10 Iconic Watches You Can Actually Afford
From the €20 Casio F-91W to the Bulova worn on the Moon: ten iconic watches, one from each brand, all under €700.
An iconic watch doesn't need to cost the price of a car. Some have changed the history of watchmaking, or that of their owners, for less than €500. They invented a style, accompanied divers, soldiers or astronauts, or sold tens of millions of copies.
Here are ten iconic watches that you can really afford, one per brand, from €20 to less than €700. Outpost does not sell them, but when a watch in our catalog shares their spirit, we indicate it.
Casio F-91W
Released in 1989 and never modified since, the F-91W is one of the most widespread watches on the planet. Chrono, alarm, backlight, a battery that lasts for years: everything you need for the price of a lunch. It has become a symbol, from schoolyards to movie sets.
- Design unchanged since 1989
- Chrono, alarm, light
- The entry price of any collection
Casio G-Shock DW-5600
Engineer Kikuo Ibe wanted a watch that would survive a 10-meter fall, water-resistant to 10 bar, with a 10-year battery. The first square G-Shock came out in 1983. Its direct descendant, the DW-5600, keeps the same shape and remains one of the most worn field watches in the world.
- "Triple 10" challenge: 10 m fall, 10 bar, 10-year battery
- Resists shocks, water-resistant to 200 m
- Square shape unchanged since 1983
In the same spirit at Outpost
Timex Q Reissue
The Timex Q of 1979 was one of the first quartz watches from Timex. Its reissue takes everything: the two-tone bezel, the woven bracelet and even the battery cover on the back. The look of a luxury diver from the 70s, for a fraction of the price.
- Faithful reissue of the 1979 model
- Two-tone diver-style bezel
- Battery cover accessible on the back
Timex Ironman
Launched for the Hawaii triathlon, the Ironman became the ultimate digital sports watch: large buttons, lap chrono, time memory. Its Indiglo backlight, added in the early 90s, illuminates the entire dial with a blue glow.
- Born for the Ironman triathlon
- Lap chrono and memory
- Indiglo lighting of the entire dial
Seiko Prospex « Turtle »
Its cushion case, rounded like a shell, earns it the nickname of « turtle ». The 6309 of 1976 accompanied divers around the world, and its Prospex reissue keeps the recipe: automatic, water-resistant to 200 m, very readable. For many, it is the best automatic diver at this price.
- Cushion case, hence the nickname « Turtle »
- Automatic, water-resistant 200 m
- Reissue of the 1976 6309 model
In the same spirit at Outpost
Citizen Promaster Diver « Fugu »
Enthusiasts call it « Fugu », the pufferfish, because of its domed case and its serrated bezel. In the lineage of the automatic divers that Citizen launched in 1989, it has become a reference among collectors for its robustness and its price.
- Nicknamed « Fugu », the pufferfish
- Automatic, water-resistant 200 m
- Lineage of the 1989 Citizen divers
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical
Hamilton supplied the American army during World War II, and the Khaki Field takes up its design: black dial, readable numbers, nothing superfluous. The Mechanical version is hand-wound, with 80 hours of power reserve. It is the reference field watch.
- Heir to the American army watches
- Manual winding, 80 h power reserve
- Readability above all
In the same spirit at Outpost
Laco Augsburg (Flieger)
The German aviator watch, with its triangle at 12 h and its double-graduation « B-Muster » dial, is one of the most copied designs in watchmaking. Laco was part of the five manufacturers of these observation watches in the 40s, and still produces them, in Pforzheim.
- B-Muster dial, triangle at 12 h
- Laco, one of the five original manufacturers
- Large crown for gloves
Bulova Lunar Pilot
During Apollo 15, in 1971, astronaut Dave Scott loses the glass of his official watch and finishes his lunar walk with his personal Bulova chronograph. The Lunar Pilot is its reissue, with a very precise high-frequency quartz.
- Worn on the Moon during Apollo 15
- High-frequency quartz
- Reissue of the 1971 chronograph
Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch
In 2022, Swatch and Omega launch a Speedmaster in colored bioceramic, quartz, for a fraction of the price of the original. The lines in front of the stores have gone around the world. It is the most affordable way to wear the design of the « Moonwatch ».
- The design of the Speedmaster, in bioceramic
- One color per planet
- Global lines at its launch
How to choose your first iconic watch
Quartz or automatic? Quartz (F-91W, G-Shock, Timex, Bulova, MoonSwatch) is precise and maintenance-free. Automatic (Seiko, Citizen, Laco) or manual winding (Hamilton) offer the pleasure of a living mechanism, at the price of a revision every five to ten years.
For the field. The G-Shock, the Seiko Turtle and the Hamilton Khaki Field are the most robust on the list. For an even more resistant service watch, see our tactical watch guide.
The prices indicated are prices observed in France in 2025 and 2026. They vary according to the models, the colors and the retailers.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cheapest iconic watch?
- The Casio F-91W, around €20, still manufactured since 1989.
- What iconic watch for the field at a low price?
- The Casio G-Shock DW-5600, around €100: shock resistant and water-resistant to 200 m.
- Is there an affordable Speedmaster?
- The MoonSwatch takes up its design in bioceramic and quartz, for less than €300.