When shopping for homage watches, the fear is purchasing something more of a lemon than anything. The key is to purchase from major homage watchmakers, and Cadisen can be one of the best offers – great homages at a very affordable price.
Without further ado, may we present you 7 best Cadisen homage watches under $200.
OUR FAVORITES
Homage Of
Omega Seamaster 300
OUR FAVORITES
Homage Of
Tudor Black Bay
OUR FAVORITES
Homage Of
Rolex Daytona
Cadisen C8185
| What We Like | What We Don’t Like |
| – Solid Japanese Miyota/Citizen movement – Cyclops magnifier – 36-month warranty – Sapphire crystal | – The blue dial is a little too shiny – The bracelet can be made smoother |
This homage to Rolex Datejust heads our list of best Cadisen homage watches. It packs all the features and measurements Rolex Datejust has and packs it into a more affordable homage.
The watch has a diameter of 40mm and comes with a sapphire crystal. Ticking inside is the Miyota 8285, a 21-jewel automatic movement with day and date complications. This ensures you will get a reliable movement since Miyota is a reputable movement maker and is part of Citizen watches.
The dial comes in multiple colors, blue, white, black, and gold. For this homage, you get Roman letter hour markers, with the date window at 12 o’clock. You get all the usual hour, minute, and second-hand. You get a date window with a cyclops magnifier at the 3 o’clock position, just like the real Rolex Datejust.
The case is 316 stainless steel, with the signature fluted bezels around the watch dial. Depending on your liking, you can choose between a silver or gold watch case and bracelet. The bracelet comes in president style and features a push-button hidden clasp. The watch also has 50M water resistance and a generous 36-month warranty.
Cadisen C8200
| What We Like | What We Don’t Like |
| – Large, clear dial – Additional window date – Well-finished case – See-through caseback | – The Milanese bracelet – Hardlex crystal – Generic automatic movement |
Cadisen is probably the only Chinese homage maker that makes homage models for the NOMOS Glashütte, and it chose to create a homage based on the Lambda.
Overall, this watch is well packaged for its price. You get a 42mm case made with 316 stainless steel. Ticking inside is an automatic movement with a date complication, although Cadisen does not specify the maker or model. We could probably guess it would be a generic Chinese automatic movement here.
The watch overall has a well-built finish, with a see-through caseback. The movement is well decorated at the back, giving the watch a premium look. The Milanese bracelet is, unfortunately, not as nice. We suggest switching the bracelet to a great brown leather strap.
The watch is protected by Hardlex crystal, which is better than a regular acrylic crystal. It is not as scratch-resistant as sapphire crystal, but it is a fair offering at this price. The watch is also water-resistant up to 164 feet (50M)
Cadisen C8200
| What We Like | What We Don’t Like |
| – Large, clear dial – Additional window date – Japanese Miyota automatic movement | – The date window can be larger – Patterned caseback may be a gunk magnet. |
The Cadisen C8200 has a strong homage to the Patek Philippe Nautilus. Still, it retains enough of its design to stand out. You may also detect hints of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Maurice Lacroix’s Aikon in this watch.
The watch is 40mm in diameter, with a blue, green, or black dial. The dial features the standard three hands, with a window date at 3 o’clock. Powering the watch is a Japanese Miyota 8215 automatic movement, making this watch a reliable workhorse for years to come.
The movement is encased inside a 316 stainless steel case, with a brushed finish for that tough, industrial look. You also get a sapphire crystal for the face and also the caseback. The movement also comes with a screw-down crown.
We like the bracelet, as it complements the watch with a brushed finish. The clasp feels sturdy and comes in a butterfly clasp for that luxurious feel. The watch also has 100M (330ft) water resistance and comes with a 1-year warranty by Cadisen.
Our only concern with this watch is the patterned design on the caseback. The additional design may easily trap dirt, sweat, and dead skin to develop gunk, so you may need to clean the watch more often.
Cadisen C8181
| What We Like | What We Don’t Like |
| – Spirited, racer look – Multiple color combinations – Full functioning chronograph – Solid bracelet – Ceramic bezel | – Chinese Mingzhu movement |
If you have always been drooling on the Rolex Daytona yet cannot afford its astronomical price, Cadisen C8181 should help cure some of the itches. It is, to us, one of the best Cadisen homage watches.
On the outside, the watch looks like a Rolex Daytona. Only the Cadisen brand bears a mark of its status as a homage. The measurements, positioning of the dials and subdials, and even the bracelets are similar to the original Rolex Daytona.
The watch comes in multiple color configurations. You can choose between multiple color combinations on the case, bezel, and dial. The silver case/bracelet, black bezel, and dial combination are probably best for us.
The bracelet and case are made of 316 stainless steel, providing better protection against knicks and scratches. The watch also has chronograph dials, and they are all functional. You can use the watch like a chronograph.
The only issue we have with this watch is the movement. Trying to offer chronographs at this price range may be a little hard for Cadisen, and they have decided to opt for a Chinese Mingzhu chronograph movement. This may mean possible reliability issues and servicing difficulties in the future.
Cadisen C8201
| What We Like | What We Don’t Like |
| – Multiple color combinations – Japanese Miyota automatic movement – Solid bracelet – Ceramic bezel – Sapphire crystal | – 100M (330ft) water resistance – The blue dial seems a little off |
The Omega Seamaster Professional is probably one of the most popular and iconic dive watches out there, maybe behind only the legendary Submariner. Cadisen realizes this, and so they make a homage to it.
The C8201 is probably one of the best Cadisen homage watches. It looks almost identical to the Seamaster, except for the hands. The modern Seamaster 300 has skeletonized hands with filled and lumed edges. The C8201 has hands that look more SKX-styled.
The dial does not differ much from the original, and you can even choose between a black or blue dial. On top of that, you can also choose between a plain or waved dial similar to the original Seamaster.
Ticking inside the 40mm case is a Miyota 8215 automatic movement. Miyota is a popular movement maker owned by Citizen, meaning this watch is likely to do very well long term. It also comes with a ceramic bezel and sapphire crystal, which is an amazing value for money.
The only issue we have with this watch is that it may look like a diver, but it may not be very reliable. 100M (330ft) water resistance may be ok with water activities. Still, to take it diving, you may feel safer with at least 200M (660ft) water resistance.
Cadisen C8193
| What We Like | What We Don’t Like |
| – Nicely brushed finish – Multiple color combinations – Japanese Miyota automatic movement – Solid, luxurious bracelet – Ceramic bezel – Sapphire crystal | – Textured dial can be further refined. |
The C8193 is a homage to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. On the outside, the watches are identical to the original, with minor differences.
The original AP Royal Oak comes with a sharp, straight seconds hand, while the C8193 comes with an SKX-like seconds hand. The screws on the Royal Oak may look almost hexagonal in spades, while the C8193 features rounded screws. The bracelet is also not the same.
However, you get a good package for the rest. Ticking inside its 40mm case is a Miyota 8215 automatic movement. Miyota is a popular movement maker owned by Citizen, meaning this watch is likely to do very well long term.
The watch also comes with sapphire crystal, a see-through caseback, and a very well-finished bracelet and case. The bracelet and case come with a brushed surface with a nice industrial look. The bracelet also features butterfly clasps for a luxurious feel.
If we are to nitpick on this watch, we may like to see the textured finish be made better, as the shine is a little bit too excessive, almost plasticky. A more matted, subtler shine would look much better.
Cadisen C8206
| What We Like | What We Don’t Like |
| – Nice Tudor/Submariner combo – Multiple color combinations – Japanese Seiko automatic movement – 200M (660ft) water resistance – Sapphire crystal | – Protruding crown – Bezel clicks are less ‘convincing’ |
This may just be one of the best Cadisen homage watches. To us, this is probably the most tastefully done model from them.
The Cadisen C8206 is a homage to the Tudor Black Bay. The watch carries a similar size, shape, and dial design as the Black Bay, with only a Mercedes hour hand making the difference. The original Black Bay carries a snowflake hour hand.
This may be because the snowflake hour hand may have been trademarked, or Cadisen likes to evoke the image of the Submariner in this C8206. The Mercedes-style hands are identical to a Rolex Submariner.
Powering the watch is a Seiko NH-35 movement. This movement is similar to Seiko’s own 4R35 movement, only unbranded. Coming from Seiko, this watch should be very reliable and easy to service in the future. The watch has a water resistance of 200M (660ft), making it a true diver.
The 38MM case comes with multiple color combinations. We particularly love the gold, and dark maroon combination, which makes the watch look similar to the Tudor Black Bay. You also get to choose to install a steel bracelet or rubber strap on your watch.
This watch is a nice package, although we think the protruding crown can be a bit of an issue, as you may feel it pushing into your skin if you bend your wrist much. Another is that if you are to turn the bezel, the clicking does not feel too convincing. We may be nitpicking here, which means you may not feel anything about these issues.