Now that the summer season is finally behind us, however sad that may sound, it’s time for us to get back to our normal lives. No more fun in the sun, no more beach days, no more late-night backyard parties… Although I’m dramatising a bit here, it’s a given fact that around September, most of us will have enjoyed our summer holidays and will be back at work by now. Youngsters will have gone back to school, or perhaps even started their first jobs, and so on. Whatever the situation, a single question always arises: what to wear? Something mechanical, of course, and we’ve lined up a set of very solid options for both classroom and boardroom, from very affordable to a tad pricier, but never out of reach!
Citizen Mechanical Day/Date Ny4058 – EUR 219
To start things off, we opted for the Citizen Mechanical Day/Date NY4058, which comes at an incredible EUR 219 only! For this, you get a stylish watch with a dressy undertone and an in-house automatic movement. To us, the black one is the best suited for the office thanks to the black leather strap. The dial is nicely finished and shows not only the time, but the day of the week and date as well. The movement will keep running for up to 42 hours, which is perfectly acceptable.
For more information, please visit CitizenWatch.EU or CitizenWatch-Global.com.
Quick Facts – 40mm x 10.7mm – stainless steel case, polished – mineral glass – see-through caseback – 50m water-resistant – black sunray-brushed dial – applied indices with SLN – steel hands with SLN – framed day/date window – calibre 8200, in-house – automatic winding – 42h power reserve – black leather strap with crocodile print, pin buckle – EUR 219
Orient Bambino 75th Anniversary Classic – EUR 359,99
Next up is another brand from the land of the Rising Sun: Orient! Celebrating its 75th trip around said sun, it released the handsome Bambino 75th Anniversary Classic earlier this year. The case has a very pleasant profile and houses a very handsome silvery-white sunray-brushed dial with warm gilt markers and blued hands. The movement can be seen through the back and has a decorated rotor. Worn on a nubuck leather strap, it retails for a smidge under EUR 360.
For more information, please visit Orient-Watch.com.
Quick Facts – 40.5mm x 12.3mm – stainless steel case – polished bezel – domed mineral crystal – 30m water-resistant – silvery-white sunray-brushed dial – applied gilt Roman numerals – blued central hands – Orient calibre F6724 – 21-600vph – 40h power reserve – hours, minutes, seconds, date – beige suede leather strap, steel pin buckle – limited to 9,500 pieces – EUR 359,99
Tissot Le Locle Powermatic 80 Green – EUR 725
Travelling to Switzerland, the Tissot Le Locle Powermatic 80 is another value-for-money stunner. It offers something a bit more sporty thanks to the multi-link bracelet, but it would look equally good on a leather strap. We’ve opted for the one in green, which has a nicely detailed dial with a Clous de Paris styled pattern, applied Roman numerals, leaf-shaped hands and a date at 3′. Fitted with the solid Powermatic 80 movement, you can’t really find any faults in this one, especially considering the very sensible EUR 725 price tag.
For more information, please visit TissotWatches.com.
Quick Facts – 39.3mm x 9.75mm stainless steel case – sapphire crystal, see-through back – 30m water-resistant – green dial with guilloché-like pattern, silver-coloured applied Roman indices and hands – automatic calibre Powermatic 80, 80-hour power reserve, 21,600 vibrations/hour – hours, minutes, running seconds, date – quick-release interchangeable steel bracelet with folding clasp – EUR 725.
Seiko presage classic series spb529 – eur 1,120
When it comes to good, sensible watchmaking, Seiko is not to be overlooked. Many of its collections have a very strong following and would suit our “back to work/school/life” scenario perfectly. We’ve picked the new Presage Classic Series SPB529, which adds a golden-brown coin-edge bezel, a light brown gradient dial and a leather strap made with high-end Japanese shoemaker REGAL to the mix. Power comes from Seiko’s trusted calibre 6R55, with 75 hours of running time. All that, for an attainable price of EUR 1,120.
For more information, please visit SeikoWatches.com.
Quick Facts – 40.2mm x 13mm – stainless steel, brushed & polished – golden-brown coin-edge bezel – domed-sapphire crystal – 100m water-resistance – light brown gradient dial – golden applied markers & hands – bevelled date window – calibre 6R55, in-house automatic – 21,600vph – 75h power reserve – brown leather strap made with REGAL – folding clasp – limited to 3,000 pieces, available from October – EUR 1,120
Farer Lissom ‘lindley – EUR 1,350
From the UK, we have selected the Farer Lissom. This time-only watch is available in a few colour variations, and we’ve gone for the purple-and-powder-blue ‘Lindley’. It offers something fresh, something a bit different, and altogether quite cool! The colourful dial is finished with white hands and Lumicast markers, and around the back, you’re greeted by La Joux-Perret’s D100 manually wound movement. At 38mm by 7.95mm in size, and strapped to a beige nubuck leather strap, it’s a joy on the wrist. The price? A respectable EUR 1,350.
For more information, please visit Farer.com.
Quick Facts – 38mm x 7.95mm – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – sapphire crystal front & back – crown with solid bronze cap – 50m water-resistant – calibre D100, La Joux-Perret – manual winding – 21,600vph – 50h power reserve – beige nubuck leather strap with pin buckle (other options available) – EUR 1,350
Frederique Constant Classics Premiere Salmon – EUR 1,950
If you have a bit more budget, the Frederique Constant Classics Premiere Salmon would be an excellent fit. What immediately struck us was the multi-level salmon dial, with a grained texture in the centre and a circularly brushed ‘ring’ for the applied markers. The whole size and shape of the watch are just right. It’s equipped with the calibre FC-301, which is based on the La Joux-Perret G100. At first, it was presented on a matte nubuck leather strap, but is now also available on a very cool multi-link bracelet. It retails for EUR 1,995 on leather or EUR 2,095 in full steel.
For more information, please visit Frederique-Constant.com.
Quick Facts – 38.5mm x 10.67mm – stainless steel, polished – 43.5mm lug-to-lug – sapphire crystal front & back – 50m water-resistant – multi-textured salmon dial – applied Breguet numerals & hands – La Joux-Perret G100, automatic – 28,800vph – 24 jewels – 68h power reserve – hours, minutes, central (hacking) seconds – rose gold-coloured rotor – brown Nubuck leather strap or steel multi-link bracelet – EUR 1,995 (leather) or EUR 2,095 (bracelet)
https://monochrome-watches.com/buying-guide-back-to-school-work-mechanical-watches-affordable-value-proposition/