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The Best Watches Under €10K: Thor’s Three Picks, Compared

Thor Svaboe’s 2024 shortlist pairs a black-lacquer Cartier Santos-Dumont with a colorful Zenith Defy Revival and a compact green-dial Grand Seiko.
From TheFinanceBase Team3 min to read
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Thor Svaboe’s August 2024 shortlist for a €10,000 watch budget includes three very different choices: the black-lacquered Cartier Santos-Dumont WSSA0046, the orange-accented Zenith Defy Revival A3648, and the green-dial Grand Seiko SBGW303. They were his personal picks, not a universal ranking, and the prices below are the figures his article reported in 2024—not current quotes.

Thor’s three watches under €10,000

Svaboe’s choices span an elegant, hand-wound Cartier, a vintage-inspired Zenith diver, and a compact, hand-wound Grand Seiko. The dated prices leave room below the €10,000 ceiling, but they should not be used as a current budget or availability check.

Watch What stands out Price reported in August 2024
Cartier Santos-Dumont WSSA0046 Large steel case, black lacquer, manual winding €6,600, per Thor Svaboe’s 2024 Fratello article
Zenith Defy Revival A3648 37 mm steel diver with orange accents and vintage-inspired styling €8,000, per Thor Svaboe’s 2024 Fratello article
Grand Seiko SBGW303 36.5 mm case, green dial, steel bracelet, hand-wound movement; described as a limited edition €6,300, per Thor Svaboe’s 2024 Fratello article

Cartier Santos-Dumont WSSA0046: an elegant, dress-oriented choice

Svaboe’s pick is the large Santos-Dumont in steel with a black-lacquered dial. Cartier’s Netherlands product page identifies reference WSSA0046 as a hand-wound model powered by calibre 430 MC. Its case measures 43.5 × 31.4 mm, it has no seconds hand, and Cartier lists a 38-hour power reserve.

The key practical qualification is water resistance: Cartier rates it at 3 bar. That makes this a poor choice for someone seeking a watch for swimming or regular water exposure. Svaboe explicitly cautions that it is not a sports watch. The €6,600 figure is the price reported in his August 2024 article; Cartier’s product page does not establish that as a current price.

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Zenith Defy Revival A3648: the colorful diver

The A3648 is the most overtly sporty-looking choice in the trio. Svaboe describes its 37 mm case, orange accents and vintage-inspired diver design. Zenith’s Netherlands product page confirms the 37 mm stainless-steel case.

His 2024 article reports an automatic Elite 670 movement, a 50-hour power reserve and a price of €8,000. Those movement, reserve and price details are attributed here to that article; current price and availability have not been established. The official page confirms the model’s size and material, but does not substantiate the historical price.

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Grand Seiko SBGW303: compact, green and hand-wound

Svaboe’s Grand Seiko pick is the smaller, more restrained option by case size: 36.5 mm, with a green dial and steel bracelet. His article describes it as a limited edition and says it uses hand-wound calibre 9S64. It reports a €6,300 price in August 2024.

Current price, availability and production status were not independently established. Treat the limited-edition description and the listed specifications as the account in Svaboe’s 2024 article, rather than as confirmation of present stock or production.

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How to choose between the three

Start with intended use

  • Choose the Santos-Dumont for its elegant design if you do not need a sports watch or water-ready daily companion.
  • Consider the Defy Revival if you want the most explicitly sporty styling and orange-accented, vintage-inspired character.
  • Look at the Grand Seiko if a smaller case and green dial appeal to you, and you are comfortable with hand winding.

Check case dimensions and winding preference

The Cartier’s official dimensions are 43.5 × 31.4 mm; the Zenith’s official product page confirms 37 mm; and Svaboe gives the Grand Seiko’s case size as 36.5 mm. Case diameter alone does not determine how a watch will fit, so compare the full dimensions with a watch you already wear or try the reference on in person. Cartier and Grand Seiko are described here as hand-wound; Svaboe identifies the Zenith as automatic.

Recheck the budget before buying

All three prices are historical figures from the August 2024 article. They are not evidence of current retail pricing, resale value or stock. Before treating one as a €10,000-budget option, check the exact reference with an authorized or otherwise reputable seller and confirm the price, condition, warranty and availability.

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Sources

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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