Tested: The 10 Best Titanium Watches For Everyday Wear

Traditionally, wristwatches have been divided into two broad categories. Dress watches, made from precious metals like gold and platinum, and sports watches, made from stainless steel. But in more recent years, stainless steel’s lofty perch as king of the sports watch materials has come under threat from a lighter and stronger upstart: titanium. Titanium watches have been gaining in popularity over the past few years thanks to advances in technology that make them more practical, and the best titanium watches of today may make you think twice about purchasing another steel watch.

Titanium struggled, for a while, to achieve mainstream acceptance among watchmakers thanks to the material’s high production costs, lack of luster, and easy scratchability when compared to stainless steel. But recent advancements have largely left those worries in the past, as they have reduced some of titanium’s drawbacks to help make its considerable advantages over steel shine through even more. So read on to discover all you need to know about the benefits and drawbacks of titanium as a watch material, and then discover the best titanium watches on the market at a wide range of prices.

How We Tested

Titanium watches have definitely arrived in the watch world, thus making the challenge of finding the best all the more difficult. Luckily, we’ve spent a LOT of time around timepieces of different prices and categories, making this challenge a bit easier. Prior to testing, we made a list of our favorite titanium watches but then added a few more to the pool after looking a certain models we were familiar but hadn’t spent time with yet.

After we had our shortlist, we got to testing, wearing each watch out and about, seeing how they felt, looked, and operated. The process took weeks but we finally settled on the best of the best, with the results detailed for you below.

Wrist Size: We should also mention that our tester has a wrist diameter of around 8″, so keep that in mind when comparing it to your own wrist.

The Benefits & Drawbacks Of Titanium

The Good: The most obvious advantage of titanium is its light weight. Titanium weighs around half as much as stainless steel, meaning it feels considerably lighter and more comfortable on the wrist. It’s also stronger than steel pound-for-pound — titanium has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any known metal — so it can match steel’s durability in a lighter-weight package. Win-win. Titanium also possesses very strong anti-corrosion properties that are much better than steel’s, as it’s almost impossible to make titanium rust. Those anti-corrosion properties play into titanium’s classification as hypoallergenic and non-toxic, as it does not react to the human body. This makes it the ideal metal to be worn against the skin, as does its lower thermal conductivity, which makes titanium feel less cold or hot than steel during temperature changes.

The Not So Good: Titanium is a lot more expensive to produce than stainless steel, so if you’re a watchmaker operating on a budget or looking to maximize your profits, titanium probably isn’t the way to go. Titanium is also much softer than steel, making it easier to scratch. An untreated titanium watch will look worn much more quickly than a steel one, but modern coatings and alloys seen in some of the watches below are solving this issue by actually making titanium harder than steel. Another drawback is that titanium is arguably less attractive than stainless steel. It doesn’t take to polish or intricate finishing as well as steel, which is why you often see titanium watches with matte or blasted finishes. Finally, the lightness of titanium — normally a positive — is considered by some watch enthusiasts to be a negative, as they associate the light weight with low quality. This is, of course, a misconception, but it’s still something to be aware of.

Types of Titanium Grades in Watches

Grade 2: Although it’s not as strong or scratch-resistant as higher grades, grade 2 titanium still boasts all the signature traits of the material, including the light weight and corrosion resistance. It’s one of the most common titanium grades (along with grade 5) due to how ductile it is for molding.

Grade 5: You will see a lot of grade 5 titanium in watches as well, which won’t be as easy to work with as grade 2, even though it’s more scratch-resistant and has a higher strength-to-weight ratio. It gets some of its properties by being alloyed with aluminum and vanadium.

What To Look for in a Titanium Watch

Aesthetic: Titanium will inherently have a slightly different shade of silver than stainless steel, which provides its own unique style. However, within those parameters, a watch can have an array of aesthetics, varying depending on color, size, bulk, design language, or something else. This is one of the most fun parts of choosing a new timepiece.

Brand: A brand’s reputation is there for a reason. And when you’re looking for quality construction, the name behind it is one of the most important factors, with some exceptions of course.

Watch Type: What you’ll be using your watch for will depend on which ones you choose. If you want a solid timepiece for the office or vacation, perhaps opt for a GMT or pilot’s watch. However, a quality dress watch is a great option for classier occasions. Divers have a lot of range these days, swinging from casual beach wear all the way to evening dinners with clients. There are great titanium pieces across the gamut.

Water Resistance: Like any watch type, you’ll want to pay attention to water resistance. This will gauge where you can take it and what you can do with it. A watch with 100m or more of water resistance can be brought to the beach or pool, while one with 30m of water resistance should be reserved for casual wear.

Bertucci A-2TS Solar Classic

If you’re looking for a lightweight beater that offers a classic and rugged military aesthetic, strong reliability, and well-tested durability, then you can’t go wrong with our budget pick. About as utilitarian as it gets, this fan-favorite field watch probably won’t win you any beauty contests, but thanks to its 200m water resistance, 24-hour dial markers, integrated “unbreakable” titanium spring bars, and unibody construction, it will take as much punishment as you’re willing to put it through. And since it only costs around $300, you might as well put it through a lot.

As an evolution of Bertucci’s very first field watch, the A-2T, the more recent evolution of the A-2TS is one of our favorites, combining rugged full Ti Bertucci build quality and a convenient solar-powered movement, indicated by the bright red “solar” text at the bottom of the dial. It only takes around 5 hours of direct sunlight to top off the reserve for roughly 6 months, giving you virtually endless power. With the low price tag, you get a 40mm fully-matted unibody case, a conservative dial design despite the offset date window, and substantial presence for a field watch, especially at a 49.5mm lug-to-lug. While it might be large for some field watch fans, its NATO strap increases the overall thickness of the 11mm case to upwards of 13mm.

Citizen Promaster Dive Super Titanium BN0200-56E

No company is more associated with titanium watches than Citizen, and with good reason. The Japanese brand invented the segment with the X-8 Chronometer way back in 1970, before anyone else was even dreaming of using the material in a watch. And they’re still innovating today with their Super Titanium, which combines Citizen’s proprietary titanium alloy with Duratect surface-hardening technology, resulting in a highly scratch-resistant material. It’s now been tapped for its high value-for-price Promaster lineup, which does favor steel quite often. Hovering right around $500, this is a dependable diver powered by the brand’s Eco-Drive solar movement and offering up 200m of water resistance in the process.

Despite the titanium swap here, the price difference from the steel version is marginal, making this a great option for those falling within budget. On the wrist, the watch is 44m across with a 12mm thickness, maintaining a sizable presence on the wrist in part thanks to the matching Super Titanium bracelet. Representing the spirit of the original Promaster, this titanium version gets pushed a bit more towards a conventional dive watch style with a more conventional bezel and traditional lugs, markers, and handset. And as much as we love the look of this timepiece, the movement inside is one of our favorites. Eco-Drive can get you a full 6 months of charge with the power of any light source. Meaning, you don’t have to be in direct sunlight to charge this guy up.

Timex x The James Brand GMT Ti

The James Brand has become legendary for combining ruggedness and minimalism for their EDC gear, and the brand’s third horological collaboration with Timex proves why enthusiasts continually flock to their brand to see what new products they’ve been cooking up. Lest we forget, Timex is a legendary name in its own right and this four-hand automatic GMT proves its willingness to always be looking ahead. It sports a fully-matted tonneau case shape machined from 6AL-4V Titanium alloy and accented with TJB’s signature bright green.

Weighing just 4.2oz including the bracelet, this GMT is a superb travel watch that can also combat corrosion for any aquatic activities. Powered by the Miyota automatic movement, the 41mm case subverts traditional tonneau styling, which is typically on the shorter side. However, this watch extends over the wrist a good amount at nearly 49mm lug-to-lug. While this is a Timex watch as well, the clean dial aligns more with TJB’s preferred clean markers that heighten legibility a ton over Arabic markers. We also love the inclusion of the exhibition caseback, which mitigates the 13mm thickness once it’s buried into your wrist a bit.

Hamilton Khaki Field Titanium Auto

The Hamilton Khaki Field is the prototypical field watch, having been in use in some form or another since World War II when it was on the wrists of American servicemen. You’d think that such a time-tested design couldn’t be improved upon, but you’d be wrong. Now fashioned in a full titanium case and bracelet, this version of the Khaki Field offers everything you love about the classic original but in a far lighter package. This version has also been sized up to 42mm compared to the iconic field watch (at 38mm) and brings along with it everything we love about the steel automatic version, yet delivering a fully-brushed titanium case with a three-link titanium bracelet.

Compared to the original, the approach here is much more sporty than the military ethos buried in the standard mechanical Khaki Field, in part thanks to the dial design and rugged-looking brushed gunmetal finish on the main case. Admittedly, these wear rather large on the wrist, aided by a sprawling 52mm lug-to-lug. Although the thickness is a mere 11.2mm, so it’s able to hug the wrist a bit too. If you have a smaller wrist, there’s a 38mm version of the watch too. We loved the Hamilton H-10 automatic movement, which delivers 80 hours of power reserve in a reliable engine for the price. And we commend Hamilton for not just going with the traditional NATO strap for this field watch. The titanium bracelet is a much better look.

Longines Avigation BigEye

Longines has been making moves lately, digging through its extensive and impressive archives to create some head-turning modern-day reissues. And this military-inspired chronograph watch that takes after a model from the 1930s is one of their best efforts yet. Part of the Heritage Avigation collection, the Avigation BigEye takes cues and style considerations from the watchmaker’s extensive aviation history spanning the entire 20th century to today. Sporting classic, large pushers at the 2 and 4, the timer cooperates the color between the dial, case, and leather strap exceptionally well, with a triple-register configuration and retro domed crystal in tow.

Considering the 41mm case diameter and 48.7mm lug-to-lug, the watch has a significant presence on the wrist despite only weighing 2.7oz. Bringing a premium quality to the utilitarian feel, the case mixes finishes between brushing and polishing, especially on the pushers, crown, and fixed bezel. The “BigEye” in the name refers to the slightly larger 30-minute subdial at the 3 spot, which provides uniqueness to the overall layout. It’s powered by the Longines L6888 automatic chronograph, which unfortunately is closed off from the back but you better believe this thing has top-tier accuracy to go along with the 66 hours of power reserve. Also, there’s only 30m of water resistance, so keep that in mind.

Sinn T50

We couldn’t leave off Sinn’s recent T50 dive watch, which swapped the steel cases of its popular U50 with titanium material, all while maintaining the impressive 500m dive rating and bringing back the 41mm case size and 4 o’clock crown placement. To make it easier to read the time, the minute hand, hour hand, and bezel pip are each given a different colored lume. While the T50 deviates from the brand’s slew of aviation-focused timepieces, it positions itself as an important piece of their modern expansion into similarly-designed divers.

Quintessentially Sinn in terms of aesthetic, the solid titanium diver maintains the design language of their other watches. Sporting a 41mm case with a moderate 47mm lug-to-lug, the watch is not as prominent as it would seem considering its chunky looks. Nonetheless, the wearing weight of the watch is still around 1.8oz, which is very impressive (the case of the U50 alone is 2.5oz). Inside, the watch is powered by a Sellita SW300-1 automatic, a very thin movement with a solid feature set, including a 4Hz beat rate and 42 hours of power reserve, along with a Nivaflex mainspring for anti-shock and anti-magnetic protection. If you don’t want the gray rubber strap option above, there is both a fabric and bracelet option to choose from as well.

Tudor Pelagos 39

Tudor’s feature-packed modern diver is somewhat of an unsung hero in the brand’s collection, often taking a backseat to the popular vintage-style Black Bay. But don’t sleep on the Pelagos 39, as this is easily one of the best divers under five grand. Loaded with tech, the COSC-certified Pelagos diver has a fully-lumed ceramic bezel, full titanium case and bracelet, helium escape valve, 200m water resistance, and a patented in-clasp bracelet extension system that is among the best quick-adjust systems in the industry. It’s also powered by a completely in-house automatic movement from Tudor, the MT5400, with 70 hours of power reserve (although we wish we could see it through the caseback). Oh, and it looks awesome.

A smaller, more wearable alternative to the standard 42mm Pelagos, this 39mm diver is a quintessential example of why Tudor has had a resurgence in recent years. Refining the case and dial design from the larger version, the Pelagos 39 is thin at 11.9mm with a 47mm lug-to-lug that really hugs the wrist. The teeth on the timing bezel have been increased in size which helps with grip, while the appearance of the insert is also glossier with its subtle sunray texture to help it look more modern than its all-matte counterpart. Tudor injects just enough personality to make this a solid option whether you’re diving or wearing it as an everyday watch.

Grand Seiko “Snowflake”

Nobody finishes titanium like Grand Seiko. Their craftsmen’s acclaimed Zaratsu finishing process is able to make their scratch-resistant high-intensity titanium look better than most other companies’ stainless steel watches, and the Snowflake is arguably the best-known and most-beloved model the brand makes. With an intricately-finished dial made to evoke the snow-peaked mountains outside the company’s Japanese studio, a hybrid Spring Drive movement that combines quartz accuracy with mechanical energy generation, and a blued steel seconds hand that features a perfect sweep, few watches can match the Snowflake’s serene beauty.

Epitomizing everything great about Grand Seiko, the Snowflake has incredible attention to detail, both from a mechanical POV and when it comes to an elegant display on your wrist. The white dial is complemented by a beautiful thermally blued seconds hand that sweeps instead of ticks thanks to the relationship between the mainspring, the gear train, and the regulator. There’s also a power reserve indicator on the back, seen through the exhibition caseback. You also get brushed markers and a stunning Dauphine handset on the dial. Because of the fine finishing, you may think you need to baby this watch but it’s actually equipped with 100m of water resistance, a durable sapphire crystal, and even a dependable automatic movement. We only wish the bracelet offered micro-adjustments.

Zenith Defy Revival “Shadow”

One of the most unique titanium watches you’ll find is also from a heritage Swiss watchmaker with a storied history that dates back to 1865. Part of Zenith’s legendary Defy series, this variant of the Revival model is dubbed “Shadow” for somewhat obvious reasons: it utilizes a darker titanium alloy than your typical watch that can often look like it’s playing silhouette to a different watch altogether. 300m of water resistance just like its original ’60s dive watch models, the Defy Revival also happens to feature a full titanium micro-blasted case with the same 14-sided fixed bezel that looks absolutely brutalist. We also get the in-house ELITE 670 automatic caliber from Zenith, which falls in line with the brand’s knack for making incredible movements.

Incredibly favorable with a vintage-friendly 37mm case diameter, the Shadow also maintains a 44mm lug-to-lug but gets to a 13.2mm thickness in part thanks to its domed crystal, which helps with its perceived size and wrist presence despite the compact dimensions. This is an excellent choice for someone with smaller wrists. We love how handsome this timepiece looks while still bringing plenty of character to the table, such as its offset date window, wavy hour markers, and unique shape of the handset. These elements carry over from vintage Defy models but somehow look modern with the titanium construction.

Omega Seamaster Diver 300m 007 Edition “No Time To Die”

Typically known for its steel variants, the legendary Omega Seamaster does have three current titanium offerings in the catalog –– one of which is this handsome James Bond Edition worn in the most recent 007 film No Time to Die. Blending elements from the iconic “Bond” Seamaster with mid-century vintage touches, the full titanium watch features a generously-domed sapphire crystal, yellowed fauxtina lume all over that somehow glows blue, a tropical brown aluminum dial and bezel, and an absolutely killer titanium mesh bracelet.

Boasting 300m of water resistance, this handsome timepiece is one of the most recognizable in the current lineup, with warm tones across teh bezel and dial, along with the darker hue of the brushed titanium case. This thing just looks like it would be donned by the world’s top special agent, and there’s an Easter egg above the 6 as a nod to the MI6 branch in Bond lore. The titanium itself is grade 2 with a deeper gray than conventional steel, pairing excellently with the hammered mesh bracelet. The case is 42mm in diameter like a standar Seamaster 300 but is slightly more compact with a 13mm thickness and 49.6mm lug-to-lug. And lest we forget about Omega’s Co-Axial Master Chronometer 8806 movement like other modern Seamasters, which has the highest certification for accuracy in the watchmaking world, so that’s that. Yes, this is pricey, but you’re also getting a 1:1 screen-accurate replica from a Bond film, and one that’s actually backed by some of the best watchmaking around.

Tested: The Best Automatic Watches Under $1,000

If you’re looking for some quality timepieces at affordable price points, head over to our guide to the best automatic watches under $1,000.