Best Affordable Style of 2024 – The Watch(es)

The end of one year and the start of another means it’s time to hand out some awards. No there aren’t any little statues to pass along, but over the next few days we’ll still highlight some of the best in affordable men’s style from this past year. Feel free to send in additional nominations to joe@dappered.com.

 

Orient Bambino 38 small seconds – $220.98 ($238-$280)

38.4mm in diameter. Shown on a 7.5″ wrist.
Full review can be found here.

Sized down to be on-trend and more acceptable to more wrist sizes, Orient’s second design of their 38.4mm Bambino automatic is a mash-up of the old 40.5mm Bambino Vintage-style + the original 40.5mm Small Seconds.

The end result is a watch that looks, frankly, great.

The Roman numerals make it look dressy and classic. The blue hands make it quietly pop. The small-seconds dial makes it interesting. And the slightly sized down, 38.4mm diameter should make it wearable by the vast majority. Slap one of the big luxury brand logos on this thing and it could sell for 20x–40x more. Brilliant work by Orient.

 

Splurge Worthy: Hamilton Murph 38mm with Stainless Bracelet – $945

Like the Bambino, the Hamilton Murph 38 is also a sized down version of a popular selling (42mm) model. But unlike its bigger brother, the Murph 38 recently got updated to come with an optional go anywhere/do anything/wear it with whatever outfit you’d like stainless steel 3-link style bracelet.

The bracelet makes the Murph 38 arguably the best Swiss automatic GADA (go anywhere, do anything) watch under a grand.

It’s a capable sports watch, it’s dressy enough to wear with a suit, and compared to the big luxury Swiss brands, it’s relatively reasonably priced. Look, a grand is no small bill to pay. But it’s also not ten Gs. Once again, nothing about the wristwatch world makes sense. Least of all, pricing.

For the bigger-wristed folks, I hear you and see you. It’s probably fair to assume that the 42mm Murph will get the stock bracelet treatment soon. But if you’re already an owner of the 42mm Murph and want the above look now? There are after market options available.

Also Receiving Votes (some new models, some classics still in production):

• Timex’s new and surprisingly awesome Deepwater Reef (reviewed here)
• Hamilton’s new Quartz Field Khaki line (reviewed here)
• Vaer’s USA Assembled Solar Diver
• Invicta’s 1953 Automatic  (reviewed here)
• Lorier’s Neptune Automatic
• Lorier’s Olympia Automatic Chronograph
• The Daytona-like Seiko Solar Speedtimer
• Seiko’s new Samurai Automatic
• Seiko’s 5-Sports Automatic Dive-Style (reviewed here)
• The Orient Kamasu Automatic Diver
• Dan Henry 1937 Dress Chronograph
• Christopher Ward C60 Trident Pro 300