Best Automatic Watches Under £500 (and $500)

Best Automatic Watches Under £500 (and $500)

Eleven automatic watches at or under £500 or $500 on at least one maker's own site, compared by movement, crystal, case size and price, with "Not published" wherever a maker is silent.

This is a short list of the best automatic watches under 500 (£500 in the UK, $500 in the US): eleven watches, read from each maker's own site and last checked 24 October 2026, with prices in the currency each maker uses. Each is at or under £500 or $500 on at least one maker site, so the tables flag any gap or sale price.

It is written for anyone looking for good watches for under 500, including the best automatic watches under 500 UK buyers search for, with dollar prices for US readers. Vannin is on this list; we have put ourselves last and kept our entry in the same format. We have not tested or handled any of these watches, and every figure is the maker's published specification. For a separate list of small independent brands, see our best British microbrand watches.

• best British microbrand watches

Best automatic watches under 500 at a glance

The two tables list every one of these good automatic watches under 500 with its price, size, movement, crystal, water resistance and warranty, each as the maker publishes it. Prices are shown in the currency of each storefront and we do not convert them. Where a maker is silent, the cell reads "Not published".

Makers measure thickness differently. Vannin's 11.2 mm includes the crystal; Timex and Rotary label their figure "case height"; the other makers' pages do not say. Lug-to-lug is the length from the tip of one pair of lugs to the other, and lug-to-lug explained covers why it decides fit. Seiko's UK price is for SRPD73K2 and its US price for SRPD59. Orient's US prices are sale prices beside a regular price, shown in the table.

Tier placement: a watch is in tier 1 if at least one maker price is at or under about £250 or $250, and the other site's price can be higher; every other watch is in tier 2. Each watch is at or under £500 or $500 on at least one site. Nine of the eleven have a US price at or under $500, and Rotary and Vannin list no US price. The Orient Mako's regular US price is above $500, so its US price is under $500 only while the sale runs.

Prices and specifications last checked 24 October 2026. Tell us if something has changed.

Hacking means the seconds hand stops when the crown is pulled out. Seiko lists a stop second hand function, but we have written hacking as not published because the page does not describe it. Timex's pages describe winding by the crown if the watch has stopped, which we show as hand-winding described.

Prices and specifications last checked 24 October 2026. Tell us if something has changed.

• Orient Bambino Version 4 42 mm, AC08003A (UK) / TAC08003A0 (US)
• Timex Marlin Automatic 40 mm, TW2V44600
• Timex Marlin Chatham Automatic 36 mm, TW2Y84300
• Citizen Tsuyosa 37 mm, NJ0200-50L
• Citizen Tsuyosa 40 mm, NJ0150-56E
• Orient Bambino 38 mm, RA-AC0M03S (UK) / RA-AC0M03S30B (US)
• Orient Mako, RA-AA0818L (UK) / RA-AA0818L39B (US)
• Rotary Greenwich GT1 Automatic, RGB10073/05
• Seiko 5 Sports, SRPD73K2 (UK) / SRPD59 (US)
• Timex Marlin Jet Automatic 38 mm, TW2V72300
• Vannin Field Watch (ours, coming soon)
• lug-to-lug explained
• Orient Bambino Version 4 42 mm, AC08003A (UK) / TAC08003A0 (US)
• Timex Marlin Automatic 40 mm, TW2V44600
• Timex Marlin Chatham Automatic 36 mm, TW2Y84300
• Citizen Tsuyosa 37 mm, NJ0200-50L
• Citizen Tsuyosa 40 mm, NJ0150-56E
• Orient Bambino 38 mm, RA-AC0M03S (UK) / RA-AC0M03S30B (US)
• Orient Mako, RA-AA0818L (UK) / RA-AA0818L39B (US)
• Rotary Greenwich GT1 Automatic, RGB10073/05
• Seiko 5 Sports, SRPD73K2 (UK) / SRPD59 (US)
• Timex Marlin Jet Automatic 38 mm, TW2V72300
• Vannin Field Watch (ours, coming soon)

How we chose these automatic watches

Every watch here has an automatic movement, a price at or under £500 or $500 on at least one maker storefront on the check date, and is on sale, apart from Vannin, which is coming soon. The list is made of maker pages only, in alphabetical order within each tier, with no ranking and no scores.

The tier rule is the same everywhere on this page: a watch is in tier 1 if at least one maker price is at or under about £250 or $250, and the other site's price can be higher; every other watch is in tier 2. Each entry shows both prices, so you can see that the other site's price can be higher.

We have not tested or handled these watches, and every figure is the maker's published specification, linked in the tables and the entries. We use no affiliate links. Watches that a maker showed as sold out, or whose stock was unclear, on the check day are left out. UK prices come from UK maker sites.

Where a maker shows a promotion, we list its regular price and leave the promotion price out. Orient's US pages show a sale price beside a regular price, so we show both and mark the sale.

Automatic watches up to about £250 / $250

Three watches have at least one maker price at or under about £250 or $250: Orient Bambino Version 4, Timex Marlin Automatic 40 mm and Timex Marlin Chatham Automatic 36 mm. These sit at the lower end of the list, for anyone searching for the best low cost automatic watch or the best affordable automatic watch, and size and crystal matter as much as price. The lowest prices shown are £240.00 on UK sites and $260.00 on US sites, and the other site's price can be higher: the tier 1 UK prices run £240.00 to £275.99 and the US prices $260.00 to $299.00.

Orient Bambino Version 4 42 mm, AC08003A (UK) / TAC08003A0 (US)

Orient F6724; mineral crystal; 42 mm across, 11.8 or 12.8 mm thick (US site or UK site); 30 m.

A 42 mm automatic with a grey dial, listed with a domed mineral crystal on the US page and mineral glass on the UK page. Worth a look if you want hacking and hand-winding both published and a three-year warranty (US page). Keep in mind: the 30 m rating and a mineral crystal. The US and UK pages publish different thickness and lug-to-lug figures (11.8 and 12.8 mm, 48.2 and 49.0 mm), so check the page for your market. The $260.00 US price is a sale price against $410.00 regular, so its tier may change when the sale ends. The UK page does not state a warranty.

Price on the UK maker site (AC08003A), last checked 24 October 2026: £275.99 (Orient UK page). Price on the US maker site (TAC08003A0), last checked 24 October 2026: $260.00, sale; regular $410.00 (Orient US page).

• Orient UK page
• Orient US page

Timex Marlin Automatic 40 mm, TW2V44600

Miyota 8215; domed acrylic crystal; 40 mm across, 13 mm thick; 50 m.

A 40 mm automatic on a leather strap, with the Miyota 8215 named on the page. Worth a look if you want a 40 mm automatic with hacking published by the maker and a UK-site price of £240.00. Keep in mind: an acrylic crystal, a 13 mm case height, a 50 m rating and no published lug-to-lug. The warranty is one year on the US page, and the UK page does not state one.

Price on the UK maker site, last checked 24 October 2026: £240.00 (Timex UK page). Price on the US maker site, last checked 24 October 2026: $299.00 (Timex US page).

• Timex UK page
• Timex US page

Timex Marlin Chatham Automatic 36 mm, TW2Y84300

Miyota 8215; mineral crystal; 36 mm across, 12 mm thick; 50 m.

A 36 mm automatic with a white dial and a cushion-shaped case, listed with a mineral crystal and a published lug-to-lug. Worth a look if you want a small case with a published 12 mm height, a 44.5 mm lug-to-lug and hacking. Keep in mind: a 50 m rating, and hand-winding is not published. The warranty is one year on the US page, and the UK page does not state one.

Price on the UK maker site, last checked 24 October 2026: £240.00 (Timex UK page). Price on the US maker site, last checked 24 October 2026: $289.00 (Timex US page).

• Timex UK page
• Timex US page

Automatic watches from about £250 to £500 ($250 to $500)

Eight watches have no maker price at or under about £250 or $250, Vannin included. UK prices run £280.00 to £424.99. Among the best automatic watches under 500 dollars, US prices run $295.00 to $495.00. Rotary and Vannin list no US price, and no listed US price is above $500.

Citizen Tsuyosa 37 mm, NJ0200-50L

Citizen 8210; sapphire crystal; 37 mm across, thickness not published; 50 m.

A 37 mm automatic on a steel bracelet, with Citizen's 8210 movement and a sapphire crystal. Worth a look if you want a sapphire crystal and a five-year warranty term in a 37 mm case. Keep in mind: a 50 m rating, and thickness, lug-to-lug and hand-winding are not published. The five-year term and the hack feature are listed on the US page, and the $495.00 price is Citizen's list price.

Price on the UK maker site, last checked 24 October 2026: £299.00 (Citizen UK page). Price on the US maker site, last checked 24 October 2026: $495.00 (Citizen US page).

• Citizen UK page
• Citizen US page

Citizen Tsuyosa 40 mm, NJ0150-56E

Citizen 8210; sapphire crystal; 40 mm across, thickness not published; 50 m.

A 40 mm automatic on a steel bracelet with a black dial, Citizen's 8210 movement and a sapphire crystal. Worth a look if you want a sapphire crystal and a five-year warranty term in a 40 mm case. Keep in mind: a 50 m rating, and thickness, lug-to-lug and hand-winding are not published. The five-year term and the hack feature are listed on the US page, and the $495.00 price is Citizen's list price.

Price on the UK maker site, last checked 24 October 2026: £299.00 (Citizen UK page). Price on the US maker site, last checked 24 October 2026: $495.00 (Citizen US page).

• Citizen UK page
• Citizen US page

Orient Bambino 38 mm, RA-AC0M03S (UK) / RA-AC0M03S30B (US)

Orient F6724; mineral crystal; 38.4 mm across, 12.5 mm thick; 30 m.

A 38.4 mm automatic with a white dial, listed with a mineral crystal. Worth a look if you want a 38.4 mm case with hacking, hand-winding and a published 44 mm lug-to-lug. Keep in mind: a 30 m rating, a mineral crystal and a case 12.5 mm thick. The $295.00 US price is a sale price against $430.00 regular. The UK page does not state a warranty.

Price on the UK maker site (RA-AC0M03S), last checked 24 October 2026: £294.99 (Orient UK page). Price on the US maker site (RA-AC0M03S30B), last checked 24 October 2026: $295.00, sale; regular $430.00 (Orient US page).

• Orient UK page
• Orient US page

Orient Mako, RA-AA0818L (UK) / RA-AA0818L39B (US)

Orient F6922; sapphire crystal; 41.8 mm across, 12.8 mm thick; 200 m.

A 41.8 mm automatic on a steel bracelet with a sapphire crystal, and the one watch here rated at 200 m. Worth a look if you want a sapphire crystal and a 200 m rating, with hacking and hand-winding published. Keep in mind: a case 12.8 mm thick and 41.8 mm across. The $375.00 US price is a sale price against $575.00 regular, which is above $500. Read 200 m as the maker's rating, not a depth to dive to. The UK page does not state a warranty.

Price on the UK maker site (RA-AA0818L), last checked 24 October 2026: £424.99 (Orient UK page). Price on the US maker site (RA-AA0818L39B), last checked 24 October 2026: $375.00, sale; regular $575.00, above $500 (Orient US page).

• Orient UK page
• Orient US page

Rotary Greenwich GT1 Automatic, RGB10073/05

Miyota 8N24; sapphire crystal; 42 mm across, 12 mm thick; 50 m.

A 42 mm automatic with a partly skeletonised blue dial, a steel bracelet and a sapphire crystal, powered by the Miyota 8N24. Worth a look if you want a sapphire crystal and a two-year warranty (three if registered) at a UK-site price of £299.00. Keep in mind: a 42 mm case with a 12 mm case height and a 50 m rating. Lug-to-lug, hacking and hand-winding are not published, and Rotary lists no US price.

Price on the UK maker site, last checked 24 October 2026: £299.00, sale price; no regular price shown (Rotary UK page). Price on the US maker site: not listed.

• Rotary UK page

Seiko 5 Sports, SRPD73K2 (UK) / SRPD59 (US)

Seiko 4R36; Hardlex crystal; 42.5 mm across, 13.4 mm thick; 10 bar / 100 m.

Seiko's 5 Sports with the Seiko 4R36. The UK page lists SRPD73K2 and the US page SRPD59, which are different references with the same published case and movement figures. Worth a look if you want a 10 bar / 100 m rating and a published 46.0 mm lug-to-lug, with hand-winding listed. Keep in mind: a case 42.5 mm across and 13.4 mm thick, the largest and thickest in this list by published figures. Seiko lists Hardlex, and hacking and warranty are not published. The UK price is for SRPD73K2 and the US price for SRPD59.

Price on the UK maker site (SRPD73K2), last checked 24 October 2026: £290.00 (Seiko UK page). Price on the US maker site (SRPD59), last checked 24 October 2026: $350.00 (Seiko US page).

• Seiko UK page
• Seiko US page

Timex Marlin Jet Automatic 38 mm, TW2V72300

Miyota 8217; domed Hesalite crystal; 38 mm across, 11.5 mm thick; 50 m.

A 38 mm automatic on a fabric strap, with a domed Hesalite crystal that Timex describes as a refined form of acrylic. Worth a look if you want a 38 mm case with a published 11.5 mm height. Keep in mind: a 19 mm lug width, a 50 m rating and no published lug-to-lug. The warranty is one year on the US page, and the UK page does not state one.

Price on the UK maker site, last checked 24 October 2026: £280.00 (Timex UK page). Price on the US maker site, last checked 24 October 2026: $329.00 (Timex US page).

• Timex UK page
• Timex US page

Vannin Field Watch (ours, coming soon)

Miyota 9039; double-domed sapphire crystal; 38.0 mm across, 11.2 mm thick including the crystal; 100 m / 10 ATM.

A 38.0 mm steel automatic with the Miyota 9039, hacking seconds, hand-winding and a double-domed sapphire crystal. Worth a look if you want a 38.0 mm case with a published 46.0 mm lug-to-lug and a double-domed sapphire crystal. Keep in mind: it is not on sale yet, so there are no owner experiences to report.

Price: £399. Vannin prices in pounds, and no dollar price is listed. The Field Watch is coming soon, and you can register your interest or read why we chose a field watch for our first watch.

• register your interest
• why we chose a field watch for our first watch

What you actually get at this price

At this price the movements are named calibres from a handful of families, and the bigger differences between these eleven watches are crystal, size, water resistance and warranty. These are mechanical watches under 500, and every one is an automatic, which means a self-winding movement, so a self winding watch under 500 has no battery to change.

Movements

The calibres named on the pages are Orient F6724, Miyota 8215, Citizen 8210, Orient F6922, Miyota 8N24, Seiko 4R36, Miyota 8217 and Miyota 9039. Power reserves are published for ten of the eleven watches and mostly sit at about 40 to 42 hours. Seiko lists 21,600 vibrations per hour for the 4R36, and Vannin's specification for the Miyota 9039 is 28,800 BPH. We make no claim about which is better. For more on our movement, see the Miyota 9039 explained.

• the Miyota 9039 explained

Hacking and hand-winding

Makers are not equally forthcoming. Hacking is published for seven of the eleven watches (three Orient, three Timex and Vannin), and Citizen's US pages list a hack feature for two more. Seiko and Rotary do not publish it. Hand-winding is published or described for seven watches and not for the Citizen, Rotary or Timex Chatham pages. For winding itself, see how to wind an automatic watch.

• Hacking
• how to wind an automatic watch

Crystal

The spread is two acrylic (Timex), three mineral (the two Orient Bambinos and the Timex Chatham), one Hardlex (Seiko) and five sapphire: Citizen Tsuyosa 37 mm, Citizen Tsuyosa 40 mm, Orient Mako, Rotary Greenwich GT1 Automatic and Vannin Field Watch. We do not rank crystals, and each property belongs to the maker that states it. For how the materials differ, see sapphire crystal vs mineral glass.

• sapphire crystal vs mineral glass

Case size and fit

Diameters run from 36 to 42.5 mm, and Vannin is 38.0 mm. Lug-to-lug is published for six watches and thickness for nine, from 11.2 to 13.4 mm. Diameter alone does not tell you how a watch sits: the Seiko is 42.5 mm across with a 46.0 mm lug-to-lug, while the Orient Bambino Version 4 is 42 mm across with 48.2 mm on its US page. The watch size guide explains how to read these numbers against your wrist.

• watch size guide

Water resistance and warranty

Ratings run from 30 m to 200 m, as the makers print them. Warranties run from one to five years where stated, and several UK pages are silent where the US page gives a term. Read each rating as a pressure rating, not a depth. What 100 m water resistance really means explains the difference.

• What 100 m water resistance really means

Best watches under 500: does it have to be automatic?

No. This page covers automatic watches only, and the same £500 or $500 also buys other kinds of watch, including quartz. It is not a ranking of every watch under 500, and no non-automatic watch is listed because we have not verified any for this page.

If you are after the best watches under 500 dollars or a wrist watch under 500, the choice between a mechanical movement and a battery movement is its own decision. Searches for nice watches under 500 or the best men's watches under 500 cover every movement type; this page limits the choice to automatics.

For that choice, read automatic vs quartz watches, which sets out what each movement type involves, using makers' own figures.

• automatic vs quartz watches

Buying considerations before you spend £500 or $500

The price is only the start. Six checks are worth making before you buy any watch around £500 or $500.

Fit first. Check lug-to-lug and thickness, and note where a maker does not publish them: lug-to-lug is missing for five of the eleven watches here. Crystal. Check what the maker lists and attribute any property to the maker, not to a general rule. Water resistance. Read the rating as the maker states it; 30 m or 50 m is not a depth. Warranty and returns. They differ by maker and market, and some UK pages are silent where the US pages state a term, so read the terms for your market. Vannin's own are a two-year warranty, 30-day returns and free UK delivery. Sale prices move. Several makers show a sale price beside a regular price, and the table notes it. The same model can publish different figures on its UK and US pages, as the Orient Bambino Version 4 does, so check the page for your market. A first automatic. Makers such as Timex describe winding by the crown if the watch has stopped.

Questions about automatic watches under 500

What are the best watches under 500? There is no single best, and this page covers automatic watches only. They sit in two tiers: up to about £250 or $250 on at least one maker site, and everything else. The tables give each price in the maker's own currency. Compare size, crystal, water resistance and warranty, because we do not rank the watches.

What is the best automatic watch under 500? It depends on the wearer, and we do not rank the watches. Three rules from the data: five of the eleven list sapphire, Vannin included; three list 100 m or more (Orient Mako, Seiko 5 Sports SRPD73K2 / SRPD59 and Vannin Field Watch); and five are 38 to 40 mm across. Lug-to-lug is published for only six of the eleven.

What is the best self winding watch under 500? Self winding is another name for automatic: the movement winds from the motion of your wrist, and Timex's own pages use the phrase. Every watch in the tables is automatic, so the same shortlist applies. If one stops, makers such as Timex describe winding by the crown until you feel resistance, then setting the time.

What are the best automatic watch movements? We do not rank movements. The tables name Orient F6724, Miyota 8215, Citizen 8210, Orient F6922, Miyota 8N24, Seiko 4R36, Miyota 8217 and Miyota 9039. Published power reserves mostly sit at about 40 to 42 hours. Seiko lists 21,600 vibrations per hour for the 4R36, and Vannin's specification for the Miyota 9039 is 28,800 BPH. Makers publish hacking and hand-winding for some calibres only.

Can an automatic watch under 500 have a sapphire crystal? Yes. The watches that list sapphire are the Citizen Tsuyosa 37 mm, the Citizen Tsuyosa 40 mm, the Orient Mako, the Rotary Greenwich GT1 Automatic and the Vannin Field Watch at £399, which is coming soon. The others list Hardlex, mineral or acrylic crystals. Check each maker's page for your market.

Are there good watches under 300? Yes, among automatics. On UK maker sites nine of the ten other watches are at or under £300, from £240.00. Four have a US price at or under $300: Orient Bambino Version 4 at $260.00 sale, Timex Marlin Chatham Automatic 36 mm at $289.00, Orient Bambino 38 mm at $295.00 sale and Timex Marlin Automatic 40 mm at $299.00. Prices and sales change.

What is the best men's watch under $500? There is no single best, and the page does not sort by gender. Table 1 lists US prices in dollars: nine of the eleven watches have a US price at or under $500, and Rotary and Vannin list none. Sizes run from 36 to 42.5 mm, and makers vary in how they describe fit, so check lug-to-lug where it is published.

To see the watch we are building, register your interest in the Vannin Field Watch. For a related list, read our best field watches by budget.

Prices and specifications last checked 24 October 2026. Tell us if something has changed.

• register your interest in the Vannin Field Watch
• best field watches by budget

Related reading

• Best British microbrand watches
• The best field watches by budget
• What a field watch is
• Watch size guide: how to measure wrist size and choose what fits
• Watch lugs explained: lug-to-lug, lug width and why they decide fit
• Sapphire crystal vs mineral glass
• The Vannin Field Watch
• All articles