Doomsayers predicted mechanical watches were as good as dead thirty years ago thanks to the so-called Quartz Revolution. Happily, it appears that reports of their demise were—like those of Mark Twain’s once falsely-reported death, “greatly exaggerated.” There is no better indicator of the strength of the mechanical watch industry than the plethora of interesting and attractive options in the entry-level price points. Few ever really expected a giant like Rolex or the legendary manufacture Patek Philippe to be put out of business by cheap battery-powered quartz watches. That is why the resurgence in popularity of the lower price watches is in many ways the real success story of the Swiss and worldwide mechanical watch industries. Let’s look at three exciting watches from Seven Friday, Xetum, and Lum-Tec, all available for less than $2000.
Lum-Tec 300M-1 Dive Watch
Lum-Tec is a new American start-up watch company that is putting out some amazing bang-for-buck watches. Our favorite is the 300M-1 diver. The watch features an automatic SII NH35, an OEM Seiko movement that Lum-Tec adjusts to six positions and guarantees for a lifetime of free adjustments — that’s simply unknown and unheard of for a watch anywhere close to this price range. Lum-Tec’s biggest claim to fame is its eight-layer luminous material that gives their watches incredible readability at night or in darkened room—like the movie theater. It is available in both 40mm and 45mm case versions, and is a bargain at around $900.
