Has your friend looked at Grand Seiko? I think all the above suggestions are great options (the limited Seamaster mentioned above by Cpt Scarlet is super cool as is its center seconds sibling and the JLC is of course top). My reason for suggesting GS is that while they are not the go to option, they offer great value and are quite impressive - albeit slightly on the thicker side. A simple automatic or high beat with a date such as A sbgr261 or sbgh213, respectively, or a spring drive with date like a sbga293 are all well within the budget, have a leather strap, and leave some extra cash to spare. As an added bonus, they are less common on wrists and the sbga293 is water resistant to a 100m, which is more than most watches in this category.