The Best Japanese Watch Brands for Every Budget in 2025

Let’s face it—when it comes to watches, the Japanese know what they’re doing. Whether you’re just getting started with your first timepiece or you’re deep into the rabbit hole of collecting, there’s a Japanese brand out there that’s perfect for you. From fun, wallet-friendly options to serious, jaw-dropping craftsmanship, this list has something for everyone. So, grab a coffee, sit back, and let’s take a stroll through some of the best Japanese watch brands for every budget.

It may be the obvious choice, but it's the obvious choice for a reason. A lot of the reason so many of us love collecting and obsessing over watches is because of the community that exists because of the hobby. Many of us have made lifelong friends with like-minded people through the pursuit and finding your tribe can be just as exhilarating as strapping on any new purchase, no matter how satisfying you think owning the thing you desire will be in isolation.

There are few as fervent and widely understood gangs in watchmaking as the Casio clique. So many of us, no matter the horological heights to which our collections have since ascended, cut our teeth on Casios and still hold them in high regard that you’d be hard-pressed to find a broader church within watchmaking.

Here, you will find those just starting out, scraping together money from their paper round to buy their first limited edition Dragon Ball Z G-Shock and owners of models such as the new MB&F LM Longhorn Perpetual Calendar and LM Sequential Flyback Chronographs that debuted on January 14th to celebrate 20 years since the brand’s foundation. And the best bit is that those in the latter camp will likely still think your DBZ watch is cool! Don’t be surprised if you run into just such a high-rolling collector at your next RedBar meet-up and they insist on slipping off their bank-account-annihilating treasure and swapping it (temporarily) with your plastic fantastic to get a feel for it on their own wrist. That’s what this passion is about, and for even less than £100 you can be part of it.

In the same vein as Casio, the affordability and variety of Seiko watches have seen this Japanese stalwart become one of the go-to buys for new collectors looking to upgrade from the Lorus their grandmother bought them for their 12th birthday when they started secondary school to something more serious, as well as the brand still appealing to more seasoned hoarders looking to scratch the “new purchase” itch by which most of us have been afflicted at one point or another.

There’s a huge spectrum of Seiko watches, with some very affordable, two-figure pieces and some stretching into the thousands, even knocking on the door of the brand’s big brother Grand Seiko. Simply put, there’s something for everyone, but they all share the same name on the dial. No experienced collector who wants to encourage the next generation to tumble down the watchmaking rabbit hole would turn up their nose at any piece from this Japanese juggernaut when seen on the wrist of a neophyte watch buyer, so have confidence in putting your cash in this brand and wearing it proudly, no matter your audience.

This brand is the entry-level imprint of Hajime Asaoka who will feature later on this list for his his extremely high-end hand work.

The good thing about Kurono Tokyo is that you get handsome watches at reasonable prices that don’t simply look like knock-off versions of Asaoka’s regular fare. This is an attempt to use one’s contacts more than one’s aesthetics to build a different brand at an entirely different price point.

The downside? Good luck getting one! All of the classic series (which, in my opinion, is the best thing you can buy from Kurono Tokyo) is sold out and will likely continue to sell out rapidly every time a new model is dropped.

Keep your eyes peeled and ear to the ground, though. The brand has been known to experiment with its allocation strategy before (often unpopularly), but you never know: next time around, Kurono’s willingness to mess with the norms might favour you.

The recent (surprise?) winner of the hotly contested GPHG Challenge category is flying high. Otsuka Lotek has long been on the radar of the most fervent fans of indie watchmaking (who I’m sure will now be boring their watch friends with an endless chant of, “We knew about them before they were famous”. However, this win has catapulted the quirky Japanese maker into the limelight.

With creative, original, steampunk-ish displays, these watches offer bundles of character at a bargain price thanks to the affordable Miyota base calibre upon which all that lovely dial work is built.

My feeling? Otsuka Lotek will not be at this price point for long. If you like the aesthetic, I wouldn’t dilly or dally. The time to buy is now.

For me, Minase’s offering begins and ends with the Minase Divido. The Divido is one of the industry’s best-kept secrets. It has truly peerless case finishing, an incredible floating dial, and a bracelet with multi-component links that will blow your mind.

In recent years, the dial finish options have expanded to include several other traditional Japanese aesthetic techniques, but the original “brushed copper” finish in purple is still tough to beat. The Divido Shibo Urushi models are pretty striking, and the Maki line is full of muted masterpieces, but, for me, the real joy of this model is the industrial precision of the case and its many facets and how it interacts with the organic, artisanal beauty of the hovering display within.

One of the big dogs of Japanese watchmaking occupies a price bracket on this list that might be a little unfair to it, given many excellent examples of GS can be had for under 5K. However, for the more advanced gear, a healthy budget in the low five figures might be necessary. If none of the higher-end pieces takes you fancy, feel free to blow your savings on two or three cheaper examples of mainstream Japanese watchmaking at its finest. I’m sure they won’t complain.

P.S. Don’t sleep on the quartz models from Grand Seiko: the finishing is flawless and the satisfaction of having such a well-made item on your wrist, knowing it keeps time to within a matter of seconds per month is not to be underestimated.

For me, Naoya Hida is Japan’s finest brand right now. The maker’s “entry-level” piece, the NAOYA HIDA & Co. NH TYPE 4A retails for just over £15K and I think it’s money well spent. It also happens that the NH TYPE 4A is vying with the NH TYPE 3B moon phase for the title of “My favourite watch from this brand”, which only commands a 2K premium (coming in a shade under £17,000).

The main challenge here (aside from amassing the necessary funds to buy one), is to make it to the front of the queue! These watches are (rightly) sought-after and stock is replenished sparingly throughout the year. If you decide this is the way for you to go, be prepared to be patient. It will be worth it, but it might take a huge amount of resolve not to give in to frustration and buy something else (or all the Casios — that’s always an option, of course).