Categories: ReviewsWatches

Double Time: The Affordable Two Watch Collection – Under $700

About The Series: Double Time is for guys who like watches, but don’t necessarily want a big collection. What we’re going for here are two watches, at different affordable budgets, which as a team can fill just about any style need in every-day life. A casual watch and a dress watch. Those are basically the parameters.

Made in Italy UNIMATIC UC2 Automatic Watch – $525

They don’t make them like they used to, unless it’s Unimatic. And then when you pick this thing up you think “I don’t know if they ever made watches like this.” It is SOLID. All caps. In bold. Feels like something Ron Swanson would appreciate, if he wasn’t already hand forging his own wristwatches in a waffle iron. Yet at 38.5 mm in diameter, it’s not some honking wrist-brick you would have seen on the likes of Arnie circa 2010. Assembled in Italy. Powered by Seiko’s NH35A automatic movement. Black matte dial. 300m water resistance. Double domed sapphire crystal. Easy to grip big crown. Super-LumiNova C3 pale green lume paint starts to reveal itself even in low-ish light conditions. Has a tendency to sell out stateside. Link above goes to Huckberry where they have a few left at post time, and Huckberry has a couple other models from the brand as well.

Orient Bambino V3 “Bauhaus” Automatic – $130

Looks substantially more expensive than its famously accessible price point. Simplicity. Class. Lots of clean space. Domed crystal. In-house, automatic movement. Maybe the best looking “cheap” dress watch on the market. Available in the not quite white, gentle silver dial shown above, as well as black, blue, and a sneaky handsome dark gray option. There’s just one small problem (for some). It’s 41mm. Which will fit most wrists just fine, but for those with slimmer wrists or those who prefer more classically sized dress watches, it runs a little big. Also, the strap width is a rare/odd 21mm, which can make sourcing after market straps a little difficult. But the matte brown leather band it comes on looks great, feels good, and wears just fine. Full review here.