Reading Time: 4 minutes

If you are looking for a mechanical watch made in Switzerland, you might think you need to invest several thousands of dollars. You might say Swiss Made is costly and you might not find a convenient mechanical watch for a modest budget. Well, you are wrong to think that. Swiss watchmaking has many surprises that might trig your curiosity and let yourself go for one nice Swiss Made watch. Supporting Swiss Made, means you are supporting an amazing industry enrich with secular know-how and true respect of the “règles de l’art“. Here are our top five mechanical Swiss Made watches under USD 700.00.

1- Swatch System Though 51 Mechanical – USD 252.00

Swatch-mechanical-though-51
Swatch-mechanical-watch-though-51-backcase

When Swatch group released the System Though 51, it was announced as a revolution. And they were not wrong. The democratic Swiss Made brand commercialized a true mechanical watch under USD 300.00. Magic? No, just pure Swiss ingenuity. Powered by an automatic movement, SISTEM THOUGHT (YIB402) has a handsome brown leather strap and a contemporary brushed case in black PVD.

2- Victorinox Alliance Mechanical – USD 600.00

Victorinox-mechanical-watch-Alliance
Victorinox-mechanical-watch-alliance-movement

Classic, debonair and expertly curated, the Victorinox Alliance Mechanical covers all sartorial bases – and packs a pioneering horological punch. This flawless timepiece is a seamless fusion of aesthetical and engineering excellence. Inside, the movement and mechanics are effortless and will deliver precision for decades to come. Outside, the three-dimensional dial walks the line between discreet and dressed up. It’s all about timeless balance. The watch features a Swiss Made automatic movement ETA 2892 visible through the exhibition case back. It is a very robust movement with a 42-hour power reserve.

3- Certina DS-1 Powermatic 80 – USD 670.00

Certina-DS-1-Powermatic-80
Certina-DS-1-Powermatic-80-backcase

This model is inspired by the first DS concept timepieces that Certina produced in 1960. It combines distinctive design and sophisticated retro details with an innovative automatic movement and a power reserve of up to 80 hours! The power reserve is the time a fully wound mechanical watch runs until it stops – usually between 38 and 42 hours. The Powermatic 80 calibre makes a power reserve of up to 80 hours possible! So you can leave this watch for up to three days before having to set it anew.

4- Tissot Tradition Powermatic 80 Open Heart – USD 700.00

Tissot-Mechanical-Open-heart-powermatic-80
Tissot-Mechanical-Open-heart-powermatic-80-movement
Tissot-Mechanical-Open-heart-powermatic-80-bracelet

The Tissot Tradition gives modern watchmaking a hint of nostalgia with a vintage-style perfectly balanced with classical details and subtle finishes. These are complemented by design elements such as guilloche decoration on bracelet models and a gently curved case. This new model has an open heart on the dial and a see-through case back to expose the automatic movement. The Powermatic-80 provides 80 hours of power reserve, which means 3 days. This is for sure a great watchmaking accomplishment. A classic men’s watch that will remain timeless on the wrist.

5- Hamilton Jazzmaster Viewmatic Auto – USD 700

Hamilton-Jazzmaster-Viewmatic
Hamilton-Jazzmaster-Viewmatic-movement

The Hamilton Jazzmaster Viewmatic is the perfect balance between contemporary design and classic watchmaking. A three-hand movement with a date function and boasting a superior power reserve of 80 hours, the H-10 appears with intricate contrasting snail and pearled patterns for the American Classic models it drives and streamlined surfaces for the pilots’ watches.

Conclusion
As we just saw above, there are beautiful mechanical timepieces in Switzerland that would not compromise a true heritage in watchmaking and still being on a budget. You might even want to consider taking out a Payday Loan to buy one of these beauties. Swiss ingenuity goes beyond standards and we can be sure the Swiss watch industry will always surprise us.

Arsène Wargas
Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with reproduction rights non available. Images are for illustration purposes only.