Best Watches Under $100

A watch doesn’t have to cost much to do its job well. Below $100 you are buying quartz, resin and brass rather than sapphire and steel bracelets, but the strongest models at this level are tools with decades of history behind them. They keep good time and shrug off daily abuse, and they cost little enough that you won’t worry about them at the beach or on a building site.

The catch is that the cheap end of the market is crowded with lookalikes and fashion brands whose specs are vague. We narrowed it to five watches from Casio and Timex with clearly published specifications, then sorted them by the kind of person each one suits best.

“Check Price” links go to Amazon (affiliate links). We don’t list prices because they change frequently.

Our picks for the best watches under $100

Casio F-91W

Best Ultra-Cheap Digital

Photo: Ashley Pomeroy (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Casio

F-91W Classic Digital

Ref. F91W-1

A featherweight resin digital with an alarm, stopwatch and light, typically sold for under $50.

Best for: A backup, travel or first watch

• MovementDigital quartz
• Case size35.2 mm
• Water resistanceWater resistant (splash only)
• CrystalResin glass

Strengths

• Thin 8.5 mm resin case
• Alarm, hourly chime and 1/100-sec stopwatch
• Band fits 145–200 mm wrists

Limitations

• Splash resistance only
• Resin glass scratches easily

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The F-91W is about as close to a pure utility object as watches get. Casio lists a 35.2 mm resin case that is just 8.5 mm thick with a 38.2 mm lug-to-lug length, so on paper it should slip under a cuff easily, and the band is listed to fit 145–200 mm wrists. You get a daily alarm, an hourly time signal, a 1/100-second stopwatch, an auto-calendar and a small LED light.

The limits are clear. Casio rates it for splash resistance only, so it is not a swimming watch, and the resin glass will pick up scuffs. Treat it as a travel watch, a gym watch or the spare that lives in a bag. At this price you can replace it without a second thought.

Casio G-Shock DW5600

Toughest Pick

Photo: Simon Le Bon (original photo); derivative work by Pittigrilli (Public domain)

Casio

G-Shock DW5600 (5600 Series)

Ref. DW5600E-1V

The original square G-Shock: shock resistant, 200 m water resistant and backlit.

Best for: Sport, work and anything rough

• MovementDigital quartz
• Case size42.8 mm
• Water resistance200 m (660 ft)
• CrystalMineral glass

Strengths

• Shock-resistant construction
• 200 m water resistance
• Super Illuminator backlight with afterglow

Limitations

• 13.4 mm thick
• Digital-only display won't suit dressier settings

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If your watch is going to get knocked against door frames, toolboxes and climbing walls, the DW5600 is the one to choose here. The square G-Shock has been built around shock resistance from the start. Casio rates it to 200 m, fits a mineral glass and adds a countdown timer, multi-function alarm, 1/100-second stopwatch and a bright backlight with afterglow.

On paper the size is moderate: 42.8 mm wide with a 48.9 mm lug-to-lug, though at 13.4 mm it is noticeably thicker than the F-91W. If you only buy one watch from this list for hard use, this is it.

Casio Duro MDV106

The Duro (often nicknamed the Marlin) gives you the essential parts of a dive watch at a low price. The published specifications list a stainless steel case with an aluminum bezel insert, a unidirectional rotating bezel, a screw-lock crown and case back, 200 m water resistance and luminous hands and markers. The quartz movement is quoted at ±20 seconds a month, and there’s a date window.

Two caveats. First, the MDV106 is discontinued and is being replaced by the MDV-107, so it may be harder to find new and the successor is the model to look for once stock runs out. Second, it is a big watch: 44.2 mm across, 12.1 mm thick and 48.5 mm lug-to-lug. Check our guide to measuring your wrist before buying if your wrists are on the slim side. For divers further up the price ladder, see our affordable dive watch guide.

Timex Weekender 38mm

Many people starting out want an ordinary analog watch that looks right with jeans and a sweater. The Weekender is a sensible place to start. Its 38 mm case is a moderate size that suits most wrists, the dial uses full Arabic numerals, and Timex’s INDIGLO feature lights up the dial in the dark.

The slip-thru fabric strap is part of the appeal. Because the strap threads under the case, changing it means sliding one off and another on, with no tools needed, and the 20 mm width opens up a wide choice of straps. Our strap pairing generator can suggest combinations. Bear in mind the 30 m rating means splashes and rain only. The case is polished brass, not stainless steel.

Timex Expedition Scout 40mm

The Expedition Scout takes a similar recipe and makes it more outdoorsy. Timex lists a 40 mm matte gray brass case 11 mm thick, a green fabric strap, a 20 mm lug width and 50 m water resistance. That rating is a step up from the Weekender’s 30 m, which matters if you hike in wet weather or get caught in a downpour.

The full-numeral field dial is designed for quick reading, and INDIGLO covers you after dark. If you like the Weekender’s look but want something a little bigger and more rugged, pick this one.

What to look for in a watch under $100

At this budget every choice involves a trade-off. Knowing which ones matter to you makes the decision easy.

Movement: quartz is the right answer here

All five picks are quartz. A quartz watch uses a battery to make a tiny crystal oscillate at 32,768 times a second, and a circuit counts those vibrations to keep time. The result is accurate, cheap to produce and low-maintenance: you change the battery every few years and that’s about it. Mechanical watches do exist under $100, but at this price their finishing and accuracy are usually compromised. If you are curious about the difference, read our automatic vs quartz explainer. Once your budget stretches further, our watches under $500 guide covers some excellent entry-level automatics.

Crystal: expect mineral or resin

Sapphire crystals are rare under $100. Mineral glass (used on the G-Shock, Duro and both Timex models) sits around 5–6 on the Mohs hardness scale. It resists everyday knocks reasonably well but will eventually show fine scratches. Resin, as on the F-91W, is softer still. That isn’t a reason to avoid these watches, but it helps to know before you choose. Our crystal comparison explains the differences in more depth.

Water resistance: read the number carefully

The depth printed on a watch is a static pressure rating, not a diving depth. As a rule of thumb, 30 m means rain and handwashing, 50 m covers light swimming, 100 m handles swimming and snorkeling, and 200 m is suitable for recreational diving. A screw-down crown, like the Duro’s screw-lock crown, adds a useful layer of protection. Our water resistance guide covers this in detail.

Case materials and straps

Resin cases are light and won’t corrode. Brass cases, as on the Timex models, are plated, and the finish can wear through at the edges over years of use. Stainless steel (the Duro) is the most durable of the three. Fabric and resin straps are cheap to replace, so a worn strap is a minor expense.

How we chose

We haven’t worn or bench-tested these watches, and we won’t pretend otherwise. This guide is based on research: we read manufacturer specifications from Casio and Timex and cross-checked them against reputable published sources. We also weighed each model’s long track record and how much watch you get for the money in its price band. We only list figures we could verify, and where a figure isn’t published (the F-91W’s lug width, for example) we leave it out. You can read more in our methodology.

Frequently asked questions

The bottom line

For the widest range of use, the G-Shock DW5600 is the most capable all-rounder here. The F-91W is the cheapest dependable watch you can buy, and the Duro gives you a steel dive watch for very little money while it remains available. If you want a simple analog watch for daily wear, choose between the Timex Weekender for a neater look and the Expedition Scout for the outdoors. None of them is precious, and that is part of the appeal.