James & Muriel The Timekeeper Watch

There are a lot of affordable but generally crappy watches out there. You can tell they’re cheap just by looking at them. Not so with the new James & Muriel The Timekeeper Watch. The refined but minimalist design uses small but very legible numerals, markers, and hands while also employing a small seconds subdial; not something you usually see on a sub-$300 timepiece. The watch also makes use of slim and curved wired lugs for a cleaner look. And lest you think they’ve scrimped on materials quality to keep the price low, the Time Keeper’s case is made of 316L stainless steel, the movement is a Swiss gold-plated Ronda movement, and the strap is full-grain Italian leather. There are also three matte finish dial colors: Silk White, Dreamer’s Black, and Horizon Blue, all of which will look proper with both casual and semi-formal wear (even black-tie with the black/silver colorway). The Kickstarter campaign is going on now, and you can get an Early Bird price of $169 before the price climbs to $249, which is still a real bargain.