Another year with more amazing releases to tempt us!

As another year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the watches that were released these past 12 months.

Homages and reissues were popular again, proving that watch designs that were once cool are cool once again, albeit with better materials and in most cases, better movements. Retro is truly alive and thriving in 2023!

With that said, it won’t come as a big surprise that the shortlist of finalists for best watch releases in 2023 under AUD$2,000 are pretty much (mostly) reissues!

Creating a list of ‘the best’ watches released in 2023 is fraught with inherent bias from the writer’s subjective thoughts and tastes creeping in, nevertheless, I’ll attempt to be as objective as I can be, but no promises.

OK, enough of the chit chat, let’s get right into – in no specific order, here are the Gnomonist’s best watches under AU$2K that were released in 2023:

Seiko 5 Sports SRPK17

The one that almost got away! I usually have a chuckle when Seiko releases their so-called ‘Limited Edition’ pieces, as I know from experience, they never sell out quickly. Well guess what, I was totally wrong on the Seiko 5 Sports SRPK17. Not only did they sell out, the scalpers were making double their investment for those that missed out and were desperate to have this watch in their collection. I almost caved in on a number of occasions, but thankfully the FOMO didn’t bite me too hard. After patiently hunting this watch, I did find one for less than the retail price, which was a relief!

Why do I love this watch? Well, look at it, what’s there not to love? It’s retro look harks back to the late 60’s, when this look was all the rage. Some things don’t change I guess, as the Sports 5 2023 edition looks the goods and pays homage to its roots.

It wouldn’t have been too much for Seiko to have thrown a sapphire crystal on the SRPK17, but I guess the curved hardlex will do. Seiko pretty much nailed everything about this watch – I love it!

Read the full story on the Seiko 5 Sports SRPK17 here.

Tissot Sideral S

Another reissue of an iconic watch, this time from Tissot with their sailing inspired Sideral S. Released in three coloured variants, the Sideral S is the perfect summer watch – it’s colourful dial, red T-shaped seconds hand, sapphire crystal and of course the carbon fiber body (the original was fiberglass), makes this watch stand out. The Powermatic 80 movement is welcome (with an exhibition case back) as are the amazing (and colourful) silicon straps with their unique fastening system. Dress it up with a black strap or go out with some flair by wearing it on the yellow strap, the Sideral S is definitely a head turner.

Read the Tissot Sideral S review here.

Citizen Eco-Drive 365 BN1010-05E

Back in March when Citizen announced their new Eco Drive 365 solar movement and the three new models that would have this new caliber inside of them, I was besotted by the BN1010-05E model (I wish Citizen had better names for their models!!). Upon their release in October, I jumped on this one in particular, and again, it was the right decision, as they sold out pretty quick (that happens when it is a limited edition). What I love most about this watch is that it’s a perfect replica of its fore bearer, the 1973 Quartz E.F.A. Being born in 1973, I claim that this watch is now my half-century birth year watch!

Read the review of this one right here.

Timex Marlin Chrono

I have to admit, the Timex Marlin Chrono was the surprise of the year for me. This one flew under the radar till it was mentioned in passing by a fellow watch enthusiast who had made the remark that it reminded him of the Tag Heuer 60th Anniversary Carerra. Not one to miss out, I immediately hunted this down, and luckily I did, as they sold out quite quickly. It may not be a Tag, but for the money (purchased under AU$300), it packs a lot of punch.

Read the Timex Marlin Chrono review here.

Bulova Jet Star 96K112

I have to admit, the honeycomb coloured Jet Star took my fancy, but it was the limited edition with the additional blue leather strap (with red stitching) that won me over. The Bulova Precisionist movement (beating at 262 kHz) is just so mesmirising with its fluid seconds hand – I can watch it all day long as it sweeps across the gorgeous silver sunburst dial. The fit and comfort of the 96K112 with the stainless steel bracelet was another wonderful surprise – it just wears so well. Even though the watch looks great on the blue leather strap, the stainless is the better option. Oh yeah, I have to mention, it is great to see Bulova using their high precision quartz movement in smaller cases.

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Honourable mentions:

This best list can’t be complete without a few memorable mentions, so if you found that you weren’t nodding to the watches above, hopefully your interest can be piqued with these honourable mentions.

• Bulova Devil Diver (Oceanographer) GMT (all three models are awesome)
• Citizen Series 8 NB6012-18L
• Metric Black Automatic PVD
• Seiko Presage GMT SSK015J
• Swatch Neon To The Max (coz everyone needs a bit of colour in their life!)
• Apple Watch Ultra 2 (for the smartwatch crowd)

There you have it folks, the best watches under $2K (for 2023) on a silver platter! You may or may not agree with this list, and that’s perfectly fine – just enjoy what you have and wear whatever watches make you happy.

I honestly can’t wait to see what watches are served up for us (watch addicts) in 2024.