Like any good DJ, we take requests: send yours to [email protected].

One of our subscribers whom we’ll call Lukas (for that is his name), asked us to take a look at digital watches. First, let’s define what we mean by ‘digital watch’. It's a watch-watch. No smartphones masquerading as a watch. We want watches from which you cannot access email.

We were thrilled with the assignment, of course. Our first watches were the Casios of the 70’s. Like many watch nerds, we eventually pivoted to mechanical watches, forgetting that digital watches are more reliable and do more practical stuff than a GMT automatic diver tourbillion, and they won’t run out of juice in 48 to 72 hours.

So on to it!

Auto-racing-inspired wristwatches come in two primary forms: watches that are an homage to the TAG Heuer Monaco, and watches sporting racing stripes (and nothing wrong with either, we say).

Then, there are racing watches that take their design cues from the cars themselves. In this case, Autodromo takes the sleek, wind-sculpted designs of Group C racers (think the Sauber C9 or the Porsche 962) and adds a digital watch to it. And it's a watch of substance, featuring a 36mm stainless steel case (42mm lug-to-lug), sapphire crystal, and FKM rubber strap. What's best about the Group C is its ease of use - it handles all the digital features, such as timers and alarms, without you needing your 8-year-old PlayStation expert nephew to show you how it works.

 All on a watch inspired by 24 Hours of Le Mans? Lights out.

As everyone knows, the first watch to go to the moon and back is the Omega Speedmaster (a fact we are reminded of every ten minutes by Omega). However, other watches made it up there as well: for example, the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, wore a Kirova Sturmanski Type 2.

And then there is this bit of brilliance, an homage to the Unitra Warel watch worn by the Polish cosmonaut Mirosław Hermaszewski during his 1978 trip to the Salyut Space Station. The Kosmonata by G. Gerlach honours someone who is a genuine Polish national hero with a 40mm watch that, again, is remarkably simple: it tells you the time and date with a single pusher at 2 o'clock, all in a stainless steel case.

 The best part? The LED display, which is totally of the period when space stations circled and occasionally fell to Earth.

From Poland to California, and from the great beyond to the great outdoors. Nixon has serious California ‘aura’, as the young folk say (editor: we clearly do not employ enough ‘young folk’. No cap.) The brand sports an excellent selection of both digital and analogue watches, and uses recycled plastic in their cases. They design other stuff too, like bags. Not a lifestyle brand, mind you (this is not Fossil redux); just a few essentials you'd need for your road trip to Big Sur.

We were tempted to recommend the High Tide, which comes preprogrammed with tidal flows for 550 locations worldwide, but instead, we chose the Regulus, which comes with an altimeter, barometer, and compass. The watch will trigger weather alerts if the barometric pressure drops suddenly, something that is pretty damn useful on a camping trip. This watch has some heft: a 44mm case and 15mm thickness. And as it was designed with US Special Forces in mind, it's tough too.

Now we're off to Singapore - this issue would have made a great road trip - to RZE, and their unique range of adventure-related watches. Founded by Travis Tan, a professional pilot by trade, and tech entrepreneur Clarence Chew, RZE was launched on Kickstarter in 2020 (as Reise Watches). RZE specialises in tough, titanium watches for the air, sea and land: see their line of pilot, diving and field watches.

And then there is the UTD-8000, a titanium-cased digital watch that does digital watch things, and can do so in extreme temperatures. The company tested their watches in the "harsh environment of the Canadian North." With a 42mm case size and a 49 mm bezel-to-bezel diameter, it's not small. It comes with either a fabric strap or a titanium bracelet. You can pre-order them now.

Our fifth and final watch hails from Sweden (and seriously, what kind of air miles would we have snagged on this one?) and is the work of designer David Ericsson. Void specialises in unique, minimal designs that are very affordable.

 And that's the thing about the Void MKII - it's a watch designed for people who dig design. It's straightforward - a stainless steel square case, half of which is the crystal - the watch is Void's self-described signature piece. Functionally, it does three things: it tells you the time, it tells you the date, and it lights up to display those things if you are standing in the dark. We did say minimal, didn't we?

If we were to guess, this watch isn't for everyone. However, for those who appreciate creative, functional design and want a digital watch to perform the tasks that make a watch, well, a watch, the MKII is a unique and affordable addition to the collection.

Watch500 publishes twice weekly: Watch500 Weekly covers news, releases, and industry insights, while The Five brings you themed watch picks. Get the best of the $500 watch world - new releases, brand discoveries, industry news, and the stories behind timepieces that are eminently affordable.