You don’t have to drop hundreds of dollars to get a reliable, feature-packed watch to track your workout, take into the field, or wear around town. “Now the technology has come to a point where there’s a lot of good inexpensive watches out there,” says Michael Scriniere, a Pennsylvania-based watchmaker certified through the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute. The price of some smart watches has come down considerably without sacrificing much functionality, and there are plenty of lower-tech options that look great and get the job done.
Types of Watches
The world of watches is a vast one, and differences go far beyond analog and digital. You can choose specific functions, various strap and case materials, and, in the case of analog, how your watch actually ticks. Think about how you plan to use your new watch, and that should help you navigate the options to the model that will serve you best.
A sports watch, and possibly something more specialized such as a smartwatch or altimeter watch, is the way to go if you plan to work up a sweat. These usually have digital displays and feature rubber or resin straps. They are designed to track a smattering of activities and typically offer greater water-resistance than analog watches.
If you don’t need many special features, consider an analog model like a field watch that can be used for diving, hunting, and even casual wear. Originally used by the military, field watches traditionally feature quartz movement for accuracy and a stainless steel case for durability. Today, field watches can also have titanium cases, and crystals—the clear covering over the dials—are commonly mineral or sapphire (the latter is the most scratch-resistant). Field watches can have leather, nylon, or metal bands.
Understanding Analog Watch Movements
Analog watches can run on one of two movement types: quartz or mechanical. Quartz mechanisms are powered by batteries. Electrical currents from the battery cause a small quartz crystal to vibrate, and those vibrations advance the hands. Because they have few moving parts, quartz watches are more affordable, but eventually, the battery needs to be replaced.
Other timepieces operate on more complex (and expensive) mechanical movements that require manual or automatic winding. That winding tightens the mainspring, and as this spring loosens, it sets the gears and other parts in motion to move the watch hands. A watch with manual movement requires you to wind it, whereas the more common automatic movement harnesses the energy from your body movement to turn a rotor that does the winding, instead. Although they do not need regular battery maintenance, mechanical watches should be serviced every five years or so to ensure accuracy.
Choosing the Right Water Resistance
No matter what type of watch you choose, Scriniere recommends evaluating the water-resistance rating. “It’s amazing how far case construction has come,” he says. “It’s really a feat of engineering, how basic they are but how much pressure they can withstand.” Some models are built with high-quality materials that handle the pressure 1,000 meters or more below the surface, but anything greater than 30 meters offers the protection you need for most activities, including swimming, Scriniere says. Even if the case is water-ready, most companies recommend not adjusting the buttons underwater just to be sure. Also, watches with leather bands, which become brittle when water binds to the leather’s oil and then evaporates, are best left on land.
How We Tested
To find the cheap watches that don’t skimp on performance, we set a $200 limit, researched the market, consulted user and expert reviews, and spoke with product managers about the latest releases. We considered features, construction, style, and price and had our test editors use the most promising options for at least a week or, in some cases, several months. They wore them while exercising, adventuring, walking around town, sleeping, doing the dishes, and even showering, then told us how easy the watches were to use and how they felt on hand. Among the dozen that made the cut, there’s a watch that’s right for you.
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