Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
While first-apartment essentials, tech items, and gift cards are all solid presents to give a recent graduate, a watch is an often-overlooked but much-appreciated gift idea they probably couldn't otherwise afford themselves.
College years are usually when young men begin building out their professional wardrobe with essentials for their internships, but shelling out hundreds of dollars for a watch isn't always in the budget. As such, a nice timepiece is likely one hole in their wardrobe that needs filling.If you're looking to gift them a watch they'll feel proud to wear to their first job, now is the time to do it. With a $250 budget, you can find plenty of watches that are perfect for casual days, formal functions, first-job interviews, and everything in between.
Whether you're shopping for a graduate, or you're a recent graduate yourself looking to spend some of your gift money, you'll find a hand-picked selection of affordable yet stylish watches here.
Check them out, below:
Subscribe to our newsletter.
Find all the best offers at our Coupons page.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.
MVMT 40mm Rose Gold Brown
Featuring a 40mm rose gold case, a black dial, and a premium leather band, this watch from MVMT is elegant and simple — and at $120, it won't cost you much.
Timex Marlin Automatic 40mm
While most automatic watches cost hundreds of dollars, the Timex Marlin is pretty fairly priced at $249. It features a modest 40mm case size, a leather band, and a dial with a date display. In addition to this black, silver, and gold color combination, you'll find four other styles available.
Fossil Minimalist
As its name suggests, the Fossil Minimalist, is kept very simple with easy-to-read hour and minute markers on the dial. What makes this watch special — and most other Fossil watches — is the free engraving option. You can add a personalized message to make this gift more memorable. And with 16 color combinations available between faces and straps, you'll find a bunch of great styles. You could buy two and still be under the $250 budget.
Linjer Chronograph
Founded in 2014, Linjer is a new watch startup that sells well-made watches at affordable prices. While many of their styles are extremely minimal, the 41mm Chronograph is a solid choice for guys who like more intricate designs.
Filippo Loreti Rome Silver Blue
As the most crowdfunded watch company in Kickstarter history, Filippo Loreti has made a name for itself with luxury-grade watches at a fraction of traditional retail costs. This Rome style comes with a vibrant blue leather band and dial, a bright silver case and dial accents, and an engraving of Rome's Piazza del Campidoglio on the back.
Daniel Wellington Classic Durham
Daniel Wellington is usually the watch brand of choice for true minimalists. The Classic Durham watch features a thin 40mm case, a white dial with gold hour markers and hands, and a brown leather band.
Todd Synder x Timex Beekman
New York menswear brand Todd Synder and Timex have teamed up for quite a few different watches, and the Beekman is one of, if not the most unique. Inspired by classic cars, the watch features a tachymeter gauge in the iconic swirl pattern, an Indiglo night backlight, and a genuine leather band with a croc skin pattern.
Seiko Diver's Automatic
The Seiko Diver's watch is a classic. With an automatic movement, it's designed to keep ticking without any batteries. Its stainless steel case and bracelet are contrasted by a navy blue dial and a navy blue and red bezel.
Hamilton Khaki Field
Inspired by military-issued field watches, the Hamilton Khaki Field features a stainless steel case, a brown dial with tan accents, and a canvas strap.
Movado Bold
The Movado Bold is elegant, luxurious, and simple. Aside from the signature Movado dot, the all-black dial is completely clean.
Victorinox Alliance
The Victorinox Alliance watch offers the dependability of a Swiss-made watch without costing an arm and a leg. Its two-tone silver and gold color pairs well with everything, which makes it a nice everyday watch.
Skagen Holst Hybrid Smartwatch
If you want he connectivity and functions of a smartwatch, but prefer the look of a classic analog watch, the Skagen Holst Hybrid is a great choice. You can get notifications from your smartphone, set timers, control your music, and more.
Tissot V8 Automatic
The Tissot V8 Automatic features a white dial with a date display, a silver case, a blue bezel, and a perforated brown leather band. With a 72-hour power reserve, it'll keep time even when if you don't wear it for a couple of days.
Invicta Pro Diver Automatic
As the most affordable watch on the list, the Invicta Pro Diver boasts some pretty attractive features. It has a gold-tone case and bracelet, a blue unidirectional bezel, and a magnified date display. Its pearlescent face and automatic movement make it look and feel like a much more expensive timepiece.
Seiko Day Date Two-Tone
With a two-tone silver and gold color combination, ribbed gold bezel, and a functional day and date display at 3 o'clock, this Seiko is a much cheaper alternative to the iconic Rolex Day Date.