The Best American Watch Brands for Every Budget

For a nation that once had a thriving watch industry and still, to this day, boasts one of the highest concentrations of wealthy watch collectors outside of the Middle East, great American brands aren’t always easy to call to mind. There are plenty, of course, but the idea of “American” watchmaking and what it means is a bit hazier than it once was in the heyday of brands like Hamilton, Waltham, and Elgin.

Still, it wasn’t too difficult to choose my picks for the Best American Brands for Every Budget...

There aren’t really any American brands that come close to the prominence and relevance of Timex at this price point. These classic American watches are unbeatable value. The name is recognised. Some of the brand’s models have cult status (such as the digital Ironman watch). And would-be collaborators are falling over themselves to work with them. Keith Haring. Seconde/Seconde/. Even Fortnite. Basically, there’s something (and something cheap) for everyone here. 

I considered putting Hamilton in this slot because it is, of course, the most famous and established watch brand to have been founded in America, but, in all honesty, ever since the Swatch Group consumed it and moved operations over to Switzerland, it’s crept further and further away from its roots.

That’s why I’ve handed this spot to dog-loving brand Oak & Oscar who not only have a transparently communicated origin story (founder Chase Fancher left a corporate job for a better work/life balance and chose to fill his time making watches), but the product itself has garnered a hugely passionate following. 

Honestly, if you’d forced me to choose just one American brand, Toledano & Chan would’ve only had Josh Shapiro to fend off for my out-and-out pick. While Shapiro clearly has the edge on horological credibility and artisanal skill, Toledano & Chan wins the design dust-up and relevance race with ease.

What friends Phillip Toledano and Alfred Chan have done is create a watch that looks like nothing else. It is truly original and unique. From an artistic vision perspective, it’s just about the best-realised concept I can call to mind. London-born Toledano (otherwise known as the infamous Bastardo of fashion brand and podcast Viva Bastardo), is a professional photographer and artist based in New York. Chan, meanwhile, is a watch designer based in Hong Kong.

I’ve classified the brand as American rather than British or Hongkongese because a) Phil lives there, b) the watch itself was inspired by the brutalist architecture of NYC, and c) America needs this. For such a big and important country, the amount of true novelty and design coming out of the States in comparison to somewhere like Great Britain is notable for its scarcity.

You may object to me calling the brand American when, in truth, it’s really more international than anything, but I wasn’t going to miss the chance to include the brand I find more exciting than any other brand right now when I knew I had an outside chance of it being accepted.

Is this watch a strap monster? No, far from it. In fact, so awkward is the case shape, it would be far to ask whether it would work on a strap at all. However, the answer is yes. For reference, I would point you towards the brand's Instagram page and check out the post from October 2^nd , 2024, showing a unique piece with a full-meteorite case version mounted on a distressed grey ostrich strap. It’s heavenly.

Thus far, the only model T&C has put out onto the open market retailed at £3,135, but the brand will stretch itself in new directions with interesting materials and finishes paired in ways no one saw coming.

And so, I’m saying this now to give you a heads-up: you’re gonna wanna start saving, man. 

This brand makes it onto the list for one reason and one reason alone: the POLO Ralph Lauren Vintage 67, a watch that remains one of the most satisfyingly surprising I’ve seen over my 22-year career. There are one or two other decent watches from POLO Ralph Lauren (the Stirrup collection is cool, and the burl wood bezel chronographs are, while an acquired taste, the most “Aspen” thing you can buy), but the Vintage 67 is in another league.

If you like over-engineered, ultra-lightweight horological fever dreams, Wilbur watches may be for you. Founded by founder and former owner of Devon Tread watches (remember them?) Jason Wilbur has brought his love of mechanics to a new project that will surely surprise you if you get the chance to see any of these unapologetically wild pieces in the metal.

Why? Although they look unwieldy off the wrist, their ergonomic construction and smart material choices (with an abundance of titanium, sapphire, and rubber for the extremely cool band) mean they wear incredibly well. They are comfortable and nowhere near as prominent on the wrist as you might expect. If you get the chance to see them in real life, do it. You might be as impressed as I was. 

We recently welcomed brand founder Karel Bachand on The Real Time Show podcast for a wide-ranging chat about his background and mission with Barrelhand. If the watch industry needs more philosophers, Karel is certainly doing his part to raise the intellectual standard of our field, and it is refreshing to listen to and observe. His 3D printed concept is wild and the initial Project One (the only finished model) came in at $30,000. His second release, the Monolith, will be much more affordable, which is great for broadening this already beloved brand’s appeal.

However, if you want on those ten original pieces, you’re going to have to stretch those pockets. 

If we polled the industry and its fans for the greatest modern American brand, I’m confident that J. N. Shapiro watches (and the brand’s humble and self-effacing founder Josh Shapiro), would come out on top at a canter.

This small independent is entirely focused on the fading handcraft that is guilloché. While a recent resurgence of interest in this decorative technique has certainly replenished the talent pool, it is still an artisanal skill under threat of extinction due to years and years of neglect.

But the thing that makes Josh’s watches special isn’t just the amount of time, energy, and passion he pours into them; it’s also their tight design language that presents the guilloché work in the best light, never allowing it to overawe the wrist and look garish or passé as it can in less deftly handled executions.

For watch lovers, having a brand like J. N. Shapiro and a leader like Josh is a thrill. More of the same, please, America. We salute you!