If you’re looking for a dress watch to wear out and about on the weekends or a daily wear watch for work, then this guide is for you. Our Best Men’s Thin Watches for Any Budget guide provides options ranging from extreme luxury to watches you can’t believe cost around $100 bucks. The one stipulation we have for every watch on this list is they must be between 6mm 10mm (automatic watches at the top end). Almost every watch on this list is 1/4 of an inch in thickness or under.That’s incredible. First up on our list is the least expensive watch on the list by Daniel Wellington.
Daniel Wellington
The Daniel Wellington St. Mawes Men’s Watch ($99+) is available in a multitude of colored straps and dials featuring: browns, blacks, tans and even red and blue patterns. Whatever you want you’ll find a design to please you from the amazing Daniel Wellington collection. These modern and stylish watches will go great on any man’s wrist whether it’s for business or casual wear. This watch comes in a 40mm stainless steel case that’s just 6 millimeters thick. It’s capped off with a mineral crystal. For $100 bucks you’re not going to get sapphire. The engine is a quartz movement and water resistance is around 100 feet. Basically, you need to take this watch off before you touch any water.
Mondaine Ultra Thin Men’s Watch
This Swiss made Mondaine Ultra-Thin Watch ($230) comes in at around 6.2mm. Its original looks are perfect for the man who likes to stand out. It’s simple yet still stylish with a Swiss railways clock dial. It features a 41mm stainless steel case, topped with a sapphire crystal, and a Swiss quartz movement. The leather strap is a standard 22mm and this Mondaine is water resistant to about 100 feet.
Hamilton Intra-Matic
I was a bit conflicted on including this watch on the list. The Hamilton Intra-Matic ($546) is a great watch with all of the features you would expect in the price range. It comes with a 38mm stainless steel case, scratch resistant sapphire crystal, an automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve, leather strap, and water-resistance to 50 meters. The problem is it’s 10mm thick. Three millimeters over my requirement for this guide. So if you’re looking for a great $500 watch that checks all the boxes, definitely take a look at the Hamilton, but if thinness is your main requirement, I’d look elsewhere.
Chris Ward C5 Malvern 595
The Chris Ward C5 Malvern 595 ($680+) is the thinnest watch on our list coming in at 5.95mm as well as the thinnest watch Chris Ward has ever created. It takes the traditional C5 Malvern and compacts it to create a more form-fitting and sleek design that you’ll love. It features a 39mm polished steel case, with a push-down crown and an Opal dial. In order to get a watch under the vaulted 6mm threshold, Chris Ward had to use a hand-wound, Swiss-made ETA 7001 movement. The movement features a 42-hour power reserve, and a Cotes de Geneve finish with polished bevel. The 595 is a sophisticated, elegant and professional watch that would make a great addition to any everyday carry arsenal.
Zenith Elite Ultra Thin Men’s Watch
The Zenith Elite Ultra Thin Men’s Watch ($2850) comes in a little bit thicker than our 1/4 inch requirement at about 8.3 mm but most automatic watches are a lot thicker. For example, the Seiko Automatic divers come in around 13mm. The Zenith Ultra Thin features a beautiful shining silver face that beautifully contrasts with the thinner black strap! The black strap is made from high-quality black leather and is ideal for both casual and professional wear. Additional features include a Swiss made automatic movement, wrapped in a 40mm stainless steel case, and capped with a sapphire crystal. The automatic movement has a 40-hour power reserve.
Piaget Altiplano Automatic Men’s Watch
The Piaget Altiplano Automatic Men’s Watch ($16,000) is an absolute beauty. It’s one of the more expensive watches on our list, but considering it’s an automatic watch in a case that’s just 6.46mm thick is amazing. It features an 18kt white gold case with a black leather strap. The case is topped with a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and the automatic movement features a 44-hour power reserve. The case is 40 mm with a thickness of just 6.46 mm. It’s water resistant to about 100 feet but I would try to avoid any water exposure with this type of watch, especially with the leather strap.
