Autoblog Gift Guide: Watches for car guys

You may have noticed a correlation: The car guy in your life — maybe it's you — is also interested in watches. Car- or racing-inspired watches can run into thousands of dollars, and not everybody can afford an Omega Speedmaster or a TAG Heuer. (Or maybe you can! Keep reading.) So we've picked some timepieces we liked the looks of, but costing less.

Motorsports watches, pilot watches and even dive watches share some characteristics. They're often chronometers, with subdials that let you time to the fraction of a second; they have big faces and easy-to-read hands; and they have styling cues traditional to their genre. But the three categories can blur at times, as with some watches we have here. 

We set an upper price limit of $1,000. Yes, that's a lot, but for starters, how does 68 bucks sound? Read on ...

If you don't want to bang up a nice watch while wrenching on your car, this chronometer is a solid option. Even some watch-snob websites give Timex its due for looks. And the Indiglo function is cool. 43mm case. Available in lots of colors and strap options. Quartz, of course, at this price: $68 on Amazon.

This Citizen is another example with a cream face, but like the Timex, it's available in many color and strap combinations. 44mm case, Japanese quartz movement, and it's powered by the sun. $178 on Amazon.

We really like the looks of this one, with the splash of color and perforated band. The Mirabeau comes in other color combinations, and Jack Mason has a whole line of designs; this one is from the Racing collection. At 40mm, you might prefer that it's a bit smaller than many of the watches on this list. Japanese quartz movement. $225 on eBay.

You cannot go wrong with a Seiko. A lot of watches on the market take styling cues from the classic Omega Speedmaster. This is one of them, for thousands less. Japanese quartz, solar powered. It's $300 on Amazon. Though keep in mind you can also get many Seiko automatics, including a classic Seiko dive watch like this one, for about the same money.  

Here's another Omega Speedmaster homage, from Swatch. Which is no surprise, as the Swatch Group owns Omega, along with Hamilton, Rado, Mido and a dozen other brands. (The Swatch brand is to the Swatch Group as the VW brand is to Volkswagen AG.) At a glance, people will think you're wearing a Moonwatch. Swiss quartz, 43mm, $200 on Amazon.

This next offering from a budget brand currently has a non-budget price of $645 on Amazon. It's a limited-edition collaboration with Honda Racing that was originally listed at $200, but must now be in short supply. If you like it, it might crop up on eBay. The important note beyond the high-octane price is that its case is a whopping 47.5mm in diameter — that'll be hard for anyone to miss. If you're not into that kind of bling and cost, perhaps another model like this Casio dive watch for just $83 is more to your liking.  

More bling. If you ride, you might like a bold-looking Ducati chrono. There are several on Amazon, where this one's $299. Likewise, Ferrari has a line of watches, such as this Ferrari red model for $176. At these prices, these are fanboy fashion statements. Someone who can actually afford a Ferrari might go for a more substantial timepiece.

Bulova makes a variety of Harley-Davidson watches. If this cream model is too creampuff for you Harley riders, there are other designs to choose from at Amazon. This one's $250 on Amazon. 

Hamilton is a storied American brand that features Swiss automatic movements. In fact, Hamilton says this is a new movement with an 80-hour reserve time. Hamilton watches often have traditional, even old-fashioned, styling, so the Pan-Europ series is a very sporty look that's clearly influenced by an automotive gauge. 42mm diameter case. We liked this one in blue for $749 on Amazon, but maybe you'd prefer it in gray for $50 less.

We started out looking for a line of Luminox watches branded to Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan. With a trapezoidal case and neon colors, they jangled our eyeballs. In the same search, however, this stylish GMT space watch popped up. We like the tiny stars on the dial that you might not even notice at first glance. 45mm, quartz, $652 on Amazon. The band is artificial leather, so no worries about getting it wet during splashdown.

Panzera is an Australian watchmaker (not to be confused with the pricier Panerai) with a collection of race, pilot and dive watches. The Time Master 42 is at a reasonable price for a Miyota Japanese automatic movement, $322 at Panzera's website.

A lot of watchmakers pick up on the Gulf livery. The Roebuck Diviso is one of those. It also takes a design cue from corrugated metal roofing, no doubt from designer Guy Roebuck's experiences in Texas. The Roebuck Diviso has a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, rotating bezel, Miyota automatic movement, and Italian calfskin band. It's $550 at Roebuck's website.

We liked the Gulf-ish color scheme on this version of the Straton Daily Driver. Based in Switzerland, Straton uses a Miyota Japanese quartz movement in a 44mm case. It's $279 at Straton's website. 

This bold look from the same company has a sophisticated style, especially when you see it on a wrist in product shots. 42mm, Seiko mecha-quartz movement (5 beat per second sweep). It's $499 at Straton's website. 

Torgoen is a Swiss maker of aviation watches with an ever-expanding line of quartz and automatic offerings, some on sale for as little as $158. This T18 in orange and blue carbon fiber has been designated a racing watch by Torgoen. It's 45mm with a Swiss quartz movement. It's $315 with a silicone band and $450 with leather, but keep an eye on the pricing, as Torgoen is constantly running specials.

All of Autodromo's watches carry a motorsports theme. We love this model's history-themed, rich Le Mans blue face. It's smaller, at 40mm. Seiko mecha-quartz movement (five BPS sweep hand). Domed sapphire crystal. It's $695.

Hey, how about a green watch face? That's cool. The C3 Grand Tourer is $450. This quartz model is also the smallest watch on our list, at 39mm, for those of you with skinny wrists. British watchmaker Christopher Ward has also made the hand-wound C8 Birkin's Blower Limited Edition at $2,275, made with a piece of piston from the famed 1929 Bentley Blower racing car on its back, and the C1 Morgan Three-Wheeler Chronograph at $2,050.

This collaboration between a British automaker and British watchmaker, named after a British heath, is well, pretty darn British. Swiss quartz, shock protected, 43mm case. Rubber strap. "Trusted by UK Armed Forces and Mountain Rescue England & Wales." It's $670 at current exchange rates on Elliot Brown's website.

Here's another British watch, from an actual automotive designer. Matthew Humpheries is the designer behind the Morgan Aeromax, Supersports and 3 Wheeler, and now he's making watches like this MHD Type 1, selling for $1,003 at current exchange rates. MHD's SQI Collection is just $343, but the Porsche-inspired watch is currently sold out.

Most Porsche Design watches bust our budget, but not these two. The Turbo Classic Chronograph at left is $805 at Porsche. The Martini Racing chrono at right is $846, and is also available with a white background. 

A classic. And one that we didn't think we could afford, because you'll usually see it at $1,600, with other TAGs costing even more. But to our surprise, the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Gulf came up at $990 on Amazon. There's also a milder TAG watch at $770. Maybe this is an accept-no-substitutes situation?