The best men's watches under £200 in the UK (2026)

The best cheap watches aren't cheap-looking. Under £200, Casio and Timex in particular make watches that keep excellent time, survive real life and have a genuine following among watch enthusiasts.

Every watch here is sold new by Goldsmiths, a UK authorised retailer. Prices are Goldsmiths' own on the date shown, and they update when we re-check them.

How we chose

We looked for watches under £200 from established brands with a manufacturer's guarantee, at least 30 metres of water resistance and a design that won't look dated in a year's time. We picked one watch for each kind of wearer, and we point out where you're making a compromise.

Best overall: Casio G-Shock GA-2100

Best overallCasio G-SHOCK Carbon Core Octagon Series GA-2100-1AER · 48.5 × 45.5mm · Quartz · 200 m water resistant £99.90Price at Goldsmiths, 28 October 2026 Full specsSee it at Goldsmiths

The GA-2100 is a G-Shock for people who don't usually like G-Shocks. Its eight-sided carbon-resin case is slimmer and neater than the classic chunky shape, and it combines hands with a small digital display. Goldsmiths lists it as water resistant to 200 metres, and like every G-Shock it's built to take knocks.

Good to know: it's big on paper at 45.4mm, but resin is very light, so it wears smaller than you'd expect.

Best digital watch: Casio G-Shock DW-5900

Casio G-Shock DW-5900 DW-5900U-1ER · 46.8mm · Quartz · 200 m water resistant £80Price at Goldsmiths, 28 October 2026 Full specsSee it at Goldsmiths

Casio G-Shock 45 watches at Goldsmiths, £80 to £919. Shop the G-Shock

If you want a watch you'll never need to think about, this is it. It's a digital G-Shock in resin, water resistant to 200 metres (Goldsmiths' listing) and as tough as watches get. It's the one to wear for the gym, the garden or a building site. See our toughest watches guide for more.

Best smart-looking watch: Q Timex 1978 Day-Date

Best smart-looking watchTimex Q Timex 1978 Day-Date TW2W44700 · 37.5mm · Quartz · 50 m water resistant £170Price at Goldsmiths, 28 October 2026 Full specsSee it at Goldsmiths

Timex's Q reissues bring back its 1970s designs, and this is one of the best. According to Timex's description (via Goldsmiths), it has a 37.5mm steel case, a deep green dial, the day of the week and the date, a domed acrylic crystal and a crocodile-pattern leather strap. It looks much more expensive than it is.

Best automatic: Accurist Origin

Best automaticAccurist Origin Bicolour White Dial 70021 · 41mm · Automatic · 100 m water resistant £199Price at Goldsmiths, 28 October 2026 Full specsSee it at Goldsmiths

Browse all 39 Accurist watches£89 to £219 at Goldsmiths→

A proper mechanical watch for under £200. Goldsmiths describes Accurist as a British watchmaker with over 75 years behind it, and the Origin is an automatic: it winds itself as you wear it, with no battery. It's 41mm, on a steel bracelet, with a white dial and 100 metres of water resistance.

Good to know: the black-dial version costs a little more, at £219.

Best chronograph: Q Timex Chronograph

Timex Q Timex Chronograph TW2V42700 · 40mm · Quartz · 50 m water resistant £190Price at Goldsmiths, 28 October 2026 Full specsSee it at Goldsmiths

A 1970s racing-style chronograph with a black tachymeter bezel (a scale for working out average speed), contrasting sub-dials and a date window, according to Timex's description. It's quartz, so the stopwatch is accurate and easy to use.

Best dive-style watch: Accurist Dive

Accurist Dive 72005 · 42mm · Quartz · 200 m water resistant £129Price at Goldsmiths, 28 October 2026 Full specsSee it at Goldsmiths

Accurist is a British brand, and its Dive is a 42mm steel watch on a steel bracelet, water resistant to 200 metres according to Goldsmiths. It's a solid, good-looking everyday diver at a low price.

Best classic dress watch: Rotary Heritage

Rotary Heritage GB05420/24 · 37mm · Quartz · 50 m water resistant £149Price at Goldsmiths, 28 October 2026 Full specsSee it at Goldsmiths

For a wedding, an interview or a smart office, the Rotary Heritage looks the part. Goldsmiths' description lists a 37mm steel case and bracelet, a green guilloché dial with applied hour markers, a sapphire crystal and the day and date, with a quartz movement and 50 metres of water resistance. Rotary gives a 2-year guarantee.

Browse all 35 Rotary watches£149 to £329 at Goldsmiths→

More good watches under £200

• Casio A168 (£34.90): the steel digital classic. Only 30 metres of water resistance, so it's for splashes, not swimming.
• Casio Vintage AQ-230 (£44.90): hands plus a digital display, with dual time, a stopwatch and an alarm (Goldsmiths' description).
• Timex Marlin Moon Phase (£175): a dressy 40mm watch with a moon-phase sub-dial, on a steel bracelet.
• Timex Solar Expedition (£75): a light-powered 44mm outdoor watch in resin on a fabric strap.
• Accurist Origin (£119): a 41mm steel everyday watch with a blue dial, water resistant to 100 metres.

Side by side

What you give up under £200 (and what you don't)

You don't give up accuracy. A quartz watch at £50 keeps time as well as most quartz watches at £500. Only automatic watches, like the Accurist Origin, are less accurate, and that's true at any price.

You may give up scratch resistance. Most watches here use acrylic or mineral glass rather than sapphire. If you're hard on watches, a resin G-Shock is the safest choice, since there's very little to scratch.

You give up some finishing. Bracelets and clasps feel lighter, and cases are less finely polished. If that matters to you, the step up to our under £500 picks is worth it.

Where to next

With a little more to spend, best men's watches under £500 is where Swiss watches and better automatics start. Buying a present? See watch gifts for him.