Is it possible to get that one versatile watch, one that looks at home in any situation—from the office to a night out to a formal black-tie event? The world of wristwatches can be confusing, simply because there is so many to choose from. And while there is always room for watches in specific styles—the dress watch, the diver’s watch, the explorer’s watch—very few actually mix the elegant with the rugged with consistency.

But versatile everyday watches do exist, and some of the best and most value-packed ones come from Japanese watchmakers. While Swiss watchmakers like Tissot and Hamilton, as well as boutique brands also make some excellent watches in this segment, for Indians, they are either too expensive due to import duties, or simply not available.

With that in mind, here are three Japanese heavy hitters that combine the romance of mechanical watchmaking with thoroughly modern dimensions and performance, and that too at entry-level price segments.

Seiko 5 SRPE31

This Seiko 5 was my gateway into the world of modern automatic watches. I’ve had it now for five years, and whenever in doubt, I still turn to it. I’d written about the “Dresskx” (as it is called by its fans) in this column a few years ago, but its good looks, versatility and toughness is something that is worth repeating.

At 40mm across, it fits most wrists, and this wearability is enhanced by the fact that it is just 11.5mm thick and has a compact lug-to-lug of 44.6mm. It’s beautiful sunburst blue dial turns inky black depending on the light (the range comes in many other dial colourways), and the hands and indices glow like a torch in the dark, thanks to some excellent lume. The brushed and polished surfaces of the case also play very well with the light, elevating the looks of the watch well beyond its price-point.

But don’t be fooled by its good looks, because it is a highly capable watch with 100m of water resistance. Over the past five years, I’ve taken it on Himalayan treks, gone swimming with it, as well as snorkeling and diving in the Great Barrier Reef. I think it is the epitome of the GADA (go-anywhere-do-anything) watch archetype, and the icing on the cake is that it retails for just ₹22,500 (and you can always get it for less than the retail price).

Citizen Tsuyosa

If I’ve ever been tempted to replace the Seiko 5 with a shinier, newer watch, then it would have to be the Citizen Tsuyosa (Japanese for ‘strength’), especially the newer variants which come in at a fantastically compact 37mm case size. Citizen has been killing it the past few years with number of great automatic watches—especially diver’s watches—but none of them created the instant buzz as the launch of the Tsuyosa range in early 2023.

The craze for sporty watches with integrated bracelets was peaking at the time, especially with the popularity of the Tissot PRX line. And then along came Citizen with its own unique take on the integrated bracelet sports watch design. I’ve handled a few, and I can safely say that they are beautifully made for the price (at about ₹40,000). The dial layout with the cyclops over the date aperture strongly recalls the Rolex Oyster Perpetual, while the rounded bracelet with the polished centre-links compliment the polished facets of the watch case to give a premium feel.

While the original releases were extremely desirable, I found that an integrated bracelet watch at 40mm wears too large for me. So, imagine my delight when, earlier this year, Citizen came out with the Tsuyosa in a more retro size of 37mm across. I’m pretty sure that one of these days (months?), a Tsuyosa is going to enter my collection.

Casio Edifice EFK-100

Casio pulled a rabbit out of its hat in August by releasing its first ever automatic watch. The handsome Edifice EFK-100 range turned out to be a total left-field surprise because Casio has established itself as a “god-tier” watch brand over the past 40 years in the category of quartz watches. From the ubiquitous F-91W to the G-Shocks (both of which have been featured multiple times in this column), Casio has been the undisputed value king of quartz.

It turns out that the Japanese giant is also a deft hand at creating an automatic timepiece. The new range exists in the same tier as sports automatics from Seiko and Citizen, and together the three now threaten to overwhelm Swiss watches in the entry-level segment. So, what makes the Casio so good?

Like the Tsuyosa, this too is a take on the integrated bracelet style, with the watch case measuring 39mm across, and a lug-to-lug of 43.5mm—pretty compact. With an impressive water resistance rating of 100m (in this, it is better than the Tsuyosa, which has 50m of water resistance), this is an everyday watch that, like its Japanese brethren, looks way more expensive than it is. The case is angular, sharply polished and very well finished, and has a sapphire crystal, along with some of the most beautiful dials you’ll see at this price segment. Unlike the Seiko and the Citizen, which have in-house movements in them, the Edifice uses a Seiko NH35 movement, a total workhorse. Price-wise, it sits somewhere between the Seiko and the Citizen at ₹26,995. What’s not to love?

Handwound is a monthly column on watches and watchmaking.