- Top 3 Affordable Men’s Watches under $100
- Top 3 Affordable Women’s Watches Under $100
- The Dos & Don’ts of buying watches under $100
- Best Affordable Men’s Watches (Under $100)
- Best Affordable Women’s Watches (Under $100)
- how brands manage to sell affordable watches
- The Joys of owning affordable, quality watches
- Best online stores for affordable watches under $100
- Best affordable watch brands under $100
If you’re a true watch enthusiast, you would understand that not every watch in your collection needs to cost a couple of thousand bucks. Most often, one of your favorite and most-worn watches in the collection costs only a few hundred dollars. Or even less!
Of course, saving up for that precious Patek Philippe or Rolex is always gonna be on the agenda. We all have our dream watches. However, you don’t need to burn a hole in our wallet for everyday, trusty watches.
Contrary to what some people say, not every cheap watch is ‘cheap’. You just have to know what you need and where to look. Aside from being functional and stylish, a good watch should also be durable.
However, the question remains… can you really get a good-quality watch at a cheap price? Well, no matter your taste in watches — whether you’re a minimalist, a classic, or a complex watch lover, you can always find a good-quality watch for your budget.
With this guide, you can even get one for less than $100!
Top 3 Affordable Watches for Men Under $100
INVICTA PRO DIVER 8926
With its water-resistance of 200 meters, the Invictus Pro Diver 8926 is one serious dive watch that won’t make a dent in your pocket. It features a 40mm stainless steel case with a sleek black dial. For maximum legibility underwater, it has luminous hands and hour markers . Running on a Swiss automatic movement, this watch can give any thousand-bucks dive watches a run for their money.
CASIO EDIFICE EF527D-1AV
The Casio Edifice EF527D-1AV is both sophisticated and robust, mixing timeless design with modern performance. It features a 45.5mm stainless steel case and a matching bracelet. Powered by a quartz movement, it boasts 1/20-second chronograph functions, a date window at 3 o’clock, and water-resistance of up to 100 meters. This handsome watch can take you from business meetings to happy hour without compromising on style.
SEIKO 5 SNK805
Tough, bold and affordable, the Seiko 5 SNK805 has everything you need in a field watch. It runs on an automatic movement encased in a 37mm stainless steel case. The green dial features luminous hands and hour markers with day and date functions. A durable nylon strap finishes its rugged design.
Top 3 Affordable Watches for Women Under $100
Powered by Citizen’s iconic Eco-Drive light-powered quartz movement, this watch is perfect for the environment-friendly watch lover. At 26mm, it is dainty enough both as a work and weekend watch. At the same time, it has other useful features such as day and date functions and water-resistant of up to 100 meters.
Dainty, durable and timeless. With its 26mm stainless steel case and hardlex crystal, this Seiko 5 Automatic watch is a sturdy yet elegant everyday watch. The navy blue dial and luminescent hands and indexes make the time easy to read even in the dark. The day-date function at 3 o’clock is a useful feature, so is its 24-hour power reserve.
Chic and elegant, this 30mm stainless steel watch features a blue sunburst dial with silver-tone hands and a matching silver mesh bracelet. Powered by a quartz movement, this watch ensures accurate timing. It is also water-resistant up to 100 meters — a steal at such an affordable price.
The Dos & Don’ts of Buying Watches Under $100
- Lower your expectations. Although there are quality yet affordable watches out there, know that most of the time, you get what you pay for.
- Don’t buy a gold-plated watch. Not only do they look cheap and obviously fake, but the color will also fade over a short period of time.
- Do some extensive research before making your purchase. Granted $100 is not much, but there’s immense satisfaction in finding a good watch for that price.
- Do not buy an imitation watch. If you can’t afford your dream watch just yet, don’t get a knock-off and pretend it’s the real thing. It’s just plain tacky. And if you want to take your watch-collecting hobby seriously, this is not a good way to start.
- Get a second-hand item instead. There’s nothing wrong with owning a used watch. And if you’re still bent on owning a brand new one, do save up for it.
- Buy an authentic watch. Choose a brand that has its own identity and integrity and doesn’t try to fool you into thinking that it is some well-known brand.
- Don’t be quick to judge. Just because it’s not mechanical or Swiss-made doesn’t mean it’s inferior. Watches with Japanese quartz movement are some of the most accurate time-telling devices around.
- Enjoy the watch to the fullest. It’s all there is to it.
BEST AFFORDABLE WATCHES FOR MEN
Automatic (Mechanical Self-Winding) Watches Under $100
Invicta Pro Diver 8926OB
- 40mm stainless steel case
- Mineral glass
- Automatic movement
- Black dial
- Luminous hands and markers
- Date function
- Unidirectional bezel
- Stainless steel link bracelet with fold-over clasp
- Screw-down crown
- Exhibition caseback
Water-resistant up to 200 meters
Orient Howard FAC05006B0
- 41mm stainless steel case
- Mineral crystal
- Japanese automatic movement
- Black leather strap
- Black dial with pinstripe detailing
- White, glossy hands
- Arabic numeral hour markers
- Date function
- Water-resistant up to 50 meters
Vostok Komandirskie 650541
- 42mm stainless steel case
- Automatic movement
- 31-hour power reserve
- Black dial
- Luminous hands and hour markers
- Central second hand
- Date function
- Graduated rotated bezel
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Water-resistant up to 200 meters
Akribos XXIV AK1018SSBR
- 44mm stainless steel case
- Mineral glass
- Automatic movement
- White skeleton dial
- Dauphine style hands
- Silver hour markers
- Beveled bezel
- Brown matte leather strap
- Water-resistant up to 30 meters
Dive Watches Under $100
Invicta Pro Diver 26972
- 40mm two-tone stainless steel case
- Flame fusion crystal
- Quartz movement
- Blue dial
- Push/pull crown
- Two tone stainless steel bracelet with deployment clasp
- Unidirectional bezel
- Date function
- Water-resistant up to 200 meters
Casio Duro MDV106-1AV 200M
- 44mm stainless steel case
- Mineral glass
- Japanese quartz movement
- Black resin band
- Date function
- Black dial
- Luminous markers and hour hand
- Unidirectional bezel
- Anti-reverse bezel
- Water-resistant up to 200 meters
Stuhrling Original Aquadiver Regatta
- 42mmm stainless steel case
- Swiss quartz movement
- Krysterna crystal
- Screw-down crown
- Black dial
- Unidirectional bezel
- Luminous hands
- Date function
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Water-resistant up to 200 meters
Reginald Dive Watch
- 40mm stainless steel case
- Synthetic sapphire crystal
- Japanese quartz movement
- Black dial
- Luminous hands and markers
- Date function
- Second time zone
- Unidirectional bezel
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Water-resistant up to 300 meters
Dress Watches Under $100
Stuhrling Original 3997Z
- 40mm case
- Krysterna crystal
- Japanese quartz movement
- Black, minimalist dial
- Ultra-slim (7mm)
- Date function
- Brown leather strap
- Water-resistant up to 50 meters
Orient Symphony ER27008W
- 41mm stainless steel case
- Mineral glass
- Japanese automatic movement
- White dial
- Dauphine hands and classic indexes
- Brown leather strap
- Date function
- Water-resistant up to 30 meters
Bulova Classic Collection 96B104
- 37mm stainless steel case
- Mineral glass
- Japanese quartz movement
- Minimalist white dial
- Stick indexes
- Date function
- Black, croc-textured calfskin band with buckle closure
Water-resistant up to 30 meters
Skagen Signatur SKW6419
- 40mm titanium case
- Quartz movement
- Mineral glass
- White dial
- Ultra-slim (5mm)
- Pull/push crown
- Black leather strap
- Water-resistant up to 30 meters
Mechanical (Hand-Wound) Watches Under $100
Akribos XXIV Mechanical AK802SSB
- 46mm stainless steel case
- Mineral glass
- Mechanical hand-winding movement
- Silver skeleton dial
- Roman numeral markers
- Beveled bezel
- Black alligator-embossed style strap
- Water-resistant up to 30 meters
Invicta Mechanical 23533
- 42mm stainless steel case
- Mechanical hand-wound movement
- Synthetic sapphire crystal
- Silver skeleton dial
- Black, thin hands
- Roman numeral hour markers
- Croc-embossed leather strap with buckle closure
- Water-resistant up to 30 meters
Vostok Komandirskie 431744
- 39mm plated brass case
- Mechanical hand-winding movement
- Acrylic glass
- Black dial
- Luminous hands
- Luminous Arabic hour markers
- Date function
- Multi-color nylon band
- Water-resistant up to 30 meters
Sewor D848 Mechanical Skeleton
- 41mm case
- Mechanical hand-winding movement
- Yellow gold-tone skeleton dial
- Roman numerals
- Ultra-slim (8mm)
- Dark brown genuine leather strap
Chronograph Watches Under $100
Timex Weekender Chronograph TW2R63200
- 40mm brass case
- Mineral glass
- Quartz movement
- Blue dial
- Date function
- Luminous hands
- Arabic numerals
- 24-hour military time
- 30-minute chronograph (1/20th second)
Adjustable brown genuine leather - Water-resistant up to 30 meters
Casio Edifice EF527D-1AV Chronograph
- 45.5 mm stainless steel case
- Mineral glass
- Quartz movement
- Black dial
- Silver hands and hour indexes
- 1/20-second chronograph function
- Rotating slide rule inner bezel
- Time, speed, fuel calculation
Stainless steel strap with fold-over push-button clasp - Water-resistant up to 100 meters
Seiko Chronograph SKS421
- 44mm stainless steel case
- Hardlex crystal
- Japanese quartz movement
- Black dial
- Silver hands and indexes
- Date function
- Chronograph
- Stainless steel case bracelet
- Water-resistant up to 100 meters
Victorinox Swiss Army Chrono 241500
- 41mm stainless steel case
- Sapphire crystal
- Swiss quartz movement
- White dial
- Luminescent hands
- Applied Arabic numerals
- Chronograph
- Date function
- Stainless steel bracelet with push-button deployant safety clasp
- Water-resistant up to 100 meters
- 2-year warranty
TOP AFFORDABLE WATCHES FOR WOMEN
Automatic (Mechanical Self-Winding) Watches Under $100
Orient 3 Star Day-Date FNQ1X003X
- 26mm stainless steel case
- Mineral glass
- Automatic self-winding movement
- Brownish dial
- Yellow gold-tone hands and hour markers
- Date function
- Screw-down caseback
- Stainless steel bracelet with fold over deployment clasp
- Water-resistant up to 30 meters
Burei Skeleton SL-15006-P01AY
- 35mm stainless steel case
- Sapphire crystal
- Japanese MIYOTA automatic movement
- White-silver skeleton dial
- Silver hands
- Gem-studded hour markers
- Gem-studded lugs
- White leather strap
- Water-resistant up to 50 meters
Seiko 5 Automatic SYMK15K1
- 26mm stainless steel case
- Hardlex crystal
- Automatic self-winding movement
- Navy blue dial
- Silver, luminescent hands and indexes
- Date function
- 24-hour power reserve
- Water-resistant up to 10 meters
Akribos XXIV Skeleton AKR431RG
- 32mm stainless steel case
- Krysterna crystal
- Automatic self-winding movement
- Gold-tone skeleton dial
- Black hour, minute and seconds hands
- Beige leather strap
- Water-resistant up to 50 meters
Quartz Watches Under $100
Seiko SUP304
- 26mm stainless steel gold-tone case (rectangle)
- Hardlex crystal
- Japanese quartz movement
- White dial
- Black Roman numeral indexes
- Hour and minute hands
- Black leather strap
- Water-resistant up to 30 meters
Citizen Eco-Drive FE6140-03A
- 34mm stainless steel case
- Mineral glass
- Eco-drive quartz movement
- White dial
- Rose gold-tone hands and hour markers
- Date function
- Blush-pink leather strap
- Water-resistant up to 30 meters
Stuhrling Original 3927.1
- 32mm stainless steel case
- Krysterna crystal
- Quartz movement
- Pink mother-of-pearl dial
- Mixed crystal and stick hour markers
- Stainless steel braided mesh bracelet
- 2-year international warranty
- Water-resistant up to 30 meters
Swatch Originals Rostfrei SUOK707B
- 41mm semi-transparent plastic case
- Mineral glass
- Quartz movement
- Rose gold-tone dial
- Rose gold-tone luminescent hands
- Black mixed Arabic numerals and stick hour markers
- Date function
- Rose gold-tone stainless steel bracelet
- Water-resistant up to 30 meters
Dress Watches Under $100
Timex Cavatina T21912
- 18mm gold-tone brass case (oval)
- Mineral glass
- Quartz movement
- White dial
- Arabic numerals
- Black and rose gold-tone hands
- Adjustable black genuine leather
Bulova 98V02 Bracelet
- 23mm stainless steel case
- Mineral glass
- Quartz movement
- White mother-of-pearl dial
- Yellow gold-tone hands
- Yellow gold-tone Arabic numerals
- Two-tone stainless steel bracelet
- Water-resistant up to 30 meters
Casio LTP1254D-1A Bracelet
- 22mm stainless steel case
- Mineral glass
- Quartz movement
- Black dial
- Silver hands
- Silver-tone numeral and baton hour markers
- Stainless steel bracelet with fold-over-clasp closure
Seiko Solar Tressia SUP185 Go Red
- 18mm stainless steel case (rectangle)
- Solar quartz movement
- Hardlex crystal
- White dial
- Silver-tone hands
- No markers
- Go Red ‘heart’ logo
- Stainless steel bracelet with white ceramic inserts and set with diamonds
- Fixed silver-tone bezel set with diamonds
- Water-resistant up to 30 meters
Best Sports Watches Under $100
Timex Ironman TW5M19700
- 33mm resin case
- Acrylic crystal
- Quartz movement
- Digital display with 24-hour military time mode
- Indiglo light-up watch dial
- 100-hour chronograph with 10-lap memory
- 24-hour countdown timer
- Customizable alarm
- Dual time zones
- Day, date & month functions
- Purple resin band
- Water-resistant up to 100 meters
Casio Baby-G Shock BGA110-7B
- 40mm resin case
- Mineral glass
- Quartz movement
- White, easy-to-read dial with 3 sub-dials
- 1/100 second stopwatch
- Silver-tone Arabic numerals
- Luminous hands
- 12/24-hour formats
- World Time (29 time zones)
- 5 independent daily alarms
- Full auto-calendar
- White resin band with buckle closure
- Water-resistant up to 100 meters
Fossil Sports Smartwatch FTW6053
- 41mm aluminum case (ultra-lightweight)
- Powered with wear OS by Google
- Work with iPhone and Android phones
- Heart rate and activity tracking using Google fit
- Built-in GPS for distance tracking
- Google assistant
- Receive smartphone notifications and app Alerts
- Manage calendar and music
- Touchscreen functionality
- Alarm and calendar alerts
- Multiple time zones
- Wireless syncing
- Smart battery mode
- Interchangeable silicone band
- Water-resistant up to 50 meters
Armitron Digital Chronograph 45/7034
- 25mm resin case (oval)
- Acrylic crystal
- Quartz movement
- Single zone LCD display
- Day &date function
- Chronograph
- Alarm
- Second time zone
- Black resin band with buckle closure
- Water-resistant up to 100 meters
Stainless Steel Watches Under $100
Citizen Eco-Drive EW3140-51E
- 26mm stainless steel case
- Mineral glass
- Eco-drive light-powered quartz movement
- Black dial
- Silver hands and indexes
- Day & date function
- Stainless steel bracelet with fold-over clasp
- Water-resistant up to 100 meters
Fossil Serena AM4141
- 28mm stainless steel case
- Mineral glass
- Japanese quartz movement
- Mother-of-pearl dial
- White and silver hands
- Crystal-studded hour markers and indexes
- Date function
- Fluted crown
- Stainless steel link bracelet with fold-over-clasp closure
- Water-resistant up to 100 meters
Timex Easy Reader T2H371
- 25mm stainless steel case
- Mineral glass
- Quartz movement
- White dial
- Full Arabic numerals
- Black hour and minute hands, silver seconds hand
- Date function
- Silver-tone stainless steel expansion bracelet (7.5-inch wrist)
- Water-resistant up to 30 meters
Casio LTP1215A-7ACR
- 27mm stainless steel case
- Mineral glass
- Japanese quartz movement
- White dial
- Luminous hands
- Arabic numerals mixed with stick index hour markers
- Date function
- Stainless steel bracelet with fold-over clasp
Water-resistant up to 50 meters
How Brands Manage to Sell Affordable Watches
Most often, watches are expensive. So when we see one that is sold cheap, our first thoughts would be: ‘there must be something wrong with it’. However, there are quality watches out there that don’t demand a hefty price. Yet these watches function just as good, if not better than your regular expensive watch.
Bur first, let us manage your expectations. You don’t purchase a $100 watch and expect a $10,000-quality timepiece. Remember, what you’re after is a practical yet affordable watch.
Below are some of the reasons you enjoy a good-quality watch without denting your wallets.
Craftsmanship
One of the reasons watch manufacturers are able to sell their watches at such affordable prices is because these watches are mass-produced. Unlike a luxury watch, which is handcrafted by watchmakers who have years and years of experience, affordable watches are manufactured in bulk by machines. This doesn’t mean, however, you can’t get a good-quality, machine-made watch.
Materials
To keep production cost to a minimum, affordable watches are made of affordable materials. The protective glass or crystal, for example, is often made of mineral glass, as opposed to sapphire crystal used by high-end watches, which are often scratch-proof. The strap could be made of fabricated leather, and so on. But this doesn’t mean these watches don’t last long. In fact, some of these affordable watches can last even longer than your expensive timepieces.
Movement
Affordable watches often run on quartz movements. This is understandable as quartz movements are cheaper and easier to manufacture compared to mechanical movements. Note, however, that some of the most affordable quartz watches can give you accurate time. More so than a mechanical watch could. But not all affordable watches are powered by a quartz movement. Some brands, such as Orient and Invicta, manufacture mechanical watches and sold at a lower cost.
Marketing Philosophy
Most brands that manufacture affordable watches rely on fair marketing philosophy and sometimes word of mouth to sell their products. Because they don’t depend on celebrity endorsers to promote their products, they don’t need to mark up their pricing. Hence, you get these watches at a cheaper price.
Complications
Except for the day and date functions, few affordable watches feature complications. This is understandable given that watch complications usually take time, skill and technology to accomplish. Hence, it’s often the expensive watches that feature them. So if you’re looking for complications in your affordable watches, you’ll only most likely to get one with a date function.
The Satisfaction of Owning Affordable Quality Watches
No matter the price, with the right model, you can get the style, functionality, and longevity that you look for in a watch. But what is appealing about affordable watches is that they don’t come with the customary worry that goes with owning expensive stuff.
You don’t worry about scratching it — you wear it and you forget about it. Since it only costs you this little, you don’t worry about losing it — you can always buy a new one. You don’t worry about dropping it, bumping it, accidentally splashing it with water. In short, you fully enjoy the experience of owning and wearing it.
These, my friends, are just some of the joys of owning quality yet affordable watches. But don’t just take our words for it. Go and experience it yourselves.
Best Online Stores for Watches Under $100
There are so many online stores that sell watches. However, finding ones that won’t scam you and would sell quality watches under $100 is not easy. To help you simplify your search, we have rounded up the following online stores that sell quality watches under $100.
Of course, it is all up to you do all the research and make all the necessary precautions to ensure that what you’re buying is authentic and value for money!
Founded in 1995 by Jeff Bezos amazon.com is now a trillion-dollar company that does not only e-commerce, but also cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. Amazon has two types of sellers: Amazon itself and third-party sellers. When buying watches from Amazon, make sure to buy from Amazon itself. Look for products that say: “ships from and sold by amazon.com”, which means Amazon is the seller.
watchshopping.com is one of the online watch sellers that offers a variety of watches, with prices ranging from $100 to $10,000. Headquartered in the US, this trusted watch marketplace offers a wide selection of brands — from luxury to the affordable. To keep their prices fair, they directly source the watches from manufacturers around the globe. This keeps the costs down, at the same time, it ensures the authenticity of the products.
Best Affordable Watch Brands (Under $100)
We’re not gonna lie, it’s difficult to get quality watches for under $100. It takes a lot of research, comparing specs and prices, and reading up reviews on the brands and models.
Well, we want to make your life easier. So, we’ve listed down some of the best watch brands that offer good, quality watches that cost less than $100.
Swiss Watch Brands
In 1989, Victorinox started manufacturing its own watches and first sold them in the US. The watches received amazing reviews that the sales eventually went global. Their watches are made from lightweight titanium, making them equally tough and stylish. Although its price range can go up to thousands, some of their collections, such as the Maverick and Garrison, offer models that are priced under $100.
Founded in 1983 by Nicolas Hayek, Swatch was developed as the Swiss’ answer to — and the one that saved it from — the “quartz crisis” in the 1970s. With only 51-parts, Swatch watches evoke a youthful and happy vibe available in a variety of affordable price options. Known for its revolutionary concepts and being true to its heritage, Swatch is one of the most famous watch brands in the world today.
It may be hard to imagine getting a Swiss-made watch for under $100. But watch brands like Invicta believes that everyone can get high-quality watches at affordable prices. Founded in 1837 by Raphael Picard in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, Invicta has been around for over a century. Crafted with utmost quality and attention to details, Invicta watches exemplify versatility and affordability.
Japanese Watch Brands
Established in Tokyo, Japan, in 1881, Seiko is one of the few watch companies that design and develop their own watch movements. This is one of the reasons it can afford to manufacture and sell watches at such low prices. And because of this, too, Seiko watches are guaranteed high-quality. In face, the Seiko models under $100 are some of the most accurate watches you can ever own.
Owned by Seiko Epson, Orient has roots dating back to 1901. In 2009, it became Epson’s functional subsidiary. Eventually, in 2017, it became fully integrated into the company. Orient produces some of the most affordable yet highly technical mechanical watches. So to answer your question: yes, you can get a quality mechanical watch for under $100!
An authority in electronics, Casio was first known for its calculators before it started manufacturing quartz watches. Founded in 1946 by Tadio Kashio, Casio was among the first companies to create quartz watches. Its G-Shock watches revolutionized the watch industry. Another of its products, the Casio F-91W, priced at $20, is considered one of the most reliable timekeepers ever.
American Watch Brands
Founded in 1984 by Texan Tom Kartsotis, Fossil first offered fashion watches made in Hong Kong and sold in the US. Fossil’s early designs were retro-inspired, mostly from the 1930s. Fans particularly liked the early packaging because of the tin cans and wooden boxes, which were nostalgic and original. Today, Fossil is now a lifestyle brand that designs, manufactures, and distributes some of the fashion industry’s biggest brands.
Established in 1999 in New York by Chaim Fischer, Stuhrling was named after the renowned Swiss watchmaker Max Stuhrling. Sold exclusively online, Stuhrling watches offer authentic, complicated watches at affordable prices. Combining Swiss watchmaking standards with American flair, Stuhrling watches are turning up to become a force to be reckoned with in the watch industry.
With roots dating back to 1854 in Connecticut, Timex is an iconic American brand that offers timeless yet innovative watches. For over 160 years, the company has been true to its heritage — manufacturing affordable and top-quality watches. It combines elegant European designs with American panache to give its loyal customers exactly what they want. The Timex Easy Reader is one of the brand’s elegant and affordable collections.