Honestly even with that budget I’d go for an Orient president in full silver or silver and gold and replace the bracelet with a leather strap, like this one. Imo it’s a homage that looks even better than the original, and way above it’s price point. So classy.
Not super easy to buy since it’s no longer being produced, but very much possible and worth it. I’ve seen them go as low as $400 and up to $1000
I disagree! Seiko has such a wide range of watches, you can buy beautiful, classy pieces with nice movements for even $100, like I recently got myself an SNKL23, or a $400 presage series or a more expensive model for $800. That’s absolutely on par or in some cases cheaper than other brands in that tier