These Are The Best Men’s Watches Under $200

The watch is one of man’s most iconic peripherals, adorning the wrist of many a prolific individual. Not only is the watch a sign of status, but it’s also a testament to the life-long pursuit of fashionable enlightenment. It shows the world that, aside from being punctual, stylish, and cultured, you’re also an avid proponent of functional lineage. But, not every watch has to be a sign of status or an accomplice to your statement of style; sometimes, a watch just needs to be… a watch.

Cryptic language aside, we’re trying to implant the idea that, while high-end watches might be a tasteful choice for the status-oriented guy, there are plenty of affordable options that are equally as enticing. Not only do you get to show off your own unique style, but you also get to save a few bucks in the long run, allowing you to spend your hard-earned cash on the things that matter most, like food, or shelter. Below, we’ve compiled a handful of our favorite watches. And the best part? They’re all under $200. So stop looking at that ultra-expensive Rolex, and dive right into our guide on the best men’s watches for the frugal buyer.

What’s a Sleeper Watch?

In a hobby whose enthusiasts often pride themselves in obtaining brag-worthy timepieces, it may be difficult to find watches that are good simply because they’re good. A sleeper watch is one that aren’t ubiquitously known across the spectrum; models that give you more than you thought they would – be it longevity, durability, precision, or the like. Sleeper watches may also just look incredibly beautiful and be easy to acquire, yet few people are in on the secret. You will certainly see a few sleepers on this list.

What to Look for in a Sub-$200 Watch

Watch Type: Sub-$200 watches will undoubtedly open up your options a bit compared to sub-$100 watches. However, you’ll still be limited in watch type a bit. Look for field watches and maybe even some divers.

Movement: Raising your ceiling to $200 gives you plenty of more mechanical options. However, quartz watches are nothing to be ashamed of and can give you more accuracy and longevity. Quartz will also make afford you a longer stretch in other departments such as case, strap, and design.

Size: Luckily, you can still find watches of any size in this price range, although most will be 40mm or under. Case size is typically a personal preference and a matter of comfort and the size of your own wrist.

Water Resistance: Don’t look for too many 100m or 200m watches in this price range. Most options will be in the 30m or 50m territory. However, these limits are more than enough for casual swimming and even some diving.

Braun BN0021

Best Low-End Budget Watch: Braun’s BN0021 doesn’t have anything to do with the brand’s industry-leading shaving equipment, but it does carve its own path through minimalist design principles, classic styling, and an unadulterated commitment to Bauhaus’ timeless influence. The BN0021 boasts a simple dial face, mesh steel strap (leather options are also available), and matte stainless steel case, gifting wearers with an aesthetically-pleasing silhouette, overall. To complement its refined features, an accurate quartz movement is housed within, creating a dependable, and easily recognizable timepiece that’s as affordable as they come.

Seiko 5 Sports

Best Dress Watch: While Seiko watches are almost never outrageously expensive, it’s admittedly hard to find them in the $200 and under range. However, looking in the Japanese watchmaker’s 5 Sports range will give you your best shot. These are simple 38mm dress watches built with stainless steel cases, in-house movements, and a practical 30m of water resistance. You can find these in various colorways and subtle touches of class, such as the day-date apertures and a notable 4 o’clock crown.

G-SHOCK MOVE Series GBD-200

Best Fitness Tracker: Considering that it makes some of the most durable timepieces on the planet — in fact, it was founded on those tenets — it makes sense that G-SHOCK has a line of sports-oriented fitness trackers. Thinner than previous iterations, the MOVE GBD-200 series has the appeal of a retro G-SHOCK but with some modern tech to boot. Linking easily to your smartphone, the watch is capable of measuring your running pace, tracking your steps, time your laps, and count burned calories. The data is stored on the phone app so you can keep track of your goals.

Bertucci 12122 A-2T

Best Titanium Watch: Bertucci’s 12122 A-2T is part of the company’s “Original Classics” line, and as such, it sports one of the most sought-after designs in the industry. This well-made field watch features a 40mm sandblasted matte finish, a lightweight titanium construction, and a patented two-ply nylon band that references the genre’s most prolific variants. If you’re looking for a watch that’s capable, affordable, and still looks the part, the 12122 A-2T might be one of the best options on the market today.

Orient Mako II

Best Diver: If you’ve had your eyes set on an Omega Seamaster or a higher end Seiko diver, the Orient Mako II is a more-than-sufficient alternative at a much more reasonable price point — which is why it remains so popular ever since the Japanese watchmaker debuted the first generation of its flagship watch some two decades ago. Sporting a versatile and traditional dive aesthetic, the timepiece gets by with 200m of water resistance, a 120-click bezel, and a hacking in-house automatic movement. It’s all housed inside this 41.5mm stainless steel case, providing a lot of bang for your buck.

Bulova Aerojet

Best Field Watch: Inspired by the heyday of aviation around the mid-20th century, Bulova’s Aerojet line may not be the pilot’s watch you want but it’s certainly the field watch you need. With 30m of water resistance — more than enough for casual swimming and even some light diving — the timepiece sports a 39mm stainless steel case, a quartz movement, and a NATO strap with a three-piece buckle closure. The strap is colored blue, which pairs nicely with the white dial with matching blue accents, reminiscent of Pan Am’s retro color scheme. To drive home the influence, you’ll notice the crosshair pattern across the dial’s center.

Q Timex Reissue 38mm

Best GMT: Debuting back in 2019, the Pepsi-bezeled Q Timex is a reissue of one of the brand’s first quartz models from 1979 and was a smash hit upon its initial run, selling out the first few times around. Luckily, Timex decided to keep releasing the timepiece, which has since become a favorite of vintage watch lovers (the GMT version was also included in our favorite watches under $300 guide). It sports a bidirectional rotating bezel with the blue and red Pepsi colors, from which you can track a second time zone without needing a fourth hand on the dial. Rounding out the watch are a matching blue dial, hooded lugs, a domed acrylic crystal, and a retro-style woven steel bracelet.

Swatch x Hodinkee SISTEM51 Stoplight Neon Remix

Best Retro-Inspired: Practically synonymous with affordable timepieces, Swatch has had some high-profile collaborations as of late, bringing down the price tags of some of the most iconic models on the planet, such as Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms and the Omega Moonwatch. Before that, however, the Swiss brand had a string of team ups with watch blog Hodinkee, including this SISTEM51 Stoplight limited edition, a “remix” of the Swatch Stoplight from 1990. Given a deliberately retro aesthetic, the watch has semi-transparent 42mm case and subtle hour and minute markers on the outer rings of the dial, with the date dial on full display around the face. Underneath the dial is a die-cut disc with a yellow mark that points to the given day of the month.

Timex Marlin

Best Small Watch: Timex’s Marlin watch is a true gentleman’s watch, offering buyers a handsomely-realized rendition of one of the brand’s most stylish 1960s silhouettes. A hand-wound mechanical movement, fashionable design, and polished stainless steel case pay homage to the era’s most prolific watch types, while Arabic markers, an acrylic crystal, and chrome hardware serve to demarcate the watch’s finer details. If you’re not sold on the Marlin’s timeless style, the fact that Timex is at the helm of this world-renowned flagship might make you feel otherwise.

Tissot Everytime T109

Best Minimalist Watch: Tissot is a recognizable name for many watch aficionados, and while they’ve imprinted themselves onto the wristwear world due to their high-end offerings, the affordable Everytime T109 isn’t anything short of commendable. It features an accurate analog quartz movement, a synthetic sapphire crystal, and tasteful 42mm case, giving it plenty of presence on, or off or your wrist. The watch’s rose gold PVD stainless steel case, classic dial, and elegant attributes make it one of the most beautiful on our list — but, thanks to a 100-foot water resistance, it proves that aesthetic prowess isn’t always shortsighted.

Tested: The Best Watches to Buy Under $100

If under $200 is still too much for your budget, head over to our guide to the best watches you can buy under $100.