Summer Style: Best Watches Under £200

August is finally here, and if you’re just starting to embrace the holiday mood, then you’ll need to start thinking about an adequate summer wardrobe. Of course, depending on your upcoming destination, you might need to pack a few key accessories: a good pair of sunglasses, your trusted summer hat, and perhaps a new seasonal watch to go with all your summer looks!

While the last thing we need is to risk ruining our expensive timepiece by taking it to the beach or leaving it to grill in the sun, an affordable, hassle-free watch should come as the perfect addition to any effortless summer look. When we mean “affordable”, we mean watches under £200, so that all stylish men and women can unearth the perfect piece suited to their tastes and needs.

Whether searching for an affordable smartwatch to take on a run or a dive watch to wear in the ocean, we’ve got you covered with the best affordable and best summer watches under £200 to wear on repeat this holiday. 

With the backdrop of shimmering ocean waters and turquoise pools, there is no time like the summer holiday to find a blue watch that matches your environment. Over the last couple of years, blue dials have flooded the watch market, capturing the hearts of newly converted watch lovers and long-time collectors.

From egg blue to more classic hues, there are more colour variations for your watch than there are oceans, which means you are guaranteed to find THAT perfect blue shade to wear and love even when skies go back to grey. Tiffany blue has been all the rage lately; just look at the success of Casio’s vintage “Tiffany” watch. While the coveted watch is currently sold out on many retail websites, including Casio, other affordable alternatives remind us of the trendy piece, such as Daniel Wellington’s Iconic Link watch, or Rotary’s Oxford Auto watch.

Alternatively, if you prefer deeper shades of blue, a navy dial is sure to be a great fit, and this, no matter the season. Navy dials exude timeless elegance and style, especially when enhanced by matching finishes. Maserati’s Attrazione watch is a fail-safe, budget-friendly watch with a high luxury feel, and so is Accurist’s sporty-looking 7329 watch, part of the brand’s Signature range.

Shop now Accurist men's blue dial watch - £76.99
Shop now Swatch Ora D'aria Ladies Watch - £57.00
Shop now Maserati Attrazione Men's Blue Watch - £139.00 
Shop now Rotary Oxford Auto Ladies Silver Watch  - £188.00

For those planning to do a little more than just lie by the pool all day, why not stay active this season with an affordable smartwatch on your wrist? While elaborate smartwatches can easily go deep into triple digits, these smartwatches are the ones to consider for a useful purchase that won’t break the bank.

Garmin smartwatches have built an impressive reputation within the world of sports, and while most of their smartwatches come with a hefty price tag, Garmin’s Lily Classic Edition remains affordable for active holidaymakers with a passion for fitness. With features such as sleep monitoring, health, hydration, and stress tracking, this Garmin Lily smartwatch will be a great addition to any summer workout, at the gym, in the pool or by the beach.

If your summer plans involve climbing, cycling, walking, and running, then Radley’s Smart Series 3 watch will be a match made in heaven, as the watch specifically tracks these activities. The smartwatch also allows you to track your steps and calories burnt, while adding great style to your wrist thanks to its sophisticated stone set dial design and chic leather strap.

Other budget-friendly smartwatches to consider include the Lotus L50007/1 Smartime watch, a stylish smartwatch packed with incredible sports features (calorie burn tracker, pedometer, blood pressure measurement, sleep monitoring and more), and G-Shock’s powerful, gym-ready blue smartwatch, part of the G-Squad series.

Shop now Radley Smart Series 3 Ladies Pink Watch - £75.00
Shop now Lotus Men's Black Smartime Watch - £89.00
Shop now Casio G-Shock Men's Blue Watch - £119.00
Shop now Garmin Lily Classic Edition - £189.00

With their meticulous attention to detail and open-face design, skeleton watches are some of the most desirable watches on the market, so, of course, they usually command higher prices than other wearables. However, if you know where to look, you can unearth an incredible skeleton watch to wear this summer, such as the Swatch Clearly Bold watch, a versatile piece with a minimalist yet captivating look. The watch features a comfortable silicone strap, playful, coloured hands and a modern skeleton movement that looks both contemporary and futuristic.

Gold watches are also back in full swing this season, so, of course, we had to feature this stunning gold Guess Continental watch elevated with smart skeleton details. Perfect for the summer, a gold watch will add a vibrant touch of luxury to the wrist (and result in a nice investment if you flip it at the right time). For those who prefer subtle gold touches over a full-on gold watch, the Guess Big Reveal Silver watch incorporates chic skeleton details in gold that create a beautiful contrast with the silver finishes.

Shop now Guess Men's Big Reveal Silver Watch - £161.00
Shop now Swatch Clearly Bold Big Bold Unisex White Watch - £96.00
Shop now Guess Men's Continental Gold Watch - £140.00
Shop now Thomas Earnshaw Black Longitude Automatic Watch - £190.00

There is no time like the holiday season to engage in fun underwater activities, whether it’s scuba diving, snorkelling, and even freediving. To keep track of time in the depths of the ocean, you’ll need to find the perfect dive watch, preferably at a great price.

Rotary’s Seamatic dive watch costs just over £200, but considering its eye-catching design and unique yellow dial, we couldn’t help but include it in this year’s summer edit. Featuring a sporty stainless-steel bracelet and luminous indices on the dial, this Rotary dive watch reminds us of the popular Certina DS Action Diver watch while costing less than a quarter of the price. Rotary’s yellow Seamatic is also resistant up to 300 metres underwater (just like the Certina Action Diver series), making it a great diving companion and a distinctive summer accessory. 

Accurist’s Black Signature Diver’s watch and Festina’s Diver blue watch are also affordable pieces designed to go up to 200 metres underwater. The alluring dark dial and stainless-steel bracelet of the Accurist dive watch will complement all your summer looks, as well as any upcoming autumn wardrobe, while the Festina Diver’s blue dial will remind you of the thrills of the sea long after you’ve returned to the office.

Shop now Rotary Seamatic Men's Yellow Watch - £201.00
Shop now Accurist Mens Black Signature Divers Watch - £129.99
Shop now Festina Diver Men's Blue Watch - £179.00