The Best Affordable Alternative to Every Iconic Rolex Watch: From the Submariner to the GMT-Master II

Make no mistake – Rolex will always be Rolex.

No other watchmaker carries quite the same mix of prestige, history and desirability, and it's no coincidence that The Crown is comfortably the world's biggest Swiss watch brand.

For millions of watch obsessives, owning a Rolex remains the ultimate goal. The downside, of course, is the price. Whether you're buying new or pre-owned, those RRPs are only going one way.

But there is another options – some of the same kind of appeal, at a fraction of the price. These five watches listed below aren't homages or copies. They're watches that capture something of the same energy of Rolex's most iconic models - from the Submariner to the Daytona - while bringing plenty of character of their own.

Plus, crucially, leaving enough money in your bank account so you're not reduced to eating beans on toast for the rest of the year.

Here, then, are our top five recommends for a little Crown wrist real estate.

The Submariner may be the world's most famous dive watch, but Baltic has become one of the biggest success stories in independent watchmaking by thinking more holistically. Rather than copying Rolex outright, the French brand looked back to the clean, compact skin divers of the 1950s for its best-selling £540 Aquascaphe, recently updated with a date window. The result is a watch that wears beautifully, feels reassuringly well-made and gets all the important details right. Best, it is unmistakably a Baltic, not a budget Submariner.

The Explorer has always been one of Rolex's simplest watches, and that's exactly what Hamilton gets right here. The Khaki Field Mechanical is light, tough and easy to wear with almost anything. Better still, Hamilton's military heritage arguably runs deeper than The Crown's, giving you a handy fact to wheel out next time someone in the pub starts talking watches.

The Datejust has been Rolex's do-anything watch for generations – smart enough for work, chilled enough for weekends. Citizen's £299 Tsuyosa scratches much the same itch. An automatic movement, integrated bracelet and Cyclops-style date magnifier give it a familiar feel, while the colourful dial options make it a little more playful than its Swiss inspiration.

Lorier is a small New York brand that has built a loyal following by making vintage-inspired tool watches at sensible prices. The £765 Hyperion is its take on the classic GMT: compact, easy to wear and fitted with a proper traveller's GMT movement. It has all the romance of the golden age of air travel without feeling like a Rollie tribute act.

The Daytona has become the world's most desirable (and expensive) chronograph. Farer goes in a different direction. The British brand is known for combining Swiss mechanical movements with bold colours and thoughtful design, and the £1,875 Carnegie is one of its best. It has bags of personality, looks unlike anything else on the market and proves you don't need a waiting list - or five figures - to own a genuinely exciting mechanical chronograph.

This story originally appeared on Esquire.com/uk.

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