What’s the perfect watch? The one you’re wearing. And which one is that? The one you can afford.

It’s simple reasoning, but bears repeating in the watch world, where we are so often obsessed with the most pristine, gold-laden, house-costing timepieces. Yes, watches can be luxury goods, and those luxury goods are beautiful. But a watch can also just be the thing you wear on your wrist that tells the time and costs, well, not as much as a house. And — quote us on this — that affordable watch can still be amazing.

A watch that costs less than a week’s paycheck — sometimes much less — well, there’s no need to regret buying that. For one, you can afford it. Also, some of the best watchmaking companies on the planet make affordable watches; they make those watches well, and with cool features, and lots of interesting history, and plenty of dashing, interesting, and unique style choices.

(A side note: among our list of the best affordable watches, you’ll find repeated brands. This is why: a handful of brands make a bunch of the best affordable watches. You can always rely on the Seikos and Citizens of the world to deliver incredible value.) Plus, there’s this: an affordable watch doesn’t have to meet every single one of your watch needs. Because you can afford to buy a different one, too.

And there you have it: affordable watches have the power to turn more people into watch nerds than haute horlogerie. Trust us: any one of these sub-$500 watches is going to make you feel good when you buy it, and feel even better when you use it. Because they’re not cheap or chintzy. They do what you need, for less, and shouldn’t you be saving to send your kid to college, anyway?