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SELECTION TIME

Best Watches

The Best Watches Under $200

Under $200 the market splits cleanly: quartz watches that give you specification, and automatics that give you a mechanical movement. Both are legitimate. What you should not accept at this price is a watch that offers neither.

Updated August 25, 2026 · 8 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 overall valueQuartz44.2 mm200 m (656 ft)$60Check Price on Amazon
02Orient Bambino Version 2Best dress watchAutomatic40.5 mm30 m (98 ft)$145Check Price on Amazon
03Seiko 5 Sports SRPD55Best first automaticAutomatic42.5 mm100 m (328 ft)$195Check Price on Amazon
04Citizen Chandler BM8180Best for small wristsSolar37 mm100 m (328 ft)$120Check Price on Amazon
05G-Shock GA-2100Best everyday beaterQuartz45.4 mm200 m (656 ft)$99Check Price on Amazon
06Orient Mako IIIBest diver under $200Automatic41.8 mm200 m (656 ft)$195Check Price on Amazon
07Casio AE-1200WHBest for travelQuartz42.1 mm100 m (328 ft)$40Check Price on Amazon
08Casio F-91WBest under $50Quartz35.2 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 value

Casio Duro MDV106

200 m water resistance, a screw-lock crown and an anti-reverse bezel for under $100. Nothing else at this price offers the same specification, and a $20 strap transforms it.

The compromise

A mineral crystal, and at 48 mm lug-to-lug it is the widest watch on this list — it needs a wrist to carry it.

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
Orient Bambino Version 2 TAC00009N0 champagne dial front view

Best for

Best dress watch

Orient Bambino Version 2

A domed crystal, applied indices and an in-house automatic at $145. The movement does not hack or hand-wind, which is the compromise you accept for the price.

The compromise

The F6724 neither hacks nor hand-winds, and 30 m means splashes rather than swimming.

Typical street price
$145
Movement type
Automatic
Power reserve
40 hours
Case diameter
40.5 mm
Lug-to-lug
47 mm
Crystal
Domed mineral
Water resistance
30 m (98 ft)
Check Price on AmazonRead Review $145
03
Seiko 5 Sports SRPD55 SRPD55K1 black dial front view

Best for

Best first automatic

Seiko 5 Sports SRPD55

Hacking, hand-winding, 100 m and the largest parts ecosystem of any watch. The Hardlex crystal is the price of admission.

The compromise

Hardlex rather than sapphire, and 13.4 mm of height on a 46 mm span. You notice this watch.

Typical street price
$195
Movement type
Automatic
Power reserve
41 hours
Case diameter
42.5 mm
Lug-to-lug
46 mm
Crystal
Hardlex mineral
Water resistance
100 m (328 ft)
Check Price on AmazonRead Review $195
04
Citizen Chandler BM8180 BM8180-03E black dial front view

Best for

Best for small wrists

Citizen Chandler BM8180

37 mm, 52 g and a solar movement that never needs a battery. The most practical watch here for anyone under a 6.5-inch wrist.

The compromise

Mineral crystal and quartz. The argument here is how it fits, not what is inside it.

Typical street price
$120
Movement type
Solar
Power reserve
Approximately 6 months from a full charge
Case diameter
37 mm
Lug-to-lug
43 mm
Crystal
Mineral
Water resistance
100 m (328 ft)
Check Price on AmazonRead Review $120
05
G-Shock GA-2100 GA-2100-1A1 black dial front view

Best for

Best everyday beater

G-Shock GA-2100

11.8 mm of shock-resistant resin with 200 m of water resistance. The only watch here you can genuinely stop thinking about.

The compromise

45.4 mm across the bezel. It is thin and light, but it is not a small watch.

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
06
Orient Mako III RA-AA0004E19B green dial three-quarter view

Best for

Best diver under $200

Orient Mako III

The same in-house automatic and 200 m case as the Kamasu, with a mineral crystal instead of sapphire.

The compromise

Mineral where the Kamasu has sapphire, and 13 mm of height — for $200 less.

Typical street price
$195
Movement type
Automatic
Power reserve
40 hours
Case diameter
41.8 mm
Lug-to-lug
47 mm
Crystal
Mineral
Water resistance
200 m (656 ft)
Check Price on AmazonRead Review $195
07
Casio AE-1200WH AE-1200WH-1AV black dial front view

Best for

Best for travel

Casio AE-1200WH

World time across 31 zones and 48 cities, 100 m of water resistance and a battery Casio rates for ten years — for $40. Nothing else here answers a second time zone without a mechanical GMT.

The compromise

Resin glass, which scratches, and a display small enough that the world-time mode takes a moment to read.

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
08
Casio F-91W F-91W-1 black dial front view

Best for

Best under $50

Casio F-91W

21 g, 8.5 mm thick and ±30 seconds a month for $30. Casio publishes no depth rating for it, which is the one thing to know before buying.

The compromise

Casio publishes no depth rating, the glass is resin, and the LED lights one corner of the display rather than all of it.

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

Every watch here had to clear one bar: no obvious cost-cutting in the specification that matters for how the watch is used. That means a screw-down crown where the watch claims water resistance, a movement with a published accuracy figure, and dimensions that fit a normal wrist.

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

Can you get a good automatic watch for under $200?

Yes. The Orient Bambino, Orient Mako III and Seiko 5 Sports all sit under $200 with in-house or in-group Japanese automatic movements and published accuracy specifications.

Is quartz or automatic better under $200?

Quartz gives you better accuracy, better water resistance and no maintenance at this price. Automatic gives you a mechanical movement. Neither is objectively better; they answer different questions.