Every new discovery or innovation always keeps the world expectant of what the next big thing is. This has been the trend in all the sectors of the world, including finance, education, technology, energy, communication, and even in the watchmaking industry.
I can’t say exactly how watches were powered at the start, but over time, cells became the major source for powering watches. Then other amazing technologies like mechanically-powered watches, which work with human movement, basically, and maintain a high level of accuracy and power-storing capacity, were introduced.
With the introduction of renewable energy, solar power has been a major source of power all over the world. Homes use it, industries use it, electricity-producing companies use it, and more relevant to this article is the watchmaking industry, which has also integrated solar energy with watchmaking to produce accurate, energy-saving, and affordable timepieces.
Below are the 10 best affordable solar watches under $200 for you and your family to enjoy accurate time-telling:
1. Casio Men’s Solar Sport Combination Watch
The founders of Casio are known with the clause “Necessity is not the mother of invention; invention is the mother of necessity.” The founders were bent on making products that are groundbreaking, and every new year for Casio brings nothing short of what they promised.
Casio solar combination watch is a product of the ever-advancing Casio watchmaking industry. The watch features a durable resin band material and a compelling black dial with luminous hour hands, minute hands, and minute indicators. Not to talk of the analog-digital interface that makes time-telling easily accessible.
The watch is also tough solar-powered, which enables it to self-charge harnessing the power from any available light source. It has water-resistance of about 100m that makes it adapted to everyday use, swimming, and snorkeling.
What happens when you’re in the dark and need to find out what the time is? Just push the LIGHT button to switch on the LED backlight.
Casio men’s solar sport combination watch offers all these amazing benefits and more at a reasonable price.
Click here to find out more on the watch.
2. Seiko Men’s SNE331 Sport Solar Black Stainless Steel
Seiko’s watchmaking history is not only spectacular but can raise strong emotions in people. But the emotions that the features of this exceptional solar timepiece convey are even greater, from the minimalistic design to the highly-functional capabilities, and many more amazing features.
Seiko SNE331 comes with a simple black dial featuring a day-date window at the 3 o’clock position. The beige band is made of nylon material and is also very comfortable on the wrist.
When talking about solar power optimization ability, Seiko is a master of the game with an ability to store energy for 10 straight months after it’s fully charged.
The dial window is made of hardlex material, the bezel is made of steel, and the case is also made of steel, which are all durable materials that can make your watch last long. For all the numerous features that Seiko Men’s SNE311 watch offers, at this price point is really something to reckon with.
3. G-Shock Rangeman GW-9400
Another superb digital watch from Casio’s G series, G-shock Rangeman GW-9400 is a solar-powered, atomic watch that offers a great deal of accuracy and functionality. So many things make it impossible for you to come across this watch and not be interested in it.
If watches were all about toughness, G-Shock Rangeman is a go-to super-tough watch with a shock-resistant triple sensor. Unlike some watches that lose functionality when exposed to very low temperatures, G-Shock Rangeman GW-9400 can withstand low temperatures up to -10oC or 14oF.
The GW-9400 is also water-resistant up to 200m/660ft, mud resistant with strong case and buttons built in a way to resist mud, dirt, and dust from getting into the watch. Interestingly, it functions well as a good storage device allowing you to store up to 40 records in time, bearing, barometric temperature or pressure readings, and so on.
There’s so much that G-Shock Rangeman has to offer for a price of around $190+
4. Timex Men’s Expedition Ranger Solar-Powered
Timex is a brand known for their awesome blend of quality and affordability in all their watches. This analog-type solar-powered expedition watch for men is proof that the brand is bent on crushing their goals of blending quality and affordability.
At this price point, it offers a high-quality material make-up from its strong resin case to its durable natural leather strap, brass bezel, and more. Timex Men’s expedition watch has a peculiar sleekness that’s seen in the quality brown leather band with a tang buckle, blue dial plus orange accents, and luminous watch hands.
One thing that I really like about this watch is that you can charge it with any light source, no matter the light intensity, and that’s enough to keep it going for two months. When you talk about toughness, it stands behind itself and resists water up to 50m/165ft.
It uses the quartz movement, which is quite accurate and precise, and it also comes with a 1-year warranty. Also comes in 3 different color variants, check them out here.
5. Seiko Men’s SNE102 Stainless Steel Solar Watch
Seiko is one of the top brands with a reputation for making unparalleled solar watches; this Seiko men’s SNE102 stainless steel solar watch is another dynamically crafted solar watch.
With a silver-tone stainless steel case, an attractive brown leather band, and a gold-tone stainless steel stationary bezel, this watch can take your attention off other similarly priced watches.
It also comes in handy as an analog-type, Japanese quartz-movement watch with a blue dial that features luminous gold-tone hands and index markers. It also displays day and date at the 3 ‘o clock position, making it simple to use; and it is very functional also.
The crystal is made of scratch-resistant hardlex material; the case is made of high-quality stainless steel, and it also features tough functions such as 100m water resistance and a tang clasp, which makes wearing it very comfortable. Very enticing and irresistible is the 3-year warranty that it also comes with.
It is suitable for casual wear. Moreover, it comes at an incredibly affordable price for all the amazing benefits it offers.
6. Casio Women’s LTP-S100D-7BvCF Easy-to-Read Solar Watch
Simply attractive is what I call this! Maybe because it’s mainly made for women, or perhaps it’s just Casio that seems to always know how to blend simplicity, function, and attractiveness in a singular timepiece.
This very simple watch is a 3-hand analog, quartz-movement wristwatch that comes with a stainless steel metal band and a fold-over clasp with safety closure, stainless steel metal case, and a white dial.
The dial is very simple yet attractive with date display at the 3 ‘o clock position. This won’t easily escape that special lady’s memory if you add it to her collection of wristwatches. Besides, should she accidentally drop it in water briefly, the wristwatch offers water resistance up to 50m.
What’s more is that it is solar-powered, and you don’t need to begin to bother about battery replacement. So, get this functional watch, and change your time-telling story. For all these great benefits it offers, it goes at less than $50.
7. Seiko Men’s SSC143 Stainless Steel Solar Watch
So much to say about Seiko SSC143 stainless steel solar watch, but I will start with the high-quality material make-up and the amazing two-tone blend that was used in the design of this watch. It has a black ion-finished two-tone stainless steel case and bracelet.
It’s also a chronograph with three superb sub-dial functions of alarm, 60-minute chronograph, and a 60-second chronograph – all planted on an astoundingly beautiful black dial. Sometimes, however, I think the watch is too complex for a non-technically-inclined person to use.
It uses the Japanese quartz movement to maintain a great deal of accurate and precise time-telling. Also, the solar cells can be charged up by any intensity of light – low or high – and it can carry on once it’s fully charged for as long as 6 months.
Therefore, replacing the battery is something that may never be necessary throughout the time you use the watch.
The Seiko SSC143 is a 100m water-resistant watch that goes at an unbelievable price that even watch enthusiasts find it hard to believe.
8. Seiko Women’s SUP176 Swarovski Crystal-Accented Watch
Elegance is the name that befits this classic women’s watch, with stunning qualities such as brushed and polished gold-tone stainless steel case and bracelet and Swarovski crystals on the bezel and lugs. The crystal mainly protects the champagne dial.
When it comes to power optimization, this watch stands tall amongst many other similar watches and requires no changing of battery. Whether you have access to high light intensity or low light intensity, your battery would still charge effectively and carry on for a long time.
The display is amazing with a small gold-tone dial, hour indicators, hour and minute hands. The gold-tone steel bracelet, designed in a fashionable manner, uses a push-button-clap closure. This analog timepiece promises a great deal of time-telling accuracy and precision using the Japanese quartz movement.
I wouldn’t use it for swimming if I were you, but it still has the ability to resist water up to 30m or 99ft and will still work well in the cases of water splashes or brief immersion in water. As is common to Seiko watches, this also comes with a 3-year warranty.
You won’t believe the price of this watch. Find out more here.
9. Citizen Watches Men’s BM8180-03E
This watch manages to put out a complex concept in a very simple form. I’d glance at it over and again in a store – maybe it’s because I’m usually attracted to the army and the things they involve in.
The army-green, stitched canvas band gives it an irresistible appearance that probably makes it Amazon’s Choice for Citizen Wristwatches.
The case is made of stainless steel material and houses a black dial on which part of the beauty of the watch is embedded.
Citizen Watches Men’s BM8180-03E also has very good power optimization, which is not as effective as Seiko’s in my own opinion, but can also be charged up by natural light or indoor light. It uses Japanese-quartz movement, which adds to its accuracy and precision.
The black dial is simple yet astonishing. At the 3 ‘o clock position, it displays both the day and date, and it is styled with luminous hour and minute hands as well as luminous markers to enhance visibility when looking up time in the dark.
Water-resistance is about 100m, which makes it suitable for snorkeling, but what grabs my attention more about the watch is the 5-year warranty it comes with. That’s such a long time the company is giving to prove that the watch is really worth the buy!
10. Casio AQS800W-1B2VCF Men’s Slim Solar Multifunction Analog-Digital Watch
Maybe what I find really attractive about this watch is the way the orange and black colors are combined from the Bezel to the dial, and to the other parts of the case, but there’s actually more to this amazing watch by Casio.
This stylish watch with a durable resin band is tough-solar powered, which means it can self-power its solar system. It also has water resistance up to 100m, which makes it suitable for everyday use, swimming, and snorkeling but not for scuba diving.
It uses the Japanese quartz movement for accurate and precise time-telling. Its dial is something to write home about with a combo of both the digital and the analog aspects of the watch. When in dark places, you can still tell the time accurately by simply pushing the “light’ button.
Space will fail me to keep writing about the other amazing benefits, including day and date display, five alarms, auto calendar, and world time covering 31 time zones and 48 cities.
The Casio AQS800W-1B2VCF is rank 10 here because of the astonishing and unbelievable price point when we first tried the watch, find out more here.