Best Affordable Watches in 2020
- Sturdy Timex build quality
- Brightly luminescent Indiglo display
- Interchangeable, quick release band
- Watchfaces are fully customizable
- Exhaustive fitness tracking options
- Works with Android and iOS
- Incredibly rugged case design
- Bright EL backlight built in
- Comes in four different styles
Watches exist as both a fashion accessory and a way to tell time, but some consumers are under the impression that getting the best of both worlds means having to drop down a decent chunk of change. That’s simply not the case. There are a ton of great watches at value prices if you know where to look.
But there are a ton of watches on the market period, and trying to find the diamonds in the rough can be an incredibly laborious task. Fortunately, you have HotRate on your side. Whether you’re looking for form, function, or both, you should be able to find a watch on this best of list. And we’ll even provide you with advice to be more discerning throughout the entire shopping process.
- 10 Best Affordable Watches
- 1. Timex Unisex Weekender 38mm Watch
- 2. Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch
- 3. Casio Men’s ‘G-Shock’ Quartz Resin Sport Watch
- 4. SUUNTO Core All Black Military Sports Watch
- 5. Invicta Men’s 8926OB Pro Diver Automatic Watch
- 6. Citizen Watches BN0151-09L Promaster Diver
- 7. Nixon Time Teller Water Resistant Watch
- 8. Seiko 5 Black Dial Men’s Watch
- 9. Swatch Irony Black Dial Men’s Watch
- 10. Withings Steel – Activity
- Affordable Watches Buyer’s Guide
10 Best Affordable Watches
1. Timex Unisex Weekender 38mm Watch
Timex offers a great watch design for men and women with the Weekender. This watch is available in a wide variety of different color schemes, but all of them sport a minimalism inspired design, stripped down aesthetic and the ability to easily swap out the band for more options to mix up your style. It even makes use of Timex's trademark Indiglo design so you can read it just as easily in the dark as in the light of day. And the scratch resistant screen means you can use this watch for years to come.
Pros
- Sturdy Timex build quality
- Brightly luminescent Indiglo display
- Interchangeable, quick release band
- Available in 18 different styles
Cons
- Ticking can get very loud
2. Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch
The Samsung Galaxy deoesn't have the best price on our list, but it does have one of the best prices for a smartwatch. For less than $300, you can get a fully functional and feature rich smartwatch that runs on Samsung's dependable Tizen operating system. And while it may take on the look of an advanced but traditional sports watch, you can count on it to offer you everything from full fitness tracking to the ability to play music or make payments from your iPhone or Android.
Pros
- Watchfaces are fully customizable
- Exhaustive fitness tracking options
- Works with Android and iOS
- Available in black, silver, and gold
Cons
- Far pricier than a traditional budget watch
3. Casio Men’s ‘G-Shock’ Quartz Resin Sport Watch
The G-Shock has earned the appreciation of everyone from outdoor adventurers to celebrities for its rugged design. If you want the toughest watch around and don't want to spend much, you can get this watch for under $50. This digital watch strips down the G-Shock design to its basics - providing a pretty simplistic digital face but also providing you with an accurate stopwatch and a variety of different timing modes to choose from. It also includes a date timer.
Pros
- Incredibly rugged case design
- Bright EL backlight built in
- Comes in four different styles
- Variety of different timing modes
Cons
- Not the most comfortable watch around
4. SUUNTO Core All Black Military Sports Watch
The Suunto Core may not be a smartwatch, but it is a watch designed to suit all of your outdoor adventure needs. The price tag of a little over a hundred dollars is a real deal when you consider the ruggedness and utility on display here. An altimeter, barometer, and compass are all packed in, so you can chart courses into the unknown easily, and it can even clue you in as to when sunrise and sunset are coming in 400 different locations.
Pros
- Altimeter, barometer, and compass sensors
- Sunrise and sunset settings synced to calendar
- Seven day weather memory
- Backed by a two year warranty
Cons
- Expensive batteries with relatively short life
5. Invicta Men’s 8926OB Pro Diver Automatic Watch
Invicta makes some of the best dive watches in the world, and they're offering their renowned quality for a price of under a hundred bucks. The design sensibilities on this automatic movement watch are classic: combining a steel link bracelet with a bold black and white color scheme. It's a watch that will look great on your wrist, but it also comes with all the key dive watch capabilities. Then include a well above average level of water resistance and a unidirectional rotating bezel.
Pros
- A fully functional dive watch
- Great monochromatic design
- Date window at 3 o'clock
- Fully backed by a one year warranty
Cons
- Luminescent hands don't glow for long
6. Citizen Watches BN0151-09L Promaster Diver
One of the best selling points of a Citizen watch is the fact that it runs on the Eco-Drive system. As one of the first and easily one of the best solar batteries on the market, that alone is enough to justify a buy of this watch, but there's a lot of quality on display here across the board. Big bold white Arabic numbers are accented by a gradient blue face that looks completely in step with the classic sensibilities of a traditional dive watch, and the index markers are bright and bold for easy reading underwater.
Pros
- Date window at four o'clock
- Powered by Eco-Drive battery tech
- Reliable quartz movement
- Hands and markers are luminous
Cons
- Crystal is prone to scratching
7. Nixon Time Teller Water Resistant Watch
Nixon is one of those watch brands that has a solid reputation among collectors even if it hasn't broken big in the public consciousness. And despite a price tag of under $100, this watch looks slick. The smaller design of both the case and the band make this a perfect watch for women, and the steel design is sturdy while still being comfortable. It's a contemporary design that will look great in private and professional settings.
Pros
- Boldly minimalist design
- Crafted from solid steel
- Three hand automatic movement
- Good for work and play
Cons
- Light on features
8. Seiko 5 Black Dial Men’s Watch
There's a reason why dive watches are so popular. The combination of classic looks, sturdy design sensibilities, and a range of features makes them a great choice for both serious and casual users, and the Seiko 5 delivers all of those fundamentals without making you break the bank. This watch sports an automatic movement that can work even for snorkeling and scuba diving, and it offers the day and date in addition to traditional timekeeping. It may be one of the simpler looking dive watch models, but it gets the job done well.
Pros
- Day and date at 3 o'clock
- Reliable automatic movement
- Scratch resistant Hardlex crystal
- A good choice for scuba diving
Cons
- Can't manually wind with crown
9. Swatch Irony Black Dial Men’s Watch
Swatch is known for the affordability of their watch models rather than their elegance, so it's somewhat ironic that the Irony model watch offers both with ease. The combination of gray and white wave patterns with a rose gold finish plays well to trends in the designs of women's timepiece models, and that's further bolstered by the inclusion of a date window present at 3 o'clock. And its smaller size and more elegant design ensures that this watch will work great at a casual house party as it will in the office.
Pros
- Elegant rose gold build
- Date window at 3 o'clock
- Light up index markers
- Reliable push/pull crown
Cons
- Watch face can fog up
10. Withings Steel – Activity
The Withings is a cool looking timepiece, and easily one of the best deals at under $150. That's because it's fully equipped with smartwatch features. This hybrid design makes use of a smartly minimalistic chronograph that can track a number of metrics and a stripped down design that looks more classically stylish than the chunkier and more toy-like sensibilities that many smartwatch manufacturers go with. The fact that metrics are available on your phone rather than through the watch interface allow for a cleaner and more muted face design, but it also results in a battery life of nearly a year.
Pros
- Well implemented smart features
- Stylish monochromatic design
- 10 different activity modes
- Full sleep monitoring
Cons
- No protection for the face
Affordable Watches Buyer’s Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Best Value Watch?
The best brands for watches when you’re looking for cheap watches is probably Casio. While they’re not the most feature rich or attractive watches around, Casio brands watches offer great value for the price, and they’re incredibly durable. Look for a watch from the G-Shock line if you’d like to get a timepieces that’s more durable.
What is a Good Affordable Watch?
That comes down to what you’re looking for. Affordable dress watches are going to be priced quite differently from a cheap Casio watch, and smartwatches are going to have their own price barrier still. We suggest you think about what you like and then find a suitable option from our list. We’ve tried to cover the whole gamut of watch opens to provide you with a wide variety of watches brands included.
What is a Good Inexpensive Men’s Watch?
The list above offers some of the best and most inexpensive watches in a variety of categories, but the Weekender would be our favorite in terms of all around value. This watch design for man comes at right around $30 and offers reliable performance and bold numbers that are accented by Timex’s Indiglo technology, and there are a ton of styles to choose from.
What are the Best Mid-Priced Watches?
Seiko and Citizen are basically a tie if you want to get something in the mid-range timepiece market. Each brand produces watches that keep great time and give you a great sense of style without needing to spend a fortune. And they’re pretty universally sturdy, so you can count on them to last a good long time.
Wrapping Up
Now that you know the basics concerning cheap watches, it’s time to track down a watch you like and get it. We hope you find a timepiece you’ll like here, but if there’s nothing to your tastes, you can probably find something elsewhere on our site. We have tons of watch guides for every taste, so feel free to dig deeper if you’d like to getF something a little different.