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The best gold-tone watch under $100
Featuring a classic round face and bracelet design, the Nixon Time Teller is a great choice is people looking for a gold-toned watch. The watch is kept simple with hour markers and Nixon branding at 3 o’clock. If you’re interested in a gold watch with a black, white, blue, dark blue, or green face, you’ll also find them available for less than $100 on Amazon.
Regardless of which color combination you decide on, the stainless steel watch uses a 37 mm case, which is ideal for guys who prefer watches that aren’t too big and gaudy. At the same time, if you have a large wrist, you might want a slightly bigger watch face to make an adequate statement.
A few millimeters can make a huge difference in the aesthetics of a watch, so keep that in mind when shopping.
Pros: Classic and simple design, water-resistant up to 330 feet, different watch face colors available.
Cons: 37 mm case is on the smaller side of watches
The best silver-tone watch under $100
The Timex Expedition Ranger’s brushed stainless steel case and bracelet are contrasted by a black bezel and dial. With Arabic numerals at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock and hour and minute markers in between, the display is very easy to read. Small touches like the red airplane second hand and date display make the watch equally unique and useful.
Its 43 mm case is substantial, but not ridiculously large. The side crown protectors and water-resistant case make the watch just as durable as it is stylish. You’ll want to wear it everywhere from the outdoors to in the office.
The only attribute I could find that could be a downside for some is that the Time Expedition Ranger’s bezel does not rotate, meaning it’s there strictly for aesthetics. If you plan to use your the bezel for measuring diving times, regatta races, or alternate time zones, this isn’t the watch for you.
Pros: Date display, Indiglo light-up dial, water-resistant up to 50 meters
Cons: Bezel does not rotate
The best minimalist watch under $100
If intricate designs with subdials, detailed bezels, and large hands are not your cup of tea, this Calvin Klein watch can elevate your style without being too over the top. The minimalist design features a round silver-tone case and dial with a brown leather strap.
Doing away with usual inclusions like hour markers and a second hand, the only details on the watch are Calvin Klein branding.
While the design is undoubtedly clean and simple, the minimalism means that it can be hard to read if you’re used to telling time with hour and minute markers.
Pros: Swiss made, minimal design, multiple colors available
Cons: If you need an easy-to-read watch, the lack of a second hand and hour and minute markers makes it more difficult to read
The best smartwatch under $100
The latest Apple Watch starts at $400, but unless you’re a diehard brand loyalist, there may not be a reason to drop that much on a watch that tells time and tracks your activity. At $80, the Amazfit Bip smartwatch has many features like fitness, heart rate, and sleep tracking, and the ability to display app, phone call, and text notifications from your smartphone.
Another super impressive attribute is the long battery life. Amazfit rates the watch’s battery life at up to 30 days on a single 2.5-hour charge, although it could be based less on how much you use it. In comparison to the Apple Watch, which is rated at 18 hours on a full charge, you’ll get a lot more wear in between charges with the Amazfit Bip.
Insider Picks reporter Connie Chen reviewed the watch and was blown away by how much the watch does for so little money. You can read her full review here.
Pros: 1.28-inch screen, long battery life, step counter, calorie counter, sleep tracker, displays smartphone notifications, multiple colors available, dust- and water-resistant
Cons: Considering the price, there aren’t any cons. However, if you’re not on a budget, there are more sophisticated but pricier smartwatches available.
The best diver’s watch under $100
As my personal favorite watch on this list, the Invicta Pro Diver is a lot of watch for the money. It features an iconic two-tone diver aesthetic that’s nearly identical to the Rolex Submariner, which will cost you a cool $14,000 to buy on Jomashop.
This is also a wonderful choice because it features a Swiss automatic movement with a 41-hour power reserve, while every other watch on the list is battery powered. The automatic movement means you’ll never have to put a battery in it to keep the time — simply wind it up and then let the motion of your wrist fill the power reserve.
In terms of using the Pro Diver for actually diving, it’s fully functional. The watch has a unidirectional bezel, which can be used for accurately recording dive times and displaying different time zones, and is water-resistant up to 660 feet.
It’s worth noting that unidirectional bezels rotate in one direction strictly for safety and shouldn’t be thought of as inferior to a bidirectional bezel. If for any reason the bezel is accidentally moved, it will display less time rather than more time, with the latter being a potentially crucial error while scuba diving.
Pros: Magnified date display, 18k gold-plated, water-resistant up to 660 feet, unidirectional bezel, looks almost identical to the Rolex Submariner, Swiss automatic movement
Cons: None. At $84 for 18k gold-plated automatic watch with a timeless two-tone diver design, there’s nothing to complain about here.
The best sports watch under $100
Trusted by military personnel, law enforcement, athletes, and outdoorsmen, G-Shock is the go-to brand for people who require a truly durable watch. While many G-Shocks can be had for less than $100, the DW6900 model is my top choice.
The main digital display shows the day, date, and time, and the top of the display has three chronograph dials for seconds, minutes, and hours. Just below the dial is a G button for illumination. Other useful features include an alarm with a buzzer sound and screen flashes.
The resin band and case make it very durable — you won’t have to worry about the exterior of the watch getting dirty or wearing away. I personally own several G-Shock watches that I purchased about a decade ago, and I’ve had zero issues with functionality. As long as there’s a good battery in the watch, it will keep on working.
Pros: Shock-resistant, water-resistant up to 200 meters, afterglow backlight, digital display, flash and buzzer alarms, stopwatch
Cons: Too sporty to wear with some casual and formal looks
The best leather band watch under $100
Founded in 2013, MVMT is a newcomer watchmaker, but its ability to balance modern aesthetics with classic styling while maintaining fair prices makes it one of our favorite watch brands.
If you’re looking for a watch with a nice leather band opposed to a metal bracelet, the MVTM Classic 45 mm is a fine choice. It features a 100% genuine leather band and a simple case and dial setup that doubles as great second choice for the minimalist watch wearer.
This White Tan watch and a few other styles are priced at $95, but if you can save up a few more dollars, you can find a lot of other leather band options for $110.
Pros: Classic design, date display, multiple colors available, 100% genuine leather band, interchangeable bands available, water-resistant up to 30 meters
Cons: Some options cost more than $100
The best novelty watch under $100
As the world’s first glimpse at modern smartwatches, the Casio Calculator Watch was once a technological marvel in the ’70s. Today, the calculator watch is largely obsolete, but it makes this list because of its nostalgic look and feel.
At $19.22, you should buy it in addition to the watch you actually plan to wear on a daily basis simply for the cool factor — and if you pick the right watch, you’ll likely still spend under $100 on them combined.
Whether the Casio Calculator watch brings you back to when you were the coolest kid in high school algebra crunching numbers right on your wrist or you’re looking for a watch that’s a conversation starter, this will do the trick. Along with doing basic math like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, the watch has a day display, alarm clock, and stopwatch function.
Pros: 8-digit calculator, alarm features, luminous backlight, water-resistant up to 165 feet
Cons: Outdated technology that you probably won’t use
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