Buying guide · under €200
The best men’s watches under €200
Between €100 and €200 the first automatics from major brands appear, along with solar power and even a sapphire crystal. Every watch in this selection makes a different compromise: here is which one.
The short answer
Which watch to choose
The best choice
Seiko 5 SNXS77: a real Seiko automatic for €175.
Maintenance-free
Citizen Eco-Drive BM7620: it recharges from light.
With a sapphire crystal
Casio Edifice EFB-109D, under €140.
The toughest
Casio G-Shock GM-2100, with its metal bezel.
Ranking
The ranking at a glance
- Movement : Automatic Seiko 7S26
- Diameter : 37 mm
- Crystal : Mineral Hardlex
- Movement : Eco-Drive E111, solar
- Diameter : 38 mm
- Thickness : 10 mm
- Movement : Quartz
- Dimensions : 43.5 × 38.5 mm
- Crystal : Sapphire
- Movement : Automatic Citizen 8229
- Diameter : 40 mm
- Crystal : Mineral
- Movement : Quartz
- Diameter : 44.4 mm
- Thickness : 11.8 mm
- Movement : Quartz
- Diameter : 38 mm
- Thickness : 9.5 mm
- Movement : Quartz, chronograph
- Diameter : 40 mm
- Thickness : 13 mm
- Movement : Quartz, calibre 5611
- Diameter : 45.4 mm
- Thickness : 11.8 mm
Selection
The 8 watches, one by one
- 01
Photos: Tempus Shop
The best choice
Seiko 5 SNXS77
For the price of a quartz watch you get a Seiko automatic movement, a blue sunburst dial, day and date, and a steel bracelet. The 37 mm case is discreet and comfortable.
- Movement
- Automatic Seiko 7S26
- Diameter
- 37 mm
- Crystal
- Mineral Hardlex
- Water resistance
- 30 m
Who it is for
Anyone who wants to discover automatics without going over €200.
The real flaw
The 7S26 calibre cannot be wound by hand and its seconds hand does not stop during setting.
- 02
Photos: Tempus Shop
The easiest to live with
Citizen Eco-Drive BM7620
A sober three-hander that recharges from natural or artificial light. It stays on time with no winding and no battery change, in a slim 10 mm case.
- Movement
- Eco-Drive E111, solar
- Diameter
- 38 mm
- Thickness
- 10 mm
Who it is for
Anyone who wants a reliable watch and to forget about it.
The real flaw
A tame design, without the charm of a mechanical seconds hand.
- 03
Photos: Tempus Shop
The cheapest sapphire crystal
Casio Edifice EFB-109D
A sapphire crystal and a steel case and bracelet for under €140. At this price almost every rival settles for mineral glass.
- Movement
- Quartz
- Dimensions
- 43.5 × 38.5 mm
- Crystal
- Sapphire
Who it is for
Anyone who wants a steel watch that does not scratch.
The real flaw
A quartz movement with nothing remarkable about it.
- 04
Photos: Tempus Shop
The open-dial automatic
Citizen NH9131 Open Heart
A Citizen automatic movement visible through an opening in the dial, on a leather strap, for about €150. It is the cheapest automatic in the selection.
- Movement
- Automatic Citizen 8229
- Diameter
- 40 mm
- Crystal
- Mineral
Who it is for
Anyone who wants to see the movement beat.
The real flaw
A mineral crystal, and a 40 mm case that is a little large for a dress watch.
- 05
Photos: Tempus Shop
The toughest
Casio G-Shock GM-2100
The octagonal G-Shock, with a metal bezel over the resin case. It keeps the shock resistance and gains a distinctly dressier look.
- Movement
- Quartz
- Diameter
- 44.4 mm
- Thickness
- 11.8 mm
- Crystal
- Mineral
Who it is for
Anyone who wants a G-Shock to wear in town as well.
The real flaw
The crystal is still mineral, and the metal makes it heavier than the GA-2100.
- 06
Photos: Tempus Shop
The best retro style
Timex Q Reissue 38
The reissue of a 1970s Timex quartz watch, with its rotating bezel and period steel bracelet. At 38 mm across and 9.5 mm thick, it wears like a vintage watch.
- Movement
- Quartz
- Diameter
- 38 mm
- Thickness
- 9.5 mm
- Crystal
- Acrylic
- Water resistance
- 50 m
Who it is for
Anyone who buys a style first.
The real flaw
The acrylic crystal scratches easily, although it can be polished.
- 07
Photos: Tempus Shop
The chronograph
Timex Marlin Chronograph
The look of a 1960s chronograph, tachymeter scale included, for the price of a quartz watch. Accurate and maintenance-free.
- Movement
- Quartz, chronograph
- Diameter
- 40 mm
- Thickness
- 13 mm
Who it is for
Anyone who wants a trouble-free chronograph.
The real flaw
A quartz movement in a watch that evokes mechanics, and 13 mm of thickness.
- 08
Photos: Tempus Shop
The best toughness for the money
Casio G-Shock GA-2100
A carbon-fibre-reinforced resin case, 200 m of water resistance and both hands and a digital display, for under €100. Despite its 45 mm, it is slim for a G-Shock.
- Movement
- Quartz, calibre 5611
- Diameter
- 45.4 mm
- Thickness
- 11.8 mm
- Crystal
- Mineral
- Water resistance
- 200 m
Who it is for
Anyone who wants a watch for sport, manual work or travel.
The real flaw
The crystal is mineral, and the small digital display is hard to read.
Comparison
The 8 watches side by side
| Model | Movement | Diameter | Dimensions | Crystal | Water resistance | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seiko 5 SNXS77 | Automatic Seiko 7S26 | 37 mm | – | Mineral Hardlex | 30 m | €175.20 |
| Citizen Eco-Drive BM7620 | Eco-Drive E111, solar | 38 mm | – | – | – | €189 |
| Casio Edifice EFB-109D | Quartz | – | 43.5 × 38.5 mm | Sapphire | – | €139 |
| Citizen NH9131 Open Heart | Automatic Citizen 8229 | 40 mm | – | Mineral | – | €151.20 |
| Casio G-Shock GM-2100 | Quartz | 44.4 mm | – | Mineral | – | €199 |
| Timex Q Reissue 38 | Quartz | 38 mm | – | Acrylic | 50 m | €189 |
| Timex Marlin Chronograph | Quartz, chronograph | 40 mm | – | – | – | €199 |
| Casio G-Shock GA-2100 | Quartz, calibre 5611 | 45.4 mm | – | Mineral | 200 m | €99.90 |
Method
How to choose at this price
Automatic or solar?
An automatic appeals for its mechanics, but stops if you do not wear it for two days. A solar watch keeps time by itself. At this price both exist at Seiko and Citizen.
Sapphire crystal is rare
Under €200 almost every watch has a mineral crystal. The Casio Edifice EFB-109D is the exception in this selection.
Water resistance, without getting it wrong
30 m protects against rain. 50 m allows careful swimming. You need 100 m to swim without thinking about it, and 200 m to dive.
Diameter
Between 36 and 40 mm, a watch suits most wrists. G-Shocks exceed 44 mm: they wear large.
Questions
The short answers
What is the best men’s watch under €200?
The Seiko 5 SNXS77 for an automatic, the Citizen Eco-Drive BM7620 for a maintenance-free watch.
Which automatic watch under €200?
The Citizen NH9131 Open Heart, at around €150, and the Seiko 5 SNXS77, at around €175.
Which watch under €200 has a sapphire crystal?
The Casio Edifice EFB-109D, under €140.
Should you spend €200 or €300?
At €300 you reach better-equipped automatics, such as the Citizen Tsuyosa with its sapphire crystal. At €200 you have to choose between automatic and sapphire.
Further reading