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Kids

Best watches for kids

A child's watch has one job at five and another at eleven. Younger children need hands they can learn from; older ones need a watch that survives the playground and the pool.

By Sawyer V. · Published

The short answer

For a child learning to tell the time, the Timex Time Machines 29mm: hands labeled "hour" and "minute", an acrylic crystal and a resin case. For an older child, the Timex Expedition Field Post Solar — 36mm, sapphire, 100m and no battery — is the first real watch we would give.

Children's watches are two different products that share a name. For a five- to eight-year-old, a watch is a teaching tool: it should have large numerals, hands that say which is which, and a case that survives being dropped. For a nine- to twelve-year-old, it is their first real watch, and it should be built like one — steel, a good crystal and enough water resistance for the pool.

We cover both below, ranked on the same six specifications as every watch on this site. The learning watches score lower on our formula, and that is fine: they are not meant to last twenty years. The first real watches are. For teenagers, see best watches for teenagers.

On prices: we publish no figure we have not verified today, so every buy button reads "Check price on Amazon". Tier placement is our structural judgment, not a price claim.

How we picked

We have not worn these watches. What follows is what we checked instead, on documents you can open yourself — the same criteria, in the same order, on every roundup on this site. The full method is on the methodology page.

  1. 01Legibility

    Full Arabic numerals and, for learners, labeled hands. A child should be able to read it without help.

  2. 02Toughness

    Resin and acrylic for young children, who drop things; sapphire and steel for older ones.

  3. 03Water resistance

    Hand-washing at minimum. 50m for splashing; 100m for a child who swims.

  4. 04Size

    29-35mm for young children; 36-37mm for older ones.

  5. 05Warranty

    Stated on the maker's page. Timex refers to a separate replacement plan for its kids' watches.

Disclosure · Some links below are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through one we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not decide what goes on this page or in what order — here is exactly how that works.

Quick picks

Ranked on the Keep Score below — six published specifications, weighted identically on every page. The last row is the one we would not buy.

#WatchBest forKeep ScorePrice
1

Timex Expedition Field Post Solar 36mm TW2V00400

36mm, sapphire, 100m, solar — nothing to maintain.

An older child's first real watch6.6/10
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2

Citizen Chandler BM8180-03E

37mm, 100m, solar, five-year warranty.

A first real watch with five years of cover6.4/10
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3

Timex Time Machines 35mm Kids Digital Watch TW7C77500

35mm, 50m, INDIGLO backlight, timer, Fast Wrap strap.

A digital watch a child can use alone5.6/10
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4

Timex Time Machines 29mm Kids Watch T78141

29mm, hands labeled hour and minute, acrylic, resin.

Learning to tell the time5.3/10
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—

Timex Marlin Automatic 40mm TW2V44600

A charming automatic — and the wrong first watch for a child.

Skip this one

Not a child's first watch6.5/10
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Keep Score is arithmetic, not opinion — six published specifications, weighted the same way on every page. The formula is on our methodology page, so you can re-run it yourself.

01

Timex Expedition Field Post Solar 36mm TW2V00400

Best for: An older child's first real watch

6.6/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
1.4/2.5
Water resistance
1.1/1.5
Warranty
0.35/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.2/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

At 36mm and 44.5mm lug-to-lug it fits a child's wrist, and it is built like an adult watch: sapphire, a steel case and 100m, so the pool is not a problem.

Light-powered, so there is no battery to change and nothing to wind. Timex's one-year warranty is the weak point.

The smallest genuinely good watch here. Sapphire, solar, 100m and 44.5mm across the lugs — if you have a small wrist and want to stop thinking about batteries, start here.

Manufacturer specifications for the Timex Expedition Field Post Solar 36mm TW2V00400
MovementSolar-charged quartz analog
Power reserveNot applicable
Case36mm stainless steel, ip black
Lug-to-lug44.5mm
Thickness12mm
Lug width18mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance100m
Warranty1 year

Timex's one-year warranty explicitly excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery.

Specifications read from Timex product page, TW2V00400.

02

Citizen Chandler BM8180-03E

Best for: A first real watch with five years of cover

6.4/10

Keep Score

Crystal
1/2.5
Serviceability
1.4/2.5
Water resistance
1.1/1.5
Warranty
1.5/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.4/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

A 37mm field watch with a clear dial, rated 100m and light-powered, with Citizen's five-year warranty — which will see a child most of the way through school.

Mineral crystal, which will pick up marks.

37mm, 18mm lugs, 100m, no battery, five years of cover. There is very little here to go wrong and almost nothing that will date.

Manufacturer specifications for the Citizen Chandler BM8180-03E
MovementCitizen E101 Eco-Drive, light-powered
Power reserveNot published
Case37mm stainless steel
Lug-to-lugNot published
ThicknessNot published
Lug width18mm
Crystalmineral
Water resistance100m
Warranty5 years

Citizen's five-year limited warranty excludes the power cell, case, bracelet and strap.

Specifications read from Citizen Watch product page, BM8180-03E.

03

Timex Time Machines 35mm Kids Digital Watch TW7C77500

Best for: A digital watch a child can use alone

5.6/10

Keep Score

Crystal
1.8/2.5
Serviceability
1.6/2.5
Water resistance
0.6/1.5
Warranty
0.35/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.2/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

A resin digital watch rated 50m, with a backlight and a timer, on a Fast Wrap strap a child can fasten without help. 50m is more than the analog Time Machines offer.

It teaches reading numbers rather than reading hands. Timex states a one-year warranty and refers to a separate replacement plan for kids' watches on the product page.

50m rather than the 30m of the analog Time Machines, a backlight and a Fast Wrap strap a child can do up alone. It is a digital watch, so it teaches reading numbers rather than reading hands.

Manufacturer specifications for the Timex Time Machines 35mm Kids Digital Watch TW7C77500
MovementQuartz digital, CR2025 battery, INDIGLO backlight and timer
Power reserveNot applicable
Case35mm resin
Lug-to-lugNot published
Thickness12.5mm
Lug width18mm
Crystalacrylic
Water resistance50m
Warranty1 year

Timex states a one-year limited warranty on this product page, and refers to a separate worry-free replacement plan for kids' watches.

Specifications read from Timex product page, TW7C77500.

04

Timex Time Machines 29mm Kids Watch T78141

Best for: Learning to tell the time

5.3/10

Keep Score

Crystal
1.8/2.5
Serviceability
1.6/2.5
Water resistance
0.3/1.5
Warranty
0.35/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.2/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

The Time Machines 29mm is designed for exactly one job: its hands are labeled "hour" and "minute", the dial carries full Arabic numerals, and the resin case and acrylic crystal shrug off drops.

Rated 30m — hand-washing, not swimming — and backed by Timex's one-year warranty. It will be outgrown before it wears out.

A resin case, an acrylic crystal that polishes back when it scratches, and hands that say which is which. Rated 30m — hand-washing, not swimming — which is the one thing to tell the child who wears it.

Manufacturer specifications for the Timex Time Machines 29mm Kids Watch T78141
MovementQuartz analog, SR626SW battery, hands labeled hour and minute
Power reserveNot applicable
Case29mm resin
Lug-to-lugNot published
ThicknessNot published
Lug width16mm
Crystalacrylic
Water resistance30m
Warranty1 year

Timex states a one-year limited warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship on this product page.

Specifications read from Timex product page, T78141.

Skip this one

Timex Marlin Automatic 40mm TW2V44600

Best for: Not a child's first watch

6.5/10

Keep Score

Crystal
1.8/2.5
Serviceability
2.5/2.5
Water resistance
0.6/1.5
Warranty
0.35/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.2/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

A vintage-style automatic is a tempting "real watch" gift for an older child, and the Marlin, with its domed acrylic crystal, is the one most often chosen.

It is rated 50m, Timex does not name the caliber, and its one-year warranty excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery. An automatic also needs regular wear or winding and eventually servicing — a lot to ask of a child.

The light-powered Field Post Solar and Chandler above need nothing, are rated 100m and cost less to live with.

Acrylic reads as a downgrade and mostly is not: it scratches easily and polishes out with a cloth and a tube of paste, which sapphire does not. On a watch you intend to keep for decades, that is a feature.

Manufacturer specifications for the Timex Marlin Automatic 40mm TW2V44600
MovementAutomatic (caliber not published by Timex)
Power reserveNot published
Case40mm stainless steel
Lug-to-lugNot published
Thickness13mm
Lug width20mm
Crystalacrylic
Water resistance50m
Warranty1 year

Timex's one-year warranty explicitly excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery.

Specifications read from Timex product page, TW2V44600.

By age

AgeWhat mattersOur pick
5-8, learning the timeLabeled hands, full numerals, drop-proofTimex Time Machines 29mm
6-10, wants a digital watchEasy strap, backlight, 50mTimex Time Machines 35mm digital
9-12, first real watchSteel, a good crystal, 100m, nothing to maintainTimex Expedition Field Post Solar
9-12, first real watch with a long warrantyFive years of coverCitizen Chandler BM8180

Water, for children specifically

A child's watch will get wet whether or not you tell them to take it off. The Time Machines 29mm is rated 30m, which covers hand-washing; the digital version 50m. For a child who swims, a 100m watch is the only safe choice — the water resistance guide explains what each rating allows.

Questions people actually ask

What is the best watch for a child learning to tell time?

The Timex Time Machines 29mm: its hands are labeled "hour" and "minute", the dial has full Arabic numerals, and the resin case and acrylic crystal survive drops.

What age should a child get a watch?

Learning watches suit children from around five, when they start telling the time. A first real watch — steel, 100m, a good crystal — suits children from around nine who can look after it.

Are kids' watches waterproof?

Most are only splash resistant. The Time Machines 29mm is rated 30m and the digital version 50m. For a child who swims, choose a 100m watch such as the Timex Field Post Solar or Citizen Chandler.

Analog or digital for a child?

Analog if the aim is learning to read a clock face; digital if they want a timer and backlight. Many children have one of each at different ages.

Sources

Every specification and figure on this page came from one of these documents. Where a manufacturer does not publish something, the page says so rather than filling the gap.

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