Bueno... Let's do this! You're right about those two brands in '76. If you really wanted, you could get an Omega Chrono-Quartz Montreal Olympics, but that's not an attractive watch. My suggestions:
1976 was the first year for the long-lived and ultra-reliable Seiko 6309-7040. Neither expensive nor hard-to-find!
1976 was also one of worst years of the Quartz Crisis, leading old brands like Breitling to respond to the Japanese with monstrosities like the 9406 Navitimer.
How about a Daytona, minus all the Rolex baggage?
And, of course, 1976 was when the Ingenieur SL debuted. Nicknamed "Jumbo" for its massive 39mm diameter! WOW!