of watch for a reasonable sum of money, from Seiko, Hamilton, and Tissot – three companies which all strive to offer extra bang for the buck, but in distinctly different ways.

Our picks include watches from the horological powerhouse nations of Switzerland and Japan, and the design and spirit of the watches go in rather varied directions. In our line-up, there’s some serious technological innovation present, and then there are more traditional designs that have been tested by not only time, but some of the harshest environments in the world. 

These watches are all very different from one another, but what they have in common is that they all get you a fantastic watch for under $1,000. It’s up to you to decide which is most compelling.