7 Best Cheap Watches Under $100

If you are a stylish man, you probably can’t live without a watch. And this is for a good reason.

You may feel inspired by Georges Clooney’s timeless Aqua Terra by Omega, by Leonardo DiCaprio’s impressive Jaeger LeCoultre watch, or Daniel Craig’s unmissable Rolex. A man who masters the time is a man who masters his life, in every situation.

Wearing a beautiful watch is a sign of elegance and reveals the power, drive, and ambition every man aspires at — and ultimately showcases success.

Let’s face it: a true gentleman can’t live without a watch — a great watch. In every man’s wardrobe, there’s a watch of any kind. But how do you purchase a nice watch without spending a fortune?

Luxury watches display influence and money — but not everyone can afford to buy a Rolex or an Omega watch. Here, we found the best watches under $100 that will just do the job — between business meetings, an intense training at the gym, or on your way to the airport.

Types of Watches

Chronograph watch:

A chronograph watch is a stopwatch combined with a display watch. French horologist Louis Moinet invented the chronograph in 1816 to monitor astronomical objects. It was first popular with aviators, looking for precise timing. Chronograph watches also grew popular among astronauts in the 20th century.

Not to be confused with “chronometer”, chronograph, in fact, means “time writer”, from the Greek words Chronos meaning “time” and graph meaning “writer”.

Ironman watch:

The Timex Ironmatch is a digital watch produced first in 1986 and developed with the Ironman triathlon. As an exemplary sporting event, an Ironman triathlon consists of a swim, followed by a bicycle ride and a marathon.

The Ironman watch recalls prowess and performance. Symbol of power, an Ironman can’t deceive. Bill Clinton was famous for wearing an Ironman watch until he gave it up for a Rolex.

Dress watch:

Unlike a chronograph or a diving watch, the parameters and functionalities of what makes a dress watch are less obvious. A dress watch is of medium size, features leather straps, and is mechanical.

If you are into the “less is more” concept, then wearing a dress watch is for you. Perfect for both a casual style or work attire, a dress watch can’t take you in the wrong direction. Simple, you will appear great looking for every occasion.

Sports watch:

Water-resistant, a sports watch is a rugged wristwatch that features an alarm, a compass, a stopwatch, a tachometer that indicates speed, and a tide indicator (for divers). Casio is famous for having developed a large range of sports watches.

For those of you who train or go to the gym regularly, a sports watch is a must. To be able to track your activities, you can wear a sports watch and monitor your progress.

Quartz watch:

Born in the US in the 70s, quartz watches are today a forever classic. To keep track of the time accurately, quartz watches use crystal quartz. Originally with LCD Display, quartz watches have evolved to LED. Oscillating masses into the quartz enable you to monitor the time precisely.

Quartz crystals have been around for a while as a perfect tracker of radio transmitters and computers, and are the most accurate time trackers today.

Digital watch:

Introduced in 1972 by Hamilton, digital watches were initially pricey — the world’s first digital watch was released at $2,100 — until they entered the mainstream market.

Practical, a digital watch displays numbers directly on your wrist. Unlike traditional watches, digital watches enable you to see the time in any circumstance, for example at night. Convenient, these watches are perfect for the modern man.

Diving watch:

Specifically designed for underwater purposes, a diving watch enables you to go deep into the sea or the ocean. Boosting water-resistant features, dive watches let you reach up to 100 meters. For any divers or instructors, diving watches offer a perfect mastering of time, comfortably, in the water.

A plethora of diving watches has entered the market, at affordable prices, such as Casio or Citizen Men.

Analog watch:

Most analog watches feature quartz crystal that allows you to perfectly track the time. The display isn’t digital but analog features a traditional clock. These watches don’t have a screen.

Ergonomic, timeless, and sophisticated, analog watches fit anyone, going to the opera, the movie theatre, or a romantic dinner. The personality of someone wearing an analog watch is determined, grounded, and displays confidence.

Three Types of Watch Movements

You may wonder what makes a watch tick? Well, it’s inside the mechanism — or movement — that is the heart of the watch. Three types of movement can be found:

Quartz: Introduced in 1969 in Japan, the quartz movement challenges your views of time and is the most accurate tracker. Quartz is powered by a battery that triggers an electronic signal. The quartz vibrates 32768 times per second, measuring the vibrations as the hand moves.

Pros: Easy-to-use, quartz watches don’t require human power to fix any issue as they are powered by a battery. They are also more durable than mechanical watches.

Mechanical: Similar to gravitating alongside the earth, mechanical movements capture the energy from the mainspring and don’t rely on a battery. Precise, mechanical movements are impressive as they feature outstanding captures of the energy.

Pros: Mechanical watches have greater longevity since the built-in mechanical watches are made to last a lifetime. They also boast outstanding aesthetics, with great oscillations and rotations that are timeless.

Automatic: A metal weight — the rotor — is added to the mechanical part. The natural movement of your hands provides energy to run the watch. Automatic is simply an alternative term to “self-winding”.

Pros: Compared to a battery-powered watch, an automatic watch has easy maintenance. The craftsmanship necessary to build automatic watches requires precision and knowledge — making it an excellent watch.

Places to Buy a Cheap and Cool Watch

Online: You can find decent, affordable watches under $100 for a bargain while browsing some sites. eBay, Craiglist or Amazon are pretty safe and enable you to select a variety of watches.

Pros: Give you plenty of opportunities to compare prices and models between various sites. You have a large choice and don’t take any risk as you are not looking for an expensive watch.

Cons: You can’t try the watches on.

Pawn and vintage shops: An excellent choice for those of you who need to find a timeless, unique watch at a bargain price. You can even find expensive watches sold for almost nothing. You can easily find a one-of-a-kind watch for a decent price.

Pros: You can try the watches on and decide on the go.

Cons: You are unlikely to have a great selection. Only a few watches will be available.

Watch and clock fairs: Browse your local watch and clock fairs in your region, and you can find incredible watches. For example, the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show is a not-to-be-missed event for those of you after some exclusive watch bargains. The Watch & Wonders fair in Miami is also a stunning event for watch lovers.

Pros: You need to travel and pay the entry to the fair, which is a super fun experience. You’ll have a large range of opportunities and excellent bargains for luxury and cheap watches.

Cons: If you live in a remote place in the US, you will need to travel to the nearby fair. The cost of attending the show may be the cost of a new cheap watch online.

The Do’s and Don’ts

Buying a watch requires good judgment and taste. If you can’t find what you are after, simply wait. In specific, here are some recommendations when buying a watch under $100:

Do’s:

Try the watch on and test how it works. Decide what will be the main purpose when you wear your watch and what type of watch you need.

Focus on authentic watches. Pay attention to counterfeit models. Always ask for proof of warranty even in the bargain shop.

If you buy a watch for under $100, you need to lower your expectations and consider buying a non-leather strap. Preferably rubber, nylon, or plastic.

Do buy a quartz movement to obtain perfect accuracy, style, and performance all at once. Quartz movement watches come at all prices.

If one day you fancy buying a luxury watch, save some money and get a Rolex.

Keep your warranty, even for a collection watch, as you may need it for any maintenance needed.

Take care of your watch. Remember to look after the watch and to monitor performance and perform general maintenance on it from time to time.

Don’ts:

Don’t sleep with your watch.

Don’t buy a faux gold or plated gold watch as the material will wear off with time, leaving you with a bad looking watch.

Don’t put your watch into your pants pockets. It’s an easy way to lose it or drop it without even realizing it.

Don’t buy a fake Rolex or Omega. At first, it will look good, but you will realize in the long-term that the quality isn’t there. Always ask for proof of authenticity.

Don’t buy a watch without understanding how it works, especially for a mechanical watch.

Don’t buy a watch from an unknown website. Be serious regarding the places you look for a watch and avoid scammers.

Final Tips

Consider buying two watches: one that will fit your sportswear and one that will fit your professional daywear.

Get inspired by the newest technology. For example, the Casio G-Shock has become one of the most powerful fitness watches and can monitor your health.