10 Rolex Submariner Alternatives Under £150 – Best Rolex Homage Watches
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So, you like the look of the Rolex Submariner dive watch, but can’t afford the hefty price tag? Well, today we’ve got several great cheap alternatives to the Rolex Submariner that don’t break the bank. Starting at less than £20, even your pet cat can afford these!
Lowest Cost:
Tevise T801
Chinese brand Tevise make one of the very cheapest Rolex Submariner homage watches, that surprisingly comes fitted with an in-house automatic movement (albeit a very basic one). This one features a design directly ripped from the submariner, though does come in at a slightly larger size of 42mm. While it’s far from the best watch out there, it’s probably the cheapest way to get a watch that looks like a Rolex and retains the sweeping second hand.
Notable features:
Tevise automatic movement
Larger size
Low water resistance
Questionable quality control
Closest Design-Wise:
Parnis ‘Submarine’
Parnis are a brand seemingly dedicated on copying all of the most famous watch designs, offering decent quality alternatives at affordable prices. This brand has been around for over a decade and are known to have better quality control than some of the other ‘Chinese Specials’ on this list. Parnis give you the option to have a logo-free version if you’d rather not have the Parnis branding. These are highly specced for the price. Personally, this is the one I would go for.
Notable Features:
Ceramic Bezel
Miyota Automatic Movement
Stainless Steel Construction
Sapphire Crystal
Near Identical Proportions and Design to The Rolex Submariner
For Larger Wrists:
Pagani Design PD-1639
Coming in at 43mm and with surprisingly strong specifications, the Pagani Design submariner homage is probably the best cheap option for larger wrist sizes. Easily available on Aliexpress for under £70, this one packs a Seiko NH35A movement; often found on far more expensive wristwatches.
Notable Features:
43mm Diameter
Stainless Steel Construction
Sapphire Crystal
Seiko NH35A Movement
100M Water Resistance
All-Rounder:
Invicta Pro Diver 8926OB
One of the very best low-cost Rolex homage watches, the Invicta Pro Diver 8926OB offers impressive specifications for around £100. You get surprisingly good build quality and a design, outside of the branding, that looks nearly identical to a submariner. This watch definitely looks and feels far better than the price tag suggests. You can read my review on this watch here, I was pleased with this watch. They also make a quartz version, which is usually obtainable for an even lower price.
Notable features:
Seiko NH35 automatic movement
200M water resistance
Mineral glass
Stainless steel construction
Branded inscription on flank of watch
Pure Specs:
Loreo Automatic
For around £100, the Loreo Automatic probably offers the best value when it comes purely to specifications. There are undoubtedly a few shortcuts, such as the lack of a lume pip and the cheap bezel action; though you do get an automatic movement, strong glass, good water resistance and a variety of colourways to choose from.
Notable features:
Sapphire Glass
200m Water Resistance
Seagull Automatic Movement
Stainless Steel Construction
Best Quartz:
Phoibos PX002C Quartz
Phoibos offer some of the best value dive watches on the market right now, including arguably the best cheap quartz alternative to the Rolex Submariner. This one is slightly on the larger size, at 42mm, but does offer solid construction and the best water resistance on this list.
Notable Features:
300m Water Resistance
Swiss Ronda Quartz Movement
Sapphire Crystal
Super Luminova Hands & Markers
Screw Down Crown
OTHER OPTIONS:
Sekonda 3078
If you’re after a low-cost quartz alternative, fashion brand Sekonda make a cheap Rolex lookalike for under £30. This one is only constructed of alloy and does have some different design cues, but still offers that submariner-esque look. It’s also sized smaller than the Tevise at 39mm and is available on Amazon.
Notable features:
Quartz movement
Alloy construction (steel bracelet)
Smaller size
Seiko 5 SNZF17K1
For a slightly different look, with slightly submariner inspiration, the Seiko SNZF17K1 might be what you are looking for. It is the most expensive watch on the list, but you do get a much more unique look and a brand name that holds up well. I particularly like the dark date window, which makes the watch look much better.
Notable Features:
- Seiko Automatic Movement
- Stainless Steel Construction
- Hardlex Glass
- 100m Water Resistance
- 2 Year Warranty
Stuhrling Depthmaster
The Stuhrling Depthmaster is readily available on Amazon and once more offers a 42mm alternative to the Rolex Submariner. This one features a Miyota quartz movement and a special Krysterna crystal, which is apparently better than sapphire glass – though I haven’t tested it thoroughly to know for sure.
Notable Features:
Miyota Quartz Movement
Stainless Steel Construction
Krysterna Glass
2 Year Warranty
100m Water Resistance
Pulsar (Seiko) PG8293X1
A subsidiary of Seiko, this Pulsar watch offers a low cost, colourful alternative to the previous watches in this article. This one has enough design differences to set itself apart and has a variety of bright colour options to pick from. For around £70, this might be what you are looking for.
Notable Features:
Seiko Quartz Movement
Stainless Steel Construction
‘Curved’ Mineral Glass
100m Water Resistance
