Wondering whats the Best Luxury Automatic Mens Watches Under $500 in 2023 then this guide will introduce you to some of the best watches on offer.
Many people prefer the maintenance-free characteristic of automatic watches.
Automatic watches are powered by your arm movements, meaning you don’t have to worry about replacing its battery from time to time.
Men’s automatic watches also have a reserve power unit to keep the timepieces running even when you’re not wearing it.
Due to these features, automatic watches are more expensive than traditional mechanical watches with quartz movement.
You don’t have to spend a big amount to can score a quality automatic watch.
Even when you’re on a budget, there are men’s automatic watches from known brands like Seiko and Tissot that will cost you more or less $500.
Automatic Watches Below $500
Invicta 8926OB Pro Diver
The 40mm Rolex Submariner look-alike from Invicta features a stainless steel case and bracelet, a unidirectional rotating bezel, a black dial with luminescent hands and markers, a magnified date window, and a Japanese automatic movement.
This is one of the most affordable automatic watches for men in the market.
Pros:
- Date is easy to read
- Allows manual winding and seconds hacking
- Water resistant up to 200m
Cons:
- Poor illumination
- Band is flimsy
- Bezel is hard to rotate
Seiko 5 SNK809
The 37mm SNK809 features a black dial with Arabic numerals, a Hardlex crystal, an exhibition case back, a day-date window, luminescent hands, and a 21-jewel Seiko automatic movement.
Pros:
- Affordable watch for rugged use
- Glows well in low-light conditions
- Power reserve of up to 40 hours
Cons:
- Water resistant up to 30m only
- Loses/gains several minutes per day
- Crown is hard to pull out
Orient FER24001B0 Bambino
The 40.5mm Bambino features a corrosion-resistant stainless steel case, a leather calfskin band, a date window, and a Japanese automatic movement.
Pros:
- Domed crystal adds elegance to its simple design
- Accurate hand movements
- Date is easy to read
Cons:
- Water resistant up to 30m only
- Crystal is not that scratch resistant
- No luminous hands or markers
Seiko Divers Automatic Watch SKX009K2
This 42mm watch from Seiko features a two-tone unidirectional bezel, a blue dial with luminous hands and markers, a day-date window, a Hardlex crystal, and a Japanese automatic movement.
Pros:
- NATO strap really looks good on it
- Good lume brightness
- High-quality stainless steel bracelet included
- Water resistant up to 200m
Cons:
- Watch is a bit heavy to wear
- Stops moving after 7 to 8 hours of not wearing it
- Bad movement accuracy
- Gains more than a minute a day
Seiko SKX007K Diver’s Automatic Watch
The 42mm Seiko SKX007K watch has a stainless steel case, a black-colored unidirectional rotating bezel, a black dial with luminescent hands and markers, a day-date window, a Hardlex crystal, and a Japanese automatic movement.
Pros:
- Clean design looks good
- Power reserve of up to 40 hours
- Water resistant up to 200m
Cons:
- Fails to accurately tell time
- Warranty is valid in Japan only
- The rubber strap is low quality
Tissot T-Classic Tradition Silver Dial
The 42mm Silver Dial edition of the T-Classic collection features a stainless steel case, a leather strap, a sapphire crystal, a date window, a white dial with silver hands and markers, and a quartz movement.
Pros:
- Clean and simple design adds elegance to its overall look
- Good hand movement
- High-quality craftsmanship
Cons:
- Water resistant up to 30m only
- The buckle is tricky to adjust
- Date window is a little small
Stuhrling Original 657.02 Delphi
The 42mm Delphi has a Krysterna crystal, an AM/PM indicator, a leather strap, a stainless steel case, a GMT subdial, a skeleton dial, and an automatic self-winding movement.
Pros:
- Eye-catching design
- Power reserve up to 36 hours
- Water resistant up to 50m
Cons:
- Loses/gains more than a minute per day
- Fragile watch quality
- Dial design makes it hard to read time in an instant
- It’s thicker than other watches
Victorinox Swiss Army 241373 Officer’s Automatic Watch
The 40mm Officer’s Watch features a stainless steel case and bracelet, a dark grey dial with a chronometer, a date window, luminescent hands and markers, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, and an automatic movement.
Pros:
- The clean look is good for casual wear
- Pretty accurate movement
- Water resistant up to 100m
Cons:
- Poor anti-reflective coating
- The dial is darker in reality than in the pictures
- Poor lume brightness
- No self-winding mechanism
Invicta Grand Diver
The 47mm Grand Diver features an eye-catching blue dial and bezel with a stainless steel gold-toned bracelet.
The Grand Diver also has a magnified date window, an exhibition case back, luminescent hands and markers, and an SW200 movement.
Pros:
- Has manual winding and hacking features
- Power reserve of up to 36 hours
- Water resistant up to 300m
Cons:
- Gains a few seconds a day
- It’s quite bulky to wear
- Might be slightly oversized for those with small wrists
Laco Type A Dial
This 42mm German-made watch features a stainless steel case, a black dial, a synthetic sapphire crystal, luminescent hands, calfskin leather strap, and a self-winding Miyota automatic movement.
Pros:
- Water resistant up to 50m
- Clean design makes it easy to tell time
- Excellent lume brightness
Cons:
- Gains a few minutes a week
- No second hacking feature
- Warranty is valid only in Germany, meaning you have to send it there for repairs
Glycine Combat Sub
The 42mm Combat Sub features a sapphire crystal, a date window, a unidirectional bezel, a stainless steel case, luminescent hands and markers, and a Glycine GL224 25-jewel automatic movement.
Pros:
- Gains only a few seconds a day
- The bezel has a 60-click action with no play
- Power reserve up to 38 hours
- Water resistant up to 200m
Cons:
- Hands move when the screw-down crown is put back in place
- Poor luminescent brightness
- The strap may be a little small
Certina DS Caimano
The 38mm Caimano features a simple black dial, a leather strap, a date window, a sapphire crystal, and a Calibre 2824-2 ETA movement.
Pros:
- Clean look and classic design
- Accurate hand movement
- Date window is easy to see
Cons:
- Not water resistant
- No lume on hands or markers
- Lightweight and feels fragile
Tissot Tradition Open-Heart
The 40mm Open-Heart features a stainless steel case, a dial with markers and Roman numeral index, domed sapphire crystal, and a Powermatic 80.601 Swiss automatic movement.
Its most notable feature is the small see-through window at the 12 o’clock position.
Pros:
- Has a polished design and looks classy and an excellent partner for upscale wear
- Available in different dial and bezel colors, as well as various strap styles
- Power reserve of up to 80 hours
Cons:
- Water resistant up to 30m only
- Clasp doesn’t feel sturdy
- No date window
Tissot T-Classic Automatic Watch
The 39mm T-Classic features a stainless steel case, a sapphire crystal, a date window, and roman numerals for the hour markers.
Pros:
- Available in different straps and dial colors
- Its simple design makes it very classy
- Power reserve up to 80 hours
- Water resistant up to 100m
Cons:
- The date may be hard to read
- No luminous features
- Size is too small according to some watch enthusiasts
Bulova Tellaro AccuSwiss Chronograph Automatic
The 42mm Tellaro AccuSwiss features a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, tachymeter markers on the blue dial, a stainless steel case, luminescent hands and markers, a day-date window, two subdials, and a Swiss automatic movement.
For its features, it’s safe to say that this is one of the best automatic watches for men under $500.
Pros:
- Anti-reflective crystal looks great
- Clean and elegant look suitable for both casual and formalwear
- Also available in different dial colors
Cons:
- Water resistant up to 30m only
- Subdials might be hard to read
- Inaccurate hand movements
Hamilton Khaki King Scuba
The 41mm Khaki King has a stainless steel case, a black dial with a chronometer, a black bezel, a day display on the 12 o’clock position, a date window on the 6 o’clock position, a see-through case back, luminescent hands, and an ETA Caliber 2834-2 engine.
Pros:
- Large dial numbers make it easy to read time
- The bezel has solid clicks
- Power reserve up to 38 hours
- Water resistant up to 100m
Cons:
- The dial may be a bit too busy for some people
- Swiss ETA movement seems outdated
- Poor lume brightness
Victorinox Swiss Army Maverick Mechanical
The 43mm Maverick Mechanical features a high-grade stainless steel case, an exhibition case back, a unidirectional rotating bezel, an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, a date window, luminescent hands and markers, and an ETA 2824-2 movement.
Pros:
- Accurate hand movements
- Solid craftsmanship and stylish design
- Power reserve up to 38 hours
- Water resistant up to 100m
Cons:
- Gains at least a minute per week
- The band is a little short
- The bezel doesn’t line up with the hand movements
Hamilton H39515154 Timeless Classic
The 40mm Timeless Classic has a clean look with its plain silver dial and slim hands.
It also features an anti-reflective sapphire, a stainless steel case, and an automatic self-winding movement.
This is the timepiece to buy if you’re looking for a men’s automatic watch that’s best for formal wear.
Pros:
- The classy design makes it an eye-catcher like a Rolex
- Accurate time-telling
- Water resistant up to 50m
Cons:
- No illuminating markers on the hands and face
- Date window is a little small
- It doesn’t have a second hand
Jack Mason A101 Aviator
The 42mm A101 Aviator features a stainless steel case, a date window, a mineral window, an Italian leather strap, luminescent hands and markers, and a Japanese quartz movement.
Pros:
- Available in different dial and strap colors
- Quality is similar (even superior) to more expensive alternatives
- Water resistant up to 100m
Cons:
- Watch is thicker than usual
- Crystal can be easily scratched
- The date window is too small
Heritor Pytheas Diver
The 41mm Pytheas features a unidirectional bezel, a textured dial with luminous dot markers, luminescent hands, a leather strap, a pull-push crown, a transparent case back, a sapphire crystal, a magnified date window, and an automatic movement.
For its overall quality and craftsmanship, the Pytheas Diver is simply one of the best automatic watches under $500 you’ll ever find.
Pros:
- Available in different dial colors and strap styles
- Power reserve up to 42 hours
- Water resistant up to 200m
Cons:
- Gains a few seconds up to a minute a day
- Poor luminescent brightness
- Stainless steel bracelet is a bit flimsy
Rossling & Co. Classic
The 40mm minimalist watch from Rossling & Co.
has a white dial, blue hands, and black slits for hour markers.
It also features a date window, a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, and a self-winding Miyota movement.
Pros:
- Super thin design with only 9mm of thickness
- Minimalist style makes reading time incredibly easy
- Excellent quality and craftsmanship that it looks like a luxury watch
- Water resistant up to 50m
Cons:
- The date window is small
- No luminescent markers to enable time reading in low-light conditions
- The company has poor customer service
Frederique Constant Classics Index
The 40mm Classics Index features convex sapphire crystal, a date window, a leather strap, a stainless steel case, luminous hands, and a 26-jewel FC-303 Automatic movement.
Pros:
- Elegant design was best worn as a dress watch
- Power reserve of up to 38 hours
- Pretty accurate movement for an automatic watch
Cons:
- Water resistant up to 50m only
- The automatic winding mechanism seems to fail often
- The strap is kinda low quality
Conclusion
You don’t have to spend a fortune just to get an automatic watch.
You can still get a high-quality watch that looks as expensive as those luxury timepieces for under $500.
Pick one from our list of the best automatic watches under $500 and add extra flair to your outfit.
