intelligentwatchreview

Best watches under £200: time is not very much money

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Watches are statements of intent, a fashion piece that can make the drabbest of outfits drip with style and swagger. That is, if you could afford a good watch. As much as you’d love to buy watches advertised by smirking Formula One drivers and tennis players, the price tags meant they were the preserve of the mega-rich.

And, while that's still true of proper mechanical timepieces, you can still pick up a respectable, fashionable Quartz watch without breaking the bank.

Shop Mondaine watches at Jura

Who said you can't get a Swiss-made watch for under £200? It's no compromises as well, because this affordable Swiss watch is actually attractive as well. Based on the iconic design of the Swiss Railway Station clock, it's easy to read and stylish. The polished stainless steel case is waterproof to three bar, and the crystal glass covering the face is domed for a magnifying effect.

The ultimate beater watch+All black colourway+Durable+Classic design-Not the smartest

Shop Casio watches at WatchShop.com

This Casio G-Shock really is the ultimate beater watch. You can strap it on a completely forget about it, whatever you’re doing. It’s sets the standard when it comes to toughness, and we love this understated ‘Black Out’ colourway. It comes with a Cordura nylon fabric band that is stronger than nylon, whist also providing extremely high resistance to stretching, wear, and tearing.

An ideal 'first watch'+Classic design+Great brand+Swiss-made+Interesting bracelet

Shop Tissot watches at Goldsmiths

If you're just getting into photography (or you're trying to get someone into photography), this could be the ideal watch. It's a stylish quartz piece from legendary Swiss brand, Tissot. It features a timeless design, with a sleep, clean, classic face. We adore the interesting 'beads of rice' bracelet it comes on.

A sophisticated dress watch from Rotary +Black and Steel combination+Elegant+British(ish) brand+Classic design

Shop Rotary watches at WatchShop.com

This Oxford watch from Rotary is ideal if you're looking for a classic, everyday dress watch. Theperfectly balanced black dial is complemented by a soft calf leather strap. Want to know how else wears a Rotary watch? You'll see one strapped to the wrist of Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock Holmes

Unbelievable ruggedness for extreme adventurous types+Durable+Lots of functions+Understated colour-Chunky

Shop G-Shock watches at Goldsmiths

If you need something that can take a bashing - look no further than G Shock. This affordable model is looks great, with both the case and strap made from matt green resin, and the lens featuring protective mineral glass. This surmounts to a watch which is submersible to 200 metres and is pretty much explosion proof.

If you have desires to join the SAS, or become a survival expert like Bear Grylls, buying this watch is the first step on that journey. Just slipping it on will make you feel more extreme. The piece also packs in number features, including multiple timezones, a stopwatch, timer and five alarms - so you can wake up in time for your mission, then time how long it takes to take out a terrorist cell.

Heritage outdoorsy watch from Timex+Rugged looking design+INDIGLO night-light+Cool heritage-Not suitable for dressier situations

Shop Timex watches at WatchShop.com

The Timex Expedition Scout is an attractive, lightweight piece which has a rugged, outdoorsy aesthetic to it. The easy-to-read face features Timex's brilliant Indiglo night-light. The model range is derived from the virtually indestructible 1960s infantry watches and adapted to meet the explosive growth of outdoor activities in the 1990s.

A true diver’s companion, on a budget+Attractive+EcoDrive tech+Practical strap-Odd crown placement

Shop Citizen watches at Goldsmiths

Looking for a budget watch with plenty o’ tech? The Citizen EcoDrive Dive watch is for you. It’s powered by Citizen brilliant EcoDrive technology, which harnesses power from any light source (even artificial lighting) to keep ticking all day long (with a 7 year power reserve).

Honestly, you’ll never need to change a watch battery again. This is a functional piece as well, with features including a screw-down crown and screw-back case, luminous markers, one-way rotating slide rule bezel and highly-legible dials, it’s a true Divers watch.

Limited-edition collection of vintage-inspired watches, in partnership with Coca-Cola+Summery design+Limited edition+Indiglo light-Not for Pepsi fans

Best watches under £200: time is not very much money

Shop Fossil watches at WatchShop.com

This large Fossil watch features a bold, all-black design, with black case, matt black dial, and, black indices. The large 43mm stainless steel case certainly makes a statement, and is water resistant to 5 ATM. It's finished with a black waxed-leather strap.

A classic piece with colourful touches+Colourful design+Cool brand+Case design-Blue may be tricky to match with all outfits

Paul Smith, one of Britain's most well-known designers, is renowned for his colourful aesthetic which is evident in this stunning, Blue 'Tempo' watch. The dial is housed in an attractive 41mm stainless steel case, and finished with a black leather strap with pin buckle clasp, and mineral crystal glass.

From the iconic Swiss budget brand+Great brand+Automatic movement+Classic style-Brown strap not for everyone

Shop Michael Kors watch at Goldsmiths

The Michael Kors Mens Bryson watch showcases a beautiful 42mm stainless steel case with scratch resistant mineral glass and a stunning dial featuring baton hour markers and protected by a fixed set bezel. Other features include an elegant Leather strap, a reliable movement, and a secure pin-buckle clasp for added protection.

Impossibly cool Danish piece+Empty List-Empty List

Shop Skagen watches at WatchShop.com

The Connected hybrid smartwatch boasts a range of smart features in the body of a classic watch. By connecting to your Android or iPhone and the Skagen app, the watch sends discreet, filtered by you smartphone notifications when you receive a text, email or call. It automatically updates to the correct time and date, and runs on a standard replaceable CR2430 coin cell battery. Additional features include: activity and sleep tracking, phone finder, music control and more. The strap can be easily interchanged with other 20mm straps.

Skagen is a Danish watch company. It’s worth mentioning that Skagen is Danish (in case the name didn’t give it away) because their watches have all the hallmarks of Scandinavian design – minimal aesthetics, a streak of retro, and a cool font.

It doesn’t look like it costs a million dollars but this watch proves that they don’t have to have premium looks to leave a lasting impression. The slick design does all the work here and will ensure you keep running your hands through your hair/yawning and stretching your arms out/waving your wrist around to make sure your present company gets a good look at your time piece.

This analogue timepiece is even capable of counting your steps and sycning with your phone. Not bad, eh?

The iconic Japanese watch brand+Sporty face+100m water resistance-Face could to too fussy

Shop Seiko watches at WatchShop.com

Seiko has been known for precision, reliability and excellence since 1881, so just because this piece is inexpensive, don't think it's not a well-made watch. It's the everyman's Rolex, if you will. This particular model features a sporty face and chronograph movement. The bezel rotates, and most importantly of all, it's waterproof to 100 metres.

Something a little different from this Scottish watch brand+Different brand+Small, unisex size+Unusual design-Could be too small for some

If you like to stand out, this square(ish) watch from Kartel will help you do it. We love the combination of the black dial and stainless steel case. The piece measures 38mm, so it suited to both male and female wrists. It's made from stainless steel, and is fitted with a reliable quartz movement.

A sporty chrono from Casio Ediface+Sporty design+Reliable brand+Chrono function-To sporty for some

Shop Casio watches at WatchShop.com

his Mens Casio timepiece from the Edifice collection epitomises true Casio inspired aesthetics. It's an outstanding analogue watch for its price, part of the Edifice collection, which is engineered by Casio. This wrist watch features a sporty stainless steel case and bracelet, and it combined with a black carbon fibre effect dial and reliable Quartz movement.

A classic dress watch which will work with any suit+Understated design+Classy+Black goes with a number of suits-Not an everyday watch

Shop Hugo Boss watches at WatchShop.com

If you're looking for a classic, understated watch to wear with a suit, look no further than this classy dress watch from Hugo Boss. The sleek black dial features roman numerals and is powered by a Quartz movement. It's worn on a black leather pin buckle strap.

A sleek chronograph from Guess+Sleek, monotone design+Day and date function

If you thought Guess only make jeans, you'd be wrong – they also make stylish watches – such as this stunning Hendrix model. It's a sleek and sophisticated timepiece with a monochrome design and a 44mm polished case. The silver multi-function dial features bold roman numeral markers, guilloche subdials with super-useful day, date and 24hr displays. A coordinating stainless steel bracelet completes the look.

Hublot on a Swatch budget+Striking design+Very distinct-Too blingy for some

Shop Michael Kors watch at Goldsmiths

If you want something big and show-off-y, but don't have several grand to blow on a Hublot, this piece from designer Michael Kors should do the trick. The luxury watch not only looks good, but also provides maximum functionality with a clear chronograph movement and date window at 6 o'clock. The chunky 48mm rose gold case is water resistant to 10 ATM, and attaches to a comfortable black silicon strap.

Iconic doesn’t have to be expensive+Durable and iconic+CHEAP-Lacks sophistication-Almost disposable?

Shop Casio watches at WatchShop.com

And finally, if you’re looking for a budget timepiece, there really is nothing more affordable than the Casio digital watch. Sure, it’s not the last word in sophistication, but the design is iconic and perfect if you're going for a retro/hipster vibe. As well as telling the time, the Casio features an alarm, calendar and stopwatch.

It’s pretty much an Apple Watch. There’s a backlight, for telling time in the dark, and the acrylic window is shatter-resistant, so it’ll probably last longer than you will. All for under £10? That’s a steal, and everyone should have one, quite frankly.

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