It might be worth purchasing one second hand, then most of the depreciation is already gone. If you need the money, you're likely to recoup most of it by re-selling.
I've been waiting for years to pull the trigger on the Speedmaster, and recently decided on the white dial one. I say decided, but mean that's the one I want but can't bring myself to click purchase :]
Interestingly, if you'd like to see a really cool site that showcases how these crap Tissot movements work, just click the link at the top of this page.
(The Powermatic 80 movement in the entry-level Tissot models is a modified version of ETA 2824 which Ciechanowski is showing on his site.)
A work-horse is neither a show-horse nor a race-horse.
The "gateway drug" these days seems to be Tissot PRX. Their quartz models are about half the price of their mechanical ones.