15 Best Blue Dial Watches Under $1,000

White dial and black dial watches make up a disproportionate percentage of the watches on the market. However, if I had to guess what color dial came in third, I would confidently answer blue. And the market has seen an influx of blue dial watches in recent years. Yes the Patek Philippe Nautilus and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak are the most sought after blue dial timepieces, but not everyone wants to spend 10s of thousands of dollars on a blue dial watch. So I decided to put together a list of my 15 favorite blue dial watches, all under $1,000 USD. Make sure to add your addition in the comments.

Christopher Ward The Twelve

Price: $995 USD; Diameter: 40mm; Lug-to-Lug: 44.5mm; Water Resistance: 100m; Movement: Swiss Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire; Case Material: Stainless Steel.

In the under $1,000 price-point, perhaps no brand offers a better combination of quality and design than Christopher Ward. And the Twelve is one of my favorite affordable stainless steel sport watches. Now, if you want the Twelve with the integrated stainless steel bracelet, it will cost over $1,000. But on a nice rubber strap, the watch comes in at just under $1,000 at $995 USD. And the deep blue dial on this watch is definitely makes it a favorite of mine in this category.

Seiko Prospex SRPJ93

Price: $595 USD; Diameter: 43.8mm; Lug-to-Lug: 48.7mm; Water Resistance: 200m; Movement: Japanese Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire; Case Material: Stainless Steel.

When venturing into the under $1,000 price category, it’s hard to ignore Seiko. There are plenty of high quality watches to choose from. And when I think of Seiko, I think of their divers. If you’re looking for a blue dial Seiko diver, I am a fan of the Prospex SRPJ93. The gradient dial is reminiscent of the various depths of the ocean. The top of the dial starts off a lighter shade of blue with waves. The blue gets darker and darker towards the bottom of the dial, mimicking a diver descending the depths of the ocean. If you’re looking for a unique, blue dial diver, the Seiko Prospex SRPK93 is a good option at $595 USD.

Wren Diver One Aqua

Price: $895 USD; Diameter: 41mm; Lug-to-Lug: 47mm; Water Resistance: 200m; Movement: Swiss Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire; Case Material: Stainless Steel.

We believe our Wren Diver One Aqua has the best blue dial out there. We spent months going back and forth making sure the dial was perfect. And while we aren’t quite sure about whether the dial is more blue or more green, it probably fits into both categories. Overall, the Diver One is a great option for someone looking for a Swiss made automatic dive watch under $1,000. It retails for $895 USD.

Baltic Aquascaphe Classic Blue Gilt

Price: $632 USD; Diameter: 39mm; Lug-to-Lug: 47mm; Water Resistance: 200m; Movement: Japanese Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire; Case Material: Stainless Steel.

In the under-$1,000 niche, Baltic has emerged as a collector favorite. And their retro-inspired diver, the Aquascaphe, might be their most popular model. With callbacks to vintage Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and Rolex Submariners, this diver is perfect for someone looking for that retro look with some modern design cues sprinkled in. The dark blue sunray dial is stunning. And the matching blue bezel shows the Baltic was really paying attention to the details. You can pick up an Aquascaphe in Classic Blue Gilt for around $632 USD.

Brew Retrograph Cobalt

Price: $375 USD; Diameter: 38mm; Lug-to-Lug: 41.5mm; Water Resistance: 200m; Movement: Meca-Quartz Chronograph; Crystal: Sapphire; Case Material: Stainless Steel.

A watch brand inspired by coffee and coffee machines? Yes, such a brand exists! And Brew Watches has managed to create a huge following in this slightly obscure niche. But inspiration aside, Brew’s watches are just good looking watches. I really like like Retrograph with Cobalt blue dial. The mecha-quartz chronograph features a square-ish case with cobalt blue sunray dial. At just $375 USD, it’s a great option for those looking for something stylish that won’t break the bank.

Ciga Design Blue Planet

Price: $999 USD; Diameter: 46mm; Lug-to-Lug: 46mm; Water Resistance: 30m; Movement: Chinese Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire; Case Material: Stainless Steel.

Being able to find something avant-garde and unique in the under $1,000 price-point can be incredibly difficult. But CIGA Design accomplished this with the GPHG winning Blue Planet. The watch features a globe as the dial with the rotation of the earth showcasing the time. It is unique, different and sure to be a conversation starter whenever you wear it. The stainless steel Blue Planet comes in at $999 USD.

Tissot PRX Powermatic 80

Price: $725 USD; Diameter: 40mm; Lug-to-Lug: 45mm; Water Resistance: 100m; Movement: Swiss Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire; Case Material: Stainless Steel.

When you think of blue dial stainless steel integrated bracelet sport watches, you likely think of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus. But clearly, both of those watches sell for far above the $1,000 price-point. Enter the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80. This Swiss made timepiece has become somewhat of an affordable steel sport watch icon over the last few years. Yes its case shape and dial pattern remind me a lot of the Royal Oak. But that’s not really a bad thing at $725 USD.

Depancel Allure Manual Chronograph

Price: $680 USD; Diameter: 39mm; Lug-to-Lug: 45.5mm; Water Resistance: 200m; Movement: Chinese Manual Wind; Crystal: Sapphire; Case Material: Stainless Steel.

The Depancel Allure Manual Chronograph just ticks so many boxes for me. To start, the watch is 39mm in diameter, the perfect size for a chronograph (at least for me and my 6.75 inch wrist). Additionally, the watch’s and the brand’s racing inspiration are on clear display, with the dial displaying not only a tachymeter but a pulsometer. Finally, the sunray blue dial offers a contemporary feel that is contrasted by the vintage indexes and hands. Overall, this manual wind chronograph has a lot to offer at $680 USD.

Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical

Price: $595 USD; Diameter: 38mm; Lug-to-Lug: 47mm; Water Resistance: 50m; Movement: Swiss Manual Wind; Crystal: Sapphire; Case Material: Stainless Steel.

Hamilton has a long storied history, first as an American watch brand and, more recently, as a Swiss brand (since Swatch’s takeover of the brand). But Hamilton has done a great job producing high-end Swiss made watches under $1,000, especially when it comes to field watches. The Khaki Field Mechanical is so chock-full of vintage callbacks, that I can’t help but love it. From the 12-hour and 24-hour hour tracks, to the vintage lume, this watch looks like it was made half a century ago. And the blue dial is muted enough not to distract from all the subtle charm. The Field Mechanical runs on a hand-wound movement with 80 hours of power reserve. It retails for $595 USD .

YEMA Urban Traveller

Price: $890 USD; Diameter: 39mm; Lug-to-Lug: 43.5mm; Water Resistance: 100m; Movement: French Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire; Case Material: Stainless Steel.

I like the consider the YEMA Urban Traveller as another affordable alternative to some of the pricey and hard-to-get stainless steel sport watches I discussed earlier. The Urban Traveller shares some similarities to watches like the Nautilus (including the case wings), but it still stands admirably on its own. The honeycomb dial pattern is unique, and the bezel with its 6 cut-out portions is unlike any other bezel on the market. The light blue dial is also something I really like. It injects a little summer fun into an otherwise serious heavyweight in the under $1,000 price-point. It retails for $890 USD.

MIDO Ocean Star 200

Price: $970 USD; Diameter: 42.5mm; Lug-to-Lug: 48.5mm; Water Resistance: 200m; Movement: Swiss Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire; Case Material: Stainless Steel.

Looking for a no-frills diver under $1,000? The MIDO Ocean Star 200 is a great place to start. The watch is attractive, featuring a dark blue dial and bezel with well-placed orange accents. Add to this 200 meters of water resistance and an automatic ETA movement with 80-hours of power reserve, and you get well-priced and well made dive watch for all your undersea adventures. Yes, the Ocean Star 200 is a little bit on the larger side, at 42.5mm in diameter, but that just makes it more legible in the water. The MIDO Ocean Star 200 retails for $970 USD.

Maen Manhattan 37

Price: $785 USD; Diameter: 37mm; Lug-to-Lug: 47mm; Water Resistance: 50m; Movement: Swiss Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire; Case Material: Stainless Steel.

It’s been great to see the explosion of new microbrands in the watch industry, especially the brands creating new designs, unlike anything we’ve seen before. One of the microbrands that I’ve begun to follow closely recently is Maen. I particularly like the Manhattam, the brand’s take on an integrated bracelet stainless steel sport watch. The rectangular/tonneau-esque case shape and horizontal striping on the dial, make the watch incredibly different. However, there are some similarities to the classics, including the Patek Philippe Nautilus. Overall, I see the Manhattan as an everyday wear that is sure to get regular comments. It retails for about $785 USD.

Trafford Crossroads Eternal Sky

Price: $499 USD; Diameter: 36mm; Lug-to-Lug: 46mm; Water Resistance: 50m; Movement: Japanese Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire; Case Material: Stainless Steel.

You don’t see many square watches in the affordable price category, but Trafford has come along and changed that. The Crossroads has reached a lot of fanfare recently, even being chosen (just above the Wren Diver One) as Kevin O’Leary’s pick among 8 different smaller brands. And it’s easy to see why. The watch mixes elegant simplicity with stunning dials. The Eternal Sky offers a beautiful sunray baby blue dial that I just can’t take my eyes off of. But do to the brand’s newfound popularity, most of their pieces are currently sold out (but hopefully restocking soon). The Trafford Crossroads retails for $499 USD.

Citizen Tsuyosa

Price: $360 USD; Diameter: 40mm; Lug-to-Lug: 49mm; Water Resistance: 50m; Movement: Japanese Automatic; Crystal: Sapphire; Case Material: Stainless Steel.

Citizen has started to venture into a bit of a more premium category, especially with the Series8 GMT, but the brand still offers some high quality and eminently affordable options. A personal favorite of mine is the Tsuyosa. If you are looking for an affordable alternative to the Rolex Datejust or Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra, the Tsuyosa is a perfect option. Like the Datejust, the Oyster Perpetual and the Aqua Terra, the Tsuyosa is offered in a variety of different dial colors. But you really can’t go wrong with the classic deep blue sunray dial. The Citizen Tsuyosa is currently on sale for just $360 USD.

Longines Conquest

Price: $825 USD; Diameter: 41mm; Lug-to-Lug: 51mm; Water Resistance: 300m; Movement: Swiss Quartz; Crystal: Sapphire; Case Material: Stainless Steel.

There are not many Longines timepieces available at under $1,000. But the Conquest is an attractive no-frills option from the legacy brand. The Conquest collection was first introduced in 1956, and while the collection retains its classic look, it has clearly been modernized. The sunray blue dial, the indexes and hands are all very modern in their style. It is nice to see a heritage collection modernize itself rather than attempt to look “vintage”. The only downside to this conquest is that it runs on a quartz movement. You can pick the Longines Conquest for $825 USD.

If you would like to see more, check out our guide of our 30 favorite blue watches at all price-points or our 50 favorite watches under $1,000 USD.