My under 50$ (circa 500 Swedish kronor) contestants:

Seastar Visodate PR516 - 1965/66. Had to service it but it came out nice (will probably never recover cost of service but I do not give a d... It is a nice watch).




Mine has a black dial but this one looks blueish:



1974 Citizen Leopard 36 000, hi beat, day-date (NOS before I used it)
These also came chronometer certified but this one is not.




Not exactly the same but close enough. Not fitted bracelet as mine and a little different text on dial.

 

That chrono is sweet. I'd love to make a find like that, and with a black dial to boot!
I'm eyeing something similar with a Landeron 248 but it's already past the $50 point so.......

 

Kelton with Timex pin level movement.
3k dial on a 30$ watch

 

Well I pulled the trigger on 2 more very cheap watches. Both are incoming, so photos are from the sellers. Total spent on Both watches is <$35.

Winton brand, purchased 'cause I liked the dial. There was a movement shot, I think it's a one jewel, but I'll know better when I have it in hand. $10 plus $3.50 shipping.


This one I also snagged 'cause I liked the deco dial. Not sure if it's original or a redial. All stainless case if I'm translating the inscription on the back properly. If you can help to identify the movement, please let me know: 15j manual wind marked for 3 adjustments. Also incoming, so these are seller photos: $20 shipped.

 

Wow, getting that Citizen for less than $50 was basically stealing it!

 

I don't have enough posts unfortunately.

 

Just PM and conduct in a gentleman's manner

 

Fun thread! Good stuff being posted here.

"Trash and treasures" for less than $50 here at the Home For Wayward Watches.

Fairly recent acquisition from an exhibit tray at a gun show. Already forgot what was given but it was well under $50.


Owned this one most of my adult life. $5 back when from a pawn shop.


Ugleee but a good running watch. $15 and free shipping from off Ebay.


$45 from off Ebay. Reminds me of one my dad had when I was young.


Don't remember when this arrived or where it came from but it had to be cheap. Serviced and now accurate and dependable.


Cheap Ebay find under $50.


Excellent watch. These used to be cheap and mostly unwanted on Ebay.

 

Snagged this for 102 usd. I know it isn't under 50usd but heck it looks like a fun one. Serviced too!

https://m.ebay.com/itm/SERVICED-Elgin-Sportsman-1950s-1960s-Vintage-Mens-Watch/292372366131?_mwBanner=1

 

Great posts!
I'm a big fan of Hamiltons (992B Railroad Standard pocket watch, 987 Barrel, 747 Vardon, 982 Rutledge). I paid more than $50 so I won't post pictures of these here. One of my favorite daily wearers is a Bulova Mil-Std-3818A military watch from 1960 for which I paid $137. After service, adjustment and regulation it is keeping astonishingly accurate time. The full wind rate delta in 6 positions is only 3 s/d. In the past week it has not deviated more than 2 seconds from standard time. Inexpensive doesn't mean cheap!

 

What a fine Collection! But that Glycine.....it's just fantastic! Great find.

 

@noelekal what a wonderful collection! Our tastes in dials are very very similar!

 

Just received my newest addition to the <$50 club. $16.25 delivered.
1955 Bulova - L5 on case back.. All Stainless Steel, Manual wind, and missed being a birthyear watch by 2 years. I'm a 1957 baby.

Edit: Just learned this model was called the Phantom. 17j manual wind,radium dial, ultra thin, 11ACC movement.

I'm posting a couple of before and after shots. Before are as received, the afters are with the Speidel removed, and a short session with Simichrome and PolyWatch. Oh year, 4X signed on Case, crown, dial, and movement. Sorry I can't open the back as I lack the proper tools to do so.....
Lugs seem to be 18.5mm. Case is about 33mm without the crown, 35mm with. I think it will wear larger.
Any suggestions for a strap/bracelet?

As received

After the cleanup:

 

My latest under $50 but is Lord Elgin. I didn't take a photo but the case back is clean with no engraving. It has a 626 caliber movement, 21J, adjusted to 4 pos., it was made in 1950. After shipping I paid $38.81. The dial was very badly tarnished when I came in the mail but a little silver polish and a q-tip and it cleaned right up. I even like the band that came on it.

 

Nice watch! Tell me more about how you cleaned the dial?
TIA

 

You can dibs off me @ConElPueblo



With a couple of mates (that need restoring...the one on the right is almost a dead ringer!)

 

If hunting for watches is fun, hunting for cheap watches is even more fun. Snagged this one off the 'bay a couple of years ago for $9.99...cost more to have it mailed to me than to buy it:


Picked this invisible crown "Futura" model for $50...but it did have a busted balance. Found a parts watch for $39, so does this one count twice?


Fished a grungy Nuevo Horizonte model for $50...but it is still in the queue for a service and a good scrubbing:

 

I've recently bought two watches costing $50 or less, looking forward to showing them here
Probably in top five of cheapest watches I've ever bought - doesn't beat the $25 Longines I bought for my girlfriend last year and I guess I won't ever buy any watch that cheap again...

 

Thanks, I just used a very, very small dab of silver polish and a q-tip to lightly and slowly polish the dial. If you rub too hard or go to fast you can easily rub off the lettering or the indices. I really try to avoid going directly over the letter and indices also as even going light and slow over them can still wear them off. Afterward I cleaned the dial off with this pink jewelry spray that is very mild to ensure I got all the compound off of the numbers and to ensure that there are no fingerprints to cause uneven patina. I then used linen gloves when I put the dial back on the watch.

 

Russian Slava $21 USD with $5 USD shipping from Minsk Belarus.

Actual NOS condition with straight from the factory display box. Runs like a top, dead on since I first set it, not a second off in a week. Twin mainsprings and most smooth and precise feel when winding I've ever felt. Calendar jumps to the correct date exactly on the stroke of midnight, never seen that feature on a watch before.


Next, Ingraham manufacture Tower Boy's watch. $9.99 USD with free shipping.
Replaced boy's sized band with new leather band of similar texture.
Runs great. Loses about 15-20 seconds in 24 hours, but I can probably adjust it a bit more.


Just ordered this Old Soviet Pobeda from the Ukraine less than $19 USD total. Said to be running and keeping time. Apparently a 70's model.


Almost forgot the Bulova I got for Sis.
less than $10, a 1963 manufacture gold plated waterproof self winding. Runs great and autowinds easily, though it loses about a minute a day. Haven't tried opening it yet.