I can’t imagine winding a watch would ever in a million years hurt the skin on your fingers…

For me the manual winding is half the fun, I enjoy it.

I love my Stowa Marin 36 with Arabic. Super classy and versatile.

Even with the upgraded finish and manual wind, it is under 1k. Prices on their website include VAT, which you wouldn’t pay outside of EU.

Stowa’s Bauhaus ‘Antea’ line and marine classics are really nice pieces for around 1k. I find the quality to be pretty faultless if you enjoy the style.