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The Best Watch for the Money: How to Upgrade Your Style with Cheap Watch Brands

Watches are a useful and stylish accessory, but you don’t need to break the bank to find the perfect one for you. There are many cheap watch brands and best watches for the money that you can buy online today. Although these watches won’t necessarily receive praise and compliments from true watch snobs, these cheap watch brands and best watches for money work well and look good. What more could you really want?

As a luxury item, watches are often expensive, but there are many cheap watch brands and best watches for the money that have unique and refined designs.

How to Save Big Bucks on Watches

With so many options out there buying a watch can be tough. And if you want to save money and buy the best watch at the same time then you’re going to want to check out some cheap watch brands that offer a lot of quality.

This does not mean buying a fake Rolex like many guys do. Remember: Style is not about impressing others. It’s about becoming the best version of yourself through clothing and accessories. This is totally possible with cheap watch brands out there.

If you’re looking for affordable watch brands, we’ve already shared a few. Brands like Timex, Fossil and Nautica offer great looking watches at an excellent price. These brands are built to last and are as good as some luxury brands out there. They may not have the same reputation as other watches, but they will still meet whatever need that you’re looking for. And if you are looking for a watch to serve more than one purpose, why not get two watches? You can get two affordable watches, for the price of one luxury watch. Buying two watches, such as a watch for the gym and an elegant watch will have you covered for every event.

cheap watch brands

"A watch is both a fashion statement and a useful item. In fact, it is one of the only acceptable male accessories that completes your outfit and shows that you pay attention to the details. As such, it is important to find a watch you like and that looks good."

Your watch does not have to be gold, diamond encrusted, or be able to do dozens of different things. It just needs to fit you and your lifestyle. In other words, your iPhone will not cut it as a timepiece. And, if you are a business professional don’t wear a sports watch. Find a product that suits what you wear and that you like.

Remember, it is possible to find the perfect watch for you without dropping a $1,000 or more. The key is buying something that doesn’t look like it’s trying too hard to be fancy or that it’s mimicking a super expensive brand. Stick to simple, yet stylish watches and avoid replicas at all costs.

Likewise, avoid plated gold or otherwise altered metals because the paint flakes off, meaning the watch does not last a very long time. Instead, find something made of standard metal, plastic, or a composite.

In terms of the brand, less expensive watches often use cheap leather that wears away quickly, so try to buy something with a fabric strap, metal bracelet, or rubber straps. These maintain their appearance for much longer, making them a better investment.

The Best Watch for the Money​

For the Gym

Seiko 5 Sports

Seiko 5 Sport

Seiko Sport is a solar-powered watch for those who want to use their watch for monitoring their gym workouts.

Seiko boasts its ruggedness and durability, which allows for reliable timekeeping even in the harshest environments. The watch itself is pretty large, so will likely only fit men on the larger side.

However, its heaviness is yet another testament to its sturdiness.

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Casio G-Shock Sports Watch

Casio G-Shock Sports Watch

With a flashy face and extra large case, this watch does a lot more than just tell the time. It has both analog and digital displays.

You can even see the world time in 29 time zones, set five different alarms, use its stopwatch, switch between 12 and 24-hour displays, and show the date.

With all of these features, this watch is bound to have everything you need and more. Its back resin band and sturdy case make this a durable accessory.

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An Elegant Look

Citizen Men’s Eco-Drive

Citizen Men’s Eco-Drive

This is a handsome and elegant accessory that looks more expensive than it actually is.

The strap is a lovely brown leather with white stitching. The watch is made of titanium, giving it a good weight and strength.

Citizen Men’s Eco-Drive even comes with additional features, including a calendar, chronograph, subdials, and a unidirectional rotating bezel.

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Tsovet JPT-TW35

Tsovet JPT-TW35

With a unique square face Tsovet watches are designed to be noticed.

The JPT-TW35 has two-hand movement, a 35mm compact case with an accented finish, and a leather band. This small and minimalistic design hints at a stylish grandeur.

Because Tsovet creates watch on the smaller end, this accessory is perfect for men looking for something subtler and potentially less noticeable.

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Stührling Ascot Swiss Quartz Ultra Thin

Stührling Ascot Swiss Quartz Ultra Thin

Max Stürhling is a master watchmaker who learned the craft from Louis Audemars of Audemars Piguet, one of the most famous luxury watchmakers in the world.

Stürhling makes less expensive watches, but still uses the high-quality craftsmanship he learned while studying under Audemars.

This particular accessory has a black alligator-embossed bank, black dial, and baton-style markers and hands. It has an analog display with a crystal dial window.

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Fossil Nate Chronograph Stainless Steel Watch

Fossil Nate Chronograph Stainless Steel Watch

This military-inspired accessory comes in 11 colors. Because it is made from stainless steel, it is incredibly durable.

In addition, it is water resistant to 50 meters. The Fossil Nate Chronograph has a black dial and white indexes, meaning it will go with any outfit.

With its three subdials, the Fossil Nate Chronograph displays both the time and the date.

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Invicta Men’s 89260B

Invicta Men’s 89260B

Invicta offers a multi-function automatic watch. It has a 40mm diameter case that is 20mm thick.

The face dial features a beautiful, vibrant black background with hour markers that glow in the dark. There is a magnifying glass for the date display, making it easy to read. It has a multi link stainless bracelet with a fold over clasp.

Because it has a screw-down crown, unidirectional bezel, compact mineral dial window, and water resistance up to 660 feet, Invicta Men’s is perfect for deep sea diving.

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Everyday Wear

Daniel Wellington Classic Bristol

Daniel Wellington Classic Bristol

The Classic Collection is known for its clean lines and simple design meant for the modern gentleman. It has a minimalistic dial and a dark brown band that make this a classically elegant accessory that can be worn for any occasion.

It has an ultra-thin 6mm case, making the Classic Collection lightweight. The case come in rose-gold or silver and the strap can be either leather or NATO. The watch face also comes in two diameters: 36mm and 40mm.

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Orient Men’s CEM65001B

Orient Men’s CEM65001B

Balancing craftsmanship and affordability, Orient is the largest Japanese mechanical watch producer.

Unlike most watch companies, Orient produces its own movement, meaning that this product is entirely made in Japan and that Orient is a true watchmaker.

The watches notable features are its power reserve of 40 hours, its bidirectional winding mechanism, and its automatic winding. In terms of its look, the Orient watch has luminous hands and a date window. It is also water resistant.

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Breda Stephen

BREDA Stephen

The Stephen watch from Breda tells the date and time and has a simple brown-leather band, making it perfect for a low-key person. It comes in a variety of band and face colors, so you are likely to find one that you like.

It has large numbers and a protective mineral crystal window. The genuine leather strap and buckle closure are of high quality. One downside of this watch is that it is not water resistant.

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Nixon Safari Leather

Nixon Safari Leather

This elegant and classy watch is perfect for a business professional looking to impress.

The safari has clean lines and vintage off-trail vehicles inspire its style. This accessory has a classically rugged style that will help you take on the “urban jungle.”

The Nixon Safari Leather is water resistant, tells date and time, and has a genuine leather band.

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Komono Magnus Quartz Red WatchProduct

Komono Magnus Quartz Red Watch

This basic watch does not come with any fancy accessories. It’s perfect for those who want to keep it simple. As a unisex watch, Komono Magnus has a classic style.

It is water resistant, has a cloth strap, and has quartz movement. Customers who reviewed the product liked the simple look and its well-made quality.

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Nautica BFD 101 Pebbled Leather Watch

Nautica BFD 101 Pebbled Leather Watch

A prep-inspired brand, Nautica is a great accessory for all sorts of people. It has a cream-colored dial and cognac-colored leather band, which gives it a vintage feel.

The face measures 43mm in diameter and has a stainless steel case. Its hands glow in the dark and it is water resistant. In general, this is a classic and well-functioning simple accessory.

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Bulova Classic Collection

Bulova Classic Collection

People often mistakenly assume Bulova is a luxury brand, when in fact it’s actually quite affordable.

These watches look fancier than they are. Not to mention the fact that they are well made and last a long time. This watch comes with an ultra-slim case in stainless steel. Its dial is grey and protected by flat mineral glass.

The band is black leather and has a three-piece buckle clasp.

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Timex x Red Wing Waterbury

Timex x Red Wing Waterbury

Timex is one of the best and most popular affordable watch brands on the market.

This particular watch features a clean black dial, stainless steel case, leather strap from Red Wing leather, and “Indigo” luminescent backlighting.

All in all, this is a classic and well-made accessory.

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Timex for J.Crew Vintage Field Army Watch

Timex for J.Crew Vintage Field Army Watch

This popular military watch is made by a legendary American watchmaker and is affordable.

It is based on the iconic 1940s military style that made Timex famous. It has a distressed face and olive-colored watch strap.

It is durable because it has quartz analog movement, luminescent hands, and it’s water resistant up to 50 meters. The face has 24-hour and 12-hour markings, as well as a date display.

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Tissot T-Classic Tradition

Tissot T-Classic Tradition

With a cool minimal style, Tissot’s collection works for all occasions.

It has a classic timeless design thanks to its clean, sleek face and lack of bells and whistles.

This watch will not disappoint those going for a simple and stylish look.

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Conclusion

A watch is an important and defining accessory, but you don’t need to have tons of money to find a stylish and durable product that will work for you.

With the watches on this list, you will find a watch that you will be confident wearing and that reliably tells the time without seriously depleting your bank account.

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Written by Terrence Kennedy

Terrence Kennedy is the man’s man on a journey to self-discovery. A traveler, extreme sports aficionado, an observant wanderer, a DIY-Know-How, an ultimate outsider and a documentarist of culture, sex, dating, relationship, fashion, style and gentleman's etiquette. He has learned a lot through his escapades, and is happy to pass that knowledge on to you.