Despite all the ho-hum, battery-powered wristwatches are far more accurate — and affordable — than their traditional counterparts. Sure, they don't require hundreds of laborious hours to manufacture, nor do they need physical interaction with the wearer to tick. But considering many high-end watch brands rely on mass-produced movements from third-party suppliers, these are matters that can be easily forgiven. Fact is, today's breed of quartz shares more in common with the high kings of horology than it does with the watch counter at Walmart — even if the price doesn't. Don't believe us? Here's your proof.
Casio G-Shock GM 6900
One of G-Shock’s most iconic designs from the 1990s takes on a new, more luxurious persona with a steel bezel in place of its famously indestructible plastic original.
Diameter: 49.7mm
Price: $170
Q Timex Reissue Falcon Eye
You'd be hard-pressed to find funkier wrist candy than this retro-tastic reissue of a proudly quartz Timex from 1979.
Diameter: 38mm
Price: $179
Seiko Prospex Arnie
Seiko's solar-powered "Arnie" diver — so nicknamed after it was worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger in multiple action movies — just got a brand-new, muted color scheme.
Diameter: 47.8mm
Price: $392
Shinola The Duck Dive Watch
Sure, The Duck features some tried-and-true horological design tropes, but overall, it's just an attractive and capable quartz dive watch assembled by Shinola in Detroit, Michigan.
Diameter: 42mm
Price: $650+
Hamilton PSR
Hamilton’s 2020 reissue of the world’s first digital watch, the Pulsar, embodies the appeal of retro-futurism with spot-on proportions and refined details.
Diameter: 40.8mm
Price: $745+
A version of this story first published in a recent issue of Gear Patrol Magazine. Subscribe today.
