10 Great Watches for Under $300

Jacques Cousteau and Albert Falco

“A decent man must have a decent watch.” So said Albert Falco to his watch-less companion just before legendary ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau gifted him his personal dive watch (a DOXA Sub) in preparation for their deep-sea dive.   

I’ll back that up with the number of times I’ve made friends with strangers who complemented me on the “Stauer 1916 Flyboy” watch my grandfather gave me on my 19th birthday. While the exact watch I have was discontinued (pictured below), it looks expensive and the updated model is secretly priced at around $200. It has a beautiful rose gold face and can do all sorts of archaic aeronautical things, which comes in handy for that inevitable moment when I’m caught in an aerial dogfight with proto-Nazis. 

But what’s a man who wants a good watch but doesn’t have a benevolent grandfather, Jacques Cousteau, or thousands of dollars to do?

Check out this list of 10 Great Sub $300 Watches from Primer Magazine.