Reddit users have had a gutful of News Corp’s “sensational” coverage of the Socceroos.

The Socceroos left Australia delighted, simply by getting to the knockout round of the World Cup. Particularly impressive were the victories over Tunisia and Denmark – both feats not many people expected the Socceroos to pull off.

But after we lost against Argentina, many Australians in the r/Aleague Reddit community expressed their disappointment with News Corp’s coverage of The Socceroos, in particular how they called an act by Aziz Behich “dumb” and a goalkeeper’s mistake a “howler.”

Reddit users were swift to support the Socceroos and bring News Corp down a peg. Beneath a thread entitled “Get fucked News Corp” (which was in regards to the above image), the top comment was: “Let’s just ignore the fact we pushed Argentina to the limits and had our most successful World Cup results to date.”

Another said: “Sometimes news is so slow they have to make up shit to get sale’s. Pathetic.”

“News Corps news isn’t just slow – it’s rarely news and mostly sensationalism,” said another.

Further comments included: “It’s so unfair. Ryan fucked up yeah but he is going to cop so much shit from fair weather fans” and “Behich did a better Maradona than Messi, but ‘he lost his cool'” (the same user added: “Hope every dish they eat, tastes like runny shit”).

Another said: “The pass leading up to it [Matty Ryan] was so damn slow and invited pressure from the Argentines… It’s likely Alvarez and De Paul get to him regardless.”

Another keyboard-barked: “Fucking useless dog cunts. We did brilliant. Leave Matty alone too ffs, he was brilliant for us. We don’t get this far without Matty. I feel for him.”

Though we at DMARGE did warn Australia about the dangers of making Messi angry prior to the game, you could also argue that winding him up was worth a shot. As for Matty Ryan, we’d tend to agree – he’s probably feeling bad enough already; there is no need to sink a boot in (even if it would have been good if he’d sunk his boot in a little quicker on the weekend).

• Hakimi Hits Spain Where It Hurts, Performs ‘Sergio Ramos’ Celebration
• With Crowds Like This, Why The Hell Don’t More Aussies Play Football?

The post Australians Tell News Corp ‘Get F**ked’ After Masthead Trashes Socceroos appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Dave Portnoy is finding out the hard way that just because you’ve launched a successful media brand, you can’t just waltz into the watch industry and expect to be successful there, too.

The controversial founder of pop culture blog Barstool Sports – best known for his brash online persona and surprisingly viral pizza reviews – has launched his very own watch brand, named Brick Watch Company: a name that supposedly refers to how he built Barstool “brick by brick” but also a self-deprecating play on words referring to broken goods.

Portnoy unveiled the brand in typical Portnoy style, claiming that he’s been working on the project for over two years and has invested “millions of dollars” into creating a “clean, simple, good-looking, well-made watch,” as well as saying “hopefully people buy the watches and like them – and if not, well, f*ck you.”

In short: people don’t like them, and now Portnoy’s saying f*ck you. Why? Well, the watches, which are unbelievably generic in design and construction, are incredibly cheap-looking – yet Portnoy’s trying to sell them for US$2,400 each. Ooft.

WATCH brand strategy expert @shwinnabego explain some of the problems with Dave Portnoy’s watch brand below.

Critics have had a field day savaging Brick Watch Company, rightly pointing out that at that sort of price, you could easily afford a watch from a genuine Swiss watch brand like Baume & Mercier, Longines or Tissot, and you’d have a much more luxurious, better-made product.

As Gear Patrol put it, “there’s little indication as to what makes Brick watches more expensive than those with similar descriptions — aside from simply targeting a price bracket where they think they can sell,” adding:

“You truly have many, many better options. You can get excellent automatic chronographs for these prices and less… As Portnoy puts it in his Twitter video introducing the brand, “It ain’t cheap, but it ain’t ten grand. If it said ‘Rolex’ on it, it would be at least ten grand,” revealing him to presumably have no idea what makes Rolexes expensive.”

Gear Patrol

Highsnobiety put it even more simply: “if you care enough about watches to cough up $2,400, you’re gonna want something a little more substantial and a lot more sophisticated.”

Commenters online have pointed out that Portnoy’s also lifted product descriptions straight from OMEGA, and the legal templates on Portnoy’s website have simply been copy/pasted from a generic template and not even filled out properly. It also seems as if virtually identical watches to Brick’s are selling elsewhere for $42.

In response, Portnoy posted an 8-minute-long meltdown on Twitter, complaining about “watch dorks” and “haters” trying to destroy his efforts, singling out menswear writer Derek Guy (@dieworkwear) in particular who had the temerity to (rightfully) suggest that selling a “$42 watch for $2,400 is shameful”.

He failed, however, to address critics’ core complaints: that the watches are far too expensive for what they are, and that the entire brand feels like a shonk.

Emergency Press Conference – Brick Watch Company Has Brought Out the Haters, Losers, Liars and Bums @dieworkwearhttps://t.co/oiDzcrVWLF pic.twitter.com/jkrxinhaGD

— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) November 29, 2022

Portnoy’s ham-fisted attempt at trying to enter the watch market speaks to a broader issue, however: the proliferation of cheap, low-quality ‘direct to consumer’ or ‘Kickstarter’ watch brands, which all represent the same grift.

You’ve no doubt encountered a few online, as they market themselves very aggressively across social media: Filippo Loreti, MVMT, Valuchi, Vincero… They all claim that traditional watch brands mark up their products excessively, but by “bypassing traditional channels” and “cutting out the middle man” they can sell real premium watches to customers at a fraction of the price.

Their marketing typically features lots of customer testimonials where claims like “I own Rolexes but I get more compliments wearing this watch” are commonplace. They also do a lot of influencer marketing, where you’ll see mid-tier influencers shill the ever-loving shit out of their watches.

In that sense, Portnoy’s his own influencer: using his millionaire status to imply that he intuitively knows something about luxury, or at the very least, can access genuine luxury – therefore if the watch is good enough for him, it’s good enough for other luxury shoppers.

The reality is that these watch brands use cheap, generic movements; incredibly derivative designs (some of which are just straight-up copyright infringement) and are incredibly opaque about where these watches are made. Many are simply just drop-shipped from China.

What’s most laughable is their claim that they’re actually luxury products. Virtually none of them feature the sort of construction or quality materials that you’d need to use to qualify as a high-end watch. More to the point, no serious watch fan would ever take someone wearing one of these watches seriously, as they’re so obviously terrible.

RELATED: Shaquille O’Neal’s Invicta Watch Collection Misses Harder Than His Free Throws

They’re entirely designed to sucker in people who don’t know anything about watches but are desperate to look cool or have a status symbol to show off. They might be cheaper than a typical Swiss or Japanese watch, but they’re still ridiculously overpriced, especially when comparable watches can be purchased from Alibaba or Taobao for cents on the dollar.

Brick Watch Company is just a particularly egregious example of the same old scam. It’s clear that Portnoy’s just trying to leverage his fame and status as a self-made millionaire to hawk cheap watches to his adoring fans for outrageous prices.

But it’s a bit of a bizarre move: it’s one thing fooling someone who doesn’t know anything about watches to buy an MVMT for a few hundred dollars, but someone who’s got a few thousand dollars spare to spend on a watch is highly unlikely to go for watches like these. How many of Portnoy’s fans would be in a position to fall for this, anyway? Not that many people have that sort of spare change.

Alternatively, Portnoy could be the one being scammed here: maybe he truly doesn’t know anything about watches, is getting terrible advice or is simply drinking his own Kool-Aid, and has spent buckets of his own cash on a venture that’s doomed to fail (although we don’t think that’s the case).

Fools and their money are easily parted, we suppose.

• Jean-Claude Van Damme Launches His Own Watch Brand… And It’s Not Pretty
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The post Brick Watch Company: Dave Portnoy Melts Down After Critics Savage His Watch Brand appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Joe Rogan has come in swinging on people being discreet about their steroid use. Not only has he savaged Liver King for lying about his steroid use, but he has also taken aim at Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, saying he doesn’t believe he is natural and that he should own up to his steroid use, if indeed he is on steroids.

Joe Rogan, speaking on a recent episode of his podcast, ridiculed The Liver King for lying about taking steroids. He also called out Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, encouraging him to own up to steroid use too. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has admitted to experimenting with steroids when he was a teenager but apparently does not take steroids (or doesn’t speak about taking steroids) now.

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A post shared by Liver King (@liverking)

Rogan calls bullshit on this though, saying: “The Rock should come clean right now. He should make a video in response to the Liver King video…There’s not a fucking chance in hell he’s clean, as big as The Rock is, at 50.”

Guest Derek, a fitness educator and entrepreneur, said: “What was wild… I don’t think it’s disingenuous necessarily but he was in a Men’s Health interview and he talks about how his number 1 priority is longevity now and I’m like dude everything you’re doing is the hyper opposite of that.”

“In terms of a diet, a lifestyle potentially, but the drug exposure to maintain the physique to then do the superhero roles at his age, it’s clearly not longevity focussed – it’s how much can I milk this right now with my brand sort of thing.”

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A post shared by Dwayne Johnson (@therock)

Joe Rogan then chimed in again, saying: “When you look at the physique of the Rock, full jacked Rock, the point is you can’t even get there with hrt [hormone replacement therapy], that’s not hrt.”

“There’s a responsibility you have to those that are listening to you now. If you don’t want to talk about it that’s one thing, but if you do talk about it there’s a responsibility that you have to the people that are listening to you.”

In an MTV interview back in 2009, The Rock said he and his buddies tried steroids back in the day when they were 18 or 19 and didn’t know what they were doing.

Ladbible reports, “It wasn’t until after he graduated college that Johnson launched his professional wrestling career, and by then, he had sworn off steroids.”

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A post shared by Dwayne Johnson (@therock)

Rogan, for his part, again admitted to taking hrt (something he was previously been very open about) after his comments on The Rock, saying: “I think you have to be honest, which is why I’m honest about it – I don’t think there’s anything wrong with taking hormone replacement, I think it’s actually wise, it’s healthier.”

“I feel way better than I did before I was doing it and. I started doing it when I was like 37 or 38, and even then I was just taking the cream. Right away I was like, ‘Oh my god, I feel so much better.’ I don’t think it’s wrong I think it’s smart but you got to be honest.”

Healthline isn’t quite so clear cut on the benefits of hrt for men, explaining: “Hormone replacement therapy is a bit of a misnomer. It’s natural for men’s testosterone levels to decrease as they get older. So, hormone therapy doesn’t replace anything that is naturally missing.”

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A post shared by Joe Rogan (@joerogan)

Testosterone is required for male sexual development, reproductive function, building muscle, maintaining healthy levels of red blood cells and maintaining bone density. However, Healthline says that “the natural decrease of this hormone in men typically doesn’t affect overall health any more than the aging process does.”

Healthline adds: “Medical experts disagree about the significance of a testosterone level decrease. They also disagree about the health benefits of hormone therapy use to combat the natural aging process in men, especially given the risks.”

RELATED: Dan Bilzerian Calls Out The Rock For Having Fake Instagram Followers

“Some men with unnaturally low levels of testosterone can benefit from hormone therapy. For example, the condition hypogonadism can cause unnaturally low levels of testosterone. It’s a dysfunction of the testicles that prevents the body from producing the right amount of testosterone,” (Healthline).

“What’s less certain is whether testosterone therapy can benefit healthy men whose testosterone decline is simply caused by aging. This has been a difficult question for researchers to answer. Not many studies have observed the effects of testosterone therapy in men with healthy levels of the hormone. The studies that have were smaller and had unclear results.”

Healthline

In terms of risks, Healthline points out potential side effects like fluid retention, acne, increased urination, breast enlargement, decreased testicle size, worsening of sleep apnea, increased cholesterol, decreased sperm count, infertility and increased number of red blood cells.

Healthline says having an increased number of red blood cells can cause muscle pain, high blood pressure, blurry vision, chest pain and blood clots in your blood vessels.

If this sounds eerily similar to the side effects of steroids, that’s for a reason. According to tctmed.com, the primary differences between TRT and steroid abuse are:

• TRT is FDA-approved, while steroid use in the locker room is not
• TRT is administered by a medical professional, while most steroid use for bodybuilding and athletic performance enhancement is not
• TRT’s purpose is to treat a medical condition (Low T), while illegal steroid abuse is not a medical treatment at all

“Ultimately, it comes down to dose and safety,” tctmed.com says.

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The post Joe Rogan Says ‘Not A F**king Chance In Hell’ The Rock Is Clean appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Skateboarding, originally known as ‘street surfing’, was first invented roughly in the late 1940s to early 1950s in California, by surfers wanting something to do when the swell was completely flat. Flash forward to 2021, skateboarding has become so popular that it’ll make its Olympic debut at the postponed 2020 Toyko Olympic Games.

However, skateboarding has also carved out its own place in the fashion world, as well as the sporting world. The skateboarding street style, which hasn’t really changed since its conception in the 1970s, of oversized tees, backwards caps, hoodies, and relaxed fit jeans embodies the carefree psyche of skateboarders and gives off an understated aesthetic that many top designers have replicated repeatedly over the years.

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The post The 17 Best Skate Brands To Shred Those Concrete Waves In appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The Indonesian government just passed a new federal criminal code that bans sex outside marriage. Could this become a problem for amorous Aussies making their annual exodus to Bali?

Australia’s biggest neighbour has been looking to revise their criminal code since declaring independence from the Netherlands in 1945: indeed, many of the laws on the books are simply inherited (or rather, were imposed by) the Dutch.

However, rather than changing their criminal code to be more progressive as one might expect, the Indonesians have gone in a completely different direction, passing sweeping changes which – among other things – have introduced a ban on sex outside of marriage.

As ABC News reports, the new criminal code penalise sex outside of marriage with up to one year in jail, prohibits cohabitation between unmarried couples and bans the promotion of contraception, black magic (bad news for Bali shamans), insulting a sitting president and vice president, state institutions or national ideology as well as expands laws relating to religious blasphemy.

These onerous new laws could end up being rather problematic for Australian tourists to Bali. In 2019, almost 2 million Australians tourists visited Indonesia, with the vast majority of them visiting Bali. Bali’s known for being a rather libertine place to visit and party – but these laws could change that.

It’s not completely straight-forward, however. Unmarried couples can only be prosecuted if they’re reported by a spouse, parents or their children… So you won’t be arrested if your mate dobs you in for getting it on with someone during your Bali boy’s trip, for example.

“[The code] would be applicable to tourists… [But] it is unlikely, in practice, to affect tourists travelling to Indonesia, provided that no such complaints are made to Indonesian police,” Professor Simon Butt, Director of the Centre for Asian and Pacific Law at the University of Sydney explains.

RELATED: Instagram Confirms Australians Are Still The Worst Humans In Bali

While it’s good sport poking fun at the prospect of Aussie tourists being prevented from getting their socks off in Bali, Indonesia’s new criminal code is no laughing matter and could have much more dire consequences for both locals and tourists – especially those from the LGBT+ community.

Hindu-majority Bali has always been considered pretty queer-friendly (especially in comparison to the rest of the Muslim-majority country), but these new laws could lead to discrimination or even prosecution of queer singles and even couples.

In particular, a new provision cracking down on “immoral acts” might extend to public affection between people of the same gender, Prof. Butt suggests.

There’s one saving grace, though: Indonesia’s new criminal code will not apply immediately, but rather will take as many as three years to transition from the old code to the new one.

So if you’ve already booked a holiday to Bali (or anywhere else in Indonesia) and you were looking to have a bit of ~fun~, you’re not completely screwed. Pun entirely intended.

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The post Indonesia’s ‘Bonk Ban’ Might Be A Problem For Australians Visiting Bali appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The James Bond rumour mill stirs again! This time it’s a wildcard, with 32-year-old Aaron Taylor-Johnson being the rumoured new 007.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, an actor who has starred in Bullet Train, Kick-Ass, Avengers, Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging, The King’s Man and Godzilla, is rumoured to be the next Bond. This whisper comes from Instagram account @deuxmoi, which has a reputation for being the most prescient source of celebrity gossip around.

That said, it’s far from official, with @deuxmoi stressing this is a tip off from an anonymous source. The source told @deuxmois: “Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the next Bond. A mini trailer of him doing the famous bond shot is going to be released March/April 2023 to announce him as the new actor.”

Fan manifestation or truth pic.twitter.com/iNQ4jP0TA8

— deuxmoi (@deuxmoiworld) December 3, 2022

@deuxmoi, iconic curator of pop culture that they are, asked their followers if they thought this was: “Fan manifestation or truth?”

One fan responded: “The man gets so many jobs get no one knows who he is I don’t get it.” Another said: “This ambiguousness is probably exactly why he got the Bond role (if the rumors are true, of course).”

Others put forward their own favourites, like Henry Cavill and co. Others discussed the veracity of the rumour. Speaking of which – The Sun has also reported that Aaron Taylor-Johnson could be the next Bond, with a recent article reporting Aaron met with Bond producer Barbara Broccoli and even (apparently) went for a screen test to be the next Bond in September. An insider allegedly told The Sun Broccoli “loved” Taylor-Johnson and “he is now one of the front runners.”

In the end, only time (and the next Bond directors) will tell who needs up being the next 007.

• ‘James Bond’ Producer Says The Next 007 Actor Has To Be At Least 30
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The post Aaron Taylor-Johnson Apparently Chosen To Play The Next James Bond appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

After PSG’s Achraf Hakimi scored Morocco’s winning penalty against Spain, he celebrated with a ‘Sergio Ramos’ waddle. Former Spain and Madrid captain Sergio Ramos was left out of the Spain squad by Luis Enrique, and his exclusion will have even more scrutiny on it now that Spain has bowed out of the World Cup in the round of 16.

As Sergio Busquets stepped up to take his penalty, his wry smile had me believing Spain might come back from the brink and win. I was wrong. He missed, Hakimi scored, and Spain were – yet again – out of the World Cup without reaching the quarters.

WATCH: Hakimi celebrates winning goal against Spain with ‘Ramos style’ waddle

Speaking of being wrong… Luis Enrique’s decision to leave Sergio Ramos out of the squad is now coming under scrutiny, not only because Spain lost, but also because Hakimi, who is teammates with Sergio Ramos at PSG, celebrated his Sergio Ramos style panenka with a Sergio Ramos style “waddle” (as pointed out by Madrid fan account @WolfRMFC).

Ice cold indeed.

This isn’t the first time Hakimi has paid tribute to Ramos, with the right back taking to Twitter in November to call Sergio Ramos, who was left out of Spain’s World Cup squad by Luis Enrique, the “Best defend in the world.”

Sergio Ramos Best defend in the world

— Achraf Hakimi (@AchrafHakimi) November 11, 2022

The whole saga has many Madridistas claiming Luis Enrique, a former Barcelona coach, elected not to choose Ramos because of his long and storied career with Los Blancos. Enrique obviously maintains that he picked the players that were best for his system, and those that were most in form (though Ramos has improved this year, when he first went to PSG there was a dip in form).

Those over at The Spanish Football Podcast reckon group dynamics might have had something to do with Enrique’s decision to leave Ramos out. However after Spain’s recent loss to Japan they, too, were wondering if maybe Enrique could have brought Ramos along anyway.

It’s also worth mentioning Spain lost to Russia in 2018, in somewhat similar circumstances, with Sergio Ramos.

It’s all a bit late to talk about now though. As it turns out, it’s not just Barcelona who struggle to emulate Barcelona from 2009, but also Spain. Weird.

Ramos has stayed out of the controversy, taking to Instagram to write: “Today more than ever, proud of our flag, proud of our country and proud of our players. Spain doesn’t lose, Spain learns. Spain falls, stumbles, but gets up and keeps going. We will come back and we will come back stronger. Come on Spain.” 

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A post shared by Sergio Ramos (@sergioramos)

Comments on this post included: “We miss the GRAN CAPITÁN!!!” and “you are our eternal captain.”

Others said his absence has been noticed and that in World Cups it is necessary to have a mix of youth and experience, and that in this Mundial the absence of that mix for Spain really showed.

• Is David Beckham Preparing To Lace Up For England’s World Cup Campaign?
• With Crowds Like This, Why The Hell Don’t More Aussies Play Football?

The post Hakimi Hits Spain Where It Hurts, Performs ‘Sergio Ramos’ Celebration appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

David Beckham has been spotted in the England training camp, with England coach Gareth Southgate. The image has fans begging the iconic (and very much retired) number 7 to lace up once more for England for their upcoming clash with France.

Much of England might write David Beckham off when it’s convenient, but intellectual snobbery and accent bias has its limits. Everyone wants the World Cup to “come home” and if what it takes is 47-year-old David Beckham joining the England training camp (even after he was recently called a “trained seal” thanks to his promotion of the Qatar World Cup) then… go for your life.

Beckham’s visit appears to have done the squad no harm either, with the team beating Senegal 3-0 after his visit, with Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka all getting on the scoresheet.

During Golden Balls’ visit to England’s Al-Wakrah training base, Beckham met with Southgate, who presented him with his three lions legacy shirt. The official English football team’s Instagram account shared this moment, captioning it: “Gareth Southgate has The boss presenting @davidbeckham with his #ThreeLions legacy shirt!”

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A post shared by England football team (@england)

Beckham responded: “What a pleasure Thanks to the Boss for my gift  @england.”

The top comment on the post, with 317 likes, was “Can he play Saturday?” Other Instagram users debated Beckham’s theoretical inclusion in the squad, with some saying his style of play wouldn’t suit today’s game, and others calling Southgate to “get him on the pitch.”

Others indulged in a little nostalgia (remember that goal against Greece), making comments like: “He looks like he could still play. Kinda wish he did.”

Beckham seemed stoked with the shirt, and spoke to a bunch of players including Jack Grealish, James Maddison, Declan Rice, Callum Wilson ,Harry Maguire, Mason Mount, Jack Grealish, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka.

He also appeared to have been spotted talking crosses with attacking full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold. 

England will take on France on Sunday morning at 6am AEST.

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The post Is David Beckham Preparing To Lace Up For England’s World Cup Campaign? appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

At a time when high-tech smartwatches and fitness gadgets are becoming all the rage for your wrists, we will always have a soft spot for classic timepieces. But classic-looking watches that are high-quality aren’t typically what you’d call affordable.

Want a watch from a popular brand like Rolex or Patek Philippe? You’ll have to plonk down thousands, if not tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars – which isn’t something everyone can afford. On the other hand, you don’t want a cheap watch that will fall apart after a few wears.

Now it may seem impossible to find a stylish watch with all these key features that are under $500, but we’ve done the hard yards for you! We’ve rounded up the most stylish, best-looking watches that are functional and high-performing, and above all, affordable.

So if you’re after a watch that’ll last, elevate your look, and won’t break the bank; take a look at the best watches under $500.

Casio G-Shock DW5600 Series

Casio is synonymous with affordable, high-quality watches, so it’s hard to pick just one Casio for this list. That said, it’s hard to look past the 5600 Series Casio G-Shock.

G-Shock is Casio’s high-performance line and G-Shocks are some of the toughest watches on the planet. Water, shock and dust-resistant, they’re the final word in durability and affordability. The 5600 Series is as close as you can get to wearing one of the original square G-Shocks from the 80s and despite its low price remains an incredibly stylish, capable timepiece.

While its feature list is somewhat basic by modern G-Shock standards, it’s got more features than most quartz watches on the market: a powerful backlight, chronograph and alarm functions… It’s also incredibly tough, shock-resistant and water-resistant to 200m.

Retail Price: AU$100

Timex Q Diver Reissue ‘Pepsi’

Timex is another brand that’s synonymous with quality affordable watches. Their retro-inspired Q collection is home to many of their best buys, including this bad boy which has a colour scheme that resembles the much more expensive Rolex GMT-Master ‘Pepsi’.

Other cool retro touches include a domed acrylic crystal, an old-fashioned battery hatch on the caseback (which makes it a cinch for you to change your watch’s battery yourself) and a very 70s day-date window at 3 o’clock.

With its stainless steel case and highly comfy integrated bracelet, the Q Diver Reissue is a great entry point into the world of stainless steel sports watches.

Retail Price: AU$330

Swatch x OMEGA Bioceramic MoonSwatch ‘Mission to Mars’

Meet the most hyped watch of 2022. A collaboration between Swatch and OMEGA modelled after the original OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch, the MoonSwatch collection has become the most talked-about and in-demand watch collection in recent memory. At retail, they’re quite affordable, but such is the demand for these watches that resale prices are as high as AU$5,000.

It’s crafted from Swatch’s patented BIOCERAMIC, a unique mix of two-thirds ceramic and one-third material derived from castor oil. BIOCERAMIC is a really cool material: it’s sustainable, visually distinctive and tough.

Each of the 11 models features subtly different design cues, but all are remarkably faithful to the original ‘Speedy’: the famous tachymeter scale with a dot over 90, those distinctive Speedmaster subdials and chrono pushers… Yes, they have a quartz movement and the subdials are arranged differently, but it’s still clearly a Moonwatch.

We’ve chosen the ‘Mission to Mars’ variant here as it’s the most visually stunning. The red ceramic case and white dial just pop, as do the unique ‘Alaska Project’ rocket-shaped hands on the subdials. If you can get your hands on a MoonSwatch, this is the one to get.

Retail Price: AU$380

Orient Bambino V2

A cult favourite among watch aficionados, the Orient Bambino V2 offers automatic watch quality and class at the fraction of the price most automatic dress watches retail for.

Not only does it have a 40-hour power reserve, but it even has hacking seconds – that is, the second hand stops when the crown is pulled out, so you can better synchronise the time. That’s a feature many high-end watches don’t have.

There are plenty of different Bambino variants out there and you can pretty easily pick one up from Amazon or the like for less than the price of a Daniel Wellington (pro tip: you should never buy a Daniel Wellington, they’re terrible).

Retail Price: AU$200

Seiko 5 SRPD

You couldn’t have a list of high-quality affordable watches without including Seiko. The Seiko 5 range in particular is of outstanding value. The ‘5’ is in reference to the five base qualities Seiko demands from Seiko 5 watches: automatic winding, a day-date display, high water resistance, a protected or recessed crown, and a durable case and bracelet.

The 5 range encompasses a wide variety of different watches including field, dress and dive watches, but it’s the latter that most watch fans opt for. The Seiko 5 SRPD is a stand-out: the modern successor to the hugely popular SKX range of dive watches, it’s a handsome and durable piece that’ll give you plenty of kudos.

There are plenty to pick from but we like this SRPD reference in particular. The deep, subtle green colour is a bit unusual and very on-trend. The stainless steel bracelet is another big plus.

Retail Price: AU$499

Tissot Tradition Quartz

Tissot is one of those brands where you’re not sure how they do it for the money. The Swiss watchmaker is a household name thanks to its superb, refined yet reasonably-priced timepieces. There’s a reason most people’s “first nice watch” is a Tissot.

The Tissot Tradition is a standout because it comes in under $500 while looking like a $50,000 watch. The texture and layout of its dial make it resemble a Breguet (another Swatch Group brand) – but you don’t have to be a Russian oligarch to afford this dress watch.

The Tradition is also available with an automatic movement if you’re willing to stump up a few more bones, but if not, this model’s reliable quartz movement will serve you fine.

Retail Price: AU$450

Citizen Eco-Drive Chronograph

Citizen is another Japanese brand that’s a budget watch stalwart. This Eco-Drive Chronograph might look retro, but it’s actually got a high-tech secret: it’s powered by the sun.

That’s right, it’s got a solar-powered Eco-Drive movement. The dial of the watch, believe it or not, contains a solar cell – meaning that only a few minutes of sunlight each day will keep it powered for days on end. Great if you hate changing batteries and/or love the planet.

This model boasts a rally-style perforated leather strap and a base 30 pulsations meter for high-accuracy heart rate counting – a nice retro touch.

Retail Price: AU$450

Adidas Project One

Last but not least we have the Adidas Project One. Normally watches from fashion brands aren’t much good, but the Project One is actually a rather decent buy.

Made by Timex, not only does it have a solar-powered movement, like the Citizen above, but it also features a case made out of recycled ocean plastic and bio-based resin – meaning it’s good for the planet while looking good, too. $179 is pretty cheap for a solar-powered watch, too.

It’s available in 5 vibrant colours including coral pink and mint green, but we rather like this blue variant… It’s a classic Adidas look.

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• The Best Watches Under $1,000
• The Best Watches Under $2,000

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