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1Seiko
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There's a reason Seiko reset the entire watch industry. That's because they're very good at making them, with Seiko 5 Sports watch becoming something of a style statement in recent years, to boot.
Seiko 5 Sports Watch, £195
2Casio G-Shock
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For all the emphasis on sleek, slight minimalism, Casio G-Shock has long bucked the trend for a bulked up watch. And, with a skeleton design, you can see brawny, showboaty watchery on full display.
Casio G-Shock Skeleton Series, £109
3Seiko
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Despite its thought-provoking name, this timepiece from Seiko leans towards vintage designs rather than brash attention grabbers.
Seiko Conceptual, £17
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4Timex
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Simple and understated: two characteristics often indicative of the best Swiss watches, but something Timex does just as well in the Q Diver Chronograph. The models also houses a day and date function.
Timex Q Diver Chronograph, £175
5Rotary
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As the official watch supplier for the British Army since 1940, Rotary has always combined military-efficient practicality with design inherent to its native soil. The Ultra Slim is a prime example; cut into a square silhouette from stainless steel case, its sea-blue face is water resistant.
Rotary Ultra Slim, £199
6
Citizen Eco-Drive Vintage Sport
6
Citizen Eco-Drive Vintage Sport
Finding a chronometer that doesn’t require a bank loan can be a difficult task, but Citizen’s Eco-drive Vintage Sport watch proves that it isn’t impossible. Cut from stainless steel into a plush pine green dial, the Japanese brand has imbued this design with its renowned Eco-Drive technology, which uses light as a power source instead of a battery.
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7Daniel Wellington
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In 2006, a Swedish entrepreneur met an English chap while backpacking in Australia, who wore his Rolex on a battered nylon "NATO" strap. Three years later, Daniel Wellington watches, named after that very Brit, was launched to instant fandom and made the easily switchable strap a sensation.
Classic Sheffield, £153
8Casio
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A true classic, this Vintage Retro timepiece features all the defining elements of the brand’s signature style. With a backlight illuminator, stopwatch function, daily alarm and automatic calendar, this digital design is equally as practical as it is easy on the eye.
Casio Vintage Retro, £59.90
9MVMT
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As a homegrown brand that went global, MVMT has become something of a 'thing'. And with good reason. Pieces like the Legacy Slim channel a strain of minimalism rarely seen in horological circles, with a sizeable diameter and a domed sapphire crystal shell.
Legacy Slim Panther Black, £109
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10Tissot
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From the same parent brand that owns Omega and Longines, Tissot pack in years of watchmaking know-how into more pocket-friendly products.
Carson, £184
11Seiko
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Another timeless classic from the Japanese watchmaking giant, this model adds some retro appeal to the dial.
SRPC87K1, £192
12Mondaine
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A business built on taking the classic design of the Swiss railway clock and transposing it onto wristwatches. And why not? There’s a reason why the trains in Switzerland are always on time.
EVO2, £199
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13Citizen
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Japanese giant known for investing in unfussy futuristic tech. This model uses ‘Eco Drive’ technology and is charged by any light source, it doesn’t require a battery.
Eco-Drive, £163
Carmen Bellot is the Style Editor of Esquire, writing on all things menswear and grooming.
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