Every man’s wristwatch should be something he’s proud of—one he could eventually pass on—but not everyone can invest in a luxury watch worth thousands like the top celebrity watch collectors can. The good thing is the best watches for men come in all price brackets (see the best watches under $1,000 and best watches under $500). And, for those who’d rather err on the modest side—after all, some of the wealthiest guys in the world, including Bill Gates, rock $10 watches—you can find the best affordable watches under $200.
Whether you’re just starting out your collection or looking for something inexpensive to add to your existing rotation, buying some of the best affordable watches means you get to own a rolodex of timepieces that vary from sporty to classic. You get versatility and the flexibility to play with styles that pair well with anything from the best white sneakers and T-shirts to the best dress shoes and men’s khaki pants.
Men’s Journal aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.
Our top pick for the best affordable watches under $200 is Bertucci A-3PS Solar Field. It has bold numerals and broad hands, along with a heavy-duty construction that will last for years.
Read on for the best affordable watches under $200 to buy now.
Overall Best Affordable Watch Under $200: Bertucci A-3PS Solar Field
Courtesy Image
Bertucci makes excellent military-inspired field watches with unique materials that are durable, accurate, and affordable. Its new Solar Field Watch is a standout. At 42mm, it prioritizes visibility on your adventures with bold numerals, broad hands, and a magnified date window. The offset crown at 4 o’clock won’t dig into your wrist and keeps the case svelte, plus the watch is ultra-light so you barely notice it when you’re not looking at it. The NATO strap adds to the beefy good looks and comfort. The solar quartz movement requires zero maintenance—converting both sunlight and artificial light to power, and when fully charged, can run for six months inside a drawer. When it’s running out of juice, it shifts to a low-power mode with the second hand skipping in order to consume less power while still keeping perfect time. As far as the best affordable watches under $200 go, this is a winner.
- Case: Polycarbonate
- Dial: Black
- Movement: Solar quartz
- Size: 42mm
- Strap: Nylon NATO
Best Dive-Inspired Affordable Watch Under $200: Q Timex 1979 Reissue
Courtesy Image
A reissue from the Timex archives, this blackout diver-inspired watch exudes the cool of ’70s dive watches. With a svelte 38mm case width, it could almost pass for vintage, and it’ll work well on a very wide range or wrist sizes. While water-resistant to a respectable 50 meters, this watch is more about style than serious diving—which is fine. The stealthily cool color scheme makes it an excellent travel watch you can wear hiking or with a suit.
- Case: Stainless steel
- Dial: Black
- Movement: Quartz analog
- Size: 38mm
- Strap: Stainless steel
Best Chronograph Watch Under $200: Fossil Sport Tourer
Courtesy Image
The Sport Tourer is a new release from Fossil inspired by vintage racing watches in a modern 42mm case size. Refined details include the coin edge tachymeter and the rounded brushed steel case. There are five color variants, but I love the cream dial for its vintage feel and the bright red center-second hand. Set against the clean backdrop are also black subdials for seconds, minutes, and hours, and a date window at 3 o’clock. The perforated leather strap feels like it will last and completes the retro look.
- Case: Stainless steel
- Dial: Cream, green, yellow, panda, and blue
- Movement: Japanese center-second quartz chronograph
- Size: 42mm
- Strap: Leather, rubber, or stainless steel bracelet
Best Affordable Watch Under $200 for Smaller Wrists: Timex x NN.07
Courtesy Image
A modern field watch with a vintage size, this new limited-edition Timex collaboration with Danish menswear company NN.07 has the proportions of an old Rolex Explorer with contemporary Scandinavian touches of color. The brushed-steel dial is perfectly subdued to balance the phosphorescent-hued markers, and the one cobalt blue marker at 7 o’clock—matching the cobalt second hand. Only 1,000 pieces were made, so move swiftly on this one.
- Case: Stainless steel
- Dial: Brushed stainless steel
- Movement: Quartz analog
- Size: 36mm
- Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Related: 10 Chest Exercises to Build Bigger Pecs
Best Eco-Friendly Watch Under $200: TRIWA Ocean Plastic Timer
Courtesy Image
Swedish watch brand TRIWA is an acronym for Transforming the Industry of Watches. Founded in 2007, the company’s goal is to use watches to convey social messages rather than financial status, with things like steel cases made from melted-down weapons, or here, a watch made from ocean plastic. The Ocean Plastic Timer resembles a racing chronograph, but the subdials are actually for 24-hour dual time for travelers keeping tabs on a second time zone. The quartz movement has a battery level indicator on the dial. On this black dial version, the blue subdial hands and the big orange minute and hour hands with luminous centers stand out on the wrist. It’s water-resistant to 100 meters, and every purchase helps support ocean cleanlup.
- Case: Ocean plastic
- Dial: Black
- Movement: Japanese quartz
- Size: 40mm
- Strap: Nylon
Best G-SHOCK Watch Under $200: G-SHOCK GAB2100CT-5A
Courtesy Image
New for 2024 and designed with a focus on renewable materials, the G-Shock GAB2100CT-5A has an earthy, military feel. A variety of features that veer into smartwatch territory are housed in the octagonal CasiOak bio-resin case, like a world timer, calendar, a phone finder, five different alarms, reminders, and the ability to connect to the Casio app for instant automatic time setting and other adjustments. The analog hands are good for a quick glance, but there’s also a display with a digital clock and seconds counter. The solar quartz movement can run for 18 months without any light in low-power mode, and there’s a battery level indicator on the dial. There are LED lights for both the dial and the digital display, and the watch is shock-resistant as well as water-resistant to 200 meters. It’s also available in a black dial/black strap version.
- Case: Bio-based resin
- Dial: Brown
- Movement: Solar quartz
- Size: 45.4mm
- Strap: Organic TRUECOTTON
Related: 24 Best Tequila Brands of 2024, Tested and Reviewed
Best Racing Watch Under $200: Q Timex Reissue 1971 Velocity
Courtesy Image
This new reissue of a 1971 Timex racing watch keeps to its roots with a period-authentic domed acrylic crystal and a sleek 36mm case size. The stainless steel cushion case has a 60-minute black aluminum bezel, and the matte black dial has four quadrants, red and white markers inspired by checkered flags, a trapezoidal date window at 3 o’clock, and a distinctive orange second hand. Also period-appropriate: the quartz movement inside. The black rubber strap has a woven texture, and because it’s not leather, you can enjoy the fact that this piece is water-resistant to 50 meters.
- Case: Stainless steel w/ aluminum bezel
- Dial: Black
- Movement: Quartz
- Size: 36mm
- Strap: Rubber
Best Vintage Military-Inspired Watch Under $200: Citizen Garrison Eco-Drive
Courtesy Image
Utilitarian looks, vintage-inspired proportions, and an infinite solar-powered movement make the Citizen Garrison a great start to a collection. The simple black dial keeps things clean and classic, but the red second hand offers a subtle color accent. The machined grip on the large crown adds to the rough-and-ready vibe. Because this watch is water-resistant to 100 meters and never needs a battery, you don’t have to worry about where you take it. The 37mm size is closer to vintage military watches and will look great on small and medium wrists, as well as male and female wrists.
- Case: Stainless steel
- Dial: Black
- Movement: Eco-Drive solar quartz
- Size: 37mm
- Strap: Nylon
What to Look for in the Best Affordable Watches Under $200
In this price range, most people are starting a watch collection on a budget, or they’re supplementing their stable with a watch that can be justified as a spontaneous purchase. Great affordable watches at this level might be classic like Citizen Garrison, more playful like TRIWA Ocean Plastic Timer, or somewhere in the middle like Bertucci Solar Field and Fossil Sport Tourer.
Don’t be too picky or puristic about movements when shopping for the best affordable watches. Even though you can get a mechanical watch in this range, quartz and solar quartz movements are solid options that may actually be more practical. The most important point is that this range has never been richer or better in quality, as proven by the wide variety of excellent options here.
Why You Should Trust Me
In addition to writing for Men’s Journal, I’ve been covering gear and style for outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Wired, Maxim, Playboy, Gear Patrol, and Fatherly for over a decade. I first started writing about watches because I was intimated by them. So I used watch writing as a way to learn about the world of watchmaking and collecting.
Over the years, I’ve interviewed the best vintage watch dealers in the world, founders of watch magazines steeped in collecting culture, and the designers and entrepreneurs behind many watch brands—from the smallest micro brands to Swiss conglomerates. My biggest takeaway is that anyone can be a watch collector. Because no matter your budget, the most important thing is knowing what you like and what makes you happy.