If you are looking for a very reliable, durable, and high-quality watch, Swiss brands will most likely be the first thing to come to mind.
The Swiss-made watches are pioneers in style, luxury, cutting-edge technology, and craftsmanship in the watchmaking industry that have been tested through time.
What distinguishes them from other brands is their superior quality and precise mechanism from the movement, case, dial, and band. It uses the globally renowned and exceptional Swiss movement and advanced functionalities.
Swiss watches are also remarkable for their stylish, elegant, and timeless designs that last for generations. In short, it’s a legacy. No wonder why Swiss watches are expensive.
But you don’t have to miss the chance of owning a Swiss watch! In this article, we collated the top affordable Swiss watch brands and their best-selling watches that won’t break the bank.
If you are excited to know more about it, keep reading to find out what made it on our list!
[You might also like: Best Swiss Dive Watch Under 1000]
Top Affordable Swiss Watch Brands and Affordable Swiss Watches 
1. Tissot Watches
Brief Background about Tissot
One of the oldest and trusted on the list with about 160 years of history, Tissot is one of the leading brands in the traditional Swiss watch industry. It was founded in Le Locle, Switzerland by the Tissot father and son, Charles-Félicien Tissot and Charles-Émile Tissot.
They are known to be the official timekeeper for various sports events including basketball with the NBA and FIBA, making them a brand that you can truly rely on that produces high-quality watches of various kinds.
Tissot watches are certified with a “Swiss Made” quality label. From here, you’ll know they are fully Swiss-made from parts and assembly. Some great features you’ll find from their watches include scratch-resistant stainless steel, ultra-light, and antimagnetic titanium, and the use of the most durable crystal that is mostly found in luxury watches, sapphire crystal.
So, when it comes to design, mechanism, and functionality, this brand is a good choice.
Tissot men’s Gentleman Stainless Steel Dress Watch Grey T1274071104100
This Tissot Gentlemen watch is a perfect dress watch for business events or casual ones with its classic stainless-steel case measuring 40 millimeters and thickness of 11.4 millimeters.
It is made of Swiss automatic movement and has an analog display in the blue dial.
The dial window is made of sapphire crystal, which is well known for its scratch-resistance and shatterproof property. This makes this Swiss watch suitable for recreational activities, including water activities, though it can only be used for a short period of time.
Lastly, the stainless-steel bracelet of Tissot Gentlemen is very reliable with an added butterfly clasp and push-buttons.
- With exhibition case back that allows you to admire its Powermatic 80 movement
- Water resistance up to 10 ATM (100 meters/330 Feet)
- With date window function
- Luminous hands and hour markers
- Up to 80 hours power reserve
- Made from anti-reflective, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal
- Not suitable for diving or snorkeling
Interested? Here’s the link to purchase!
2. Victorinox Watches
Brief Background about Victorinox
Victorinox has made a remarkable brand with its iconic Swiss Army knives. In its origin in Schwyz, Switzerland, its founder, Karl Elsener, expanded its venture into travel gears, apparel, fragrances, and watches.
From the company’s commitment to Swiss precision, uncompromising reliability, innovation, and extreme durability, it became a leading brand in Swiss-made watches with a wide range of designs and functionalities whether its classic, elegant, or sporty, diving watch, or chronograph watch.
As of writing, Victorinox offers a total of 5 timepiece collections, this includes I.N.O.X and field-force that are great for land and deep-sea adventures, Airboss mechanical wrist wear for aviators, and Maverick and Alliance.
Victorinox Swiss Army Men’s I.N.O.X. Watch
If you are an adventurous person, you will love this 42 mm Victorinox I.N.O.X. dive watch because of its unique and versatile design that can withstand pressure and challenges from land and water adventures and regular daily routines.
The most important distinguishing feature of this watch is its carbon composite case and sand-blasted titanium that can withstand extreme endurance from tall drops and high pressure.
Aside from that, it has a rubber Namiakka strap that has a comfortable fit which is perfect for all-day wearing.
Moreover, with its etched lines as added design in the band, this Swiss watch makes it ready-to-wear on any occasion.
This watch uses a Swiss quartz movement, the good thing about quartz watches is that they don’t need to be wounded and are highly reliable and accurate.
- A perfect stylish dive watch for land and sea adventures
- Made from Hypoallergenic stainless steel
- Uses hypoallergenic stainless-steel case
- One of the most durable watches; tested to withstand about 130 extreme endurance homologation tests
- Has a removable protection bumper
- Water resistance up to 20 ATM (200 meters/ 660 feet)
- Triple coated anti-reflective sapphire crystal
- Variety of colors and designs to choose from
- Too chunky for some
Interested? Here’s the link to purchase!
3. Hamilton
Brief Background about Hamilton
The next Swiss brand on our list originated from Pennsylvania, USA.
The company was later acquired by the Swiss and eventually became an acquisition of the Swatch Group which has then carried the Swiss-made label. From then on, they continued to innovate its timepieces and established remarkable collections from automatic, mechanical, and quartz timepieces to the military-inspired field and aviation/pilot watches and iconic designs.
Hamilton has been known to manufacture great value timepieces that hold a strong heritage.
Hamilton Men’s H64455533 Khaki King Series Stainless Steel Automatic Watch
Swiss watches are known for their fine-looking and innovative designs, and this Hamilton Khaki King Automatic Watch is one great example!
The automatic self-wind movement and analog display make this watch a reliable timepiece for everyday casual watches and sports watches.
Its 40 mm case is made of stainless steel and the dial window is made of an anti-reflective sapphire crystal. Further, the black dial features a day/date window at 12 o’clock, elegant sword-shaped lume hands, Arabic numeral markers, and 24-hour time on its inner dial.
The brown watch band is made of croc-embossed leather that is solid and well stitched yet comfortable on the wrist as it is soft on the inside.
This can also be worn while swimming for a short period of time with water resistance of up to 50 meters.
- Sporty military-inspired design and time format
- The power reserve can last up to 80 hours
- Exceptional finish for a lower price
- Comfortable fit for daily wear
- Luminous hands and hour markers
- With date window function
- Exhibition case back
- Not for diving or snorkeling
- Lume is not that strong
Interested? Here’s the link to purchase it!
4. Swatch Group Watches
Brief Background about Swatch
Swatch is one of the leading Swiss brands in the market that offers relatively low-price timepieces that are equipped with accurate quartz movement, so if you are on the lookout for really affordable watches with reliable Swiss quality, this is a great option.
Unlike other Swiss brands that usually offer dress or sports watches, Swatch comes in a different approach and decides to cater to casual, quirky, and creative styles as seen on its plastic or silicone bands. This is what makes them stand out and unique.
Swatch New Gent Quartz Silicone Strap (Model: SUOB705)
Swatch New Gent is a minimalist analog watch in predominantly black color. The strap is made of silicone while the case, clasp, and bezel are made of plastic materials.
Contrastingly, the dial is white-colored and features a day/date window at the 3 o’clock position.
In addition, it has luminous hour hands and dot markers with a second hand. It uses quartz movement and has a water-resistant depth of 100 feet.
- Lowest-priced Swiss watch on the list
- Unisex
- Water resistance up to 100 meters
- Offers free battery exchange at Swatch retail locations
- Lightweight
- Comfortable on the wrists
- Loud ticking sound
- Its plastic buckle wears off easily
Interested? Here’s the link to purchase!
5. Movado Watches
Brief Background about Movado
Movado means “always in motion” in the Esperanto language. Movado originated in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, and has a rich heritage that is being featured in 20 museums around the world.
So, it is mainly known for its iconic Museum Watches that have modern aesthetics with a very minimalist style. They also have numerous patents for their watch designs and time technology.
Apart from their famous Museum Watch, they also offer sports watches with chronograph function.
These watches are built to last; they adhere to Swiss reliability and precision.
Movado Swiss Museum Classic Black Dial Men’s Gold Slim Leather Watch
Movado Swiss Museum watch is not just another minimalist affordable Swiss watch brand. It is so elegant with its black calfskin strap and dial combined with a yellow PVD stainless steel casing.
The black dial features an analog display with yellow gold-toned hour hands without hour markers. It also showcases the Movado dot at the 12 o’clock position.
The strap is made of leather and has a tang clasp. It also uses a Swiss Quartz Movement.
This watch is definitely an eye-catcher that you’ll love to add to your collection.
- Expensive-looking Swiss watch at a lower price
- Unique design and distinct watch
- High quality
- Can be difficult to read the exact time
Interested? Here’s the link to purchase!
6. Mondaine Watches
Brief Background about Mondaine
Another affordable yet long-lasting Swiss watch brand is the Mondaine brand.
With more than 60 years of creating attractive timepieces combined with superior swiss craftsmanship with truly iconic classic design, simplicity, and ingenuity with a blend of clean and functional watches are what this brand is known for.
You’ll definitely recognize a Mondaine watch easily with its trademark red second hand which is styled after the Swiss railway clock’s iconic design.
In addition to their classic analog display watches, they also offer reliable smartwatches, eco-friendly tickers as well as vegan watches.
Mondaine Men’s A667.30314.11SBB Classic Gents
If you love classic and timeless timepieces, you better check the Mondaine Men’s A667.30314.11SBB Classic Gents watch.
Its iconic design is based on the classic railway clocks found all over the Swiss region by Hans Hillfiker.
It features a case diameter of 36 mm in a stainless-steel case, its black hour hands and markers contrast perfectly with its white dial, allowing you to read the time with so much ease. For added convenience, it also features a date and day window found at the 3 o’clock position.
In addition, its watch face is protected by a durable mineral crystal and uses a black genuine leather strap with an inner redlining that provides maximum comfort on the wrists.
It’s also water-resistant up to 100 feet (30 meters), which means it can withstand splashes and rain but is not advisable to wear when showering.
- Featuring an easy-to-read face of the iconic
- Swiss Railways Clock
- Timeless and classic look
- With day and date window function
- Its watch face can be small for those with large wrists
Interested? Here’s the link to purchase!
FAQ
1. How can a watch be classified as Swiss-made?
According to the Swiss Federal Act on the Protection of Trademarks and Indications of Source, a watch can be labeled as Swiss-made and Swiss movement if at least 60% of its manufacturing costs, essential manufacturing procedures, and its final inspection occurred in the territory of Switzerland.
2. How can you identify if a watch is Swiss-made?
Usually, a “Swiss-made” label can be found written on the watch dial. Aside from Swiss-made or Swiss Movt, they can also use the term “Suisse”, “produit suisse”, “fabriqué en Suisse”, “qualité suisse” or simply the English translation, “Swiss”.
3. Which watch brand offers the cheapest Swiss-made watch?
Of the Swiss brands we mentioned above, Swatch Group offers the most affordable Swiss-made watches. Next is Mondaine’s watch.
Final Verdict: Which One Should You Buy?
The different watch brands that we reviewed offer unique designs and styles but with almost the same Swiss quality and Swiss movement, all being certified Swiss-made.
So, the choice is up to what design suits your taste and what amount you are willing to splurge!
If you like this review, you might want to read our other reviews at EvesWatch.com.
My name is Eve Acosta and I’m the person behind this site. Watches are what get me ticking ;).
No, but seriously, I just love watches, I have over 30 myself. It’s an obsession of mine, which is why my husband recommended me to put my hobby into some good use and build this site – so I did.
My passion for timepieces came from the fact that my parents own a small chain of shops selling timepieces. I’ve worked at the shop since I was 11 and fell in love with the merchandise.
