The 16 Best Automatic Watches for Men in 2023, Tested by Style Editors

If you’re diving into automatics on a budget, then the Seiko 5 Sports line is the best place to start. A ton of color options are available, you can go with or without a bezel, and there’s a newly updated in-house movement under the hood. We’ve found this to be a perfect vacation watch, because it is water proof and durable but still dresses up well.

The newest entry in Timex’s marlin line adds a splash of color and an inset 24 hour dial to the retro style we’ve come to love. While pervious entries have leaned toward dress watches, the Sub-Dial has a sportier vibe that can still clock in for business casual. We found this one to be a great low-key, every day watch.

Straight out of a 1960s spy thriller, this retro diver from Bulova complements a wetsuit as well as a linen suit. A bold orange face was designed for visibility under the water. Above ground, it adds a touch of color to any fit. We like this watch because it stands out in a classy way, like having something interesting to say without yelling it.

Micro-watch brands can be tricky to navigate because you don’t have the legacy built over generations by the big names. Remarkably, Vaer has managed to build a reputation for quality and style at an affordable price in a short period of time. The D5 Meridian dive watch is inspired by the classics, but makes a name for itself with its clean aesthetic. Our editors love how easily it transitions from work to play, it’s truly a watch you never have to take off.

Finding a Swiss made watch with a stellar reputation for under a $1,000 is difficult … but not impossible. Tissot is known for value as much as quality, summed up perfectly by the Gentleman Powermatic. This is your fundamental suiting watch. However, we found it styles just as well with a polo and shorts.

Monochromatic dive watches tend to come in all silver or all black. Doxa brightened things up a bit with a brilliant white face and bezel. By nature, dive watches feature bold dials to stick out so you can easily see them underwater, but this one blends in, making it a low-key every day ticker. Of course, if you do hit the water, you can rely on professional level performance. Our editors found this to be a never-leaving-my-wrist watch because it can handle everything.

Luminox is probably best known for their Navy Seal watch collection, which were entirely quartz. The 3600 is a full overhaul, including an automatic movement and a carbon fiber case. Measuring in at 45mm to maximize visibility at night and under water, this bad boy is great on bigger wrists.

As an early pioneer of the micro watch brand movement, Shinola has earned a stylish reputation. The Detroit brand is new to automatic watches, however. So they really made a splash with the Monster Automatic dive watch line. Five color schemes are available, each taking their names from the Great Lakes. For our money, the Ontario model with a dark green face and black bezel is the way to go since it’s a failsafe style that looks great on most business casual looks.

Hamilton was one of the two companies that invented the automatic chronograph movement in 1968. The American Classic is still one of the most beautiful chronos in the world. Unfortunately, none of our editors were able to test it for timing auto races, as it was originally intended. We did find it that it looked great doing everything else though.

Omega is a name that needs no introduction in the watch world. They’ve been to the moon and dived deep into the ocean. While its tool watches are legendary, the De Ville is a tuxedo for your wrist. Unlike a real tuxedo, you can wear this one every day. We did and found that it automatically ungraded any outfit we wore with it.

If the Rolex Submariner is the Michael Jordan of watches, think of the Tudor Black Bay as Kobe Bryant. The two are so similar and capable of all the same feats that it is really only reputation that separates them. One minute with this watch on your wrist reveals why dive watches are so popular. It isn’t because of a massive rise in SCUBA trips, it’s because they just look so damn cool.

If accuracy is your primary concern, then a Grand Seiko Spring Drive is the watch for you. The Japanese horological power house lays claim to the most accurate movement in the world. With a 72 hour power reserve monitored with a discrete hand placed at the 8 o’clock marker. All that precision is wrapped up in a perfectly elegant case. The only disappointing thing we found when testing was taking it off.

If aesthetics are your main concern, then we recommend the El Primero, which looks like a work of art. While the ability to time something down to 1/10 of a second wasn’t the most useful feature, it felt pretty cool to have it on your wrist.