21 Great Watches for Less Than $400

Like the automakers that hail from the land of the rising sun, Japan's Citizen has developed a reputation for solid, reliable, and easily serviced timepieces. The Promaster Dive is without a doubt one of the most robust divers you can get at its price point. It's ISO-certified, which makes it a high-functionality professional diver, and Citizen's patented Eco-Drive movement is solar powered and can keep ticking up to six months without sunlight.

No respectable list of affordable watches would be complete without at least one offering from Seiko. The Japanese maker has a stellar reputation, and their watches have been everywhere from the bottom of the ocean, to the military, to the big screen. The SPRD had big shoes to fill in replacing the widely loved SKX, but it comes through with nice brushed and polished surfaces, a Hardlex mineral crystal, and Seiko's newer 4R36 automatic movement.

Yema is a French watchmaker with a history in racing. They made the first French watch to make it into space and the Rallygraf was famously worn by none other than Mario Andretti. The new Rallygraf is powered by Seiko's VK64 hybrid meca-quartz movement, and its retro styling punches way higher than its price tag would have you believe.

The Marlin comes from a time when everyone knew a Timex could "take a licking and keep on ticking." So watch fans were taken aback when Timex rereleased its Marlin in 2017 with a mechanical movement. But the successful collaboration with men's fashion icon Todd Snyder breathed new life into the classic brand name, and as a result, this dynamo is still stylish—and still very affordable! You just have to wind it, which we think only adds to its mid-century-modern appeal.

If the original G-Shock is rugged, then the Mudmaster is a nuclear fallout bunker for your wrist. It uses a system of gaskets that supposedly keeps mud and dust out of the watch. It also comes jam-packed with features including Bluetooth connectivity, a thermometer, a compass, a calendar, and much more.

For those who harbor nostalgia for the Eighties, Casio still offers many of its popular offerings from the past. The A159WGEA-1VT has all the basic features you want from a watch and is packaged in a mega-cool gold-tone case. You might have seen Matthew McConaughey rock this throwback watch in the 2017 movie Gold. Alright, alright, alright.

Way back in 1983, Swatch launched one of its first collections of stylish plastic watches. One of the most coveted pieces from that early collection was the Jellyfish, with its clear plastic case displaying its colorful quartz movement. The Clearly Gent is a descendent of that watch, and it's still painfully cool.

Another classic from Casio, the World Time (or "Royale" as it's often known) is nearly as impressive today as it was when it was initially released. It features a built-in stopwatch, timer, and 5-point daily alarm. Most impressively, you can cycle through any time zone worldwide with one of its many side buttons.

There are few names more closely linked with rugged reliability than the original G-Shock. The G-Shock took years of R&D before it was finally released in 1987. This original model has gone mostly unchanged since its release, save for a plethora of color updates.

Digital quartz watches have seen something of a resurgence in popularity. Armitron is not typically a brand that garners a huge following, but the rerelease of their Griffy harkens back to the heyday of Seventies-era LED designs. It features a relatively svelte case at 35mm wide, and is available in a ton of colors, though the two-tone steel and gold is clearly the coolest.

Designed by the German-based company Braun, whom you may know for their men's shavers, the BN0032 embodies the company's philosophy of functional minimalist design. It features a 40mm matte stainless steel case, quartz movement, and date window at the six o'clock position.

Marathon has supplied watches to the armed forces of a number of nations for much of its history. Today they are the sole supplier of watches to the United States Armed Forces. Needless to say, these are serious timepieces. The General Purpose is one of Marathon's entry-level items, but if it's good enough for armed combat, it'll surely handle whatever you throw at it during daily use.

German manufacturer Laco was founded in 1925 and was one of the original suppliers of pilot watches used in World War II. The Type B is a faithful reproduction of those early watches. Its large 42mm case and legible dial are what you'd expect from a pilot's watch, but its party trick is its Miyota automatic movement.

Orient is a Japanese watchmaker that's been producing timepieces since the Fifties. It was acquired by Seiko in 2009. Much of the fanfare around Orient is because of this watch, the Bambino. Watch enthusiasts tend to agree that this is one of the best value propositions out there. For under $200, you get a beautiful piece with a nicely finished case, a sunburst dial, a date window at the three o'clock position, and, most importantly, Orient's own F6722 in-house automatic movement.

Seiko's Presage line is a step up from its entry-level Seiko 5 models. Despite this, SRPB41 can still be had for a reasonable sum. It features Seiko's own 4R35 23 jewel movement, a Hardlex crystal, a date display, and a beautifully designed dial with polished hands and markers.

Arguably the predecessor to the modern smartwatch, Casio's Databank was originally launched back in 1980. What was once considered a nerdy piece of tech has come full circle and is undeniably retro-cool. Its features include a calculator, alarm, second time zone, and chronograph.

When this watch came out in 1979, every third watch sold in America was a Timex. Timex relaunched their iconic Q in 2019 to rave reviews. It features a rotating bezel, a stainless steel bracelet, a battery hatch, and an acrylic crystal.

Following the success of the reissued Q, Timex opted to reintroduce another classic from their vault, the Q LCA. Like some of the other retro-style digital watches from the likes of Casio and Seiko, the Q LCA relies heavily on Eighties nostalgia.

If you want a watch that does essentially the same thing as your smartphone (probably not as well), then perhaps a smartwatch is what you're after. Apple's Series 8 is among their latest and sits between the base SE and the fully loaded Ultra. The number of things this watch can do is astounding, from taking an instant ECG to alerting emergency services if you're injured. Of course, it connects seamlessly with all of your other Apple products.

The F-91 is the lowest-priced watch on the list and is also one of Casio's most ubiquitous pieces. It's insanely accurate and reliable, highly legible, and easy to wear. It is the mold for all basic digital watches.