Welcome to the most comprehensive guide on the best automatic watches in India.
In this in-depth guide, you’ll come to know everything which you should know before purchasing an automatic watch. This includes what is an automatic watch, how they work, what to look for in an automatic watch, the best automatic watch brands in India, and finally, the best automatic watches in India. We also have an additional section on how to take care of an automatic watch so that it lasts for years.
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What makes this guide unique from the rest is that it features the best automatic watches in a plethora of price ranges. Starting from as low as ₹10,000 to high as ₹50,000.
In short, if you’re looking to buy the best automatic watch for yourself, you’ll get every necessary information which will make your choice the best.
Let’s get started with a quick fact! Did you know why automatic watches have smooth second-hand movement, unlike the tic-tic of quartz watches?
It is because an automatic watch ticks about 4-6 times per second (vary from watch to watch). As a result, the second hand appears to move smoothly, whereas a quartz movement ticks only one time per second.
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The 7 Best Automatic Watches for Men in India
Pro Tip: If you like any of the automatic watches for men featured in this guide, we recommend you add it to your cart on e-commerce platforms or bookmark the product page URL by pressing ctrl+d in Windows and ⌘ + d in Mac. It will serve two benefits. One, you will have all your selected watches in one place. Two, you will be able to track price changes more efficiently.
Best Automatic Watches Under 5000
Oh man, we are really sorry. We searched hard to find a great automatic watch under ₹5000 in India but couldn’t find one. Either you can go with quartz watches under Rs 5000 (both analogue and digital) or increase your budget to around ₹8000. Moreover, if you’re a fitness enthusiast, you can also check this guide: The Best Fitness Bands in India
Best Watches Automatic Watches Under Rs 10000
Timex Dress Automatic Watch
Marketed with the tagline “Vintage style for the modern man”, this automatic dress watch from Timex is a rare find in the affordable budget segment.
The 44mm wide case is made from brass. The interior boundary of the case is lined up with white roman numeral hour markers on black background. This creates a sophisticated look thanks to the curved glass on the top.
Next to the hour markers are tiny minute markers and an appealing pattern originating from the center of the watch.
The beautiful leaf hands of the watch, which complements the bezel, doesn’t go unnoticed.
The young age (Introduced in 2018 in India) of this mesmerising piece, it’s the only weakness in comparison to most of the peers in this guide. It is compensated by the energy it brings on the wrist.
Summing up, starting from the skeleton dial which allows you to peek inside the watch to the brown leather band, everything in this watch has a capacity to hold the attention of onlookers to your wrist.
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Model Number: TWEG16704
Didn’t like the dark variant of this beautiful dress watch? Don’t worry! This automatic watch is available in combinations of white, blue, champagne, and grey. Check them from here.
Seiko Automatic Watches
When we are talking about the best automatic watches for men, how we can forget Seiko.
Seiko, the Japanese brand well known for developing exceptional watches which delight to wear on the wrist.
Starting from the slim metallic build everything in this watch makes it a competent choice for your dress watch. The peacock-blue dial with its no-nonsense composition will not distract you in a meeting or an interview. The well-admired Dauphine hands and hour marking in silver-tone with luminosity will engage the eyes of spectators.
Moreover, the dial accommodates day and date window (with white perimeter), Seiko 5 branding, and Arabic numeral minute marking at an interval of 5.
Unlike many peers who have cheap Chinese movement inside, this well-thought piece has an in-house developed automatic movement.
The last but not least thing, all these come in your budget of Rs 10,000.
In all, it is an exceptional piece of horology, which will be a delight to put on the wrist.
Model Number: SNKP17K1
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If you don’t want to invest ₹10,000, you can also check this watch at around Rs 7000: Seiko 5 (SNKA05K1)
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Invicta Automatic Watches
Do you wish to buy an excellent automatic watch at an affordable price without wasting a lot of time and energy comparing and evaluating tens of automatic watches? If yes, this black-and-white automatic watch can be a perfect choice for you.
A great entry-level watch to the world of automatic watches, the only thing which takes people away from this casual watch is its similarity to Rolex Submariner.
The black dial accommodates a magnified date window (at 3 O’clock), three hands (often referred as Mercedes style due to the luminous characteristic), circular dot hour marker at non-multiples of three, Invicta branding, and basic information which says it is an automatic watch with 200M water-resistance capabilities.
The 40mm case (including unidirectional bezel) and 20mm band are enough to complement a strong personality like yours.
Currently loved by thousands of men, for its solid metal build and Japanese automatic movement, it will surely bring a lot of attention to your wrist.
Model Number: 8926OB
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Not a big fan of black-and-white watches? This diving watch from Invicta comes in plenty of colours at more or less the same price. We definitely recommend you to check them out.
Best Automatic Watch for Men Under ₹15000
In this guide, we already have an exceptional dress watch from Seiko. But, it would be unfair to complete this guide without mentioning the Seiko 5 series, well known for its high levels of reliability, durability, performance, and value.
This particular automatic watch, full of freshness and life, is enough to give your personality an unique identity among the horde.
Both the 43mm case and 22mm wide band are well polished and made of durable stainless steel. Resting on the strong build, the orange dial will create a fascinating aura on your wrist.
With a rich history as a go-anywhere watch, Seiko 5 Sports has everything you need in an outdoor automatic watch. Distinctive hour markers, one-way rotating bezel, luminous and unique hour markers, arrow hands, day-date window, 40-hour power reserve, and the legacy of more than six decades.
Model Number: SRPD59K
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Want to see more Seiko 5 Sports watches in dials ranging from shining blue to bright red to black? Here is the link: View Entire Seiko 5 Sports Collection
Best Automatic Watch for Men Under ₹20000
Fossil Automatic Watch in India
When we hear Fossil, we take it for the best of fashion. This automatic watch for men from Townsman collection is no different.
The black dial with a fine mixture of elegance and complexities will not disappoint when you’ll wear it with a delightful dress.
The most interesting part of the dial is the small skeleton sub-dial. It allows you to see the movement happening inside the watch.
Other than it, the dial comprises two subdials (one for seconds and other for 24 hours), minute and hour hands, and a combination roman numeral and stick marking for hour markers on the outer rim of the dial.
The 13mm thick and 44mm wide round case is held by 22mm black stainless steel straps.
Like most of the automatic watch peers, it also has an exhibition back.
If all this was not enough, you get a 2-year international manufacturer warranty.
Are you looking for a charming gift for your loved one? This Fossil Townsman watch is one of the top contenders.
Model Number: ME3062
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Again, if you want this automatic watch in colour other than black, here are a few more options.
Emporio Armani Fashion Automatic Watch
If you are looking for a classic style statement on your wrist to complement your elegant dress, this skeleton-dial watch can be a great alternative to consider.
The white boundaries surrounding the naked centre of the dial makes it more special. On the top of the dial, it has mineral glass and a fine polished metallic case and straps.
Talking about the case, the 43mm diameter makes it sit well on a regular wrist. The deployment clasp on the 22mm wide strap makes it secure on your wrist.
In addition to all of this, you get a 2-year manufacturing warranty on defects, 30m water-resistance, and the trust of an Italian luxury brand which is well known across borders.
Summing up, all we would say is it is an elegant piece which does not look less than a piece of silver jewellery on the wrist.
Model Number: AR1980
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Are you looking for an automatic watch with power reserve indicator? Here is an absolutely stunning dress watch for men from Emporio Armani.
Titan Grandmaster Automatic Watch
One thing you might have missed in this guide is the presence of an Indian brand. Here we introduce an automatic watch from Titan, well known for “transforming the watch and jewellery industry in India”.
For a man with a heavy personality like yours, you need a big and bold automatic watch. The Titan Grandmaster, a statement in itself, can be an apt choice to communicate your strong personality.
Coming in a big case (51.1mm) and stainless steel build, it is a true ambassador of how far Titan has gone in blending the art of horology with timeless craftsmanship.
The silver-tone band and case complemented by dial will be enough to catch the gaze of bystanders. Moreover, the bezel is accentuated with authentic Sapele vaneer wood.
Concluding, all we would say is, you will not find a better candidate than this handsome watch to represent the Indian automatic watchmaking.
Model Number: 1793KM01
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Best Designer Automatic Watch for Men (Michael Kors)
Wearing a marvellous automatic watch from a designer brand like Michael Kors is always nice. Therefore, we couldn’t resist ourselves from incorporating this magnificent watch into this guide to the best automatic watches for men in India.
Part of the Lexington collection, it comes in a blend of gold and silver-tone. The dial features three subdials, stick hour marking in gold-tone, date window, and Michael Kors branding.
Outside the dial, it has a unidirectional bezel in gold-tone with a classic wave pattern on it.
The round watch case in stainless build has three crowns on the side. The middle crown also has well-known MK branding.
The entire case is held together by a Jubilee band. Again on the push-button foldover clasp with safety, it has Michael Kors branding.
Summing up, it is an excellent portrayal of how lavish automatic watches can be on a man’s wrist.
Model Number: MK8344
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Seiko Dress Watch
Seiko Presage Automatic Watch Under ₹30000
For a man with perfection like yours, the automatic watch on your wrist should be the epitome of elegance. And what could be a better choice than the heavenly Seiko Presage to represent the epitome of elegance.
The sunray pattern emerging from the origin on a blue shade dial creates an alluring beauty. The visual is so delightful that it is hard to take the eyes off it. Dauphine hands and hour marking in silver-tone adds another jewel to its charm.
From the Hardex glass on the top of 40.5mm stainless steel case to 4R35 automatic movement calibre to durable Engineer straps, everything in this automatic watch is developed in house by Seiko.
Summing, it is a prime example of how simple watches can also be so powerful and tempting.
Model Number: SRPB41J1
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Automatic Watches: Buying Guide
What is an Automatic Watch and how it works?
In simplest terms, an automatic watch is a self-winding mechanical watch. The definition has only three words, but let us understand them in more detail.
First, mechanical watches are those which use a clockwork mechanism to measure the time. Mechanical watches were the first type of watches which were invented.
In a mechanical movement, the energy to drive the hands at regular intervals comes from a spring which needs to wound periodically (usually a day).
In the automatic watches, you don’t need to wound the spring manually as it gets the energy to operate from the natural motion of the wearer.
Summing up, an automatic watch doesn’t require either battery or manual winding for power. It gets the power to run the watch from the hand movement of the wearer. This natural or organic source of power makes it a preferred choice for watch enthusiasts who believe watches are more than just showing time.
What to look for in an automatic watch?
Okay, you want to purchase an automatic watch for yourself but are not sure about what to look for in an automatic watch that will be most suitable for you.
In this section, we will be looking over a few important parameters which will tell how good an automatic watch is?
A side note, all automatic watches for men don’t excel at all of these parameters. The reason being that there are some specialized watches which have specific applications, for instance, diving automatic watches. Therefore, you need to make sure that the watch is great at the dimensions which matter most to you.
Category
By category we mean the type of event or occasion the watch is most suitable for. An automatic watch for men or in general any watch can fall in any one of the following categories:
- Casual Watches: This type of automatic watch doesn’t shout anything special. They are well built and have a good design. If you are looking to wear an affordable automatic watch everyday, casual watches are for you.
- Dress Watches: As the name suggests, dress watches are worn on formal and business occasions. The main characteristic of a dress is that it is slim enough to get under your sleeves. In general, dress watches don’t have any type of fancy complications, other than the bare basic three hands, hour and minute markers and an optional date window.
- Field Watches: Also called as “military watches”, these are rough and tough automatic watches. They have stronger built and can withstand extreme environments. They do have some additional functionalities but are not flashy.
- Diving Watches: Diving watches are known for their water-resistant capabilities. Generally, they have a water-resistant depth of at least 100m or 10ATM. Other common observations among diving watches are engraved minute markers on a rotating bezel, luminous second hand, and 25cm visibility in total darkness.
- Fashion Watches: Fashion watches help you to be in sync with the latest trends. Usually, these watches are produced by fashion brands. Hence, they are not serious products of the art of watchmaking. Fashion automatic watches are characterised by pop and bright colours, complexities, and bigger case dimensions. They are mostly preferred to be worn in vacations or parties.
Some expert categorize automatic watches in more depth while others take a lenient hand. Other categories could include chronograph watches, sports watches, luxury watches, multiple time zone watches and so forth.
Water-Resistance
No man wearing a magnificent automatic watch would want his watch to form a water vapour inside the dial due to an accidental splash of water. It destroys the beauty of the watch. Worst of all, the watch may stop ticking. In either case, you have to take it to the nearest service centre to bring back its beauty or ticking.
Therefore, wearing a water-resistance watch should always be a priority. Thankfully, most automatic watch manufacturers deliver standard water-resistance watches. As a result, watches featured in this guide are also water-resistance. When you wear one of these water-resistance watches, you don’t have to worry about water splashes showering on your watch during hand wash or light rain.
People who often indulge in swimming activities or adventure water sports like diving may opt for specialized diving automatic watches, which have higher water-resistance capabilities.
Do keep in mind, there is a fine difference between water-resistant and waterproof watches. Water-resistance watches have a solid build and are designed to not allow water in the body, but they too fail in some events or environments.
Case
The main part of any watch including automatic watches is its case. And the most important of the case is its build material. Automatic watches come in solid builds like stainless steel, aluminium or other metals. When you are buying a costly automatic watch, the only thing you need to remember is plastic or similar cheaper build should be avoided. They make a wrong impression on onlookers about the wearer.
The glass on top of the case also plays an important role in the durability of the watch. Scratch-resistant and solid mineral or acrylic glasses with high resistance are preferred.
The next important thing in an automatic watch is the size and shape of its case. Although most watches come in a circular shape, there are also square, oval, and irregular shaped automatic watches for men.
The probability of seeing a circular automatic watch is high. It comes from the fact that for formal and business occasions they are mostly preferred.
Similarly, automatic watches for men come in plenty of case sizes to meet the needs of men of varying wrist size. You might face a problem to find a larger assortment of automatic watches for extreme case sizes as a major portion of them have a size from 40mm to 46mm. We have specifically mentioned the case size which does not fall in this average category.
While choosing the case size, keep in mind it shouldn’t look either bulky or miniature on your wrist.
One final thing, check the bezel on the case perimeter. The bezel can have engraved minute or hour markers, tachymeter, or plain design. The movement of a bezel could be bidirectional (can move in both directions), unidirectional (can move in only one direction), or be static (no movement supported).
Dial Complexities
As discussed in the category section, the dials in automatic watches can have several complexities. In general, the larger the number of complexities, the more beautiful, functional and expensive is the watch. But, we do have to keep in mind the events or occasions where the watch will be worn and how useful they will be marking your unique presence.
Here are some common complexities which are available in consumer watches:
- Skeleton dial
- Day and date window
- Tachymeter on bezel
- A unique approach towards minute and hour marking
- Subdials for the stopwatch, day, date, 24hour time, secondary time zone and so forth.
Straps
Similar to the case, watch straps also come in several materials, size and design.
Let us first talk about strap materials. Most of the automatic watches for men have either genuine leather or stainless steel strap. But still, you can find watches with denim and nylon straps. As a common characteristic, genuine leather straps get more beautiful over time and are lightweight in comparison to metal straps.
In the design dimension, the leather straps are either plain or have block patterns. Leather straps have simple buckle clasp, whereas metal straps have a larger assortment. You can have a double locking clasp with push-button, invisible double locking clasp, fold-over clasp, and fold-over clasp with safety in metal watches.
Talking about the size, straps come in size from 18mm to 22mm. Both case and strap size will complement your personality. Therefore, you need to be cautious in selecting the size.
One final thing about straps and case, the material of their build decides the weight of the watch. Watches with full-metal build have a higher weight in comparison to metal case and leather strap built. A lightweight watch will not constantly remind you of its presence.
Power Reserve
All things mentioned till yet are common to both quartz and mechanical watches. But, the power reserve is specific to mechanical watches (and to automatic watches).
As mentioned in the introduction section, automatic watches get the power to run the watch from wearer natural hand motion. The wearer’s hand cannot be in motion all the time but the mechanism needs to receive the power all the time to tick the watch. Therefore, the power reserve of a watch comes into the picture.
As you might have guessed, the power reserve is the time an automatic watch can tick without any movement on the wearer’s wrist or in the wardrobe.
Generally, full wound automatic watches last for 36 to 46 hours. Of course, there are exceptions to watches which last for about 10 days.
If a watch has a power reserve out of this range, we have specifically mentioned in it the description of the watch.
You should not be surprised to find a power reserve indicator as an additional complexity on some of the dials. It eliminates speculations about how much power is left in the reserve.
Price
How we can forget the price you have to pay to purchase an automatic watch. As mentioned at the beginning of this in-depth guide, automatic watches come in a wide spectrum of the price range. You can get consumer automatic watches from Rs 10,000 to as high Rs 50,000. Watches above ₹50,000 come into the category of luxury watches and automatic watches dominate that category.
To make your buying process simpler, watches in this guide have been arranged in ascending order of their price.
But, the big question is how much should you pay for an automatic watch. And the simple answer is how much your pocket can afford. Each of the watches mentioned in this guide is worth each penny you spend on them. Similarly, any automatic watch you purchase should worth each penny you spend.
If you are purchasing a watch which costs you high, it should have higher accuracy and power reserve, a rich brand and model legacy, sophisticated complexity, exclusivity, and a story attached to it.
When you are purchasing a high-end brand watch, make sure it is not a counterfeit product.
Why are automatic watches expensive?
Yes, we agree, automatic watches are expensive in comparison to quartz watches.
The reason behind their higher price tag is the extensive and laborious production process deployed to make delicate parts.
But, what we can assure is that an excellent automatic watch for men pays off its price with exquisite looks and superior performance.
When you’re investing a handsome amount to get an automatic watch, another thing which you want to make is that it comes from a trusted source. Therefore, in this guide, we have featured automatic watches for men only from top brands. All these brands have a rich history for delivering excellent watches.
As a result, you do not have to worry about the quality of any of the watches highlighted in this guide. All you need to do is select an automatic watch which will be the best for your wrist in your budget.
The Automatic Watch Brands in India
Although we are not in the view that you should only pay for the brand name, still the image and history a brand carries tell a lot about you. Therefore, you should give a thought to the brand of the watch.
Here is an inclusive list of best automatic watch brands for men in India (consumer category):
- Seiko
- Fossil
- Timex
- Invicta
- Citizen
- Orient
- Emporio Armani
- Titan
All of these brands have a rich history in making superior quality automatic watches, which have been immensely loved by the people. When you purchase an automatic watch from any of these brands, you appreciate the art of horology.
How to take care of an automatic watch?
On receiving, after removing the plastic from the crown, make sure the watch doesn’t have any visible defects in movement, case, and strap. If it has any, capture a picture or video and ask for a replacement from the retailer. If not, register the watch on brands website to avail warranty in the future.
As mentioned before, automatic watches are a pure product of horology. They can be passed on to the next generation if taken care of well.
Most of the automatic watch brands suggest servicing an automatic watch once in 3-5 years. For more accurate information on service time, you can refer to the documentation sent with the watch.
We suggest getting an automatic watch serviced at the authorised retailer of the brand or from your trusted watchmaker.
If you are curious to know what happens in a servicing of an automatic watch, you can refer to this guide: Automatic Watch Servicing Information by Issac.
If you want to utilise the power reserve of an automatic to its highest potential, you have to manually wind the watch, if it gets fully unwound. FYI an automatic comes unwound, hence you need to wind it for the first time. Once winded, it will keep ticking with the natural motion of your hand.
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