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Affordable Men's Style

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The Best Brown Leather Band Watches – Fall 2011

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Stainless goes with almost everything.  Black leather watches can look awfully dressed up.  It’s a brown leather band watch that acts as the workhorse for most of us on most days.  So since we’re going to use one a lot, might as well make sure it looks great… right?

Ten watches follow.  Some are quartz, some automatic, some are sporty and some would be more appropriate with a suit.  There’s a range of different details but they all have two things in common…  They come with a brown leather strap (or look awfully good with one) and none of them cost more than $300.

Watch shown above:  The Timex Flyback Chrono.  Thanks to Naomi for sending in the post suggestion.
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Seiko SNDA65 – $184.05 (brown leather strap is a post purchase customization)
New strap, new look.

Undeniable proof that black and brown sometimes do go very well together.  Pic courtesy of longtime reader Ben E., who’s been putting up with this website for longer than most.  Seiko’s SNDA65 chrono comes equipped with a black nylon strap, but when swapped out for a brown leather with white contrast stitching it gets a whole new look.  Not that the first look was anything short of great.  A warning:  The diameter of the dial is 44mm, so it’s on the larger side.

 

Tissot PRC-200 Chronograph – $276.20
Maybe the best looking of the bunch.

Expensive.  Also a quartz.  But perhaps one of the most perfect blends of classic influence, chronograph details, and sport style.  All without getting too big or too fast looking.  40mm in width.

 

Tissot T-Classic Dream – $142.06
Great name for under $150.

Meanwhile over in the world of slimmed down and dressed up…  Roman numerals on a white dial keep it, as the kids would say… “crisp.”  Sapphire crystal at a real affordable price.

 

Bulova Automatic 96a111 and 96A108 – $198
Hand over your strap or I'll break your hands.

Not everyone likes the brown strap and brown dial look.  Black on black seems to work much better.  But both of these are automatics with clean dials, under $200, and the black strap on the 96A111 would be easy enough to switch out for something like the strap on the brown on brown 108.

 

Swatch Dark Phoenix – $160.00
Yes, swatch.

Swatch can make some real strange looking watches.  Luckily this isn’t one of them.  Black dial and a cognac band.  Lots going on with the face, but it is a chrono with a tachometer around the outer edge.

 

Orient Vintage Automatic – $212.50 w/code DapperedOctober ($425)
From their Executive series

Gave this away back in September and it certainly belongs on this list.  One of those watches that’ll change your opinion on what you think you can and can’t pull off.  Don’t think you can pull off a cream dial?  This one you almost certainly could.  Automatic, well proportioned, blue hands, and just over $200.

 

Citizen BL5250-02L Perpetual Calendar Eco-Drive – $240.00
Hard to not have this on a "want" list.

Part of October’s most wanted list.  Now if it could just go on sale for say, under $200.  That might be wishful thinking.  Dial is actually a very deep navy despite showing up as black in the online pics.  (Photo Credit)

 

Timex Intelligent Quartz Flyback Chronograph – $165.00
The evolution of the TX?

A newer release from Timex that looks suspiciously like the now defunct “TX” brand.  Well under $200, comes equipped with their “intelligent” quartz which can do a host of things most quartz can’t, and new styling that continues to move Timex in the right direction.  Available with an unusually nice brown leather strap and stark white dial (too stark for some), or a very mean looking black on black.  Don’t like the numbers along the outside of the dial?  They make a more subtle, cleaned up rugged versionicon as well as an ion plated option with a sand colored strap.

 

Timex Originals 50’s Blue Q Dial – $95.00
C'mon code. C'mon.

Oooh.  Damn.  It’s back.  This is good.  But it’s not on sale.  That’s not so good.  Ships free from Timex and worth keeping an eye out for codes.  Blue dial is somewhat reminiscent of the Tag Heurer Monaco.  (Somewhat.)

 

Hugo Boss Grey Dial Chronograph – $295.00icon
Looks every bit the just under $300.

Big and clean.  Not a light silver dial, not a brown dial, not a black dial, but a deep medium grey dial.  The diameter of the case is 44mm, so big but not huge, but all that space on between the numbers and hash marks on the dial will end up dwarfing a small wrist.  Pretty minimalist for a chronograph.  Terrific font for the numbers.  Pointed hour hand and squared off minute.  Not cheap.

Your turn as always.  What’s your personal go-to brown leather strap watch?  Got a favorite of those mentioned above?  Additional suggestions in the comments section…

Comments

  1. Timex is making some great looking watches these days. Had no idea. I’d love to own one beyond my two $30 workhorse ones.

    Question: where can I find a quality brown leather 22mm watch band? I need to replace the broken band for my Emporio Armani watch. Can’t repair. Must replace. Any thoughts?

  3. I managed to snag that blue-faced timex for like $50 when it was on sale at Nordstrom’s – it’s gorgeous in person.  that tissot T-classic is GORGEOUS.

  5. I have the PRC200 in automatic. More expensive but I can’t bring myself to buy quartz watches anymore.

  8. I have tiny wrists that are always dwarfed when I wear watches, so I usually don’t, but that Orient is REALLY good looking.

  9. You’d be surprised at what you can find on ebay. There is almost too much to choose from, but if you’re patient to wade through the muck you can find some nice leather watchbands in the $20-30 range. I haven’t had much luck with slection or sizing at jewelers or department stores.

  12. These are all great-looking watches. For anyone interested in a slightly simpler dial design, I have the boring old Seiko SNK793 (apparently the best-selling of the Seiko 5 series) on a suede-like brown leather strap that I picked up at Target (and is also available online). The watch is available for $60, the strap was $14, making for a $74 watch that looks pretty good IMO.

    If anyone has questions about affordable watches, you can get good answers from the community at the Affordables forum on Watchuseek.

  13. I shake my fist in jealousy at you.  Nodstrom’s half yearly sale for men isn’t until the holidays, and I’m wondering if these will make it till them for markdowns. 

  14. I’ve bought straps from strappedfortime.com and crownandbuckle.com. I’ve also recently bought a watch strap from Target, but I only recommend doing that when you can handle the strap and feel whether it’s good quality or not.

    At the lower end of the quality strap price range, Hadley Roma is probably the best I’ve encountered, and you can find them on Amazon for a fair price reduction.

  15. Apparently I messed up that HTML code. Anyway, I meant to say I have the boring old Seiko SNK793: http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SNK793-Automatic-Stainless-Steel/dp/B002SSUQF6/ref=sr_1_1?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1318344229&sr=1-1

    And I put it on this suede-like leather strap from Target: http://voguestrap.com/tx244661.html

    And it looks pretty good. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/theantiduck/P1060015.jpg

  18. This minimalist watch from Uniform Wares comes in at exactly $300, and they have two models that are less expensive: http://www.uniformwares.com/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=38?osCsid=4f0485d32bb8a84ab378782657619a31

  20. I am thinking of purchasing the Orient Vintage automatic (FFD0F004W).  I am concerned about the  ‘guilloched’ pattern in the middle of the watch, never had a watch with that type of pattern. Does anyone own this watch and if so, how does the dial look to you close-up?

  22. I didn’t like the option of trying to find a replacement band for my Orient, so I went with a nylon band by Maratec. . . arrives today.

  23. WoW Joe, I’m very happy to see the Hugo Boss watch on the list. I’ve been eyeing this watch for the past 6 months, just haven’t pulled the trigger yet. I love the brown color, but subtle enough to go with a lot of outfits.  Its super nice, and perfect size for me! wish I could find it on sale! lets keep an eye out for that! :) 

  27. Hey Joe, mind sharing where the strap for the Seiko SNDA65 was bought?

    Or something similar thanks

  28. I’ve had my eye on this Orient Chief watch (white face with brown leather band) for months now, but it has been Out of Stock ever since: http://orientwatchusa.com/cev09002w. Anyone have any suggestions where I could find it other than their website?

  29. I bought a Skagen one from a link here a couple weeks ago — nice simplistic elegant face, but the leather band is too dark for the belt / shoe combination I prefer (more of a tan color than a brown).

    Any recs on nice looking light-brown / tan watches out there?  Or is the best solution to just replace the band with one from one of the sites mentioned above?

  32. Staying under the $300 mark, here are some other good choices if you don’t want to go with a mainstream brand
    Autran & Viala Flieger 3.0201.02
    http://www.watchmann.com/proddetail.asp?prod=AutranViala3.0201.02
    Junkers 6334-1 Dessau 1926 Flatline Watchhttp://www.watchmann.com/proddetail.asp?prod=63341
    Torgoen T5 Mid Pilot Watch T05504
    http://www.watchmann.com/proddetail.asp?prod=T05504
    TW Steel Men’s TW1 Canteen
    http://www.amazon.com/TW-Steel-TW1-Canteen-Leather/dp/B000PKZOEC/ref=sr_1_9?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1318739039&sr=1-9
    Wenger Swiss Military Men’s 72935http://www.amazon.com/Wenger-Swiss-Military-72935-Sport/dp/B003M8X7NY/ref=sr_1_19?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1318739777&sr=1-19

  34. I ended up buying the Tissot PRC-200 Chronograph, and I have to say that I love the way this one looks.  It’s a great watch!  The band is a little stiff and cheap feeling, but that’s easily broken or replaced.  Thanks for the style tip!