Originally posted by: DonVito
There are many wonderful choices in that price range. Although you say you aren't interested in Seikos, Seiko is one of the few manufacturers who can provide a nice in-house automatic movement in that price range. The new
Seiko Spirits are a wonderful value at less than $300 - they are also available with leather straps and light-colored faces if that's your preference - see
this one for example.
I also really like Hamilton watches for the money - they are powered by the same Swiss ETA movements used in Heuers and many costlier watches, and they make some lovely, understated designs. I recently bought my dad a
Hamilton King Khaki, which is a nice dress watch for less than $400.
If you are willing to look at the higher end of your price range, you can get into a wide array of nice watches, including used Tudors, quartz Omegas, or literally dozens of other choices.