In the minds of most consumers, a Swiss watch is certainly something very expensive, status and inaccessible. Only an amateur who is absolutely unaware of not only the realities of the watch market, but, apparently, the Internet, too, can talk like that. To prove it, let's look at statistics. The report on the export of Swiss watches tells us that the average price of all watches exported to other countries is 1349 francs - a considerable amount, but you can’t call it huge either. At the same time, watches whose value does not exceed 500 francs account for almost 70% of exports, and those that cost less than 200 - more than half! Well, isn't that good news?
However, we are sure that there will be those among you who will object that they say you can’t dump everything in one basket and measure Rolex with Swatch, that you should separate mechanical and electronic watches, because the latter are always cheaper ... Let's just say, a statement about electronic ones, which is always cheaper mechanical, it does not withstand the test - look at least at the recent release of Girard-Perregaux, the quartz Casquette 2.0 luxury, or at the watches of a relatively inexpensive brand, Hamilton, PSR MTX - and these are models, albeit special series, but not gold at all, but more and more expensive than some their mechanical counterparts.
In fairness, we note that in the total mass of watches produced in Switzerland, electronic accounts for 60%, but we, lovers of mechanics, are more interested in those that require winding, let's talk about them - about Swiss, mechanical and not expensive, necessarily wrist and men's.
Let's start by understanding the definitions and setting the parameters. We recall that many can be called Swiss, but only then they have the right to mark the dial with the cherished swiss made, when 60% of the total cost falls on Switzerland (component parts, wages), while the mechanism must also satisfy this 60% rule, well and final assembly and pre-sales tests must also be carried out in Switzerland. All this has the force of law, which is diligently guarded.
Mechanical watches, whether they are manual or self-winding, differ from their electronic "colleagues" in the source of energy, here it is always the mainspring. As for inexpensive ones, let's limit ourselves to the budget imposed on us by external circumstances: a wholesale export price of 300 euros usually means that the goods will end up on the shelf with a price tag close to 850 euros.
Believe me, the choice is great, for every taste and for every occasion: sports, "going out", diving, for every day - we take on the task of showing one option in each category and we hope that you yourself will make a wider search in your free time (we recommend expand the boundaries and add Japanese brands like Seiko or Citizen to Swiss brands, the result will pleasantly surprise you).
Relatively low cost, if we are talking about Switzerland, means well-established and necessarily mass production - and these are certainly brands and companies with a good reputation, oriented, among other things, to the demanding European market, that is, the price-quality ratio should be ideal. Alpina, Mido, Hamilton, Ball, Longines, Doxa, Frederique Constant, Aviator (yes, they are Swiss!), Auguste Raymond, Epos, Cornavin, Wainer, Victorinox - and how many more we don't know!
Most of them work on ETA 2824-2 movements and its clones manufactured by Sellita, Soprod, La Joux-Perret, and these are well-established "workhorses" that do not hesitate to use brands whose production cost is several times higher than our experienced threshold. For example, you will find the ETA 2824-2 in a huge number of Tudor models released before 2020. Often watch manufacturers undertake to create “their own calibers”, but in the price range under discussion, the presence of such a mechanism in the arsenal usually only means that the basic ETA, Sellita and others simply “brought it to mind” and decorated it.
Of course, a watch is a one-piece product, and the attractiveness of a particular model is determined by several parameters. Accuracy has faded into the background, shockproof properties, water resistance - you will definitely find these characteristics in the description of the model, but they are not decisive when we make our choice. The reason is simple - just as in a car we are confident in the presence of seat belts and airbags, a rear-view mirror, Isofix child seat mounts and other mandatory and familiar elements, so we rightly expect modern mechanical watches to comply with some generally accepted, albeit not necessarily at the level law, standards.
What then are we paying attention to? Agree, first of all it is the appearance, the design of the model, and the price. Functions and performance are usually secondary, unless you are looking for something special - for example, if you are a deep diver and for some reason decided to entrust your life not to a Shearwater or Heinrichs computer, but to a "dive" watch - then of course. Trust in the brand is also important, so in our review, where appropriate, we will also note this.
Let's start with the "every day" watch. The category is very conditional, because each of his usual days is different, but here the phrase “both in a feast, and in the world, and in good people” unites the clock.
Aviator watch, Douglas DC-3 collection, model V.3.32.0.273.4.
Don't be confused by the "aviation" component of the brand's image, in this particular model the standards of quality and reliability familiar to aircraft construction are reproduced with greater expressiveness than in appearance, although not without it. The corrugated crown, the "winged" logo, the decorations of the rotor and the reverse side of the case - that's probably all, and these "aviation" elements are well and elegantly executed, without drawing attention to themselves.
Of course, there is no dispute about tastes, but to a certain extent, you can trust sales statistics (everything is good here) and professionals - Ivan Castro works as a creative director at Aviator, certainly a talented specialist. Whether you personally like this model or not, V.3.32.0.273.4 is a watch for every day in the sense that it will go well with a suit with a shirt and tie, and with a pullover, and with a polo shirt with jeans and sneakers.
This particular Aviator is not a beach option, of course, but who here has life on the beach - everyday? For greater demonstration and persuasiveness of the choice, let's go through the characteristics: the diameter of the steel case is 45 mm, large in modern fashion, but not critical, water resistance up to 10 m. The self-winding Sellita SW200 movement has a power reserve of 38 hours. The silver and blue dial has luminous hands (hours, minutes, seconds), date indicator, this item is completed with a blue leather strap. The Douglas DC-3 collection also has other design options for the model, feel free to check it out at your leisure.
We all know everything about the so-called "diving" watches - not everyone who considers themselves to be such meets the strict requirements of the ISO 6425 standard (water-resistant to 100 m), but, as in the case of sports watches, they buy diver's watches not at all for this. to sink to the bottom of the sea, but because they like it, the design has it - the sea, romance, why not? We, however, choose Epos Diver 3441.131.99.52.55, with which you can dive up to 500 m - which is proudly announced by the corresponding inscription on the dial.
Strictly speaking, the appearance of "deep-water" watches is determined by the purpose, and accepted as mandatory design elements are repeated from brand to brand with surprising consistency. There’s nothing wrong with that, doesn’t it annoy you that all cars have 4 wheels? Epos Diver 3441.131.99.52.55 has a unidirectional (counterclockwise) rotating bezel with obligatory markings for dive control, a protected crown, bright, orange in this model, dial elements distinguish it from others similar ones. A nod to the style is a rubber strap deployant clasp.
Note the small case size for watches of this category (diameter 43 mm). The case is made of steel, the caseback is closed, it reliably hides the ETA 2824 mechanism. The date indicator in the window at 3 o'clock does not seem superfluous for some reason, quite the contrary. If orange isn't your color, check out the Epos Diver 3441.131.96.56.56, it's a bit more expensive, but the understated aesthetic (in blue) is a must-have.
On the “grand weekend”, let's write down the watches that are worn on special occasions, see people and show themselves, and, to be honest, sometimes throw dust in the eyes a little, so we’ll make an exception for this category and show here the watch a little more expensive than the declared limit, but who definitely deserve it. Meet Raymond Weil, Maestro collection, model 2237-PC5-05608 - Swiss made, mechanical.
I do not agree with the description, where this watch is recommended "for everyday office life." Gold-plated case, very beautiful matte gray dial with applied Arabic numerals, noble-colored leather strap, fine finish and attention to detail, mechanism open to the eye, small (diameter 40 mm) size - this is not for an office where you need to work, you need such a watch protect it from scratches, take it out sometimes to admire the clean lines and thoughtful design, and wear it to the opera, at the awards ceremony, but not to the office or a wedding, it's too unpredictable. (Joke).
A popular category is sports, which does not necessarily mean the owner's sporty lifestyle. A set of functions, increased requirements for strength, dust-dirt-water resistance and an "aggressive" appearance distinguish this class of watches. The choice is great, among Swiss and not expensive ones we pay attention to Traser, collection P68 adventure, model TR_107719.
The history of the Traser brand is inextricably linked with mb-microtec and its Trigalight technology, which the brand exploits to our delight. Trigalight are gaseous tritium light sources that feature a constant glow for about 10-20 years. The glow is caused by the interaction of tritium, sealed inside the flasks, with the phosphor, which covers their inner surfaces. Do not be lazy, go to the company's website, where the process of manufacturing luminous elements is explained in the most intelligible way.
The TR_107719 watch is 100% sporty, especially if your sport is forest walks or more radially, orienteering. TR_107719 has an internal swivel bezel with a printed compass scale (you can read the instructions for use here), the large size of the case is justified by the need to place functionally important elements on the dial. I really like the Nato nylon strap and of course the glow in the dark look - we've seen a lot, but this one is just superb.
To sum up: there is a choice, it was not difficult to make this short list of recommendations, it could be much more, but the unwritten laws of the Internet do not allow usurping your attention for too long. Better come back, we'll find something else to discuss - for example, designer and fashion watches.
I almost forgot - the title promised to explain why Swiss, mechanical and not expensive - this is possible, necessary and important. About it is possible - everything is clear here, see above, now about it is necessary and important. You can form a culture of consumption in yourself in different ways, but you should always start with a thoughtful attitude.
Mechanical watchmaking, whether from Switzerland or from any other country, is always part of the history, science and culture of a society. Wristwatches on a clockwork spring are a kind of thin thread that connects us with the past, present and future, because time cannot be canceled. Explain to yourself why you choose this archaic way of reading the time, figure it out if you still figured out how the simplest watch mechanism works. We dare to suggest that immersed in this world, you will find it extremely interesting and fascinating.
