[MagnumOpus]

You can get a decent self-winding mechanical watch for $150 from Swatch.

Beyond that, mechanical watches are like art or classic cars - you can "invest" in them, but they are more status symbol and one-upmanship than investment...

[jackgavigan]

> You can get a decent self-winding mechanical watch for $150 from Swatch.

For a certain value of "decent"...

http://watchguy.co.uk/review-a-trip-inside-the-swatch-sistem...

[joshuapants]

I got a decent self-winding mechanical watch for about $30 from Seiko. Granted, I bought it used, but you really don't have to spend much at all unless you're really into watches.