The 6 best options for an integrated bracelet sports watch for less

Russell Sheldrake

Shopping for watches on a budget can be hard, and it gets even harder when you’re hunting for one of the most in-demand styles of today: the integrated bracelet sports watch. The trend started with the great Gérald Genta showing how steel can cost more than gold with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 5402, and the industry has rarely strayed from that path when the inevitable iterations and permutations of Genta’s original design hit the market. But here at Time+Tide, we believe that watchmaking should be accessible and open to all, so I’ve scoured the market for what I think are the most affordable, best bang for your buck, integrated bracelet, sports watches that you can buy right now.

Of course, affordability is subjective. What a young student fresh out of uni thinks is affordable will be completely different to what a C-suite executive with multiple homes will think is affordable. So, for this buying guide, you will forgive me for a little bit of flexibility, as I aim to hit everyone’s expectations and understandings. If you want to have a look at a no-holds-barred list of the best integrated bracelet watches, I suggest you head over and check out Zach’s buying guide, which I will be slightly cannibalising here.

Timex Q Timex Reissue

If you are looking for a true entry-level watch in this space, it is hard to go wrong with the Q Timex Reissue. I’m a big fan of this watch. It’s fun, harmless, and for the price, you can either have it as a gateway watch or go crazy and collect every colourway you want. While I do think it a little silly that they offer versions with GMT-style split-colour bezels without the GMT functionality, that is likely not something you would be worried about if this were the first watch you buy yourself.

I should also point out that while this technically just has hidden lugs rather than being strictly integrated, it passes (or rather doesn’t pass) The Grey NATO Podcast’s “will it NATO?” strap test. I have heard from friends with hairier wrists than mine that the bracelet can be a bit of a hair-pincher, but the overall design is fantastic, and getting a super slim day-date watch on your wrist with an integrated aesthetic for under US$200 is hard to beat. Price: US$189

Citizen Tsuyosa

Next up, we have the brand that many seasoned watch collectors will suggest when asked where someone should start their collecting journey. The many colours of the Citizen Tsuyosa helped to launch it into immediate comparisons with the Rolex Oyster Perpetual, which obviously exists in a completely different price bracket. What is impressive about this model is that you get a completely in-house produced, automatic watch for under US$500. The calibre 8210 carries a valiant 42-hour reserve and is slim enough to keep the watch to just 11.7mm in total thickness. This could easily become a watch where you buy all the colours that could match any outfit you can put together, and you find your collection has got out of hand very quickly. Price: US$450

Tissot PRX Powermatic 80

This is possibly the defining watch of this list. The Tissot PRX has shone a light on this affordable integrated bracelet category and helped to truly define it. There are so many iterations of the PRX now that it can be hard to keep up: quartz, automatics, 40mm, 35mm, chronographs, digital versions, and all types of metal and dial colours… The array is dizzying. But I want to keep things simple on this list, which is why I’ve gone for what is considered the most universal of the range, the Powermatic 80 40mm. It’s super approachable, can come in any and all shades with the addition of PVD gold, forged carbon, and interesting limited editions. Price: starting at US$725 from the Time+Tide Shop

Christopher Ward The Twelve

As the team’s token Brit, I was extremely pleased to see when Christopher Ward first released The Twelve. It showed some real guts for a British brand with no standing in this space to produce a new integrated bracelet sports watch. Of course, the obvious comparisons were made on the first release, but if you judge it on its own merit, you find a watch well worth your time. I really enjoy the dial texture, which speaks to the Christopher Ward logo without appearing cheesy or over-branding, and the way the line has been developed since its launch in 2023 shows a commitment to making this a core pillar of the company. I am personally a big fan of the titanium versions, but the 36mm that comes with a trusted Sellita movement for under US$1000 is hard to beat. Price: US$1,272 (40mm version), available exclusively in-store at the Time+Tide Shop

Nivada Grenchen F77 Titanium Meteorite

One of the few brands on this list with real heritage in this category, the Nivada Grenchen F77 stays true to the brand’s recent MO of faithful relaunches. The F77 Titanium Meteorite is perhaps the most luxe watch on this list, with its lightweight case and bracelet paired with the out-of-this-world dial, it makes for a rather comfortable and luxurious watch that will get plenty of approving looks at the next watch meet. While the Soprod movement will keep it running, the 100m water resistance will mean you can wear this thing pretty much anywhere without having to worry. And even better, you can pick it up from the Time+Tide Discovery Studio and online store now. (It’s also available in our UK store.) Price: US$1,915 from the Time+Tide Shop

Frederique Constant Highlife

For those who want a watch that can easily go from dressy to sporty without breaking a sweat, the Frederique Constant Highlife is always going to be my choice within this price bracket. Its more refined styling choices give it a touch more elegance than the rest, as it draws comparisons to models that shall remain nameless but go for more than 10x the retail price of this COSC-certified model. It keeps the cost down by using a Sellita-based automatic movement, but that’s nothing to turn your nose up at, especially when it is endlessly serviceable. Price: US$2,195