I have spent as much as $8000 on a Rolex Date-Just, as little as $250 on a Seiko Recraft. My only criteria is that a watch must have an automatic mechanical movement; no quartz!
There's lots of great Swiss automatics using the ETA 2824 movement. Tissot, Hamilton, Rado, Longines, & Omega (all Swatch Group brands) offer some great choices in the $1000 - $3000 range.