While there are many watch collecting types out there, one of the most popular ones is the “3 watch” collector, which is a watch enthusiast who uses three watches on rotation for all events and occasions. However, finding 3 watches that are diverse or versatile that also fit into a small budget can be rather difficult to find.
No need to worry, friend: after hours of looking through more affordable watches and brands, I finally found three outstanding watches that are versatile and collectively fit in a $1,000 budget.
| Perfect 3 Watch Collection | Watch Price | Primary Use/Occasion |
| Seiko Presage SPRD37J | $425 | -Formal Attire and Dress Watch |
| Orient Mako II | $139 | -Sport/Diver Watch For Activities |
| Tissot PRX | $375 | -Everyday Watch |
In the rest of this post, I’m going to be breaking down each one of the watches individually to explain their look, function, and primary use. Also, I’m going to share my thoughts about each of them and my thoughts about a 3 watch collection.
Why Would Someone Want A 3 Watch Collection?
Having a 3 watch collection allows you to be diverse/versatile and covered for all occasions without having to spend the time and energy caring for a multitude of watches. When you have too many watches, it can be an ordeal to maintain and take care of all of them simultaneously, which makes having only 3 watches a great option to take more stress off.
With just 3 watches, it’s much less servicing than having a plethora of watches, which can save you time and money. If you have ever wondered how often you should service a luxury watch, then you can read my full in-depth article about it by clicking right here.
Some other watch enthusiasts believe that’s it not possible to build a substantial collection with only 3 watches, but I don’t think that’s the case at all. I firmly believe that you can build a well-rounded and diverse watch collection that can help you with any event with only 3 watches.
Without wasting any more time, let’s dive into each watch individually to explain its quirks, features, and my thoughts about them!
Seiko Presage SPRD37J
No matter what kind of watch collection you have or how many watches you want to collect, having a watch suitable for formal attire is essential, and the Seiko Presage SPRD37J is my top pick for its overall value.
When it comes down to well-made affordable watches, you can’t really go wrong with Seiko. In my opinion, this Japanese watch brand combines fashionability, functionality, and affordability all at once. Seiko covers everything from sport/divers watches, everyday watches, and formal watches when it comes down to watch selection.
And on top of that, they are some of the most well-crafted watches you can get right now. If you asked me how much the price of a Seiko is a couple of years ago, I would definitely say that it was worth at least several thousand dollars because of how good and well-made they look.
Surprisingly, Seiko is one of the most best-value watches for its price: you get craftsmanship similar to a high-end luxury watch brand at a mere fraction of the price.
The Seiko Presage “SPRD37J” is a classic Seiko model that has everything you could ask for from an affordable luxury watch. This Presage model comes in at around $425 on the Seiko website and you can find it on sale at other retail stores, which is an absolute bargain if you ask me: it’s jam-packed with high-quality features for only under $500 that are usually found on high-end luxury watch brands.
It’s equipped with a smooth calfskin leather strap that complements all formal attire, making it an eye-catching dress watch.
In addition, this Presage model has a stunning green dial that will definitely make you stand out, style your formal outfits, and get plenty of compliments from others: green dials are uncommon, which means that this timepiece can show off your style and appreciation for a fantastic watch brand. With this watch, you are bound to get so many compliments because of how gorgeous the dial is.
The case diameter on the Presage isn’t massive either: it has a 40.5-millimeter case diameter which doesn’t make it so big that it’s overwhelming on your wrist and has a see-through case back where you can appreciate the craftsmanship of the interior movement.
Lastly, it has an automatic movement with a date complication on the 3-hour mark. While the date complication isn’t anything too special, it’s helpful to remind yourself of the date if you ever forget.
It is really a watch that looks more expensive than it actually is because it has an automatic movement, date display complication, and an impeccable classy design that is perfect for a $1000 budget.
I am a huge fan of the SPRD37J Presage. In fact, it’s probably going to be one of the next watches I acquire soon for my own collection. It’s so wearable with its smooth leather, the case diameter is at a perfect size, and the green dial on the watch is so pretty: I think this timepiece is underrated, and perfect for formal wear and special occasions. It’s one of the best watches to include in your 3 watch collection for $1000.
There’s a reason why I put this watch number one: it has an incredibly unique design and craftsmanship that is such a good value at its price. If you are looking for a well-crafted, low-cost luxury watch in general, I could not recommend the Seiko SPRD37J enough.
Orient Mako II
Every great watch collection should have a dive watch for swimming, diving, and other sports activities. Dive watches are essential for watch collections since they add diversity and functionality at the same time, and the Orient Mako II is one of the best bang-for-your-buck sporty timepieces that can fit in a $1,000 budget.
The Japanese watch brand “Orient” is known for making well-crafted watches for
The Orient Mako II is one of the best affordable dive watches under $200 on Amazon because it provides everything you could ask for and more from a dive watch and has a similar design to high-end dive watches like the Rolex GMT and Tudor Black Bay.
The Mako II is made of stainless steel and has a very legible dial with a rotating bezel, perfect for swimming and snorkeling. This timepiece has a 41.5-millimeter case diameter: similar to the Seiko Presage, I think it’s a great size because it’s not too big where it’s overwhelmingly large, but it’s also not tiny either.
On top of that, the Mako II has an automatic movement and a day-date complication (where it shows the day and the date on the dial), which absolutely blows my mind to see on a timepiece for under $200. Most watches under $200 don’t have any complications at all and have a plain quartz movement, but this diver watch includes both an automatic movement and a complication for a cheap price, which is hard to find.
Lastly, the Orient Mako II has a water resistance of 200 meters (660 feet), which makes it suitable for swimming, diving, and other serious water sports.
In my opinion, the Orient Mako II is a slept on divers watch that everyone should know about. It has all of the features you could ever ask for from a divers watch and then some with its deep 200-meter water resistance, automatic movement, day-date complication, and design that mirrors some of the high-end watch brands on the market.
Since there are around three options for the Mako II on Amazon, I would choose the design of the blue and red bezel. It mimics the design and looks of the Rolex GMT Master II, but you get it at a bargain of a price.
If you’re looking for an affordable, outstanding dive watch but are not sure which brand or watch to get, look no further than the Orient Mako II to fit your 3 watch collection for a $1,000 budget.
Tissot PRX
It’s needless to say that you need an everyday watch in a 3 watch collection. Having a gorgeous watch you can wear every day will accentuate your style and elevate your fashionability exponentially.
For an everyday watch, you need something that will be highly durable and work well with basically everything in your closet and the Tissot PRX is my pick for the best everyday timepiece to fit a 3 watch collection under $1,000.
The Tissot PRX has made its comeback in 2021 and comes in at around $375 on the Tissot website, which is a steal in my opinion because it’s so clean, stylish, elegant, and easy to wear.
What really stands out on This specific PRX model has an amazing blue dial that just pops and makes a statement. The stainless steel and blue dial combination is such a hot design now and will be in the future. However, you can also choose between a black dial and a white dial on the Tissot website, and all of them are perfect colors for everyday wear.
Another part of the PRX that makes it unique is its integrated stainless steel bracelet (which is a bracelet specially made for this watch and is integrated into the watch case), which mirrors the design of some of the most respected luxury watches in the world like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Omega Constellation.
Integrated bracelets are uncommon on the watch market, which makes them highly desired by watch enthusiasts and very stylish on the wrist.
The Tissot PRX has a watch diameter of 39.5-millimeters: similar to the other watches I talked about in this collection, it’s not too small but not too large either, which allows a great fit on the wrist for everyday wear.
The Tissot PRX is equipped with a swiss quartz movement (battery operated and “jumper” compared to the automatic watches I spoke about earlier), amazing for accurate timekeeping and durability. This watch has a special quartz battery called quartz EOL: stands for ” end-of-life battery indicator, which means that the watch will notify you when the quartz battery is running low and you need to get it replaced.
The quartz EOL can be so handy because it can be annoying to suddenly find out that your quartz watch battery is dead, and this feature saves you the headache of randomly finding out that you need a battery replacement.
Lastly, the PRX also has a date complication. While it’s not anything to rave about, it is useful because you can easily check the date on your wrist if you forget.
In my personal opinion, the Tissot PRX is one of Tissot’s best watches out of all the watches they’ve ever made. The integrated bracelet looks just like some of the most popular watches in the world, and the dial colors are so simplistic yet classy and timeless, which makes it an amazing timepiece for everyday wear.
I know that some people are not fans of quartz watches, but I say to those people that you should give the PRX a try because it’s one of the best watches you can fit in a $1,000 budget. It has a unique quartz EOL feature that I haven’t seen on other watches before and it’s so easy to wear with pretty much everything. Also, it’s a durable watch knowing that it’s coming from Tissot: one of the most known watch brands on the planet.
If I were to choose a dial color out of the three they offer on the website, I would definitely go for the blue dial. The stainless steel and blue dial combination is an absolute game changer and I know for sure that it can help elevate my everyday outfits. Nonetheless, it’s completely up to you: if you feel more comfortable wearing a white or black dial, then by all means choose whatever you like the best.
3 Watch Collection: My Thoughts
The 3 watch collection is an underrated type of collection in my opinion, and the three watches I chose in this article (Seiko Presage SPRD37J, Orient Mako II, and the Tissot PRX) would be the exact three watches I would pick for my own 3 watch collection on a budget.
3 watch collections allow for a diversity of dials and keep you ready for any occasion that may pop up, and needs less servicing than a larger, standard collection of watches. On top of that, you can build an outstanding collection on a budget under $1,000 that will last you a long time until you want to upgrade your watch collection in the future.
If you have ever wondered if some of the top luxury watch brands can fit in your budget, you can check out this article I made where I break down the average price of 15 popular luxury watch brands on the second-hand market by clicking here!
