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Best Watches

The Best Watches Under $100

The extra fifty dollars buys one thing above all others: water. Under $50 only one watch in our database has a depth rating its maker will publish. Under $100 you can have 200 m with a screw-down crown, a rotating bezel and a mineral crystal, and still have change. So the question on this list is no longer whether a watch keeps time — they all do, to a tolerance no mechanical watch here matches. It is what the watch is allowed to do while it does it.

Updated September 11, 2026 · 6 watches

The short answer

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The whole list, compared

In this ranking
WatchMovement typeCase diameterWater resistanceTypical street priceWhere to buy
01Casio Duro MDV106Best overallQuartz44.2 mm200 m (656 ft)$60Check Price on Amazon
02G-Shock GA-2100Best everyday watchQuartz45.4 mm200 m (656 ft)$99Check Price on Amazon
03Casio AE-1200WHBest value, and best for travelQuartz42.1 mm100 m (328 ft)$40Check Price on Amazon
04Casio F-105WBest cheap digitalQuartz35.4 mmWater Resistant (Casio publishes no depth rating)$30Check Price on Amazon
05Casio A158WABest on a small wristQuartz33.2 mmWater Resistant (Casio publishes no depth rating)$30Check Price on Amazon
06Casio F-91WBest featherweightQuartz35.2 mmWater Resistant (Casio publishes no depth rating)$30Check Price on Amazon
01
Casio Duro MDV106 MDV106-1AV black dial front view

Best for

Best overall

Casio Duro MDV106

200 m of water resistance, a screw-lock crown, a screw-lock back and an anti-reverse rotating bezel, for $60. There is no other watch at this price with that specification, and at ±20 seconds a month it is the most accurate movement on this list bar one. The 22 mm lugs mean a $20 strap changes it completely.

The compromise

Mineral crystal, weak lume and a basic case finish. At 48.5 mm lug-to-lug and 92 g it is also the heaviest and widest watch here.

Typical street price
$60
Movement type
Quartz
Power reserve
Battery, approximately 3 years on an SR626SW (Casio specification)
Case diameter
44.2 mm
Lug-to-lug
48.5 mm
Crystal
Mineral
Water resistance
200 m (656 ft)
Check Price on AmazonRead Review $60
02
G-Shock GA-2100 GA-2100-1A1 black dial front view

Best for

Best everyday watch

G-Shock GA-2100

The G-Shock you can wear with a jacket. At 11.8 mm it is by far the slimmest case in the line, 51 g is light enough to sleep in, and Carbon Core Guard construction gives it 200 m and the shock resistance the name is for. ±15 seconds a month is the tightest figure on this list.

The compromise

The digital display is small and low in contrast, the crystal is mineral, and the strap is integrated — swapping it needs an adapter.

Typical street price
$99
Movement type
Quartz
Power reserve
Battery, approximately 3 years
Case diameter
45.4 mm
Lug-to-lug
48 mm
Crystal
Mineral
Water resistance
200 m (656 ft)
Check Price on AmazonRead Review $99
03
Casio AE-1200WH AE-1200WH-1AV black dial front view

Best for

Best value, and best for travel

Casio AE-1200WH

$39.95 for 100 m, 31 time zones, four simultaneous Multi Time displays, five alarms, a countdown timer and a full auto-calendar to 2099 — on a battery Casio rates at ten years. Nothing else on this list does more per dollar, and nothing else does time zones at all.

The compromise

A large watch — 45 mm lug-to-lug, 12.5 mm thick — with resin glass over a busy display, which is the worst place for scratches.

Typical street price
$40
Movement type
Quartz
Power reserve
Battery, approximately 10 years on a CR2025 (Casio specification)
Case width
42.1 mm
Lug-to-lug
45 mm
Crystal
Resin glass
Water resistance
100 m (328 ft)
Check Price on AmazonRead Review $40
04
Casio F-105W F-105W-1A black dial front view

Best for

Best cheap digital

Casio F-105W

$29.95, 21 grams, seven years of battery and an electro-luminescent backlight that lights the entire display. If you want the classic Casio digital and you ever read the time in the dark, this is the one to buy rather than its more famous sibling.

The compromise

No published depth rating, so it stays out of water, and resin glass scratches where mineral would not.

Typical street price
$30
Movement type
Quartz
Power reserve
Battery, approximately 7 years on a CR2016 (Casio specification)
Case width
35.4 mm
Lug-to-lug
39 mm
Crystal
Resin glass
Water resistance
Water Resistant (Casio publishes no depth rating)
Check Price on AmazonRead Review $30
05
Casio A158WA A158WA-1 black dial front view

Best for

Best on a small wrist

Casio A158WA

36.8 mm end to end and 8.2 mm thick, on a steel bracelet, for $29.95. It is the smallest watch in our database at any price, and the chrome case is the only thing on this list that reads as dressy rather than sporty.

The compromise

Folded bracelet links that feel like their price, resin glass, and no depth rating.

Typical street price
$30
Movement type
Quartz
Power reserve
Battery, approximately 7 years on a CR2016 (Casio specification)
Case width
33.2 mm
Lug-to-lug
36.8 mm
Crystal
Resin glass
Water resistance
Water Resistant (Casio publishes no depth rating)
Check Price on AmazonRead Review $30
06
Casio F-91W F-91W-1 black dial front view

Best for

Best featherweight

Casio F-91W

21 grams, 8.5 mm, and a silhouette unchanged since 1989. Nothing else here disappears on the wrist the way this does, and seven years on a CR2016 means there is nothing to maintain.

The compromise

Its LED lights one corner of the display. The F-105W costs the same and fixes that, which is the main reason to pick the other one.

Typical street price
$30
Movement type
Quartz
Power reserve
Battery, approximately 7 years on a CR2016 (Casio specification)
Case width
35.2 mm
Lug-to-lug
38.2 mm
Crystal
Resin glass
Water resistance
Water Resistant (Casio publishes no depth rating)
Check Price on AmazonRead Review $30

How we chose

Same three bars as the $50 list — published accuracy, published battery life, and no water-resistance claim without a depth figure from the maker — plus one more that only becomes possible here: if a watch claims a depth, it needs the hardware to back it. A screw-down crown where the number says 200 m, and a bezel that actually clicks. As below $50, the answer at this price is almost entirely Casio. That is what the market looks like, not what our research looks like.

Selection Time is reader-supported. If you buy through a link on this page we may earn a commission. This never affects our scores or what we recommend.

Also worth considering

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best watch under $100?

The Casio Duro MDV106, at $60. It is the only watch at this price with 200 m of water resistance, a screw-lock crown and an anti-reverse bezel. The compromises are a mineral crystal and weak lume — and Casio itself is clear that it is not an ISO-rated dive watch.

Can you get a real dive watch under $100?

You can get the specification that matters for swimming and snorkelling: the Casio Duro publishes 200 m and has a screw-down crown and a unidirectional bezel. We do not claim any certification for it, because Casio does not publish one on the product page we built this record from.

Is the G-Shock GA-2100 worth $99?

If you want a G-Shock you can wear under a cuff, yes — 11.8 mm is far slimmer than the rest of the line and 51 g is unusually light for 200 m and shock resistance. If you mainly want a digital display, the AE-1200WH does more for $39.95.