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. 

Orient Bambino 38mm – $270

Amazon price as of February 2025 – $182 (but takes a couple weeks to arrive)

This is the new, more svelte version of Orient’s Bambino, their flagship line of dress-watches. Compared to the original’s 41.5mm case, the new 38mm with its 20mm wide lugs will be more wearable for more customers. (See it side by side here with an OG 41.5mm Bambino Bauhaus-style.) Still comes with an in-house automatic movement which hacks and hand-winds. The croc-embossed leather strap seems to be a step up in terms of quality compared to the original Bambino line, with a slight taper keeping things dressy and smart. Crystal is a domed mineral, caseback is exhibition, and if this black strap/silvery-white dial isn’t your favorite combination, they have a few others (including a heritage-looking champagne with blue hands) available direct through Orient. Shown above on a 7.5″ wrist, and remember that watches always appear larger than they are in flat images on the internet. So it wears a bit smaller in real life.

Invicta 1953 Pro Diver Automatic 31290 – $120

Amazon price as of February 2025 – $112

Full review can be found here. The 1953 is the new standard for entry-level automatic sports watches. At 40mm in diameter it’s comfortably wearable for most wrist sizes. The Seiko NH35A automatic movement hacks and hand-winds. With gilt-bordered hands, indices and script on the dial, greenish blobs of lume, and a fully brushed oyster-style bracelet, it’s a classy diver with aesthetics ripped from the wrist-watch history books. It also avoids any garish over-branding. The dial is mercifully uncluttered. There’s no silly engraving on the side of the case like its sub homage brother. There’s also no glaring polished links (inset or otherwise) on the bracelet. It doesn’t even have a date window or crown guards. The one bad bit is the bracelet’s clasp. The oyster-style bracelet is great, but the whole thing connects at a flimsy piece of metal that feels like it was ripped off a beer can. But… it works. And considering the rest of the watch and the price charged to obtain it, the thin metal on the clasp is far from a dealbreaker.

Total Cost: $400ish

Got a wristwatch duo you’d like to recommend for Double Time? Send those in to joe@dappered.com. 

Want to see the entire series? Head here for the growing archive of our Double Time posts. For those keeping track at home, this is now our second “round” of double time. First we did the hundreds ($100, $200, $300, etc…) This time we’ll be doing $150 and under, $250, $350, etc. 

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. 

Orient Bambino V3 “Bauhaus” Automatic – $170ish

Looks substantially more expensive than its accessible price point. Simplicity. Class. Lots of clean space. Domed crystal. In-house, automatic movement. Maybe the best looking affordable 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.

Orient Ray Automatic – $180ish

A versatile, do everything diver. The 41mm case diameter wears a touch smaller, so it looks as good with a suit and tie as it does with swim trunks and sunglasses. In-house automatic movement. Bezel has nice, snappy action. Water resistance is 200m and the crown securely screws down. Date AND Day window is a nice bonus. While the bracelet does have some polished inset bits between the center track and outer links, it’s subtle enough to still wear casually. It’s not overly gleamy. Some other watch bracelets with polished links can carry too much shine, and the end result is something that looks like gaudy jewelry. And that can look funny… especially when worn with a t-shirt and jeans. Not here though. The Orient Ray can be dressed way up, or dressed way down. It does it all.

Total Cost: $350ish

Got a wristwatch duo you’d like to recommend for Double Time? Send those in to joe@dappered.com. 

Want to see the entire series? Head here for the growing archive of our Double Time posts. For those keeping track at home, this is now our second “round” of double time. First we did the hundreds ($100, $200, $300, etc…) This time we’ll be doing $150 and under, $250, $350, etc. 

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. 

Timex Weekender Chronograph – $60ish

This is the leather strap, chronograph-equipped big brother to the cheap, base-line slip-thru weekender. 40mm case should be wearable by most. Blue dial contrasts nicely against the brown leather nato strap. Strap is a “genuine leather” that feels like something somewhere between cereal-box cardboard and store-brand beef jerky, but it looks fine and wears comfortably. Wouldn’t want to get it wet or too sweaty though. Overall would look great in pretty much any casual to smart casual situation. And while it does have the infamous Timex “tick”… it’s quieter than other Timex watches afflicted with the loud seconds hand ticking noise… simply because the seconds hand that does all the work on this watch is the tiny one on the sub dial at 6 o’clock. F = MA one can suppose. Oddly enough, activating the chronograph seconds hand (the big seconds hand) doesn’t result in a loud TICK. So… must be the standard non-chrono movement that Timex uses in their cheap watches that makes all that racket.

Orient Ray Automatic – $165ish

Yes, this is another Double Time combination where a dive watch (which is clearly and traditionally a sports watch) will be acting as your dress watch when necessary. But the Orient Ray does that job exceptionally well, at a bargain of a price. The 41mm case diameter wears a touch smaller, so it looks as good with a suit and tie as it does with swim trunks and sunglasses. In-house automatic movement. Bezel has nice, snappy action. Water resistance is 200m and the crown securely screws down. Date AND Day window is a nice bonus. While the bracelet does have some polished inset bits between the center track and outer links, it’s subtle enough to still wear casually. It’s not overly gleamy. Some other watch bracelets with polished links can carry too much shine, and the end result is something that looks like gaudy jewelry. And that can look funny… especially when worn with a t-shirt and jeans. Not here though. The Orient Ray can be dressed way up, or dressed way down. It does it all.

Total Cost: $225ish

Got a wristwatch duo you’d like to recommend for Double Time? Send those in to joe@dappered.com. 

Want to see the entire series? Head here for the growing archive of our Double Time posts. For those keeping track at home, this is now our second “round” of double time. First we did the hundreds ($100, $200, $300, etc…) This time we’ll be doing $150 and under, $250, $350, etc. 

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. 

Timex Weekender – $35ish

The Ford Model T for Timex. And unlike the Model T which you could get “in any color as long as it’s black,” these come in a wide variety of color options. Yet for this particular edition of our series on artificially sparse and mindfully inexpensive horological collecting, we’ll stick with the black on black. It’s too versatile not to. The 38mm case wears comfortably, the dial is clear and easy to read, and it even comes equipped with Indiglo for reading at night. The biggest complaint is how loud the cheap quartz movement is. It has the infamous Timex “TICK” that drives so many to the brink of madness. Each passing movement of the seconds hand can sound more like a clap of thunder, depending on the circumstances and sensitivity of the owner. It’s especially noticeable in the quiet of the night. So while the Indiglo function might be a purposeful added bonus for usage at night, the “find my watch in the dark!” auditory-location feature is very much unintentional… and annoying. At least to some. Depends on how badly you’ve cooked your eardrums with your airpods, and how annoying *tick* your brain finds *TICK* small repetitive noises *TICK.*

Invicta 1953 Automatic (31290) – $129.99

Full review can be found here. The 1953 is the new standard for entry-level automatic sports watches. At 40mm in diameter it’s comfortably wearable for most wrist sizes. The Seiko NH35A automatic movement hacks and hand-winds. With gilt-bordered hands, indices and script on the dial, greenish blobs of lume, and a fully brushed oyster-style bracelet, it’s a classy diver with aesthetics ripped from the wrist-watch history books. It also avoids any garish over-branding. The dial is mercifully uncluttered. There’s no silly engraving on the side of the case like its sub homage brother. There’s also no glaring polished links (inset or otherwise) on the bracelet. It doesn’t even have a date window or crown guards. The one bad bit is the bracelet’s clasp. The oyster-style bracelet is great, but the whole thing connects at a flimsy piece of metal that feels like it was ripped off a can of Quirst. A lid from a standard can of tuna feels more substantial. But it works. And considering the rest of the watch and the price charged to obtain it, the thin metal on the clasp is far from a dealbreaker.

Total Cost: $164.99

A note about the total price: Clearly that’s more than $150. But up until recently the Invicta 1953 was going for $109. And as it’s sold on Amazon, its price could fluctuate. Same goes for the Timex Weekender. So yeah, kinda stinks we’re over the $150 limit. But cross your fingers and bide your time, and you might be able to get this particular pair of watches for under $150… which I swear to the style-gods was precisely what happened while preparing for this post. I do not like breaking “the rules,” even though we’ve made the totally artificial, nobody-gets-hurt “rules.” ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Got a wristwatch duo you’d like to recommend for Double Time? Send those in to joe@dappered.com. 

Want to see the entire series? Head here for the growing archive of our Double Time posts. And yes, for those keeping track at home, this is now our second “round” of double time. First we did the hundreds ($100, $200, $300, etc…) This time we’ll be doing $150 and under, $250, $350, etc. 

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. 

Seiko GMT Automatic Blue and Black or Black and Gray – $475

Very much based on the Seiko 5 Sports dive-style platform (which itself dominated the earlier, less expensive editions of Double Time), the Seiko 5 Sports GMT is a lot of sports-style wrist watch for the money. Diameter is a sporty 42.5mm (which wears more like 41mm), it has 100m of water resistance, and the caseback is an exhibition style so you can see the workings of the GMT movement.

An automatic/mechanical movement with that “extra” hand is exceedingly rare in this price range, and it can be used in a few different ways. But one of the easiest is to “set it and forget” it to the 24-hour time in the 2nd time zone you want to track (London, Shanghai, Peoria) and then by seeing where that red hand is pointing to on the bezel, you’ll know if they’re eating dinner or breakfast “over there.”

Movement hacks and hand winds, and while the crown doesn’t screw down, it feels nice and secure in the seated, waterproof position.

It’s a bit of a unicorn. So much so that authorized dealers and gray market shops are having a hard time keeping them in stock. But be patient, keep an eye out (we’ll do our best for you too), and you could score one for 20% – 25% off at an authorized dealer.

Seiko “Cocktail Time” Automatic – $320 – $425 (depending on sales)

A favorite of watch aficionados, this is the one with an almost iridescent blueish-silver dial. Case size is a pleasing for many 40.5mm, and the movement hacks and hand winds. The hands and indices look razor sharp, the case back is an exhibition style showing off the 23-jewel movement, and the slightly tapered crown has a classically styled Seiko “S” etched into it. But it’s the band that’s a deal breaker for some of us. Sure it’s pliable leather with a soft underside, and the blue accent stitching is neat, but the topside is a glossy patent leather. It’s easy to see what they’re going for here, but it just doesn’t do the piece justice. Looks like something they stole off a pair of 10 year-old’s dance class tap shoes. Yet a strap change-out is simple enough. Go with a black croc style embossed instead.

Note: Seiko did a reboot of this “Cocktail Time” design a few years back. Head over here to Worn and Wound’s explainer of what they changed.

Total Cost: $900 (ish)

Got a wristwatch duo you’d like to recommend for Double Time? Send those in to joe@dappered.com. 

Want to see the entire series? Head here for the growing archive of our Double Time posts. 

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. 

Dan Henry 1975 Skin Diver Automatic – $450

Dan Henry has another hit on his hands. It’s both a total classic and oddly unique. The automatic movement, gilt details, speedometer looking seconds hand (which some may find to be an odd mashup on a diver, but it looks good from here), and brown rubber tropic strap all make for something you’re just not going to be able to find anywhere else at this price point.

It looks like a vintage piece, even the date wheel has gilty-gold-goodness, but it’s obviously brand new and ready to be put through some paces out of the box. 39mm case diameter is period-correct for the 1970s of which it’s pulling much inspiration. 24 Jewel Miyota 9015 high-beat automatic movement. 150m water resistance, which is plenty. Quick change spring bars and an available stainless bracelet for an extra $80 at checkout. High-domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment, but to be fair the crystal does pick up a bit of glare depending on conditions. Still very readable, but guessing it’s that high dome? Tropic rubber strap. Available with a date function, or clean & mean with no date. And if $450 is too spendy, they even make a quartz version. Those go for $290.

Seiko “Cocktail Time” Automatic – $320 – $425 (depending on sales)

A favorite of watch aficionados, this is the one with an almost iridescent blueish-silver dial. Case size is a pleasing for many 40.5mm, and the movement hacks and hand winds. The hands and indices look razor sharp, the case back is an exhibition style showing off the 23-jewel movement, and the slightly tapered crown has a classically styled Seiko “S” etched into it. But it’s the band that’s a deal breaker for some of us. Sure it’s pliable leather with a soft underside, and the blue accent stitching is neat, but the topside is a glossy patent leather. It’s easy to see what they’re going for here, but it just doesn’t do the piece justice. Looks like something they stole off a pair of 10 year-old’s dance class tap shoes. Yet a strap change-out is simple enough. Go with a black croc style embossed instead.

Note: Seiko did a reboot of this “Cocktail Time” design a few years back. Head over here to Worn and Wound’s explainer of what they changed.

Note II: Macy’s currently has these up for their 25% off friends and family code FRIEND. Drops the Cocktail Time to $318.75. But that code is set to expire today 10/31/22. They might extend it. Who knows. But if nothing else, they’ve been discounted 20% – 25% off in the past, so one would think it’d happen again one day in the future.

Total Cost: $775 – $875

Got a wristwatch duo you’d like to recommend for Double Time? Send those in to joe@dappered.com. And thanks to our man Brandon for the idea for the series. 

Want to see the entire series? Head here for the growing archive of our Double Time posts. 

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. 

Baltic Aquascaphe – $570ish (€580)

The Baltic Aquascaphe is the rare social media favorite which actually lives up to the hype. Assembled in France, powered by one of Miyota’s hacking and hand-windable premium automatic movements (9039), and sized in a pleasing to many 39mm diameter. The in-person look and feel genuinely outclasses the relatively reasonable price of 580 euros. (+ free worldwide shipping!) The case is a solid hunk of brushed stainless steel, but doesn’t feel clunky or cumbersome. The dial and bezel are simple, classy, and inspired by decades past without looking out of place in the 21st century. And the textured, “grainy finish” dial is a unique characteristic that’s not overdone or obtrusive. The total package combines for a less-fortunate (but still fortunate) man’s version of the Omega Seamaster 300. Just wish the Baltic had an additional, less jewelry-y bracelet option. At post time, it’s only available in the rubber strap shown, or a currently on-trend “Beads of Rice” stainless bracelet for an additional eighty euros. Give us a fully brushed oyster-style bracelet, and you could wear it with everything.

Q Timex 1978 Reissue Day-Date – $179

Pure class. Incredible retro-influenced style, yet it looks fantastic up against a modern suit and tie look… or with a trousers/dress-shirt/sportcoat combo… or with chinos and a polo. You get the idea. 37mm is on trend but looks and wears noticeably bigger. Not big, but bigger than the 37mm specs would indicate. It’s got a bit of presence thanks to the cushioned shape case. Tall domed crystal. Mercury-silver-tone face. Very subtle texture to that dial too. And it DOESN’T have the loud Timex “tick” almost all their other quartz watches have. That’s a major plus for many. Does go on sale every so often. So keeping an eye out for a code or promo can save you 20% or more. Full review here.

Total Cost: $749 (ish… depending on exchange rate)

Got a wristwatch duo you’d like to recommend for Double Time? Send those in to joe@dappered.com. 

Want to see the entire series? Head here for the growing archive of our Double Time posts. 

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.

Total Cost: $655

Got a wristwatch duo you’d like to recommend for Double Time? Send those in to joe@dappered.com. 

Want to see the entire series? Head here for the growing archive of our Double Time posts. 

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.

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.

Dan Henry 1975 Skin Diver Automatic – $450

Dan Henry has another hit on his hands. It’s both a total classic and oddly unique. The automatic movement, gilt details, speedometer looking seconds hand (which some may find to be an odd mashup on a diver, but it looks good from here), and brown rubber tropic strap all make for something you’re just not going to be able to find anywhere else at this price point.

It looks like a vintage piece (even the date wheel has gilty-gold-goodness), but it’s obviously brand new and ready to be put through some paces out of the box. 39mm case diameter is period-correct for the 1970s of which it’s pulling much inspiration. 24 Jewel Miyota 9015 high-beat automatic movement. 150m water resistance, which is plenty. Quick change spring bars and an available stainless bracelet for an extra $80 at checkout. High-domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment, but to be fair the crystal does pick up a bit of glare depending on conditions. Still very readable, but guessing it’s that high dome? Tropic rubber strap. Available with a date function, or clean & mean with no date. And if $450 is too spendy, they even make a quartz version. Those go for $290.

Total Cost: $580 (ish)

Got a wristwatch duo you’d like to recommend for Double Time? Send those in to joe@dappered.com. 

Want to see the entire series? Head here for the growing archive of our Double Time posts.

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. 

Dan Henry 1937 Dress Chronograph – $290

Dan Henry is a brand that takes the good looks of watches from the past, then re-packages those styles in affordable timepieces for today. And this 1937 chrono is a prime example of just how good they are at what they do. Art Deco inspired looks. 38mm case size. Seiko VK61 mecha-quartz movement, so you get the snappy feel of a mechanical movement at the pushers, with the reliability an and affordability of a quartz chronograph. Tachymeter around the outer edge. Quick change leather straps. Available in a few different color combos, but the silver shown above with the sub dials at 12 and 6 really is something.

Seiko 5- Sports Dive Style Automatic – $267 when on sale ($350)

Gotta play the sale game here, but Macy’s and Kohl’s and Belk will run codes and promos every so often that drops the new-ish 5KX, dive style, “5 Sports” line down to right about $200 (or thereabouts… $225 or under is a good to great price). Timeless dive-style that can look great with everything from a t-shirt and shorts, all the way up to a tieless suit.

Dial is easy to read with its deep looking applied indices, syringe hour/arrow minutes hand, and script Automatic at six o’clock. 42.5mm case brings some tool-watch “presence” but should wear great for most. Exhibition caseback shows off the hacking, hand-winding, Japanese-made 4R36 movement. Bracelet is terrific with its masculine, comfortable, brushed links (just the edges are polished) which avoids the jangly/overly-intricate “jewelry” look. Drilled lugs make for easier strap changes if you want to go that route. Lume is fantastic. It visibly glows in the shade on a sunny day. 100m resistance is plenty, and while the crown doesn’t screw down, it feels incredibly solid. And it’s big. Easy to use.

This is the sort of watch that balances solid quality, timeless good looks, and an accessible price. That seems awfully rare in the $200ish watch market these days. Full marks to Seiko for these. Full review can be found here.

And congrats to the Seiko (can one offer congratulations to an inanimate object?) for being the go-to sports/casual watch for three Double Time posts in a row. Yes we could have switched it out to mix it up, but it’s the “right” choice. And again, variety for the sake of variety is another way to define chaos.

Total Cost: $557 (ish)*

*When this post was originally published it was positioned as a two watched collection under $500, but alas, prices have increased and this duo isn’t likely to fall below $550 now. Thems be the times we live in.

Got a wristwatch duo you’d like to recommend for Double Time? Send those in to joe@dappered.com. And thanks to our man Brandon for the idea for the series. 

Want to see the entire series? Head here for the growing archive of our Double Time posts.