Orient are great bang for the buck watch. Bulova has some neat models which are reasonable (they are owned by citizen) and even Timex has some very nice models. Check out their made in America Series. Check out Sinn and Damasko, their entry level models are in your price range and they are great watches. Aquadive is another one. There are loads of micro brands selling nice watches for a few hundred bucks.
Spending more for a watch doesn't necessarily get you a better watch. Once you hit a grand it's more about the name on the watch. It's all about the law of diminishing returns.