The increasing trend of vintage watch has been noticed all over the industry, and some of the brands respond. In a world where the new and the advanced have become dominant, they still hold their place in the modern market strongly by always positioning their timepieces militarily and historically inspired. Not that I don’t have any interest for the modern ones, I’m seduced by the vintage vibe and the time-travelling feeling that these watches bring me.
If you are a vintage watch lover like I proudly am, you must have heard of those come from German brands. I don’t dare to claim myself as an expert but I do have some experience on my sleeves that I would like to share down below. Here is my list of the best German watches under $500. I hope those who have the same passion can enrich it by your own thought and experience, and those who are new to this will find it a helpful guide to choose a watch that best fits your needs.
Best Bauhaus Watches
Junkers Bauhaus – 6070-5
Pros:
- Domed hesalite crystal for a vintage vibe
- Accurate movement
- Classy vintage design
Cons:
- Hesalite crystal is not scratch resistant
Specifications
| Case Diameter | 40 mm |
| Bandwidth | 20 mm |
| Glass | Hesalite crystal |
| Movement | Swiss Ronda 515 Quartz |
| Water Resistance | 330 ft |
The first thing I noticed when I acquired my grail watch was that the size is a bit small for my wrist. It will not be a problem for those with a thin wrist though. But after trying it on, it did not look disproportionate after all since the dial is 99% of the face. It actually looks bigger than it seems.
The raised and domed hesalite crystal is the thing that impressed me the most about this watch. It is not on par with some other materials in terms of clearness and scratch-resistance but possesses the distortion and optical cloudiness that give it a classic vintage look. The hesalite crystal also adds a nice depth to the watch’s face that not many timepieces can keep up with.
As a fan of inscribed back, I was thrilled to see that of the Junkers Bauhaus – Ref. 6070-5. Not a big plus, just my personal preference.
The Swiss Ronda 515 Quartz is another worth-mentioning feature of this time piece. This movement is not only accurate but also reliable in day to day time keeping.
The very soft dark brown leather band is another nice reminiscence of the classic pilot watch straps, which considerably enhance the vintage look of this timepiece.
This one is an ideal choice for those who can put up with a little inconvenient to have a true retro watch.
Junkers Bauhaus – 6086-2
Pros:
- Legible dial
- Stopwatch functions
- Classy vintage design
Cons:
- The crystal can be scratched more easily than other materials
Specifications
| Case Diameter | 40 mm |
| Bandwidth | 20 mm |
| Glass | Hesalite crystal |
| Movement | Swiss Ronda 5030.D Quartz Chronograph |
| Water Resistance | 330 ft |
Bauhaus minimalist style is once again visible in the Junkers Bauhaus 6086-2. The idea of a legible dial with a great contrast between the dial’s color and that of the hand is applied seamlessly to this model. Black and white is the classic pair that promotes this contrast and Junker has used it to create this simple looking timepiece. The well-lumed hands also contribute to the legibility of the Junkers Bauhaus 6086-2. The hesalite crystal, again, adds the vintage vibe to this watch.
The Swiss Ronda 5030.D quartz chronograph movement for stopwatch functions, a nice plus that come with a simple-looking time piece. No matter how minimalistic this watch may seem, it doesn’t lack useful features.
The only downside that I can find in this watch is from its hesalite crystal. While it’s an essential feature for a vintage look, it can be scratched more easily than other materials. I have no problem with this though. I cherish the vintage vibe more than the scratch-resistance. By the way, hesalite crystal is very easy to polish, you can even do it at home with minor scratches.
Like the Junker Bauhaus above, if you can ignore some of its minor downsides, it’s worth every penny.
Laco Valencia 861651
Pros:
- Legible dial
- Easy-to-grip crown
- Durable sapphire crystal
Cons:
- The face watch can glow too much sometimes.
- Water resistance is not as high as other watches on the list
Specifications
| Case Diameter | 42 mm |
| Bandwidth | 20 mm |
| Glass | Scratch-Resistant Sapphire |
| Movement | Laco 21 Automatic |
| Water Resistance | 160 ft |
From a brand that has stuck with the design since the infamous era, you can never go wrong with this Laco Valencia. An off-white dial with black hands and black hour markers, and in a matte finish case really reflects its purpose: classic minimalism. The time piece features a quick-set date window at 6:00 on the dial and an easy-to-grip crown for quick time adjustment.
All the watch face is treated with Superluminova C3 for excellent night-time visibility. The large sword-shape hands make reading time a lot easier. The off-white dial with black Arabic numerals emphasize the Bauhaus style of this watch.
For those who adorn exhibition casebacks and are blown away by the technical aspects of a fine mechanical movement, this watch has exactly what you look for. With this Laco Velencia, you can take a look at the inner working of the watch anytime you want.
While other lume their numbers and hands, this one from Laco has a full-lume dial so you will have excellent readability and a handsome watch to look at in the dark.
The sapphire crystal and the auto movement Laco 21 are decidedly modern. Although it doesn’t use the hesalite crystal that has the vintage optical cloudiness, the sapphire one is the least prone to shatter or be scratched. Who says you cannot have benefits of modern technology when wearing a retro watch?
I don’t have much to say about this watch because it’s almost flawless. Some people might complain about the brightness of the face or the color of the face, but those are personal opinion though. There is only one thing that bothers me. It’s the fact that this watch can only be water-resistant up to 160 ft. It’s still a star of this best German watches under $500 list.
Money paid to get this watch is money well spent, an almost cons-free watch.
Best German Pilot Watches
Laco Aachen 861690
Pros:
- Legible dial
- Easy-to-grip crown
- Durable strap
- Classic pilot watch design from World War II
Cons:
- Strap lacks craftsmanship
- The movement can be loud sometimes.
- Water resistance level is low
Specifications
| Case Diameter | 42 mm |
| Bandwidth | 20 mm |
| Glass | Synthetic sapphire |
| Movement | Laco 21 Automatic (self-winding) |
| Water Resistance | 160 ft |
Laco has been serious in recreating images of the 1940s. The Laco Aachen Men’s watches 861690 takes its cues from the brand’s pilot watches that were the indispensable tool in the cockpit.
The original Luftwaffe watches’ influence on this watch is visible in the way the dial is slightly grey-black, the greenish hue of the indices and hands due to superluminova C3 paint. Some people might dislike these features but they never fail to remind me of the 1940s so they are fine to me. The Laco Aachen 861690’s hands don’t take the blue border of the original Beobachtungsuhren watches, instead, they employ black, which gives a more crisp glow at night.
The Laco Aachen 861690 doesn’t use the onion crown either. This design is convenient to grip with a gloved hand, which is a bit irrelevant for today’s everyday use. This is where Laco has to sacrifice some vintage features to modern comfort because a dome shape crown is obviously more suitable to use with bare hands.
This modern detail is compensated by thick a brown double-riveted leather strap. I don’t like this strap much because of its lack of craftsmanship, but it reminds me of the Flieger watch style so much that I decided to look over this downside. If you are not a fan of the strap, feel free the replace it with something else.
If you find the name Laco 21 movement is a bit strange, it is just a stock Miyota 8215 movement with Laco’s rotor and this is a common practice either. This movement has one disadvantage though. It winds up more slowly and sometimes can run loudly. The watch’s water resistance level is nothing to write home about either.
If you don’t intend to bring along for diving, it’s can get along well with almost anyone with an eye for vintage watches.
Laco Augsburg Type A Dial 861688
Pros:
- Legible dial
- Well-lumed numbers and hands
- Classic pilot watch design from World War II
Cons:
- Strap lacks craftsmanship
Specifications
| Case Diameter | 42 mm |
| Bandwidth | 20 mm |
| Glass | Synthetic sapphire |
| Movement | Laco 21 Automatic (self-winding) |
| Water Resistance | 160 ft |
Another product from Laco pilot watch’s line. If the Laco Aachen has a striking minimalized appearance, the Laco Augsburg Type A is even more so. The dial on Augsburg is very minimalistic and unadorned. These features were to facilitate easy and quick read for pilots so minimalistic design is actually the Type-A Flieger’s attraction.
Laco makes use of Superluminova C3, which adds a nice bright to the watch and makes it easier for reading in the dark. While its predecessor, the Flieger watches, only have every other number lumed, this new Laco has lume on every single number. This may not be an improvement as seen by some purists but I personally prefer it because I like the symmetrical design that this feature brings.
Other details like the crown, the movement, and the strap are similar to those of the Laco Aachen.
This one shares many key features with the watch above but if you prefer a more simple watch, this is a better choice.
Junkers G38 6946-5
Pros:
- Legible dial
- Well-lumed numbers and hands
- Dual-time functions
- Domed crystal
- Very attractive dial design
Cons:
- Can have much glare and reflections
Specifications
| Case Diameter | 42 mm |
| Bandwidth | 22 mm |
| Glass | Mineral crystal |
| Movement | Analog quartz |
| Water Resistance | 330 ft |
The Junkers G38 6946-5 is made in the memory of the Junker G38 plane, the largest land plane of its time and a masterpiece designed by Hugo Junker. With the G38 6946-5, you are not only wearing a watch, you are having a piece of history on your wrist.
Being a pilot can sometimes mean crossing borders so dual-time, in this case, is of utmost importance, especially for long-haul flights. No matter how complicated this term may sound, on this watch, it’s simply an extra hand with red tip, probably for easy and quick recognition.
It shares one feature with the Laco Type A, which is the fact that all numbers are lumed. And I have already explained how much I adorn this detail.
The Junkers G38 6946-5 features a domed mineral crystal, and for a classic pilot watch, this is a quintessential detail. Why? Because dome crystal will always have some glare and reflections but these will never obscure the dial, while the flat one will be either unreadable or perfectly clear, depending on your viewing angle. Pilots require quick time reading more often than infantries and don’t need to engage in face-to-face combats much, so they would rather put up with a bit of glare to always see the dial.
For everyday use, the reflections can bother some people. For those with enough passion for vintage pilot watches to ignore the glare and reflections. This is a good pick.
Best German Field Watches
Arctos is a brand which has a legacy that runs deep and is woven into the world’s military history. In 1982, Arctos was the chief supplier for pilots and submarine commanders of the German army. Later, GPW’s watches became the standard equipment of NATO and the German Armed Forces. With this much history, experience, and recognition, you can never go wrong with a GPW by Arctos when it comes to the military timepiece.
GPW GMT Titanium
Pros:
- Legible dial
- Well-lumed numbers and hands
- Dual-time functions
- Anti-reflective sapphire
- Titanium case
Cons:
- The rugged appearance may not be to everyone liking
Specifications
| Case Diameter | 42 mm |
| Bandwidth | 22 mm |
| Glass | Anti-reflective sapphire |
| Movement | Swiss quartz |
| Water Resistance | 660 ft |
The German Military Titanium Watch takes its inspiration from the timepieces made for the Infantryman of the Future and German KRK. It was designed by some folks from this very unit.
This watch is filled with standard features for the German army: strong sapphire scrystal, Military Time (second-time zone) and the German Utilitarian Dial Design. This style reflects what German design is known for: no-nonsense and clean aesthetics that gives you the feeling that it was purposely mapped out so that you can quickly find what you’re looking for.
The fact that this watch is multi-purposed, which means it can be used for both maritime and aviation purposes, gives it an edge over other watches on this list. The bezel doesn’t have traditional dive markers but rather shows hours from one to twelve. While I guess this bezel can still be useful for countdown purposes and the timepiece possesses reliable water resistance, I question its functionality as a dive watch, because a real diver’s watch needs more than just water resistance. Maritime activities are okay, but deep scuba dive is another thing.
As a military use product, the crystal was sapphire with a coating to avoid reflection. This combination is so durable that it almost scratch-free. The case is made from sandblasted grade 2 titanium, which is specifically used for industrial marine and aviation so that you can expect the watch to come out of hostile environments intact.
The hands and hour markers are lumed to support readability. The case is of classic style that can be found in many military products and employs titanium, making this time piece surprisingly lightweight.
A plus detail is that this watch can be water resistant up to 660 ft, higher than other products on this list. The problem lies in its very design. The rugged appearance can be appealing to some tastes, but if you are not a fan, it can be an obstacle.
Overall, military watch enthusiasts, this is the watch for you.
GPW Titanium Field Watch
Pros:
- Legible dial
- Anti-reflective sapphire
- Formal and versatile design
Cons:
- The rugged appearance may not into everybody’s liking
Specifications
| Case Diameter | 42.5 mm |
| Bandwidth | 22 mm |
| Glass | Sapphire crystal |
| Movement | Automatic self-wind |
| Water Resistance | 660 ft |
This watch and the above share some distinct features like the titanium case, highly durable sapphire crystal, and the minimalized design of the German military style. There is one difference though. This field watch actually takes away some details, for example, the dual-time, the distinctive red-lined hand, and adds some Arabic numbers for greater legibility.
The simple-designed dial and the leather strap combine to great effect making this a highly versatile one. It can accompany you to some more formal events while still looks great in casual outfits. When you purchase the German Military Titanium Field watch, you will have the best of both worlds.
This model is an affordable yet of high quality for field watch lovers who don’t have a deep pocket or are currently in a situation that doesn’t allow them to splurge. It employs Swiss quartz, this movement is still very accurate and requires less maintenance.
This is the watch with many desirable features but again, if you are not a fan of rugged-looking watches, it’s not for you.
This one is an affordable yet good quality military watch.
Verdict
As anything comes under a brand from Germany is often assured of good quality and straight forward design, German watches usually rank high on the wish list of many minimalism advocates. The list above gathers some timepieces that can suit different tastes and styles. I hope it will help you land the best German watch possible.
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