Three watches that don’t cost a bomb, including one from a Hong Kong brand
Affordable timepieces from Void, Junghans and Lip that don’t compromise on design or quality
My New Year’s resolution to budget and save for the future is already in tatters. It seems I was born a spendthrift and I will die a spendthrift (and penniless). I am, however, spending less on watches these days, partly out of parsimony but also because the quality at the affordable end of the market has improved. So, for those looking after the pennies, here are three watches that have all the design chops but won’t cost a fortune.
One of the great affordable design brands is Hong Kong-based Void and the V03C chronograph is the best representation of what it can do. The design owes much to Scandinavian minimalism – unsurprisingly, as its founder and chief designer, David Ericsson, is Swedish.
I love the way the three subdials pack in so much information and yet are still clear and legible, and all this, including a date window, is squeezed into a 38mm steel case.
The company’s logo doesn’t appear on the face, but is machined quite nicely on the head of the crown. Inside is a dependable Miyota quartz movement and the watch has 30 metres of water resistance. The V03C comes in a variety of case colours and strap combinations but I’m a big fan of the mesh bracelet, especially as leather straps don’t hold up too well in the summer heat. The V03C is priced at US$325.
