Tested: Best Men's Watches Under $100

Although watches are often seen as an expensive luxury item, there are actually a huge number of stunning watches available at very affordable prices.

Given the relatively low cost of materials and manufacturing for most watches, as well as the widespread availability of reliable ready-made movements, it's easy to understand how some modern companies manage to produce solid watches for under three digits - we've picked our favorites for this guide to the best men's watches under $100.

Best Watches Under $100

What to Look for When Buying Watches Under $100

Buying watches under $100 is noticeably different from purchasing more expensive models. Below, we briefly describe the five most important points to consider when purchasing watches for less than $100.

Want more detailed information on our favorite watches currently selling for no more than $100? Then be sure to check out our 4K video guide to the best men's watches under $100 to dive deeper into the latest and greatest watch offerings you can buy for a Benjamin or less.

Type of Watch: The $100 limit will clearly restrict your options, so it's important to focus on just a few watch genres. GADA models and field watches can often be produced for small sums, making them fantastic types of watches to check out, unlike dress watches and chronographs, which almost always have to be of lower quality to be sold for less than a Benjamin.

Case: The case is the part that comprises the watch itself, so it is extremely important when buying any watch, and watches costing less than $100 are no exception. When selecting a case, pay attention to elements such as size, construction, and water resistance.

Bracelet/Strap: While bracelets or straps can be easily replaced, most buyers of watches under $100 are not particularly interested in spending extra money on upgrading or replacing the factory strap. Fortunately, even watches under $100 come with a huge variety of bracelets, straps, and bands, so this point is important to consider when buying.

Movement: Watches priced at $100 or less will never be able to use high-end movements, so the vast majority of watches sold at this price are equipped with quartz movements, which, despite their low cost, are actually significantly more accurate than their automatic and mechanical counterparts. However, if you know where to look, you can find a few watches priced under $100 that run on automatic movements.

Details and Finish: When buying watches for less than $100, no one will expect them to have the level of Omega or Rolex. However, watches costing less than $100 can vary greatly in both finish and overall build quality. Although it can sometimes be difficult to determine this from photographs, one reliable way to avoid cheap unreliable watches is to choose well-known and proven brands with a history of delivering quality products.

Selection and Testing Process

Complex timekeeping devices that can serve as both a utilitarian tool and a fashion accessory or status symbol have a huge number of factors to consider when purchasing new watches. In an attempt to identify the best watch offerings currently available for less, we began our search by defining the criteria we would use as our guide - a list of characteristics including factors such as design, case size and dimensions, case construction and materials, bracelet or strap, dial layout and design, as well as the movement powering the watch. Using these characteristics, we thoroughly explored the watch space to compile a list of the best watches we believe can be sold for less than $100.

As informative as a watch's specification may be, case size, materials, strap, and movement tell only part of the larger story. After all, factors such as comfort level, fit, and watch finish play a huge role in the overall quality of the watch, as well as the overall user experience. For this reason, we ordered all the watches from our initial list, as this allowed us to gain personal hands-on experience with each benchmark. This practical testing phase would reveal the true level of quality and craftsmanship of each watch, as well as allow us to verify the manufacturer's stated characteristics, such as power reserve or accuracy level. Combining our initial criteria with the results of practical testing allowed us to narrow down the list to a final selection of benchmarks that we believe are among the best men's watches currently available for under $100.

Editor's Note: Due to the time it took to acquire and test each watch we considered for this guide, inflation has unfortunately caused prices of some watches in this list to slightly rise. As a result, some watches in this list may now cost above the $100 mark or may ultimately exceed $100 at some point as inflation continues.

Casio World Time

Best Reissued Retro Watch: The Casio AE1200WH-1A World Timer, affectionately called the "Casio Royale" because of its resemblance to the Seiko G757 5020 Sports 100 watch Roger Moore wore in the 1983 Bond film, is an iconic digital watch that is as affordable as it is utilitarian. The features list of this pseudo-GMT includes five daily alarms, a stopwatch, a countdown timer, an automatic calendar, 100 meters of water resistance, world time display with 31 time zones, an analog LCD display - all thanks to its quartz movement and surprisingly intuitive user interface.

The watch runs on a single store-bought CR2025 battery, which will last you a whole 10 years before needing replacement. Given the wealth of features and capabilities of this watch, its wildly affordable price of up to $50 USD makes it one of the most cost-effective pieces on the market.

• Case Size: 39.5mm
• Case Material: Resin
• Strap: Resin strap
• Movement: Quartz

Timex Expedition Scout 40mm

Best Outdoor Watch: Field watches are, if not the best, then one of the best types of watches you can buy for under $100. Thanks to the minimalism and affordability of these models, you won't have to spend much to take home a worthy specimen. The Timex Expedition Scout 40mm is a military-style watch from the legendary American brand, equally suitable for everyday urban wear and off-the-grid adventures thanks to its combination of high durability and fashionable retro aesthetics.

Assembled around a 40mm brass case with a matte finish, these watches offer 50 meters of water resistance, a date window at the "3 o'clock" position, a knurled crown, INDIGLO backlight, luminous hands with a contrasting yellow second hand, and a 20mm nylon strap with a matching matte steel buckle bearing the Timex logo. As usual, Timex releases these affordable watches in quite a number of different references, differing in dial color, case finish, as well as regular and accent colors for the hands.

• Case Size: 40mm
• Case Material: Brass
• Strap: Nylon strap
• Movement: Quartz

Timex Weekender 40mm

Best Vintage Style Watch: Another very affordable classic-style model from the well-known American watchmaker, the Timex Weekender 40mm is not so much inspired by military motifs as it is modeled after everyday watches from the mid-1900s. The round polished brass case with a stainless steel finish houses a cream-colored dial with black hands and retro-style Arabic numerals under a mineral glass lens.

Water-resistant up to 30 meters, these watches also feature a 20mm lug width, making finding replacement straps incredibly easy - though the nylon strap supplied with the watch certainly looks great. Moreover, the Weekender is an incredibly versatile watch that easily fits into both casual and formal settings.

• Case Size: 40mm
• Case Material: Brass
• Strap: Nylon strap
• Movement: Quartz

Casio MDV106-1A

Best Dive Watch: The unofficially known "Duro" Casio MDV106-1AV is an attractive dive watch that significantly surpasses its prices by offering unparalleled value thanks to its 44.2mm stainless steel case, Batman-style rotating bezel, protected screw-down crown, 200 meters of water resistance, date window, and surprisingly decent overall build quality. A mineral glass lens, black resin strap, and luminescent tube with a blue second hand complete the package. The rotating bezel, rectangular indexes at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock, and round markers at each hour (except 12) make the MDV106-1AV resemble the Rolex Submariner, especially if the watch is complemented with a steel bracelet or NATO strap.

These dive watches, offered in a wide variety of dial and bezel color options, are also an exceptional everyday wear item. They are distinguished by reliable build quality and a design that allows them to be used with a huge number of different straps, bands, and bracelets, providing them with a high degree of versatility - all at a great price. The low price also means that, unlike more expensive luxury watches, you won't have to worry about these watches being damaged, lost, or stolen.

• Case Size: 44.2mm
• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Strap: Resin strap
• Movement: Quartz

G-SHOCK DW5600BB

Best Digital Watch: Belonging to Casio, the G-SHOCK DW5600BB is already known for its unbeatable combination of practicality and functionality, but this model takes that characteristic to new heights while providing exceptional value. The DW5600, rated for a depth of up to 200 meters, retains the same legendary square case and resin construction as the more expensive G-SHOCK GWM5610-1 watches, yet the GWM's LCD is replaced with a more minimalistic yet still elegant digital indicator.

The watch is sold in a G-SHOCK tin and features a stopwatch, countdown timer, multifunction alarm, electroluminescent backlight, automatic calendar, and quartz movement with an accuracy of +/- 15 seconds per month (which, however, is standard accuracy for quartz movements). The company also releases watches in this 5600 series in several other color options, including a more retro-correct DW5600E-1V reference with a blacked-out case and strap contrasting with white, blue, and yellow text.

• Case Size: 42.8mm
• Case Material: Resin
• Strap: Resin strap
• Movement: Quartz

Seiko SNXF05 5 Automatic

Best Everyday Watch: The Seiko SNXF05 5 Automatic is something of a unicorn in the watch world, as these watches priced around $100 are packed with elements usually found only in more expensive watches. Equipped with a crown, these watches have a 37mm stainless steel case and a stainless steel bracelet with three links. Beneath the scratch-resistant Hardlex crystal lies a white mesh dial with luminescent hands and hour markers, as well as a day and date indicator at the "3 o'clock" position.

Through the exhibition case back, you can see the most remarkable feature of these watches priced around $100 - the Seiko Caliber 7S26 movement. The Caliber 7S26, also used in many of the Japanese brand's dive watches, is an automatic movement with 21 jewels, operating at 21,600 beats per second, using Seiko's Diashock system, and possessing a 41-hour power reserve. Since watches are worn every day and used so frequently, we almost always encourage our readers to spend a bit more when purchasing GADA watches, but in the case of the SNXF05 5 Auto, you really don't have to spend more than $100 - well, technically $110 - to get an extraordinary everyday watch.

• Case Size: 37mm
• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Bracelet: Stainless steel bracelet
• Movement: Automatic

Braun Gents BN0024 Classic Watch

Best Dress Watch: One might think that the Braun Gents BN0024 Classic Watch costs five to ten times more than it actually does, as this Bauhaus-style model is not only incredibly elegant and high-end in design but also possesses a finish quality typically associated with watches priced in four digits. The watch is equipped with a black leather strap with a pin and buckle, and its 38mm case is made of stainless steel with a matte finish and a miniature crown at the "3 o'clock" position.

These quartz movement-equipped watches are made in Germany and feature a minimalist white dial with a sub-second hand at the "6 o'clock" position - another element usually found only on noticeably more expensive watches. Ultimately, with its attractive minimalist Bauhaus-style design, excellent build quality, and the fact that these watches can pass for watches costing five to ten times more, the Gents BN0024 Reference is a fantastic choice for those looking for a watch to wear on more formal occasions or as a dressier daily watch paired with a suit.

• Case Size: 38mm
• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Strap: Leather strap
• Movement: Quartz

Bertucci A-1S

Best Field Watch: Since its market debut in 2003, Bertucci has been committed to producing exceptional field watches that are assembled in America and sold at a fair price. A case in point is the A-1S model from the Illinois-based watch company. The Bertucci A-1S Field Watch features a patented 36mm stainless steel case with a matte finish, as well as a two-ply nylon strap made using "box-stitch" technology and all-metal hardware and rings.

The screw-down case back and ergonomic offset crown, located at the "4 o'clock" position, provide the A-1S with 100 meters of water resistance. In addition to surprisingly decent build and finish, these watches boast a level of build quality that, combined with a reliable quartz movement, is capable of providing a lifetime of dependable use - potentially to be passed down to future generations.

• Case Size: 36mm
• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Strap: Nylon strap
• Movement: Quartz

Others

Other watches under $100 worth considering

Casio A158WEA-9CF

The modern Casio A158WEA-9CF watch is a reissue of the popular digital watches of the 1980s, which may be smaller in size but nonetheless feature exceptional characteristics: a Japanese quartz movement, a silver octagonal-shaped 33mm metal case with mineral glass, and a stainless steel bracelet - all for less than $25.

• Case Size: 33.2mm
• Case Material: Resin
• Bracelet: Stainless steel
• Movement: Quartz

MWC Classic 1960s/70s Pattern Matt Black Vietnam Watch

The MWC Classic 1960s/70s Pattern Matt Black Vietnam Watch is an exact replica of the watches worn by American soldiers during the Vietnam War. And while they look identical, the original watches were made of plastic, MWC has spent the last one and a half decades producing a version of the watch with a solid metal case. These watches run on a reliable quartz movement and come with a strap featuring US military insignia.

• Case Size: 33mm
• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Strap: NATO strap
• Movement: Quartz

Swatch 1983 Masa Bio-Reloaded SO28B100

SWATCH was founded in 1983 and specialized in the production of quartz watches. Today, the name is known worldwide for its playful designs, affordable prices, and extensive use of plastic constructions. For the Swatch 1983 Masa Bio-Reloaded SO28B100 model, the company delved into its archives to release a modern reissue, in which the original plastic case and strap were discarded in favor of products made from environmentally-friendly biomaterial, mostly derived from castor oil seeds. Made in Switzerland, the 1983 Masa Bio-Reloaded watch also features a quartz movement, a black case, bezel, strap, and dial with contrasting white numbers, red hour markers, a dark green second hand, and lime green SWATCH branding.

• Case Size: 34mm
• Case Material: Bio-sourced plastic
• Strap: Bio-sourced plastic
• Movement: Quartz

G-SHOCK GA2100 G-Carbon Blackout

The DW5600BB is a full-sized, full-featured G-SHOCK that boasts a surprisingly high feature set, considering its ultra-affordable price. The watch is housed in an octagonal 42.8mm case that uses the G-SHOCK carbon core. Among other notable elements of this quartz movement model are a durable resin strap, 31 time zones, dual LED backlight, stopwatch, countdown timer, hand shift function, automatic calendar, analog dial complemented by a day of the week sub-dial, a small digital display, and luxury watch-inspired indexes.

• Case Size: 45mm
• Case Material: Resin
• Strap: Resin
• Movement: Quartz

Tissot Gent XL

The Tissot Gent XL is another rarity in the watch world, as it is a full-sized watch from a genuine luxury Swiss brand, made from premium materials and sold at an astonishingly affordable price - around $100. Water-resistant up to 100 meters, these watches are assembled around a 42mm 316L stainless steel case with PVD coating and sapphire glass, a heavy-duty green textile strap, a fluted crown, and a minimalist yet high-end matte black dial with a date window at the "3 o'clock" position and hands and hour markers coated in Super-LumiNova. These Swiss-made Tissot watches also come with a multi-year warranty.

• Case Size: 42mm
• Case Material: 316L stainless steel
• Strap: Textile strap
• Movement: Quartz