As modern technology continues to improve, the price of a top-quality watch has been getting more and more affordable. As a result, a watch that would have been extremely expensive 50 years ago can now be purchased for as little as two or three hundred dollars!
Italian watch brands have always been at the forefront of the industry, producing some of the most elegant and well-designed watches on the market. There are numerous Italian watch brands to choose from but to help you get started on your search for a world-class watch that won’t break the bank, we’ve compiled a list of some of Italy’s best affordable watch brands.
Breil.
Creating elegant timepieces for both men and women, Breil has been in operation since the mid-1930s. The range of watches includes unisex styles as well as more masculine and feminine designs. The company also produces excellent jewelry, including rings, necklaces and earrings, but Breil is far better known for its collections of watches.
The B Reflex women’s watch is exquisitely designed and subtly feminine. What’s more, it’s priced at an amazingly affordable price. The stylish watch combines lovely concave and convex lines to create an overall feeling of fluidity and grace. For men, the Net watch combines sophistication with a timeless sporty look. Once again, the price tag is hard to believe. With a stainless steel casing and bracelet, the watch is water resistant to a depth of 100 meters and is suitable for an active modern lifestyle.
Out Of Order.
Out of Order is one of Italy’s leading watch brands that produces stylish and understated designs that are ideally suited for everyday wear. The brand was born in 2013 and over the last decade has really been making waves in the industry. With simple, practical features and high-quality craftsmanship, Out of Order watches are designed to be affordable for anyone on a budget.
Out of Order is one of Italy’s leading watch brands that produces stylish and understated designs that are ideally suited for everyday wear. The brand was born in 2013 and over the last decade has really been making waves in the industry. With simple, practical features and high-quality craftsmanship, Out of Order watches are designed to be affordable for anyone on a budget.
Despite the name, which might not sound like a good choice for a watch brand, the playful sense of humor is appreciated by its ever-growing customer base who know from experience that these sturdy watches are extremely reliable and made to last. One of the charming characteristics of the Out of Order brand is the patented ‘Damaged in Italy’ finish, which means that each watch is literally a one-off creation! This ‘Damage in Italy’ feature adds a final unique touch to each watch and further shows the playful sense of humor of the brand’s design team, led by the flamboyant Riccardo Torrisi.
One of the brand’s favorite collections is the Casanova line of watches. Inspired by the legendary Italian heartthrob, Casanova, the collection of watches incorporates bright colors into a sophisticated, yet understated, design. As well as the Casanova collection, Out of Order makes a wide range of watches in designs that are suitable for every taste and style.
Despite the name, which might not sound like a good choice for a watch brand, the playful sense of humor is appreciated by its ever-growing customer base who know from experience that these sturdy watches are extremely reliable and made to last. One of the charming characteristics of the Out of Order brand is the patented ‘Damaged in Italy’ finish, which means that each watch is literally a one-off creation! This ‘Damage in Italy’ feature adds a final unique touch to each watch and further shows the playful sense of humor of the brand’s design team, led by the flamboyant Riccardo Torrisi.
One of the brand’s favorite collections is the Casanova line of watches. Inspired by the legendary Italian heartthrob, Casanova, the collection of watches incorporates bright colors into a sophisticated, yet understated, design. As well as the Casanova collection, Out of Order makes a wide range of watches in designs that are suitable for every taste and style.
Venezianico.
Founded in Venice in 2017, Venezianico makes a fantastic range of fashionable watches that are very affordable, coming in at mid-range prices. Each watch is made by combining traditional manual techniques with modern machining to produce a perfectly hand-finished timepiece. These high-precision, low-maintenance watches are made using Swiss technologies which makes them extremely accurate and reliable.
One of the watches that best represents the craftsmanship and philosophy of the Veneziane brand is the Nereide GMT. The water-resistant watch is extremely tough and can withstand underwater pressures at depths of up to 200 meters, making it a good choice for diving and water sports. Of course, the timepiece is perfect for daily use and has a stainless steel casing, luminous markings on the hands and a bezel slide rule on the front.
U-Boat.
This much-loved Italian brand has been producing superb handcrafted watches and limited edition timepieces for almost 20 years. Each watch is designed by Italo Fontana, a master horologist, and exudes a sophisticated sense of confidence and charm. Based in Tuscany, the brand has even incorporated the name of its lead designer, Italo Fontana, into its brand to celebrate the passion and success of the genius behind the company’s ongoing success.
Some of the more iconic watches in the U-Boat collection are quite highly-priced but there’s also a good range of lower-cost models that are made using the same techniques as the more expensive models. For instance, the 44mm DarkMoon watch has a sleek modern design, a curved dial, a steel casing and white dials with black hands and indexes, and exudes every bit as much luxury as a more expensive model.
Orologi Calamai.
Orologi Calamai is a famous Florentine brand that specializes in making aviation-inspired watches. This is partly because the maverick CEO of the company is a passionate aerobatic pilot but it’s also because this ensures that the watches are tough and reliable enough to withstand even the most active lifestyle. I would consider them entry level luxury watches.
The debonair MC72 39mm watch has a beautiful leather strap and a finely-grained black dial. The automatic watch has an easy-to-read watch face and a very thin, but strong, casing. With a competitive mid-range price tag, the MC72 watch is ideal for daily wear as well as for pilots and extreme sports enthusiasts.
Gruppo Ardito.
Based in Alessandria, in Northern Italy, Gruppo Ardito is an internationally recognized Italian brand that is best known for its prestigious craftsmanship and innovative watch designs. Gruppo Ardito partners with a wide range of horological professionals to ensure absolute mechanical precision in every aspect of the engineering and manufacturing process. The brand also works with innovative designers who help to give its watches their easy-to-recognize appearance.
The NumeroUno collection of watches are nicknamed ‘Ardito military watches’ and are super tough with a sturdy design. The stand-out bronze outer casing gives the watch a truly unique appearance that is finished with refined details such as a sapphire crystal watch front, a simple face with Roman numeral indicators and a robust, hand-made leather strap.
Time For Planet.
Time For Planet, or TFP for short, is a Tuscan watch company that is dedicated to creating sustainable luxury watches at very competitive prices. Every watch is made to technical perfection and there are lots of elegant designs that are ideal for everyday wear. The Time For Planet brand takes its responsibilities to the well-being of the planet very seriously and has an ambitious CO2 offset program in place to reduce the environmental impact of its production facilities.
The Windrose-Steel Ivory watch is a remarkable creation that has a steel or ceramic fixed ring bezel, and 3 hands on the watch face in a 42.5mm steel casing. The watch face is protected by double domed sapphire crystal glass and the watch operates using the very finest Swiss mechanisms. The watch is water resistant up to depths of 200 meters and the Italian leather watch strap completes the overall look of this fantastic watch.
CT Scuderia.
CT Scuderia is a legendary Italian brand that creates a wide range of watches that draw inspiration from the world of classic motorsports. The watches are bold and classy with an ultra-sporty feel, sometimes incorporating features such as chronographs and tachymeter scales in the design. Founded by Enrico Margaritelli, a third generation watchmaker, the family-run business continues to evolve with the times without losing the flashy elegance of the bygone world of Italian motor racing.
Capturing the life and spirit of the 1960s Gran Turismo, the dapper Coda Corta watch has a three-handed face that is safely housed in a stainless steel case with a classic dark brown leather strap. With a polished case finish and water resistance to a depth of 100 meters, the Coda Corta is a great choice for the modern gentleman who loves the adventure and romance of the epic Gran Turismo motor racing circuit.
Officina Del Tempo.
Made in Italy, Officina del Tempo creates a lovely selection of modern and stylish timepieces. Since its founding in 2000, the company has enjoyed a meteoric rise in success and now retails from over 100 stores throughout Italy. The watches are made using only the finest materials, including stainless steel casings, leather straps and sapphire crystal coverings for the watch faces.
The Wall Street collection is made up of ultra-elegant watches that can be worn for smart, formal occasions as well as for everyday use and the office. With stainless steel casings, Italian leather straps and a smart, understated watch face, you’ll exude the moneyed confidence of a top financial trader. There’s a nice selection of colors to choose from, with subtle variations on the basic Wall Street collection’s design, so you’re bound to find something that perfectly matches your suit.
Brega.
Priding itself on creating genuinely affordable luxury, Brega has been a leading Italian watchmaker since 1881. In fact, Brega was the very first company to produce a waterproof wristwatch! The collections are wide ranging and suitable for all occasions, and even include features such as barometers, thermometers, compasses and more. As well as unparalleled functionality, Brega also crafts simpler watches that are suitable for day-to-day wear.
For instance, the Renaissance watch is available in a number of variants, all of which maintain its classic look. With an extremely competitive price tag, the Brega Renaissance watch is the perfect choice for the modern gentleman. It incorporates a scratch-resistant synthetic sapphire face cover and has useful luminous markers and dials on the watch face. The watch is completely waterproof up to a depth of 300 meters and is just as suitable for extreme water sports as a day at the office.
Visconti.
Headquartered in Florence, Visconti was founded in 1988 by Luigi Poli and Dante del Vecchio. Although Visconti started as a luxury pen maker, it soon branched out to produce high-end luxury watches that are as stylish and elegant as they are timeless in their appeal. Crafted and assembled by master watchmakers, all of Visconti’s watches use high performance inner mechanisms and the best materials in every stage of production.
One of Vicsonti’s finest Italian-styled watches is the Roma 60’s Chrono. This elegant watch has a sporty feel without sacrificing the sophistication that the brand is famed for. The watch has a brown leather strap, a beige face and three luminous hands, giving it a genuine Roman aesthetic that will stand the test of time. While the price tag might seem a little steep at first glance, this superb watch is more than just a timepiece – in fact, the Roma 60’s Chrono would make a fantastic family heirloom.
Zannetti.
Founded in 1982 by Riccardo Zannetti, this a la mode watch brand is based in Rome and creates a wonderful range of truly unusual watch designs. From brightly colored faces with incredibly intricate design details to understated models with plain colored faces and dark leather straps, the spectrum of watches is truly something to behold. In the company’s early days, it mainly created made-to-order watches, today it has built up a huge customer base with its ready-to-wear collections.
One of the brand’s most popular selections of watches is the Gladiator collection. It has a bold design and a casing that’s either made of gold or stainless steel. The collection includes a massive range of different face colors and variations on the basic design features. The watch has a modern feel and is simply bursting with confidence and energy.
Affordable Watches To Suit Every Taste.
Italy boasts a great selection of affordable watch brands that range from sporty, motorsports-inspired collections to more traditional and sophisticated designs. This means that even if you’ve got a fairly tight budget you can still find a superb watch that will last you a lifetime. With the perfect combination of affordability, luxury and high-quality craftsmanship, Italian watch brands reflect the very best of Italian excellence.
