The best watches under $100
Under $100 is almost entirely quartz, and that's a strength: accurate, tough and cheap to run. Casio and Timex dominate here for good reason.
Each pick lists its lug-to-lug, because some of these wear far smaller, and some far larger, than you'd expect.
Our picks
One of the best-known cheap watches ever made: light, about $30, and only 38.2 mm lug-to-lug.
- Lug-to-lug
- 38.2 mm
- Fit
- Fits 5.5"–6.25" wrists
- Specs
- 35.2 mm case · 8.5 mm thick · quartz
A carbon-core G-Shock with 200 m water resistance for under $90.
- Lug-to-lug
- 42.5 mm
- Fit
- Fits 6"–7" wrists
- Specs
- 46 mm case · 13.8 mm thick · quartz · 200 m
A 200 m diver with a rotating bezel for under $100.
- Lug-to-lug
- 48.5 mm
- Fit
- Fits 6.75"–8" wrists
- Specs
- 44.2 mm case · 12.1 mm thick · quartz · 200 m
A world-time digital display and 100 m water resistance for about $40.
- Lug-to-lug
- 45 mm
- Fit
- Fits 6.25"–7.5" wrists
- Specs
- 42.1 mm case · 12.5 mm thick · quartz · 100 m
A simple 38 mm quartz field watch with a 45 mm lug-to-lug.
- Lug-to-lug
- 45 mm
- Fit
- Fits 6.25"–7.5" wrists
- Specs
- 38 mm case · 9 mm thick · 30 m
A 40 mm field watch with a 48 mm lug-to-lug.
- Lug-to-lug
- 48 mm
- Fit
- Fits 6.75"–8" wrists
- Specs
- 40 mm case · 11 mm thick · 50 m
Everything else that qualifies
| Watch | Case | Lug-to-lug | Thick | Fits | Retail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casio A158W | 33.2 mm | 36.8 mm | 8.2 mm | 5.5"–6" | $30 |
| Casio A168 | 36.3 mm | 38.6 mm | 9.6 mm | 5.5"–6.5" | $30 |
| Casio W-218H | 43.2 mm | 44.4 mm | 10.8 mm | 6.25"–7.5" | $30 |
| Casio MRW-200H | 44.6 mm | 47.9 mm | 11.6 mm | 6.75"–8" | $30 |
| Casio LA670W | 24.6 mm | 30.3 mm | 7.3 mm | — | $40 |
| Casio W-800H | 36.8 mm | 44.2 mm | 13.4 mm | 6.25"–7.25" | $40 |
| Casio A700W | 35.5 mm | 37.4 mm | 6 mm | 5.5"–6.25" | $46 |
| Timex Easy Reader 25mm | 25 mm | — | — | — | $73 |
| Timex Ironman Classic 30 Full-Size | 38 mm | — | — | — | $87 |
| Casio G-Shock DW-9052 | 43 mm | 48.5 mm | 14.7 mm | 6.75"–8" | $90 |
| Casio G-Shock GA-700 | 53.4 mm | 57.5 mm | 18.4 mm | 8"–8.5" | $99 |
How we picked
We considered every current watch in the almanac with a US retail price under $100. “Fits” is the range of wrist sizes where the watch grades as an ideal fit on our lug-to-lug model. Prices are US retail and change often.