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An inexpensive wristwatch resting on a concrete surface

Are cheap watches worth it?

Are cheap watches worth it?

A cheap watch is worth it when whatever fails can be fixed cheaply or never fails at all. That rules out most of the category and rules in a few very good watches.

By Sawyer V. · Published

The short answer

Yes, if it has a named, serviceable movement or runs on light, is rated 100m, and has a warranty that covers the case. The Seiko 5 Sports SRPD55 and the Citizen Chandler BM8180 both qualify at our lowest tiers. A brass-cased 30m quartz watch with a warranty that excludes the case does not.

The usual advice is that cheap watches are a false economy, and for most of what is sold under that label it is right. But the reasons are specific — a battery in a sealed case nobody opens, a plated case that wears through, a 30m rating that ends at the first swim — and a few cheap watches avoid all of them.

The five below are from our lowest budget tiers, scored on the same six specifications as the most expensive watches on this site. The skip row is one of the best-known cheap watches there is.

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. 01Movement

    A named caliber with a published service price, or solar. A cheap watch with an unnamed movement is a watch you replace.

  2. 02Water resistance

    100m. At 30m, swimming and showers are off the table.

  3. 03Case

    Steel, not brass or plated base metal. Plating wears through; steel can be refinished.

  4. 04Warranty

    Read what it excludes. A warranty that excludes the case, crystal and strap covers very little.

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

Seiko 5 Sports SRPD55

4R36, 100m, three years, $176 overhaul.

The cheap watch most worth buying8.0/10
Check price
2

Timex Expedition Pioneer Automatic 41mm TW2Y87400

Sapphire, 200m, automatic, steel bracelet.

Sapphire and 200m, cheaply8.0/10
Check price
3

Seiko 5 Sports SRPG39

39.4mm, 100m, 4R36, $176 overhaul.

The cheap field watch8.0/10
Check price
4

Timex Expedition Field Post Solar 36mm TW2V00400

36mm, sapphire, 100m, solar.

Cheap, solar and sapphire6.6/10
Check price
5

Citizen Chandler BM8180-03E

37mm, solar, 100m, five years.

The cheap watch that needs nothing6.4/10
Check price
—

Timex Weekender 38mm T2N647

Brass, 30m, a battery, and a warranty that excludes the case.

Skip this one

The cheap watch that is not worth it4.5/10
Check price

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

Seiko 5 Sports SRPD55

Best for: The cheap watch most worth buying

8.0/10

Keep Score

Crystal
1.3/2.5
Serviceability
2.5/2.5
Water resistance
1.1/1.5
Warranty
1.05/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
1/1
Check price on Amazon

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

A named, in-production 4R36 with a published $176 overhaul, 100m and Seiko's three-year warranty — the most serviceable cheap watch there is.

Hardlex rather than sapphire, and 41 hours of reserve.

The 4R36 is the most commonly serviced mechanical caliber in the United States and Seiko publishes a flat $176 price to overhaul it. That single fact does more for a twenty-year horizon than any spec on the case.

Manufacturer specifications for the Seiko 5 Sports SRPD55
MovementSeiko 4R36, automatic with manual winding, 24 jewels
Power reserve41 hours
Case42.5mm stainless steel
Lug-to-lug46mm
Thickness13.4mm
Lug width22mm
Crystalhardlex
Water resistance100m
Warranty3 years

Specifications read from Seiko Watch Corporation product page, SRPD55.

02

Timex Expedition Pioneer Automatic 41mm TW2Y87400

Best for: Sapphire and 200m, cheaply

8.0/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
2.5/2.5
Water resistance
1.5/1.5
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

Sapphire and 200m on a steel-bracelet automatic in our under-$300 tier — a specification cheap watches almost never reach.

The caliber is unnamed and the warranty is one year with exclusions, so you cannot price its upkeep in advance.

Sapphire and 200m for the money is real. What Timex does not publish is the caliber — which means you cannot look up what an overhaul costs before you buy, and that is exactly the number this site exists to check.

Manufacturer specifications for the Timex Expedition Pioneer Automatic 41mm TW2Y87400
MovementAutomatic (caliber not published by Timex)
Power reserveNot published
Case41mm stainless steel
Lug-to-lug48mm
Thickness14mm
Lug width20mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance200m
Warranty1 year

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

Specifications read from Timex product page, TW2Y87400.

03

Seiko 5 Sports SRPG39

Best for: The cheap field watch

8.0/10

Keep Score

Crystal
1.3/2.5
Serviceability
2.5/2.5
Water resistance
1.1/1.5
Warranty
1.05/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
1/1
Check price on Amazon

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

The same 4R36 and published $176 overhaul in a 39.4mm field case on leather, with three years of warranty.

Its 48.1mm lug-to-lug wears larger than the diameter suggests.

The 39.4mm case reads small, but the 48.1mm lug-to-lug does not — this wears longer than its diameter suggests. Measure your wrist before you buy on the diameter alone.

Manufacturer specifications for the Seiko 5 Sports SRPG39
MovementSeiko 4R36, automatic with manual winding, 24 jewels
Power reserve41 hours
Case39.4mm stainless steel
Lug-to-lug48.1mm
Thickness13.2mm
Lug width20mm
Crystalhardlex
Water resistance100m
Warranty3 years

Specifications read from Seiko Watch Corporation product page, SRPG39.

04

Timex Expedition Field Post Solar 36mm TW2V00400

Best for: Cheap, solar and sapphire

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

Sapphire, 100m and solar power in our under-$200 tier — no battery to change and a crystal that resists scratching.

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

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.

05

Citizen Chandler BM8180-03E

Best for: The cheap watch that needs nothing

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

Light-powered, 100m, steel and covered by Citizen for five years — the longest warranty of any cheap watch here.

Mineral glass is the compromise.

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.

Skip this one

Timex Weekender 38mm T2N647

Best for: The cheap watch that is not worth it

4.5/10

Keep Score

Crystal
1/2.5
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 Weekender is the watch many people picture when they say "cheap watch", and as a strap-swapping toy it is fine.

As a watch to keep, it fails every test on this page: a brass case, 30m, a CR2016 battery and a one-year warranty that excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery.

The Citizen Chandler above is the same simplicity, built to last.

A brass case at 30m, with a warranty that excludes the crystal, the strap, the case and the battery — which is to say almost everything that fails. Buy it as a strap-swapping toy, not as a watch to keep.

Manufacturer specifications for the Timex Weekender 38mm T2N647
MovementQuartz analog, CR2016 battery
Power reserveNot applicable
Case38mm brass and llb
Lug-to-lugNot published
ThicknessNot published
Lug width20mm
Crystalmineral
Water resistance30m
Warranty1 year

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

Specifications read from Timex product page, T2N647.

The test, in four questions

  1. Can the movement be serviced, or does it run on light? If neither, the watch ends when the battery or the module does.
  2. Is it rated 100m? Anything less, and swimming is off the table — what each rating permits.
  3. Is the case steel? Plating wears through; steel can be refinished.
  4. What does the warranty exclude? Read that before you read the headline term.

For the ranked tiers, see under $100, under $200 and under $300.

Questions people actually ask

Are cheap watches worth buying?

Some are. A cheap watch with a serviceable named movement or solar power, 100m and a steel case — the Seiko 5 Sports or the Citizen Chandler — is worth it. A brass-cased 30m quartz watch is not.

How long do cheap watches last?

As long as the part that fails can be fixed. A Seiko 4R36 can be overhauled at a published $176, and a solar Citizen needs no battery. A sealed quartz watch with an unnamed movement usually ends when something inside does.

Is a cheap automatic better than a cheap quartz?

Not automatically. A cheap automatic with a published service price is a watch you can keep; a cheap solar quartz is one you never touch. Both beat a cheap battery quartz in a plated case.

What is the best cheap watch?

The Seiko 5 Sports SRPD55 for a mechanical watch you can service; the Citizen Chandler BM8180 for one you never have to.

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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