Hey, lets be honest many of us love our tool watches, but how often do we need to slip on a tux? I had this problem a few months back for my sisters wedding, I was thinking of going out and splurging, but the more I thought about it a why drop big cash on something I might wear one or two times a year. I wanted something that looked great but would not break the bank. After weeks of research the Orient Bambino kept popping up, and then I actually ran into one at a party and was impressed by it, both up-close and at a distance. I ended up with a grey dial V3 and swapped to a better strap to pop it a bit. The V3 is not for everyone, ans some prefer the V1/2 dial and hands, but the grey v3 looks great in person, it does not photograph that well. While there are lots of reviews on youtube for this watch, ABTW did a nice one awhile back http://www.ablogtowatch.com/orient-dress-watches-best-budget-option/ I just randomly came across Huckberry which has them under $125, which is better then the perpetual discount that is offered on the Orient website which gets them around $200. Black - https://huckberry.com/store/orient-usa/category/p/26876-bambino-v3 Grey - https://huckberry.com/store/orient-usa/category/p/27571-bambino-v3 If you've never ran into Orient, the Bambino is basically the SKX of dress watches; well made, good looking, and punches way above its price. Orient is an independent subsidiary of Sieko and produces their own in house movements. Pro's looks great, the crystal is amazing, strap is better then expected at that price point. Con's its a little on the big side, and you do get a little rotor winding noise esp when at low reserve. Just thought I would pass this along.
For the price, I don't think there is a lot of competition with the Bambino, unless one dislikes the domed crystal, in which case the Orient Symphony is a nice alternative.
I like Orients, but I'd also consider lower end Seikos, especially the Seiko 5 range. Luckily I inherited a vintage gold Rolex 1003 for such occasions