An independent, spec-rich database of watch homages — affordable watches that pay homage to the classics, ranked by a published fidelity rubric and filtered by icon, budget and movement. Homages, never replicas. We never link a fake.
61 watches ranked by fidelity across 21 icons.
Homage to the Rolex Submariner (126610LN). Fidelity 92/100 on the published rubric. $718, 39mm, 300m WR, Automatic (Sellita SW200-1 Elaboré). the enthusiast benchmark — Swiss Sellita movement, ceramic bezel, proportions the community rates closest to the real thing; priced from Steinhart's own store excluding German VAT, which they deduct for buyers outside the EU (about $854 including it), before shipping and import duty
Homage to the Rolex GMT-Master II (126710BLRO). Fidelity 87/100 on the published rubric. $329, 40mm, 200m WR, Automatic GMT (Seiko NH34). the in-stock member of San Martin's SN005 GMT family — tighter finishing than the budget set, a red-and-blue sapphire bezel and the original's exact 40mm; the canonical SN005-B-1S is the same watch at about $308 but is routinely sold out
Homage to the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 (124300). Fidelity 86/100 on the published rubric. $152, 40mm, 200m WR, Automatic (Miyota 8215). the turquoise-dial favourite that rode the Tiffany-OP craze — clean time-only dial, a real 200m rating and a Miyota 8215 auto, at 40mm against the original's 41; every variant was sold out on Pagani's own store when we re-checked on 18 Aug 2026, so Amazon may be the only route
Homage to the Seiko 62MAS (SPB reissue) (SPB143). Fidelity 86/100 on the published rubric. $238, 40mm, 200m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35 / NH36). the go-to 62MAS homage — 40mm, sapphire with AR coating, 200m, and finishing that punches well above the price; the 37mm SN007-G-X1 is usually the one in stock
Homage to the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M (220.10.41). Fidelity 86/100 on the published rubric. $289, 38mm, 100m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35). the closest thing to an Aqua Terra under three hundred — vertical teak-striped dial, applied indices, date at 3, sapphire with AR, at 38mm against Omega's own 38mm variant. Two honest caveats: it is 100m where the original is 150m, and despite being sold as a "Chronometer" it runs a Seiko NH35, which carries no chronometer certification — the word here describes the model line, not a COSC or METAS rating
Homage to the Rolex Explorer (124270). Fidelity 86/100 on the published rubric. $299, 36mm, 100m WR, Automatic (PT5000 / SW200). the community default for a 36mm Explorer: a Swiss-class PT5000 or SW200 rather than a Seiko auto, top-hat sapphire with AR, and 11mm thick so it wears like the original rather than a modern reissue
Homage to the Rolex GMT-Master II (126710BLRO). Fidelity 86/100 on the published rubric. $582, 42mm, 300m WR, Automatic GMT (Sellita SW330-2 Elaboré). Swiss true-GMT movement and dive-grade water resistance; a step up in movement over the Seiko-based field. Priced excluding German VAT, which Steinhart deducts outside the EU (about $693 including it); a ceramic-bezel version costs more
Homage to the Rolex Submariner (126610LN). Fidelity 85/100 on the published rubric. $238, 38mm, 200m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35). sharp finishing for the money and a well-cut ceramic bezel, though at 38mm it wears three millimetres under the original; the PT5000 and Swiss-class options are separate references, and San Martin's own store had every SN004 variant sold out at our last check
Homage to the Rolex Datejust (126234). Fidelity 85/100 on the published rubric. $326, 36.5mm, 100m WR, Automatic (PT5000 / SW200). the one that nails the proportions the original is known for — 36.5mm and 11.9mm thin, on a five-link bracelet, with a carved bezel rather than a stamped one; a Swiss-class PT5000 or SW200 rather than the Seiko autos the budget tier runs
Homage to the Tudor Black Bay 58 (79030N). Fidelity 85/100 on the published rubric. $326, 40mm, 200m WR, Automatic (PT5000 / SW200). snowflake hands and a gilt dial that track the BB58 closely, on a Swiss-class movement; it wears 40mm against the original's 39, and the cheaper Seiko-powered version is a separate reference, the SN008-G-B
Homage to the Tudor Pelagos (25600TN). Fidelity 85/100 on the published rubric. $389, 40mm, 300m WR, Automatic (PT5000 / SW200). grade-5 titanium with a helium escape valve and ceramic bezel, matching the original's 300m — the closest affordable Pelagos, though it wears 40mm against the original's 42 and there is no Seiko-powered version
Homage to the Rolex Submariner (126610LN). Fidelity 83/100 on the published rubric. $118, 40.5mm, 300m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35). genuine 300m diver with a ceramic 120-click bezel and a Seiko auto, at 40.5mm against the original's 41 — a lot of watch per dollar; dial and bracelet variants swing the price either side of this
Homage to the Rolex Daytona (126500LN). Fidelity 83/100 on the published rubric. $360, 39.5mm, 100m WR, Meca-quartz (Seiko VK64). San Martin's panda chronograph: cleaner dial printing and a better bracelet than the budget tier, on a ceramic chronograph bezel; still meca-quartz, not an automatic chronograph
Homage to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak (15500ST). Fidelity 83/100 on the published rubric. $375, 38.5mm, 100m WR, Automatic (Miyota 9015). the closest bracelet integration in the field and a 9.5mm case that actually wears like the original; San Martin calls the bezel a Royal Oak/Nautilus hybrid rather than a straight copy, and at 38.5mm it is the smallest here
Homage to the Rolex Daytona (126500LN). Fidelity 82/100 on the published rubric. $104, 40mm, 100m WR, Meca-quartz (Seiko VK63). panda dial and tachymeter bezel with a snappy meca-quartz chrono — the seconds hand sweeps, the pushers feel mechanical, and it costs almost nothing; Pagani's own catalog files it in the Daytona family and it matches the original's 40mm exactly
Homage to the Rolex GMT-Master II (126710BLRO). Fidelity 82/100 on the published rubric. $122, 40mm, 100m WR, Automatic GMT (Pearl DG5833). the homage that made Pagani famous — a true independently-set GMT hand with a ceramic Pepsi bezel and jubilee, at the original's 40mm; note the movement is a Pearl DG5833, not the Seiko NH34 the internet often claims — Pagani sells the NH34 version as a separate model at about $320
Homage to the Rolex Yacht-Master (126622). Fidelity 82/100 on the published rubric. $122, 40mm, 100m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35). one of the visually closest Yacht-Master homages — bidirectional bezel, sunburst dial, oyster bracelet — with a Seiko auto for well under a hundred; out of stock on Pagani's own store at our last check
Homage to the Rolex Day-Date 36 (128238). Fidelity 82/100 on the published rubric. $148, 36mm, 100m WR, Automatic day-date (Seagull ST16). the one that keeps the 36mm President proportions — fluted bezel, president-style bracelet, day and date under sapphire, on a Seagull ST16 with a 100m rating
Homage to the IWC Big Pilot (IW501001). Fidelity 82/100 on the published rubric. $218, 44.5mm, 100m WR, Automatic (YN55A). the oversized onion crown and 3D Arabic numerals at a properly large 44.5mm — the only watch here that does not shrink the design to fit a normal wrist, and one of the few San Martins actually in stock
Homage to the Patek Philippe Nautilus (5711/1A). Fidelity 82/100 on the published rubric. $299, 42mm, 200m WR, Automatic (PT5000 / SW200). the case finishing and bracelet taper the budget versions miss, on a Swiss-class PT5000 or SW200 rather than a Seiko auto, with a genuine 200m rating; it wears 42mm against the original's 40mm, which is the one thing it does not get right
Homage to the Tudor Black Bay 58 (79030N). Fidelity 81/100 on the published rubric. $149, 39mm, 200m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35). the only row here that matches the original on both numbers that matter — 39mm and a real 200m — with snowflake hands Addiesdive names on its own product page, sapphire with AR and an aluminium 120-click bezel; the giveaway is height, 14.5mm over the crystal, so it stacks noticeably taller than the slim diver it follows, and the white dial is Addiesdive's own idea rather than the original's
Homage to the Rolex Explorer II (226570). Fidelity 81/100 on the published rubric. $229, 37mm, 100m WR, Automatic GMT (Seiko NH34). named straight after the 16570 reference and the closest dial in the field — enamel polar-white with the orange GMT hand, fixed 24h steel bezel and sapphire; it wears a compact 37mm against the original's 42mm, which is the one big honest gap. Sold out new on Watchdives' own store when we re-checked on 18 Aug 2026 — only used listings remain, which we do not count as stock; the 38mm WD16570B is the live sibling at about $169
Homage to the Cartier Santos (WSSA0009). Fidelity 81/100 on the published rubric. $278, 37mm, 50m WR, Automatic (Miyota 8215). the closest square in the field — exposed bezel screws, roman dial and a screwed integrated bracelet on a workhorse Miyota automatic; it wears 37mm against the large Santos's 39.8mm and carries half the water resistance. Sold direct only — beware lookalike domains the brand itself flags as scams
Homage to the Patek Philippe Nautilus (5711/1A). Fidelity 80/100 on the published rubric. $130, 40mm, 100m WR, Automatic (Seagull ST6). the porthole case, ears and grooved dial in steel with an integrated bracelet — the reason Pagani sells out; wears close to the original's 40mm
Homage to the Rolex Submariner (126610LN). Fidelity 80/100 on the published rubric. $135, 41mm, 300m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35). modern Submariner case dimensions with a flat black no-date dial that reads as a quasi-tribute to the Comex Subs; ceramic bezel, sapphire, and the same 300m as its SD1953 stablemate
Homage to the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch (310.30.42). Fidelity 80/100 on the published rubric. $136, 40mm, 100m WR, Meca-quartz (Seiko VK63). the one unambiguous Moonwatch homage in the budget tier — Pagani's own catalog files it as a nod to the Speedmaster, with the stepped dial, three registers and a moulded tachymeter bezel; 40mm against the original's 42 and double its water resistance, but a meca-quartz hybrid rather than a hand-wound chronograph
Homage to the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M (210.30.42). Fidelity 80/100 on the published rubric. $174, 42mm, 200m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35A). the genuine article in this field: a real wave-textured dial, ceramic bezel and curved sapphire, at exactly the original's 42mm and double its rated depth
Homage to the Rolex Submariner (126610LN). Fidelity 80/100 on the published rubric. $180, 40mm, 200m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35A). the classic entry Sub homage — coin-edge bezel, cyclops date and a workhorse Seiko NH35A, which Invicta catalogs under its own IM-A-005 designation; Invicta's own store charges well above the street price this watch is famous for, so Amazon is usually the cheaper route
Homage to the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms (5015). Fidelity 79/100 on the published rubric. $138, 41mm, 300m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35). budget route to the Fifty Fathoms look with a sapphire bezel insert and a real 300m rating — Steeldive names it a Fifty Fathoms homage on its own product page, the only first-party attribution in this field; at 41mm it wears far smaller than the original's 45
Homage to the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M (210.30.42). Fidelity 78/100 on the published rubric. $128, 42mm, 300m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35 / NH36). the budget route into the wave-dial Bond diver: 42mm exactly like the original and the only homage here matching its full 300m rating, with sapphire and a Seiko auto. Widely sold as a 1957 vintage piece, which it is not — the model number follows Steeldive's launch-year naming, not the watch it follows
Homage to the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M (220.10.41). Fidelity 78/100 on the published rubric. $130, 40mm, 100m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35A). the cheap way into the look and the closest here to the original's 41mm case, with sapphire, 100m and a Seiko auto for about a third of the San Martin. The dial texture and bracelet finishing are where the money was saved — this reads as an Aqua Terra at arm's length rather than up close
Homage to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak (15500ST). Fidelity 78/100 on the published rubric. $144, 40mm, 100m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35). octagonal bezel with the exposed screws and a tapisserie-style dial; the pattern is stamped rather than machined but the silhouette reads instantly; sapphire crystal at this price is unusual
Homage to the Rolex Day-Date 36 (128238). Fidelity 78/100 on the published rubric. $178, 40mm, 100m WR, Automatic day-date (Seiko NH36A). the modern 40mm take with a proper NH36A day-date auto and a 100m rating; wears larger and sportier than the classic 36
Homage to the Rolex Submariner (126610LN). Fidelity 77/100 on the published rubric. $139, 41mm, 200m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35 / Miyota 8215). a popular budget Sub homage at the original's 41mm — ceramic bezel, sapphire with the cyclops, 200m and a Seiko-class auto; carried on Amazon, often cheaper direct
Homage to the Rolex Explorer II (226570). Fidelity 77/100 on the published rubric. $148, 42mm, 200m WR, Automatic GMT (Seiko NH34). the freccione orange 24-hour hand and fixed bezel at a fraction of the money, with sapphire and a real 200m rating; it wears 42mm, a size up on the modern original and two on the vintage one it echoes; every variant was sold out on Pagani's own store when we re-checked on 18 Aug 2026
Homage to the Rolex Datejust (126234). Fidelity 76/100 on the published rubric. $80, 38mm, 50m WR, Automatic (Miyota 8215). Cadisen's own catalog titles this one Datejust — fluted-look bezel, cyclops date and sapphire at 38mm, a size closer to the original than the Pagani's 40; the cheapest way into the look with dial and gold combinations the budget tier rarely offers
Homage to the Rolex Explorer (124270). Fidelity 76/100 on the published rubric. $180, 36mm, 200m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35). a clean 36mm three-hander with sapphire and a genuine 200m rating for around a hundred dollars; Pagani markets it as a Ranger homage rather than an Explorer one, and the 3-6-9 dial language serves both — read it as the shape rather than a line-for-line copy; every variant was sold out on Pagani's own store when we re-checked on 18 Aug 2026
Homage to the Rolex Daytona (126500LN). Fidelity 76/100 on the published rubric. $219, 38mm, 50m WR, Mechanical chronograph (Seagull ST19). for purists who want a hand-wound column-wheel chronograph instead of quartz — swan-neck regulator, blued screws and an exhibition caseback; it is a vintage-chronograph shape at 38mm rather than a line-for-line modern Daytona
Homage to the Rolex Explorer (124270). Fidelity 76/100 on the published rubric. $220, 36mm, 200m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH38). a vintage-leaning 36mm that matches the original's case size exactly, with double its water resistance and a domed crystal; Baltany also sells a retro sibling, the S4066AB, at much the same money
Homage to the Rolex Explorer II (226570). Fidelity 76/100 on the published rubric. $629, 41mm, 200m WR, Automatic GMT (Seiko NH34). titanium case, a real Seiko GMT movement and a sapphire crystal, from a mainstream brand with a warranty network; Timex has retired the Expedition North name for this piece but the reference carries across, and it is one of the few watches here actually in stock
Homage to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak (15500ST). Fidelity 75/100 on the published rubric. $87, 42mm, 100m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35A). the cheapest way into the octagonal-bezel look with a real Seiko automatic and an exhibition caseback; wears a full 42mm against the original's 41mm and the stamped waffle dial is a step behind Pagani's finishing, but 100m of water resistance is double what the original offers
Homage to the Patek Philippe Nautilus (5711/1A). Fidelity 75/100 on the published rubric. $259, 38.5mm, 50m WR, Automatic (Miyota 9015). the porthole octagonal case and integrated bracelet on a genuine hi-beat Miyota 9015, in a 9mm case that respects the original's slimness; the day display and enamel or MOP dial options stray from the 5711's horizontal grooves, and 50m is well short of the original's 120m
Homage to the Rolex Explorer II (226570). Fidelity 75/100 on the published rubric. $309, 39mm, 100m WR, Automatic GMT (Seiko NH34). the watch the community means by a San Martin Explorer II — honestly a hybrid: fixed steel bezel, matte white or black dial and a true NH34 GMT, but Tudor-style snowflake hands and 39mm where the original is 42mm
Homage to the Rolex Day-Date 36 (128238). Fidelity 74/100 on the published rubric. $104, 40mm, 100m WR, Automatic day-date (Miyota 8285). Cadisen's presidential-style day-date on a genuine Miyota 8285, with a dial range the segment is famous for — full gold, meteorite white and Tiffany blue — plus sapphire and a 100m rating at 40mm
Homage to the Rolex Explorer II (226570). Fidelity 73/100 on the published rubric. $283, 39mm, 200m WR, Automatic GMT (Seiko NH34). Baltany's only fixed-bezel GMT — the orange-hand tool-GMT look in a vintage-leaning 39mm case; periodically sells out direct, so check both stores
Homage to the Seiko 62MAS (SPB reissue) (SPB143). Fidelity 72/100 on the published rubric. $104, 37mm, 200m WR, Quartz (Seiko VH31 sweep). the vintage-diver silhouette with a domed sapphire and a real 200m rating at the lowest price here; two honest caveats — it is a VH31 sweep-second quartz rather than an automatic, and the case is 37mm against the reissue's 40mm
Homage to the Rolex Datejust (126234). Fidelity 72/100 on the published rubric. $125, 42mm, 100m WR, Automatic. fluted bezel in two finishes, jubilee bracelet and cyclops date with sapphire and a 100m rating — but the case is a full 42mm against the original's 36mm, and no homage recovers six millimetres of proportion
Homage to the IWC Big Pilot (IW501001). Fidelity 72/100 on the published rubric. $130, 39mm, 200m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35). strictly a Mark XVIII homage rather than a Big Pilot one — 39mm where the Big Pilot is 46mm, so it is the flieger dial language at a wearable size rather than the oversized original; sapphire and a real 200m rating
Homage to the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch (310.30.42). Fidelity 72/100 on the published rubric. $349, 38.5mm, 100m WR, Manual chronograph (Seagull ST1901). a genuine hand-wound column-wheel chronograph and the best build here — but read the layout before buying: San Martin calls it the SM57 and it is bicompax with straight lugs, following the 1957 Speedmaster ancestor rather than the three-register Moonwatch, which is why it scores below the cheaper Pagani against this reference
Homage to the Tudor Pelagos (25600TN). Fidelity 71/100 on the published rubric. $139, 40mm, 200m WR, Quartz (Seiko VH31 sweep). grade-2 titanium with a 200m rating and sapphire for well under the field — but it is a VH31 sweep-second quartz, not an automatic, which is the honest gap against a Pelagos; also sold as the 38mm EXD-38
Homage to the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M (210.30.42). Fidelity 71/100 on the published rubric. $140, 42mm, 200m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35). Addiesdive titles this one Seamaster itself, and it gets the easy things right — the original's exact 42mm, a ceramic bezel, sapphire with AR and a Seiko auto for the least money here; but it misses the two cues the Seamaster is actually known for. The dial is a fine even grain, not the laser-cut wave, there is no helium valve at 10, and the date sits at 3 where the original puts it at 6
Homage to the Rolex Yacht-Master (126622). Fidelity 70/100 on the published rubric. $105, 40mm, 100m WR, Automatic (Seiko NH35A). Cadisen's own catalog titles it Yacht-Master — a dressy rotating-bezel diver at the original's 40mm with sapphire and lume; its own dial colours rather than a strict copy, but the flavour is there
Homage to the Rolex GMT-Master II (126710BLRO). Fidelity 68/100 on the published rubric. $79, 40mm, 200m WR, Quartz GMT (Ronda 515). the cheapest way to a genuine independently-set 24-hour hand, at the original's 40mm with a 200m rating — but it is a Swiss quartz movement, not an automatic, and the Pepsi colourway was sold out on Addiesdive's own store at our last check
Homage to the Rolex Explorer II (226570). Fidelity 64/100 on the published rubric. $450, 39.4mm, 100m WR, Automatic GMT (Seiko 4R34). not a copy — the spiritual fixed-24h-bezel alternative from a real watchmaking house, with an in-house GMT caliber and its own red-hand dial identity; the polar-dial SSK059 sibling is a limited release that comes and goes
Homage to the Cartier Santos (WSSA0009). Fidelity 62/100 on the published rubric. $134, 34mm, 50m WR, Quartz (Seiko VH31). the smooth-bezel square — really a Santos-Dumont homage rather than the screwed-bezel modern watch: 8.6mm thin with a sweeping VH31 quartz, the dressier take; the brand's mid-range automatic squares sell out often
Homage to the Patek Philippe Nautilus (5711/1A). Fidelity 60/100 on the published rubric. $279, 34mm, 50m WR, Automatic (Miyota 8215). not a Nautilus copy — a revival of Timex's own 1983 TV-dial design that lands in the same rounded-porthole territory, from a mainstream brand with a real warranty; 34mm and an acrylic crystal, so treat it as the character buy
Homage to the Cartier Tank Must (WSTA0041). Fidelity 58/100 on the published rubric. $110, 31.5mm, 50m WR, Quartz (Casio 5361). a spiritual budget stand-in for the roman-numeral dress look, on a steel bracelet with 50m of water resistance — more than the Cartier offers; its own design rather than a homage in the strict sense, and it only reached the US market in 2026, so stock comes and goes
Homage to the Rolex Submariner (126610LN). Fidelity 58/100 on the published rubric. $450, 42.5mm, 100m WR, Automatic (Seiko 4R36). not a Sub copy — the spiritual budget diver the community reaches for instead, with its own identity and an in-house auto; note this reference is gold-tone throughout, so for the steel version of the same idea look to Seiko's SRPD series
Homage to the Cartier Tank Must (WSTA0041). Fidelity 55/100 on the published rubric. $149, 21mm, 30m WR, Quartz. not a Tank copy, but Timex's genuinely rectangular roman-numeral dress watch — a slim reissue case on a croc-grain strap; it is narrower than the Tank Must and was out of stock on Timex's own store at our last check. The round Marlin, usually recommended for this slot, is not a rectangular watch at all
Homage to the Rolex Day-Date 36 (128238). Fidelity 55/100 on the published rubric. $245, 41.9mm, 50m WR, Automatic (Orient F6922). not a President copy — the honest budget day-date automatic the community reaches for since the old Orient President left the catalog; own identity, an in-house auto and an exhibition caseback, filed by Orient itself under Contemporary rather than its diver line
Homage to the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 (124300). Fidelity 52/100 on the published rubric. $315, 40mm, 100m WR, Automatic (Seiko 4R36). not an OP copy — the budget sunray-dial automatic the community cross-shops instead; own identity, an in-house auto and a fixed bezel, trading on the same dial-colour appeal the Oyster Perpetual does
Every original in the index, with the homage field it anchors. Retail figures are approximate — the icon’s price is the whole reason homages exist. Browse the full database →
7 ranked homages · 126610LN · ~$10,100 retail.
4 ranked homages · 126710BLRO · ~$10,700 retail.
3 ranked homages · 126500LN · ~$15,100 retail.
3 ranked homages · 126234 · ~$8,200 retail.
4 ranked homages · 128238 · ~$41,000 retail.
2 ranked homages · 124300 · ~$6,500 retail.
3 ranked homages · 124270 · ~$7,700 retail.
2 ranked homages · 310.30.42 · ~$7,000 retail.
3 ranked homages · 210.30.42 · ~$5,600 retail.
4 ranked homages · 5711/1A · ~$35,000 retail.
3 ranked homages · 15500ST · ~$35,000 retail.
2 ranked homages · 79030N · ~$3,900 retail.
1 ranked homages · 5015 · ~$16,000 retail.
2 ranked homages · WSTA0041 · ~$3,200 retail.
2 ranked homages · IW501001 · ~$15,000 retail.
2 ranked homages · WSSA0009 · ~$7,500 retail.
2 ranked homages · 25600TN · ~$5,000 retail.
6 ranked homages · 226570 · ~$9,350 retail.
2 ranked homages · 126622 · ~$12,000 retail.
2 ranked homages · SPB143 · ~$1,200 retail.
2 ranked homages · 220.10.41 · ~$7,100 retail.
One published, weighted 100-point rubric, applied identically to every watch against its specific original. It measures design closeness, not build quality — and it is never a claim that anything is a copy. The full rubric →
Marker shape and layout, text placement, handset style, colour and lume — the things your eye reads first.
Case shape, lug design, crown guards — and, heavily, whether the diameter and thickness track the original. Wearing 6mm too large costs points.
Bezel type and insert — dive, GMT 24-hour, tachymeter, fluted — plus material and font.
Whether the movement matches the original’s character: automatic vs a meca-quartz standing in for a mechanical chronograph, a GMT complication present or faked, hand-wind where it matters.
Water resistance, crystal and bracelet/clasp quality relative to what the original is known for.
The database scores individual watches. These go one level up — the houses behind them, and the rankings for the icons people shop hardest.
Brand reviews, model by model: San Martin, the mid-tier bar for case and bracelet work · Pagani Design, maximum look for minimum spend · Cadisen, sapphire and a real automatic at the bottom of the price band · Steeldive, the budget dive specialist · Baltany, for vintage proportions.
Ranked by icon: Submariner under $200 · Rolex GMT · Speedmaster · Datejust · Daytona · Royal Oak · Seamaster · Explorer II · Nautilus · Santos.
And the two questions that come first: are homage watches OK? · homage vs replica — the line we never cross.