Getting access to a seriously tough watch typically comes with a large price tag. It has been made with the best materials and can withstand anything. The problem is many don’t have access to the funds required to obtain these watches. Rather than wishing and hoping, we took a look at some of the toughest yet affordable watches.
If you consider yourself to have an active lifestyle or physical job (like construction), it goes without saying that you need a tough but affordable watch. When you’re out in the elements, a regular watch won’t suffice. You need the most dependable and durable watch you can find. Don’t you think so?
Shopping for the toughest yet affordable watches may be a pain for some. The majority of newcomers to the rugged watch world will have no idea where to begin. Luckily you’ve got us here at Superwatches to impart our wisdom.
Features
One of the first things you should do before purchasing any tough watch is create a list of the features you desire based on your activities.
For example, some characteristics like onboard GPS will come in handy if you’re using it for trekking. A GPS watch is often, by nature of what it is, at home with rugged watches. Based on the assumption that you’ll be outdoors a lot. Other characteristics, such as health monitoring metrics like your heart rate are great if you need a tough watch because you love trail running. Or, if you’re going deep-sea diving, you’ll need a water-resistant watch that can function even underwater. Commonly, these kinds of tough watches will have a screw-down crown and luminous hour markers.
As a result, when purchasing a tough watch to match your activities, be precise about those kinds of activities you will be engaging in. Then find a watch that offers specific metrics to suit.
Watch glass
The translucent coating inside the display of the watch is known as watch glass. Watch glass can be made out of a variety of materials. Typically, they’re constructed out of one of three common materials. Each substance has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to be aware of the differences as they affect the price as well as the toughness of the watch.
Acrylic
The cheapest glass is really just plastic. Acrylic is a strong, flexible, and transparent material. It’s also quite light. However, it is prone to scratching. The scratches may be erased though. Acrylic glass is often used in children’s watches because it is strong and resilient, and it is less prone to shatter.
Mineral
The most frequent kind of glass found in designer watches. This is achieved through the application of heat or chemicals, resulting in a scratch-resistant surface. When the glass becomes too scratched, it must be replaced. When a watch glass shatters, tiny shards of glass may become lodged in the mechanism. If this happens, the cost of repair will very certainly outweigh the value of the watch.
Sapphire crystal
The most prized watch glass is made of sapphire, which may be synthetic or natural. In most cases, synthesised sapphire is used. It has the same physical properties as natural sapphire, without the colour. Sapphire is rated 9 on the Moh scale (which evaluates the relative hardness of materials) and is just slightly harder than diamond, which is rated 10. Sapphire crystal is significantly less likely than all the glass to break or be scratched. On the contrary, you should be more worried about the watch scratching another surface!
Budget
When it comes to purchasing the toughest yet affordable watches, your budget is a significant factor to consider. A watch that bursts with technology may not be inexpensive, but will undoubtedly perform well. But if affordability is key to you, you might have to let go of the idea of having all the bells and whistles.
Battery
Knowing how long your watch will last is crucial, particularly if you’re contemplating hazardous activities like rock climbing or deep-sea diving. (Though note, a dive watch is an entirely different beast). Nobody likes to bring a watch with them just to find out that it won’t function when they actually need it. When the watch’s battery runs out, you won’t be able to use the essential functions.
As a result, you’ll be left with no means of monitoring your heart rate, respiration, or make use of the emergency features. Purchase a watch with a long battery life to make it safer for you to go on an adventure.
Solar watches are timepieces that are powered by the sun and are more ecologically beneficial. They are more accurate than self-winding automatic watches and require less maintenance.
They operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This kind of watch create solar power through a panel that transforms light into electrical energy, which is stored in a rechargeable battery. In the dark, the watch will be powered by a rechargeable battery. Some solar-watch manufacturers utilise lithium-ion batteries that can power a watch for months without needing to be exposed to light. They’re easy to maintain and dependable.
Durability
When purchasing a tough watch, durability is a must. To be honest, most manufacturers consider durability to be one of the most important aspects of rugged timepieces.
However, it is in your best interests to choose a watch that can withstand the strain and stress of the outdoors. After all, some of the activities you’ll be doing may include rough terrain.
Now you know what to look for, let’s check out some top tough watches. These affordable options have really shaken up the watch industry.
Casio G-SHOCK DW5600E-1
First on our list of the toughest yet affordable watches is the Casio G-SHOCK DW5600E-1. Casio watches are highly regarded and hard-wearing, and this is certainly true of the G-SHOCK DW5600E-1. It proved it deserved its tough status when a truck that weighed nearly 25-tonnes drove over it without breaking it during a world record attempt.
The watch has the shock resistance required to handle anything that life throws at it. It’s water-resistant up to 200m. Making it a brilliant choice for anyone that likes to get outside for fun and exercise.
It has a 45mm diameter screen and comes in a solid black casing with a comfy resin strap. There is a backlight function that makes it readable at any time. Furthermore, it offers several functions such as an alarm, timer, stopwatch, and calendar.
Casio G-Shock Mudmaster GWG-1000
Technology giants such as Samsung and Apple are continuously improving on wearable technology with each successive generation of their smartwatches. And traditional watchmakers like Fossil and Guess are influenced by this and are integrating technology in their analogue watches.
Furthermore, the distinctions between fitness trackers and smartwatches are becoming increasingly blurred. Now, you can purchase a single device that can do both.
In the midst of all of this analog-digital manufacturing, one watchmaker has stuck to its traditional origins. And, they released a new product that redefines the company’s classic watch line-up. We’re talking about Casio, which is famous for its tough G-Shock watch brand. The G-Shock Mudmaster GWG-1000 is a premium multi-function watch. Intended to withstand the harshest circumstances without sacrificing essential technical functions like thermometers, compass, altitude information, and more.
Shockproof, neobrite, mineral glass display protection, mud and dust resistance, 200m water resistance, led backlight (super illuminator), digital compass, temperature, world time, and a stopwatch are just a few of the features this watch can boast.
When it comes to fundamentals like battery life, the GWD-1000 is ahead of contemporary smartwatches. Unlike popular wearables from tech companies like Apple, which are plagued by low battery life issues, Casio’s “Tough Solar” power technology is said to last almost two years on a single charge.
The greatest thing is that you won’t need to bring a charger since just exposing the watch to the sun will keep the battery charged.
The Casio Mudmaster GWG-1000 is a premium-looking Casio G-Shock that is almost resistant to the toughest circumstances while still charging a reasonable price.
Citizen Promaster Tough
If Casio’s aren’t your thing, then why not try this Citizen instead? This watch is durable and made to last, so you’re confident it can withstand any situation.
With shock and magnet resistance and anti-rust construction, Citizen shows their commitment to tough watch requirements. It comes house in a stainless steel casing that has been coated with super titanium. The result of this effort is a highly scratch-resistant watch. It’s more durable than ordinary steel, and is partnered with a sapphire crystal window.
The watch hands are luminous so that you always know the time. Moreover, it was created to handle even the hottest and coldest climates without failing. It is water-resistant to 200m, so you don’t need to store it when you want to get in the water. Many soldiers and law enforcement professionals enjoy this watch because it is so reliable.
This timepiece seems to be well titled. It features a two-piece steel casing with a titanium coating for added scratch resistance. It has a sapphire crystal, but it is flat. The screw-down crown is simple to operate with and features crown guards; when coupled with a strong case back, the watch is water-resistant to 200m. The Tough is also antimagnetic and shock-resistant. Scratch-resistant, water-resistant, and shock-resistant, to be precise.
Timex Expedition Arcadia
Not only do Timex make popular watches, but they are affordable too. The Timex Expedition Arcadia is tough in any situation and comes with 100m of water resistance. It has been extensively tested to ensure that it can withstand extreme weather and tough usage.
The case is made from resin and has an acrylic window that is scratch-proof. So, you don’t need to worry when you bump or scrape it. It also has a fabric and leather strap. This is not just comfy but can tolerate a lot of action without letting you down.
It is 40mm in diameter and has a large screen to help you see the time in any situation. Plus, if you want to use it with military timing, this is possible with the 24-hour clock view. The hands of this watch light up so that you can see it at any time of the day. Furthermore, it has a date window that is simple to see.
Luminox Leather Back Sea Turtle Giant
The Luminox Leather Back Sea Turtle Giant is a timepiece that pays homage to the analogue era.
The watch has a black dial with green accents on the hour markers. The dial features large Arabic numerals for the hour markers, and the bezel has smaller Arabic numerals for the 5-minute marks, which is a nice touch. There is also a date window at the 3 o’clock position on the dial.
Carbonox and white fibreglass are used in its construction, which includes crown protection and a leatherback watch case for further durability. The dial glass is made of scratch-resistant mineral crystal that has been tempered for long-term durability. It also comes with a webbed black strap and complete with a brushed stainless steel clasp, which can be removed.
The Ronda 515 HH6 movement, which powers this watch, is Swiss-made. There’s also Luminox self-powered illumination and a water resistance rating of 10 ATM, among other features.
Suunto 7
If the more recent models are out of your price range, the Suunto 7 is an awesome option. It’s a tough Wear OS wearable designed for sports monitoring. And it’s the company’s first foray into the realm of smartwatches.
The 50mm smartwatch has a 1.39-inch AMOLED display with 454 x 454 resolution. The technical capabilities make it a suitable rugged watch option. This features a built-in GPS, as well as the ability to browse and download colour maps for offline usage. Heatmaps are also provided for a range of activities to aid in the discovery of popular routes in unfamiliar locations.
Suunto’s proprietary sports monitoring software offers up to 70 activity modes. This includes cycling, open water swimming, and more specialised hobbies. Things like dance and obstacle racing, all of which provide more basic real-time data.
Wear OS is also available, with Google offering standard functionality like alerts, Google Pay, app downloads, and music controls. The software is driven by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 3100 processor with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage on the entire. While this results in a smooth overall performance, it is possible that the 7 will not be eligible for the next Google Wear OS upgrade being developed by Google and Samsung.
Overall, sports tracking is good, with GPS distance tracking standing up to a Garmin Enduro sports watch.
Victorinox INOX Watch
The Victorinox INOX Watch is a Swiss Army watch that comes cased in sandblasted titanium to produce a stylish timepiece that is strong and durable. It is lightweight and comfy to wear as the strap is made from rubber, and it looks good no matter where you wear it.
The dial window is made from a sapphire crystal that has been specially treated to ensure it is both scratch-resistant and anti-reflective. Plus, the dial uses an analog display and has hour, minute, and second hands for accurate timekeeping. With a Quartz movement, this watch has been tested to the extreme to ensure it remains accurate no matter where you are using it.
The Victorinox INOX Watch can be taken as deep as 200m in the water and remains comfy and responsive on a practical level. When you consider everything that has been done to make this device, though, you’ll be over the moon with the low price tag that is on offer too.
GPW Military Day-Date
The GPW Military Day-Date is a German watch that was designed for use by the German military. As such, it offers precision engineering so that you can feel confident that it won’t let you down in the most challenging situations.
Cased in Grade 2 Titanium that has been sandblasted and combined with a sapphire crystal dial window, you can enjoy a tough and scratch-resistant device. It has also been tested to military standards to make sure it can handle the toughest moments.
The dial comes with luminous hands and markers, and there is a date window that automatically rotates, so you never miss any important moments. It is water-resistant to 200m and is run via a Quartz movement for accurate timekeeping.
Garmin range of tough and affordable watches
Garmin Lily
The Garmin Lily came out in January of 2021. It’s unlike anything the brand has ever offered. The Lily is a slim and light smartwatch that defies Garmin’s hefty, male style. But it’s not only pretty, but it’s also smart. Fans are not surprised, as it is still a Garmin. The Fitbit Versa 3, Apple Watch SE, and Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 are competitors.
Price
The Garmin Lily is priced at slightly under $200, making it a premium budget watch. But the Classic and Sport variants are available. Less expensive, the classic is closer to $250.
Design
Sport is for active wearers. It comes with a silicone strap in three colours. We all know silicone is great for the gym or the beach. It outlasts nylon bands, for example.
If you prefer style, the Classic’s leather strap adds a touch of class. But not as tough as silicone.
The Lily’s 34mm casing has no buttons. It features a delicate strap compared to the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Solar, for example.
The bezel is flush with the display, like the Garmin Venu. It features a patterned lens that does not impact facial readability.
It has a monochrome touchscreen that is incredibly responsive. It’s easy to read in both light and dark.
Health tracking
Garmin hasn’t removed any of its great health tracking features. The Garmin Connect app still provides a plethora of info. The Garmin Lily isn’t compatible with the Garmin Connect IQ app store, thus you’re limited in terms of installing applications.
Garmin’s Body Battery notifies you about your energy levels so you can plan your exercises and recuperate at the appropriate times.
Not to mention the Sp02 and sleep monitoring.
This is a huge step for Garmin in women’s health! The Garmin Lily comes with an app for menstruation and pregnancy monitoring.
Finally, there are sports modes for running, yoga, cardio (with a separate treadmill mode) and pilates. If you go outside, you may use the GPS.
You may access the activity tracker by clicking the menu button (a circle at the bottom of the face) and swiping left or right. The Lily puts these features to the forefront, eliminating the need for Garmin Connect to track your symptoms.
Smart features
The Lily is designed to work with your smartphone, so it has play/pause and skip controls, as well as a track and vocalist readout.
The watch will give you a five-minute deep breathing workout if it detects an abnormally high heart rate.
It’s a smartwatch with a few functions, which the market doesn’t really need. Watches like the Apple Watch and Amazfit GTS series do more and are small and modern. They may also be customised to add functions like menstrual tracking. No need for a gendered smartwatch.
Although the Forerunner series is significantly more expensive, it would be much more special if Garmin took the Lily notion (neat, tiny, and elegant) and added true sports-tracking smarts.
Unable to use Garmin Connect IQ store applications or faces on Lily. However, you may choose from a number of widgets that can be accessible by touch or swipe.
Swipe down to see your app alerts. In addition to the settings menu, swiping down brings up the Lily’s do not disturb and Find My Phone options.
Battery life
Garmin recommends five days between charges for sleep trackers. The brightness of your display affects battery life the most. We suggest you enable automatic brightness adjustment to assist save battery life.
The proprietary charger takes roughly 2 hours to fully charge.
Should you by the Garmin Lily?
The Lily is manufactured by women for women. More attractive than any of Garmin’s previous devices. Despite the company’s helpful female-centric features, it lacks numerous critical functionality that we expect from a modern gadget at this price point.
Garmin Vivomove Sport (for women)
The Garmin Vivomove is a gorgeous watch that attempts to give the best of both worlds: classic aesthetics and important fitness tracking functions – and it succeeds, for the most part.
Garmin is most recognised for its GPS running watches, bike computers, and GPS devices, thus this is a unique item. This watch not only lacks a location system, but it was also not built with sports in mind, having limited activity tracking choices.
Instead, the Vivomove is meant to take the place of your usual wristwatch. It has the appearance of a more conventional wristwatch, with an analogue dial to display the time and just a little progress bars on each side of the face to indicate that it isn’t just another watch.
These indications show you how close you are to meeting your daily step count and how long you’ve been inactive at a glance, but the real power comes when you sync it with the Garmin Connect app on your phone, which gives you a more detailed picture of your health.
This is the original Vivomove, which has now been replaced by the Vivomove HR, Vivomove 2 and Vivomove 3, but it has weathered the test of time well and is still worth considering at the appropriate price.
The first Garmin Vivomove was released in 2016 and cost just under $150 for the rubbery strap Sport edition. The Sport version is $50 more expensive.
The Garmin Vivomove doesn’t seem to be a very ambitious timepiece. It has basic school-level intelligence, and there isn’t much that might be improved with more software upgrades.
However, the way it seamlessly integrates fitness monitoring into a traditional watch style is brilliant. It may not appeal to technology aficionados, but it’s a joy to live with.
Garmin Venu SQ
In comparison with the Garmin Venu, Garmin Venu Sq offers the same functionality at a lower cost, but with a square-shaped display.
There are all the necessary sensors in the Venu Sq, including a GPS, pulse oximeter, and heart rate monitor. There are specific modes for cycling, swimming, and bicycling, so it makes a great sports tracking partner.
In addition, it comes with smartwatch features, such as an integrated music player in the music edition and contactless payments. Additionally, it has access to Garmin’s ConnectIQ store for downloading apps and watch faces.
The basic Venu lacks the more spectacular AMOLED panel, animated exercises to follow straight from the watch, and an altimeter to detect changes in elevation. The Venu SQ should suffice if you don’t want such features.
This smartwatch is a great example of what Garmin can accomplish when it combines the best of its smartwatch and sports features with a display that rivals some of the top-notch sports-based smartwatches on the market.
Those seeking a far more powerful Garmin watch should consider the Garmin Venu 2, which is significantly more powerful than its predecessors.
If you prefer something compact and stylish, the new Garmin Lily may be for you. While it lacks some of the more advanced sports tracking features of the Venu Sq, it’s an excellent option for someone looking for something small and inconspicuous.
Garmin Forerunner 55 (for men)
The Garmin Forerunner 55 is an affordable running watch with supplementary features that can be useful to beginners.
As the best budget running watch for a long time, the Forerunner stood out. When the Forerunner 35 and 45 were originally introduced.
The Forerunner 55, on the other hand, is priced at $200, the same as the superb Coros Pace 2. Garmin has improved the 55’s battery life to 20 hours to combat the danger of Coros (from 13). The battery life is amazing when not using the GPS.
But are these upgrades enough to put the Forerunner 55 on top of the budget running watch rankings?
Features
Aside from the battery update, the Forerunner 55 offers race predictions and post-workout recovery tips. The Forerunner 45 lacks certain features, however, the Forerunner 45 Plus did.
It provides daily suggestions for runs based on your prior training load, but you cannot verify it as you can with Garmin’s more expensive watches.
In particular, the recommended activities and Garmin Coach training regimens for beginners are still beneficial. If you’re confused how to schedule your running, Garmin’s training programmes and session suggestions might assist. While Garmin’s exercise suggestions aren’t ideal (and at times seem odd), following Garmin’s guidance can help you stay healthy, grow faster, and understand what sorts of workouts to complete as a runner.
Garmin’s Track Run sports mode provides exact distance and speed data while running on a track.
There’s also Virtual Run mode, which lets you use your watch to control an avatar in an app like Zwift while running on a treadmill.
Use sophisticated wellness features like fitness age and all-day respiration to tune into your body.
There’s also a HIIT sports mode and a cadence gauge you can adjust to help you jog in sync. The watch now has two new racing features previously only accessible on pricier Garmins.
Your exercise can be timed in split seconds with PacePro. With the Forerunner 55, you’ll be able to set your pace plan through Garmin Connect and follow it on the watch.
The projected finish time tool has simplified racing. You just choose your distance and push the start button on your watch. Then a new data panel appears, giving average pace, remaining distance, and projected completion time.
How does the Forerunner 55 stack up against the Forerunner 45?
Like the Forerunner 45, the Forerunner 55 has a single case size of 55mm (42mm).
A 1.04in 208 by 208-pixel screen with five menu buttons. Like the Coros Pace 2, the display is thinner than most other Garmin running watches.
Because many of the new features are software improvements, Garmin should’ve put them on the Forerunner 45 as well. As a specialised running watch, the 45 should offer Track Run mode.
All the features of the 45 are found on the Forerunner 55 as well.
With Garmin, you can track your daily activity and sleep, monitor your stress level, schedule exercises, and check your Body Battery score (which tells you how much energy you have at any given time).
A multisport mode, navigation, and smart features like NFC payments are all available on pricier Garmins, but not here. The Connect IQ store has watch faces and applications for the Forerunner 55.
Garmin’s enhancements to the Forerunner 55 are significant (albeit some might have been made to the Forerunner 45), and it’s a superb running watch for both beginners and seasoned runners.
Getting Tough On the Cheap!
It’s clear to see that there is a wide range of affordable watches that can provide the toughness you are looking for without breaking the bank. In fact, there are so many great options that you really are spoilt for choice.
We hope that after reading this article, you have come to the conclusion that you do not need to spend a lot of money in order to have a dependable tough watch. With the vast array of options available, you will almost certainly be able to discover the perfect watch for you which will fall within your budget.
From tactical watches to diving watches and everything in between, you can get a reliable and attractive watch that will not let you down. We know that tough doesn’t mean unattractive and are pleased to see so many different design options available so that you can stay true to the look you want without having to pay out a lot of money to do so. Get hold of your tough watch now and then take it out there and enjoy it in every situation!
Did you enjoy our list of the toughest yet affordable watches? Then you might just enjoy our article on Military Watches.
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Last Updated on December 12, 2022