3 of the best watches under $50, defining the value for money proposition

Buffy Acacia

Usually, when we revisit our buying guides, we’ll end up adding to the list as new, exciting options come up. Unfortunately, this list of the best watches under $50 keeps shrinking. Since its last update, HMT watches have become much more difficult to source affordably outside of India, and the Timex Easy Reader has jumped up from US$49 to US$53. It’s symptomatic of much scarier issues tied up with inflation and the cost of living crisis, all of which have affected people in far worse ways than making budget-friendly watches less attainable. Plenty of people will say you should just save up for longer, but that’s missing the point entirely. In the spirit of optimism, here are three more of the best watches you can buy for less than US$50.

Casio F91W-1

Casio is one of the only brands that actually sells a lot of watches under US$50, but the F91W-1 has got to be the most iconic as well as one of the cheapest. From its black resin case and strap to the playful zaps of blue, yellow and red on the dial, no watch does a better job of capturing an aspect of ‘80s and ‘90s style that never feels outdated. It’s charmingly retro, but its functionality is still useful for modern life. The features include a 1/100-second chronograph with several measuring modes, a daily alarm, an annual calendar, and hourly time signals. The 35.2mm case feels at home on absolutely any wrist, and its little LED backlight ensures its visibility in darkness. Even though it’s not a G-Shock, it’s also renowned for its durability and water resistance exceeding all expectations. Price: US$22.95

Armitron Dragonfly

With help from Japanese quartz and digital movements, Armitron became an American staple brand in the late ‘70s and ‘80s. Its catalogue is still full of fun and affordable watches with heaps of variety, including a surprising amount below the $50 mark. Some of those are gargantuan digital watches stretching over 50mm, but it’s the 27mm Dragonfly that has caught my attention. The extreme taper of the case and strap lead your eyes into the large LED display, which in addition to the time can show a second time zone as well as a chronograph. It’s also perfectly swimmable with 100m of water resistance, which not a lot of watches can guarantee at this price point. There are some more decorative Dragonfly watches in a 25mm size, but the 27mm is a versatile and comfortable option for all kinds of smaller wrists. Price: US$25

Timex Easy Reader 35mm

If you ask someone to quickly draw a watch, it’d probably look pretty close to the Timex Easy Reader. With its large, legible Arabic numerals and simple baton hands, it really is the most watch-like a watch could be. Yes, at US$53 it no longer actually meets the sub-$50 criteria, but you should be able to pretty easily find one on sale that will knock off that extra $3. The 35mm case is quite gender-neutral and may even be suitable for kids, so it’s versatile in both accessibility and style. One thing that makes it particularly special is the Indiglo feature, which illuminates the entire dial with a push of the crown – a Timex signature for some time now. This completely negates the need for luminous markers or shining your phone torch on your watch when it gets dark, and it brings a bit of technological fun to the analogue watch world. Price: US$53

Time+Tide Timeless Pick: A second-hand bargain

There are plenty of sub-US$50 watches to buy, it’s just that they’re not for sale at the same outlets as most new watches with warranties and fresh batteries. They’re out there in the charity shops, vintage markets, garage sales, eBay and Facebook Marketplace listings. If you know what you’re looking for, it’s actually not too difficult to get a great deal. Not everyone will be so lucky as me when I found a solid gold Universal Genève for less than US$5, but there are plenty of undervalued vintage watches in amongst the nameless junk.