The Most Collected Watches Under $1,000 By Enthusiasts

So, you probably know just as well as I do that there are so many watches available under $1,000, but there are select ones that get the lion share of attention, but also the lion share of acquisition when it comes to enthusiasts and what they decide to collect. So, we're going to be doing in this video is looking at the watches that are collected the most under $1,000 by enthusiasts. And what I want to specify when looking at this list, this is not just an opinion video. I'm not going to be talking about this is what people talk about online. So, this is what I'm going to mention here. I'm going to try to use data to the best of my ability. Now, some of this is a little bit harder to navigate compared to other brands, but what I'm going to do, look at what data is available just more publicly, but also give you a peak behind the curtain at what we sell best on our website and factor in some of the data and what do people ultimately decide to buy more than other watches out there. So, we're going to be looking at best sellers from a variety of different brands. There might be some repeat brands on here, but I want this to be a reflection of reality, uh, not be something that is just trying to cater to diversifying the product mix here. I think this is really just an idea around wanting to know what do people ultimately buy, what do they collect, and what do people like the most. And there's going to be some judgment we're going to have to make. Not all visibility is going to be created equal. Some brands are a little bit more private about how they are going to present their sales numbers, but we're going to try to navigate this to the best of our abilities. And before we jump in, something that is really important to me and a huge announcement for our team. So, we just launched a brand new aspect of our website for teddy baldesar.com members. And with that membership, it's free to join. We are going to be creating unbelievable in the weeds content all around watchmaking. So, we're really going for here is content that could live outside the algorithm. content that goes deeper into subjects that you might care about if you're trying to pursue further knowledge in the watch industry or just want some interesting content uh to view for your own interest. There's new content coming into the fold every single month for this. A few things that are already available is Eric Win going and leading an entire course around vintage watch collecting. So if you want to get some of his expertise of 15 years of running his own shop, working at Christy's in the vintage watch department, a lot to learn from. That's over 60 minute course that you can check out. We also have an amazing video that goes through the details of the watches of space specifically led by Robert Pearlman. He's a NASA and space historian. Talks about the different watches that were worn beyond our atmosphere. 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It would really mean a lot if you could support this and definitely this sounds interesting you, I really encourage you to check it out. if this is something we really want to invest in because it allows us to focus on content regardless of what a YouTube algorithm would say and really trying to provide value to a higher degree and also lean on other experts all around the watch industry. All right, so let's kick things off looking at some popular watches and the most collected watches under $1,000. So Seikko, let's just get this out of the way. Seikko is going to be on this list. They really dominate under $1,000 when it comes to collectibility. So let's talk Seyo 5. I only wanted to pick one Seikko 5 segment to talk about. One that was just on the outside looking in with the SRPD range. So these are like the 5KX, the more traditional SKX lineage and what's being presented there of a dive style. So those just missed the cut. Those do exceptionally well for enthusiasts. Uh the larger case size tend to do better than the midsize, but they both do exceptionally. But the watches that really lead the way are also the watches that in the Seikko 5 collection I should say are the most expensive Seycho 5 you can really get and that is the Seyo 5 SSK GMTs. So if you look at the top six references from Seikko that are the most collected from our data we find that four of the top six from Seikko fall in the GMT range. So, these are the bestselling Seikko 5 models despite being closer to $500 at retail. In terms of what sells the best, the best selling in the last 365 days was the SSK023. That's the field GMT. Then you had the SSK001, the SSK00003, the Batman, and the one that was just right next to it is the other Batman with the silver dial, the SSK033. All of those in the last 365, some of the most collected watches under $1,000. Another crazy stat around the SSK GMTs. If you look at the collective dominance of this collection, now we are spanning beyond 10 different references, especially if you include the field GMTs, this collection as a whole accounts for over a quarter of Seikko's units by volume. And that is ridiculous when you factor in the amount of different Seikko watches out there. The different Seikko 5 pieces. These are really amazing when it comes to collectibility. People love them. I have one on my wrist right now. I got one of these this summer and I talked about it in a short recently uh because we did a Grand Seiko event and a way to say thank you to some of our staff that spent a lot of time was hey we couldn't you know give away Grand Seyos but we gave away some Seikkos and it was a way to say thank you and I you know had to partake we're talking about you know watches as gifts so of course when these came out in 2022 changed the game for R34 movement you get that 42.5 mm case you get the $475 retail price but they are available for less than that typically getting 100 m of water resistance hardlex glass on top. There's a lot to like here. These could be some of the most complete watches under $500. So, I am not surprised to see these as some of the bestselling and most collected under $1,000. So, you might be thinking and asking, "So, what is the number one collected watch under $1,000?" It does come from Seikko. And this one is far and away the number one. This is the Seikko Speed Timer SSC813. This is the number one collected watch for Seikko, but also the number one collected watch overall under $1,000 based on our data. This is also far and away the number one speed timer, the second and third. Second would be the Pogue. Following that would be the SSC 911. So that's the little bit of the larger case size version. Still does exceptionally and very well regarded, too. What's surprising here for probably some people is this is towards the higher end of the price range for Seikko, at least when you're talking about under $1,000. It's more collected though still than Seikko 5s by volume even. So the SSC 813 has a little bit of a smaller case size compared to the other speed timers that we were talking about. So you're getting that 39 mm diameter. It wears similar to that dimension if not smaller. This is not a large watch. 45.5 mm for the lugto lug, 13.3 mm in thickness. You're getting that solar quartz movement. And I think that's the main reason why this watch is so collected. If you look at what's available for you for chronographs, it's not a very saturated market under $1,000. You really can't get into mechanical chronographs unless you're looking for a Seagull movement or you are looking for a maybe Eta 2894. So something with a Dubois Depraze module. But if the service is going to be $500 to $1,000, it's a little bit harder to rationalize going for that. So if you're somebody that wants the ease of mind, you still get the sweep of the second hand. And it has that cool fuel gauge indication for the one totalizer uh that when it's not in use can show a power reserve indication which is really useful for a solar powered watch. Uh and then also getting nice dimensions in the process because it's also going to be thinner than a lot of Valu powered chronograph movements. I think this makes total sense if you like that Daytona style look but want to spend under $1,000. The speed timer makes a lot of sense. And I'm not even getting into the history idea around the speed timer and being one of the most important chronograph names uh really of the mid- 20th century. So let's look at the outside of the Seikko 5 family. What is the next bestselling mechanical watch from Seikko? And just overall for that we have to look at the SPB121 Seikko Alpinus. So the Seiko Alenus is just outside of those Seikko 5GMTs. It's not going to be the bestselling mechanical watch from Seikko, but at this price tier, it does exceptionally. This actually sits as the sixth best reference overall on volume in the last 365 days. Now, some people might be asking, what about the Baby Alenist? How does that one stack up to the regular Alpenist? Now, some of our data might be thrown off slightly because of some out of stock back order situation with the Baby Alpinus. But if you just look at this data for what it is, the 121 does outsell the Baby Alpenus by more than double. I think this is such an interesting watch because it is weird. It has the compass bezel. It's got two crowns. It It's a strange looking watch. It mashes a variety of different ideas, but people love it. And I get it. I I loved my Sarb when I had it and it was a part of my collecting journey. And I I love the Alpeness. I think they have this charm and in a range of watches under $1,000 that are sometimes very generic. The Alenus is able to separate because of this idea. It has an identity and I think that's so important when you're looking at collectibility. Has 39 1.5 mm case, 13.2 mm in thickness. Another huge aspect that we have to talk about, two things I'll mention. 200 m of water resistance. So, if you can pack in 200 m of water resistance for a watch that doesn't look like it would really have it, I mean, that's a huge benefit to a lot of collectors, especially in this stage. They don't want to have to worry about it. The Alpenus allows you to not worry about it. And they also are getting the 6R35, which this is one of the points of entry into that movement. This movement is used over $1,000 by Seikko. So to see it at this price range, I think is another reason why it is a compelling product and where it's being positioned more broadly. You add the charm, you add the history of the Laurel Alpinus and the Alpinus of the 1950s and there's just a lot to go along with what's being presented here. And I'm not even getting into the Sarb017 and all the charm and affiliation with that JDM piece. Now I'm just going to throw two honorable mentions for Seikko before we move on to another brand. So, one I'll mention is the SRPD55. That is right in the mix as one of the most collected Seikko 5 models and just models overall by volume. Another collection I'll just spend a little more time on is the Cocktail Time family. Now, the Cocktail Time family doesn't have one model that is the standout unlike some of these other pieces which I think holds it back compared to something like an Alpenus where there really is that one winner and hero product. the cocktail time is spread out more broadly across the entire range and you have different case styles and different dial colors to look at. But if you look at that entire collection, it does make up 17% of the Seikko collector purchases through volume. Uh so that's a pretty significant number and really pulling its weight, no question about it, and being that representation of the PR family, right around that $400 range. You have the 40 and 1.5 mm cases, the 38 1.5 mm cases. There's really no uh way of splitting it up. The 40 and 12 millimeter cases work very well for some. The 38 and 1.5 millimeters do well for others. So, pretty even on that distribution. Slightly going in the direction of the 40 1/2 mm case sizes. Those do slightly better than the 38 1.5 mm, but these are some of the most collected watches under $1,000. Especially when it comes to dress watches. These really are the number one dress watch under $1,000. So, something that I think has happened as of late is people are maybe being fatigued by the moon swatch and saying that this needs to be put to rest. We need to stop with it. But if you look at the data and how much this is moving the needle for swatch, I don't blame them. They should keep this going for as long as possible because the numbers do not lie. People love the moonwatch and it sells a lot of units and is collected by many. So, this is the number one Swiss watch sold by volume based off of publicly available information. The Moon Swatch, the first year it was released, that was March 2022 to the end of 2022, sold over a million units. And I think they were caught off guard. If they had better production of these watches right out the gate, uh, this was a different time. And also, the way that they were distributing them was a little bit different at this stage. They could have sold way more. And proof of that is what happened in 2023. They sold 2 million units in 2023. This is according to Morgan Stanley and Lux Consults report. And then in 2024, where a lot of people were saying it's over. This needs to be put to bed. Nobody likes the Moonwatch anymore. They still sold 1.5 million units. And I would anticipate that it's probably not going to be as high in 2025, but it's probably still going to be a sevenf figure number if I had to guess. Now, in that same Morgan Stanley and Lux Consult report, if you look at the numbers, so Swatch sales were around 4.9 million units in 2024. So, roughly a third of Swatch's sales by volume came from the Moon Swatch. And then you factor in that these are higher priced compared to their average selling price for one of their watches. So, if you factor in the retail price of the Moonwatch, $270 based off that assumption of 1.5 million. If you multiply that together, you're looking at around $400 million, which means that this can account for more than half of Swatch's revenue. So, can you blame them for wanting to come out with different Moon Swatches? People want the Moon Swatch. the statistics back this up and despite what maybe us in the enthusiast community think it's maybe being played out. I think there's a lot of interest still in this and we have to recognize that what maybe we see as people that are in the weeds on a day-to-day basis versus what the collective market wants is two drastically different things. So in 2024 2025 last 365 days what is the number one selling mechanical watch uh from our metrics? Now, our matchics are going to be skewed based off of more of the enthusiast buyer, but reference the title. This is for enthusiasts. If you look at that, you're going to have to look at Hamilton, believe it or not, which is pretty crazy to believe because if you look at Hamilton collectively for the Swatch Group, very small percent of the larger pies, only 2.6% of sales for the Swatch Group collectively in 2024 are being represented by Hamilton. That's according to Morgan Stanley and Lux Consult report. Again, from my understanding, the number one market for Hamilton is going to be the United States by a wide margin. And then after that will likely be Japan, believe it or not, because of all their interest in American heritage clothing. And of course, Hamilton has this history as a US watch maker. So, the Khaki Field market is going to be leading the way, but there is one definitive leader in the Khaki field range when it comes to dominating for collectibility, and that is going to be those four Murf models that were available the last 365. And then there was the new edition of the 42mm bundle that just came out at the end of June, beginning of July. So, the four Murf models represent the top four Swiss watches purchased by collectors under $1,000 in the last 365 days, which is crazy to think about. There's some other watches that were on the edge here and that start to get into the mix as you look at the tail end of this, but if you look at this collection, they absolutely dominate and people love them for their everyday type of use. You have the movie and intrigue there. You also just saw the 10-year anniversary of Interstellar, which definitely helped. uh some different dial colors that came available with the white dial. Then you also had the bracelet and now the 42 millimeter just recently getting a bracelet. There is a lot going on here. So that's probably why you're seeing this trajectory. So getting a little further into the data. So what is the hierarchy of the Hamilton khaki Murf. Leading the way is the Murf black dial on strap 38 millimeters. Then the black dial 38 millimeter on bracelet just behind it. Then you have the white dial 38 millimeter on strap and then the 42 millimeter on strap. However, this will all change since June. We actually launched this watch globally at our event in Cleveland, Ohio. And we recorded it in that behind-the-scenes video that I mentioned at the beginning of this one. So, if you want to see what was all going on behind the scenes to make that happen, check out that video that I mentioned earlier. But since that unveiling, what that really has done to the sell through is that the 42mm on bracelet is now the number one since that period at the time of recording this video and I'm at the end of August at the time of recording this. And just one other point of data that I'll mention here. So the khaki field auto 38mm, that one is one of the most collected as well. But in comparison to the Murf, the Murf 38mm on strap compared to the 38mm auto on strap outs it by 140%. Which is pretty remarkable because the Murf is going to be more expensive, but I think people like the design, they like the connection to the film and have 100 meters of water resistance, as does the auto, but I think it's more of a stylistic thing. And I totally agree with it. I think the Murf is one of the most complete watches you can get for under $1,000. Not surprising. It does so well in this tier. So, now we shift to Tisso. And Tiso is going to be the other Swiss brand on this list under $1,000 that hits this level of volume and collectibility that deserves mention. And you can probably guess what's going to be the watch here. It's the Tisso PRX. So, for the PRX, this is a watch since it was initially unveiled in 2021 that was easily the most collected. If you go farther back with your scale beyond 365 days, this would actually be the number one most collected watch on volume under $1,000, but it has fallen off a little bit. There are different watches now available, and I think it's been around 5 years since uh we've really seen a huge change in the PRX collection. In the last 365 days, the number one PRX model was the PRX Carbon, which is actually going to be one of the more expensive PRXs at that. So, let's share a couple points of data when it comes to what is the interest for certain collectors on the PRX. Under $1,000 for a Swissade watch, mechanically speaking, the PRX is going to be the number one outside of the Hamilton Khakifield Murf. In terms of 40mm versus 35mm, the 40mm is going to double that of sellth through of the 35. When it comes to collectibility, more people tend to go for the direction of the 40mm case as opposed to the 35mm case. I think one of the thought process some people might have is 35 too small on wrist. If you've never been able to try it on in person, 40 seems a bit safer. If you zoom out even farther and look back to 2022, 2023, the PRX Powermatic 40mm was the number one bestselling mechanical watch out of Switzerland. And I would think that that probably is collectively for the entire industry the case. If you look at a lot of Swatch's data in 2023, their sales numbers to was surging and did fantastic when you look at the recap numbers in the Morgan Stanley Luck consult report. If you focus a little bit more in the last 365, what are going to be the bestselling versions? Actually leading the way is the carbon in the last 365. Then following that is the blue dial, the dark blue dial at 40mm Powermatic 80. then the ice or glacier blue, then the green, and then a variety of different options beyond that. They all do quite well. Uh but it's going to be those that are going to be the strongest leaders. And then the 35mm couple do really well, too. You have the light blue dial and then the dark blue dial. This watch has changed the game and still to this day is one of the best points of value for a Swissade watch under $1,000. Getting that integrated sports design. I have yet to see a watch from a mainstream brand that can do it at this price range that has this style, has the history. Uh the PRX is now a modern icon under $1,000. There's no way around it. Now, we have to talk some G-Shock. So, what is going to be the number one G-Shock? Uh when you're talking about volume, and when you're speaking about G-Shock, you're talking about Casio. We're talking about just the general volume for under $1,000. And I think it's important to look at all of this uh cuz this is where a lot of people are putting their money. And for the G-Shock, there is one definitive leader since it was released. That is the GA2100-1A1. So, you do have the B models which have the Bluetooth connectivity, but these actually sell better. So, this is the number one bestselling G-Shock from their own site. This is our number three bestselling G-Shock when it comes to volume. So although the Bluetooth models tend to do better for us and I think people like the additional spend when it comes to that upside that come with Bluetooth connectivity, this is going to be the number one seller for G-Shock collectively. Further, the Casio models are the number one selling digital watches for us in general. Uh edges out many others in this category. The G2100 makes up 31% of volume for G-Shock overall on our site. And if you look at G-Shock, generally speaking, this is probably on a global scale the number one selling model. When this was unveiled in 2019, it was a storm. People were rushing to get them. There was a time where people were flipping these for more than retail when they sold out quickly after. It was a strange time. And then during COVID, they kept having new versions that would come out and people would just go insane and they loved each version. And I get it. They wear great. They're a phenomenal middle ground for those that might be on the fence for a G-Shock. Like, this is the extending of the invitation to those that maybe don't like digital watches and maybe don't like G-Shocks, but they see this and they're like, "Yeah, I can make that work." It's something about the analog digital display that get people excited, and I think this is a solid middle ground. Not surprising to me to see this as the number one selling G-Shock. Now, let's get into traditional Casio. So, no G-Shocks here. What is the bestselling Casio overall? And for that there is one leader. We have the F91W. So the F91W is the number one selling Casio watch by a variety of metrics. It sits as the number one on Casio's site for sales under the classic collection and it sits as the second bestselling watch for men overall on Amazon only being outsold by one watch. You can probably guess what it is. It's the Apple Watch Series 10. So, come on. I mean, this is the only watch that out sells the Casio F91W in the year 2025. An estimated 3 million units were sold in 2024. So, I talked about the Moon Swash a little bit ago. Double the amount of units sold. Now, there's a price gap here we're talking about, but double the amount of units by volume here for the F91W than the Moon Swash. and it's just existed quietly in the background since 1989 and it's still hitting those numbers. Since that 1989 date, this watch has sold over 100 million units. This is one of the bestselling watches of all time. And then one runner up that I'll mention for Casio because this is in the mix as one of the best sellers. I talk a lot about the A168. I have an A168, but I think the numbers are supporting that the A158 is actually what is collected more. If you look at some of the data here, you're getting the fifth bestselling watch on Amazon overall. So, this is right up there. We're talking about the competition is the F91W in the Apple Watch. I mean, this is not something that will really be a mix. They're mostly smart watches. It's competing against. And then under the vintage collection for Casio, it is the second bestselling model. So, based off of that, I think this is going to be right in the mix as one of the most collected watches under $1,000 for enthusiasts. The A168 is going to be sitting at the fifth position on the same category for Casio's website and then is going to be 15th overall on Amazon. So based off of those numbers, I think you have to give the edge to the 158. It's one of Casio's most enduring digital watches. It's affiliated styles with that affforementioned F91W, but instead getting that stainless steel bracelet and that chrome resin central body. And now for the final watch on this list. Now, I had to make a cut off here cuz I'm really trying to go for the most collected. What do people ultimately buy the most? And I knew Timex needed to be on here, but it really depends on where you're going to draw the line. If you're looking at the number one selling Timex, it seems like the Iron Man is going to be the definitive leader. That is the number one selling watch for the brand on Amazon. That said, I think a lot of those acquisitions are coming from people outside of the enthusiast community because there are a lot of individuals that might know of the Iron Man. It does have that charm. So, if you're looking for more of an enthusiast adjacent type of watch and a watch that was also responsible as a gateway for myself and so many other collectors and getting into analog watches, that is the Timex Weekender. So, the Timex Weekender, I think, is the equivalent to the F91W for analog watches. Like that is how I look at this watch. It's the number 14 bestselling watch on Amazon overall. The 38 mm case version is that. And then on Timex's website, they have multiple different weekenders that are going to be in their best sellers. Uh the 38 mm is actually going to be edged out by the 40mm case on Timex's website. And I want to just give some more reason why this watch felt like the right mention. The Q is also right in the mix, but I think these watches are more of the gateway of getting people into the space of watch collecting. The other thing that I think this watch is so responsible for is like the whole idea of like pullth through strap changes. Like when you first see these watches, like, oh wait, you can just change out the straps. Like I remember when getting into watches like I got one of these when I was in like high school college and I had like a couple of these and this was one of the precursors to my uh fall into the abyss of watch collecting. So this is definitely one that needs to be mentioned here. Some other watches that mention though too from Timex the Q the easy reader. These are all watches that probably are right there but Timex has the volume here to back up the numbers that we are talking about. But all right guys, that is the video here today looking at some of the most collected watches under $1,000. Now, we could have kept going. Maybe some different pieces could be mentioned here, but I really wanted to make this about the watches that truly lead the way. What are the representations of maybe a brand? What are some of the bestselling watches? And I wanted to really focus on things that I had the best data to support. And uh really kind of enjoyed this was a different view of the industry. and it takes away the whole idea of maybe what's in the YouTube comment section, what people maybe talk about versus what ultimately do people end up buying. That was really the reason for this video that I thought might be interesting for all of you. Uh any comments down below, interested in more of this? Do you like this type of breakdown of like the industry in this regard? Was there anything that surprised you? Uh leave some comments down below. We'd love to see that. Keep the discussion going. Also, if you enjoyed this video and maybe want to see another price tier uh looked at in a similar degree, be happy to do so. 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