Whether you’re looking to round out your watch collection, or starting from scratch entirely, there’s certainly no need to break the bank.
Believe it or not, you can get your wrist rocking some pretty damn nice watches for just about every occasion or purpose – casual, formal, or anything in between, for less than $200 a piece. And some of our favorites (featured on this list) even fall below the $100 mark, making it easier than ever to build up your wristwatch collection.
Of all the accessories a man can opt for, perhaps the easiest and most obvious choice is a good, solid watch. There’s a lot that goes into what makes one watch tasteful and another garish, but without going into the specifics of things, we’ve compiled a list of both casual and formal timepieces that you can find right now on Amazon for your convenience.
1. Timex Easy Reader
For everyday use and for just about any purpose, it’s hard to go wrong with a Timex Easy Reader. This is a watch that prides itself on simplicity and practicality, featuring its titular easy-to-read dial with distinct, clear numerals and a date window for added functionality. It offers 30 meters of water resistance and plenty of leather strap/casing tone options to choose from, each with an Indiglo light-up watch dial.
Most of the color options come in at under $40, making this watch a no-brainer for everyday wear, working well with both casual and smarter ensembles.
2. Fossil Bannon Multifunction Stainless Steel Watch
When it comes to sheer bang for your buck, Fossil timepieces are a pretty stellar option, with some impressive offerings at fair prices. Take their Bannon watch for example, made from stainless steel and featuring a foldover clasp bracelet and a 45mm case size, well suited for most wrists.
This is a watch that’s neither dainty nor overly massive – it’s kinda just right. We especially love the forest green watch face with gold tone contrasting hands and numeral ticks.
For only about $80, you get a mighty fine watch that you can wear with pretty much anything.
3. Fossil Neutra Chronograph Watch
Fossil makes another appearance on this list with their Neutra Chronograph watch, a piece we recommend for its excellent value and sheer number of variations available to choose from. With well over a dozen versions available on Amazon, some featuring leather straps of various colors, and some featuring a metal bracelet, there’s guaranteed to be one that speaks to you and your accessory needs.
Based on which bracelet and casing you opt for, this watch can work rather well for everyday wear and even more formal occasions in a pinch. It has a sculpted 44mm case and a sleek, minimalist dial, and up to 50 meters of water resistance.
With subdials for 24 hour timekeeping and stopwatch functionality as a bonus, there’s a lot to love here for under the $150 mark – and even under $100 for some versions!
4. Citizen Eco-Drive Corso Classic Watch
You can’t very well compile a list about value-oriented watches without including at least a couple of options from Citizen, and their Eco-Drive Corso watch is without a doubt one of our absolute favorites. We love this particular version with its stainless steel case and brown croc embossed leather strap – with a striking blue dial for extra wow factor.
This is a timepiece worth wearing as often as you get the chance to, with a sort of casual elegance that’s hard to beat. It features smaller analog windows for 24 hour time as well as the day and date. Oh, and 100 meters of water resistance for good measure.
At the time of this writing, it sits at just over the $200 mark, but often goes on sale on Amazon for a drop under. It’s too good not to recommend!
5. Citizen Eco-Drive Weekender Garrison Field Watch
Drawing upon military inspirations, this option, also from Citizen, exudes a rare blend of sophistication and ruggedness that makes it great for casual and smart casual outfits.
With large, distinct numerals against a rich navy dial within a black stainless steel casing, as well as a hardy brown leather strap, this watch is sure to garner many complements. Additionally, the date slot and 100 meters of water resistance are nice bonuses that make this a stellar pick.
For under $150, it’s a remarkable value.
6. Timex Waterbury Diver Automatic Watch
The Timex Waterbury is a somewhat casual yet still rather elegant timekeeper with a lot to love. We especially dig the silver-toned stainless steel version featuring multicolored subdials, with a stealthily added date window to boot.
The 41mm stainless steel case is outfitted with mineral glass crystal and minimalist hands and numerals that are easy to read and even easier to admire. It also has a secure metal clasp bracelet, plus 50 meters of water resistance.
Aesthetically, this one is a clear winner, but when you factor in its multiple features and finely crafted construction, it’s an even more compelling pick.
You can snag it on Amazon for under $175, too, in case you needed any further convincing.
7. Casio AE1200WH Series Digital Watch
What budget watch list would be complete without at least one mention of Casio? In terms of affordability matched up against performance and reliability, there’s a reason why Casio is as big as they are. Their AE1200WH digital watch may not have the coolest name in the world, but it’s one hell of a cool pick.
Digital watches can be tricky territory but somehow Casio manages to make this one sleek and sophisticated, with a few cool tricks up its sleeve to impress even further.
The resin case is secured by a matching stainless steel clasp bracelet and is adorned with a contrasting black bezel to frame the face. The digital interface includes time tracking across 31 time zones and 48 cities worldwide, plus an advanced stopwatch and timer functionality. You can even set up to five daily alarms on this bad boy for maximum productivity and efficiency. Oh, and it’s water resistant for up to 100 meters.
With all of those features, plus a super sleek appearance, you’d expect this one to cost ya, but it’s a mere $35 on Amazon. This is Casio, after all, and they understand value like few else do.
8. Casio MDV106 Series Unisex Analog Watch
If digital watches ain’t exactly your thing, but you still crave that type of pure value from Casio, consider their MDV106 Series analog watch – particularly this striking version with vibrant red and blue bezels on a stainless steel case and bracelet.
The white numerals contrast elegantly against the black dial and the small date window is a great added feature. This diver style watch also has up to 200 meters of water resistance, so it can definitely get more than a bit wet.
At under $80, it’s practically a steal.
9. Skagen Signatur Minimalist Men’s Watch
For all of you devout minimalists out there, don’t pass on this strong offering from Danish watchmaker Skagen, which comes in leather and stainless steel band options for whichever style you prefer.
Its clean, modern face is perfectly paired with more understated outfits, but can work just as well with any aesthetic, honestly. Its 40mm case is sleek and refined, with accurate quartz movement and scratch-resistant mineral crystal for added durability.
You can find this one for as cheap as $92, for one of the versions with a calfskin leather strap and multicolored hands, while stainless steel bracelet varieties can be found for $145. Either way, this is one fine watch.
10. Seiko Essentials Watch
Perhaps the most elegant option on this list can be found for an extraordinarily competitive price, that being the Seiko Essentials watch most often referred to as one of the best-priced alternatives to a Cartier Tank.
Its slim and rectangular case is beautifully adorned with a shimmering sunray face and scratch-resistant crystal, with ornate numerals that are still easy to read. With its alloyed steel construction and fine leather strap, this works tremendously well as a dress watch, but can easily be worn on the daily for a boost of sophistication to any ensemble.
The best part? You can find it on Amazon for under $130. It’s a guaranteed win.
