As a traveler, I know how important it is to keep track of time. We always have a schedule that needs to be followed. Whether it’s check-in time, a bus tour, or meeting with friends, it’s important to have a great travel watch.
According to Wikipedia, watches progressed in the 17th century from spring powered clocks and the technology of digital and mechanical watches has significantly improved over the years. They keep getting better and better.
Not only are watches just used to keep track of time, but for many other great features like scheduling, mapping and even making phone calls. Having a good travel watch is almost a necessity these days for most travelers.
It is not always easy to make the right selection when looking at watches for travel. There are so many styles and options, and some of the best travel watches can be confusing to make the right choice. And you don’t need to spend a fortune. You can stay on a budget and still buy a very nice watch.
In this post, I will show you the best affordable travel watches for men. Look at all the different styles, prices, and specifications of all the best travel watches and see which one is the best for you.
#1. Best Value Travel Watch – Casio G-Rescue Solar Atomic Classic Color Watch
Features And Specifications:
✅ 1/100-second stopwatch
✅ Atomic timekeeping
✅ Solar-powered sport watch
✅ Resin band with buckle closure
✅ Water resistant to 200 m (660 ft)
✅ Dimensions: 4.4 x 3.6 x 4 inches
✅ Weight: 8.8 ounces
✅ Battery: 1 CR2 battery required
This is the perfect watch for travel if you are sticking to a budget and you just want a solid watch that is reliable, durable and easy to use.
It is a solar powered sport watch, that has atomic timekeeping — world time in 48 cities. It has 24/48 hr time formats and will keep track of 31 time zones with a calendar. This watch is tough and doesn’t scratch easy. It’s great for hikers and campers as well.
The one thing I don’t like about this watch is that it is not very fashionable. I don’t like the look of the screws on the front. But that is just my preference; it may not be an issue for you.
Who should buy this watch?
Anyone who is on a lower budget and wants a watch that is very tough and great for keeping track of different time zones. It’s also great for adventure travelers as it’s durable and long-lasting.
Who should not buy this watch?
Scuba divers. The Casio G-Rescue is only certified water resistant to 200 meters or 660 feet. This is definitely not a watch for you if you like to scuba dive. Also, if you are looking for a watch that looks good or has advanced features like some of the more expensive watches, you should probably look elsewhere.
For the price and durability, it is a great watch that I think you will be happy with.
You can get the Casio G-Rescue Solar Atomic Classic Color Watch on Amazon here.
#2. Best GMT Watch- Citizen Men’s Eco-Drive Navihawk Atomic Timekeeping Watch
Features And Specifications
✅ Japanese quartz movement with analog display
✅ 48-millimeter stainless steel case
✅ Water resistant to 200 m (660 ft)
✅ Atomic timekeeping technology
✅ 99-minute countdown timer
✅ Universal coordinated time (UTC) display
✅ Pilot’s rotating slide rule dial ring
✅ Dimensions: 4.3 x 3.9 x 8.3 inches
✅ Weight: 4 ounces
✅ Battery: 1 lithium ion battery required
With so many great GMT watches on the market today, I wanted to review the watch that will give you the best value for an affordable price.
GMT watches can be way too expensive in my opinion, and for a fraction of what some higher-end models charge, you can get a very comparable watch like the Citizen Eco-Drive.
This watch uses atomic clock synchronization for superior accuracy. It will display the time digitally in 43 cities. The Citizen is a very durable watch that looks great as well. I love the Polyurethane band as well, plus it is only 23mm in width.
It’s also very lightweight at only 4 oz; this is something I always have an issue with when buying a watch. But, the Citizen’s weight is perfect.
Who should buy this watch?
This watch will suit any traveler who crosses multiple time zones and is looking for a modern look and feel. This watch is very comfortable and has a great price tag and specs to match some of the higher priced watches.
Who should not buy this watch?
Again scuba divers will not be happy with this watch. It’s water resistant to 200 meters or 660 ft. Other than that, I think the Citizen Eco-Drive is a great choice.
You can get the Citizen Eco-Drive Navihawk on Amazon here.
#3. Best Budget Digital Travel Watch – Casio G-Shock GD-100-1B Watch
Features And Specifications
✅ Shock resistant & 200M water-resistant
✅ 12/24 hour formats
✅ Multi-time (four different cities)
✅ Dimensions: 3.9 x 4.2 x 2.4 inches
✅ Weight: 3.52 ounces
✅ Battery: 1 CR2 battery required
This is another Casio G-Shock watch that is excellent for travelers on a budget. This watch is cheaper than the G-Rescue mentioned earlier but still have some nice features.
A nice improvement for this watch is a newly designed high-density LED light, which has been employed to light up the dial face from behind.
As you can tell, I’m a huge fan of the Casio G-Shock watches as a suitable match for someone is budget focused. They are very tough and durable, hold up to a variety of weather conditions, and are reliable.
Who should buy this watch?
As mentioned earlier, the Casio G-Shock watch is a perfect watch if looking for a lower cost. It’s great for all types of travelers including hiking and camping. Also, if you’re not looking for the higher-end features of expensive watches, this is for you.
Who should not buy this watch?
Anyone who is looking for the added features like the atomic timekeeping should go for the Casio G-Rescue. Also, if you’re looking for a watch that is a classy or modern design, this is also probably not what you are looking for.
Although this watch doesn’t have the screws in the front face like the first watch I mentioned earlier, I still don’t find it fashionable.
You can get the Casio G-Shock digital watch on Amazon here.
#4. Affordable Smartwatch For Travel- Samsung Gear S3 Frontier Smartwatch
Features And Specifications
✅ Make payments with Samsung Pay almost anywhere
✅ Compatible with Android and iOS smartphones
✅ S Health Fitness Tracking
✅ Built-in GPS
✅ Built-in speaker/microphone
✅ Rotating bezel navigation
✅ Dimensions: 1.81 x 1.93 x 0.51 in
✅ Weight: 5 oz
✅ Battery: 1 CR2 battery required
The Samsung Gear S3 is my favorite watch on the list. It connects via Bluetooth so you can receive texts, emails, and alerts without reaching for your phone. With a built-in speaker and microphone, you can also make and answer calls hands-free.
Now for people that know me, you know I am a huge Apple fan. I only use Apple Mac and iPhones and as you can see from my blog post I wrote about the best tablets for international travel, I review and recommend the Apple Ipad. So why don’t I recommend the Apple watch here?
Well for only 2 reasons. I LOVE the look of the Samsung Gear S3. It’s very fashionable and modern looking and in my opinion, a huge factor of owning a smartwatch is that you want it to look good, right?
Although I love the Apple watch as well, I put the Samsung ahead for appearance reasons. Also at the time of writing this, Samsung is currently cheaper than the Apple. And since this post is based on the best affordable travel watches for men, I listed it here.
Now I still highly recommend the Apple Watch 3, but you can’t go wrong with the Samsung Gear S3.
Who Should Buy This Watch?
Anyone looking for the advanced technology of a smartwatch. It has all the connectivity features using Bluetooth, this watch is also very comfortable to wear and looks great. If you are looking to have a very classy-looking watch, this is a great choice.
Who should not buy this watch?
Here’s the thing with smartwatches. They are addictive! I find that most people who own them are so into all the technology and cool features that they tend to forget the main function of a watch: to tell time!
So if you are looking for a basic watch for travel without all the fancy tech, phones, Bluetooth etc. this is not the one for you.
You can get the Samsung Gear S3 on Amazon here:
#5. Best GPS Watches For Travel – Garmin Forerunner 35 Watch
Features And Specifications
✅ Garmin GPS built-in quality
✅ 24/7 heart rate monitoring
✅ Vibration alerts
✅ New high-resolution display
✅ Smartphone compatibility
✅ Dimensions: 1.4 x 0.5 x 1.6 inches
✅ Weight: 1.6 ounces
When choosing a watch for a main specific feature like GPS capability, it’s important to go with a brand that is known for it’s GPS products, like Garmin.
For anyone that has other GPS products, you will know that Garmin produces excellent quality gear at great prices. Now in saying that, they also make very high-end and expensive GPS watches. But that’s not what we are focusing on here.
The Garmin Forerunner 35 is the perfect GPS watch for the outdoor adventure traveler. It still has some of the main features of the higher end Garmin 735XT model, but at a fraction of the price while maintaining the Garmin quality.
I love the smartphone connectivity feature of this watch; it’s something that more people are looking for in a watch these days.
Who should buy this watch?
Anyone who is an outdoor adventure traveler looking for a GPS watch. Hikers, runners, walkers, campers will appreciate the Garmin Forerunner 35. Also if you are looking for a quality GPS watch and don’t want to break the bank, this is the one for you.
Who should not buy this watch?
Anyone who is not an outdoor adventure traveler, this watch is most likely not for you. There are so many great features that you probably won’t appreciate having like heart rate monitoring. Also, if you are looking for a classy looking watch, this is not the watch for you.
You can buy the Garmin Forerunner 35 on Amazon here.
Summary
So as you can see, there are quite a few options to choose from when looking for an affordable travel watch for men.
When deciding, you will most likely see several watches for travel. Have a look at all the main features and try to eliminate the things you don’t need or are not really looking for in a watch.
For example, if you don’t need the advanced features of a smartwatch and just want a basic, affordable, and durable watch, go with the Casio G-Rescue. If you don’t need the GPS capability, then the Garmin is not for you.
But if you wanted to spend a bit more money and have all the great features of a smartwatch, then try the Samsung Gear S3. I honestly don’t think you can go wrong with any of these watches on the list. They are all great watches for the features that they have.
If you enjoyed our Best Affordable Travel Watches for Men guide, have a look at all our travel gear guides here:
Hopefully, you found these guides helpful.
Thanks for reading!
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission if purchases are made through those links at zero cost to you. I will only sell and recommend products that I have either used personally or believe will be helpful for you. You will only see proven and trusted gear, and I will help guide you away from the products that simply don’t work!
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