Best watches under £300: time is not very much money

Watches don't have to cost a fortune which is why we've found the best watches under £300 for those on a budget who still want a fabulous timepiece.

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.

Here are our top picks for the best watches you can pick up for less than £300.

If you're looking for slightly more expensive watches, you can read our best watches under £1000 and best watches for men guide. If you're really looking to spend big bucks, you can read our guide to the 5 best watches to invest in right now. 

Best watches under £300 ranking

Who said you can't get a Swiss-made watch for under £300? 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.

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. 

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.

This Oxford watch from Rotary is ideal if you're looking for a classic, everyday dress watch. The  perfectly 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

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.

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. 

Timex has recently released a limited-edition collection of vintage-inspired watches, in partnership with Coca-Cola. The capsule collection brings together two iconic American brands to demonstrate a message of tolerance and hope. The collection is designed to inspire watch-wearers around the world to make time for what matters, that is, as long as they prefer Coke to Pepsi…

The commemorative styles created celebrate Coca-Cola’s 1971 “Hilltop” commercial and the unity message it portrays. Our pick of the bunch is the digital Timex T80, which combines vibrant colours and a feeling of whimsy to the design. It also plays the iconic “Hilltop” commercial song: “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (in Perfect Harmony)”.

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.

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.

Think budget watch and the first brand than comes to mind is probably Swatch. It's one of the biggest watch brands out there. The Sistem Fly from the iconic Swiss brand isn't your typical plastic affair either, it's made from stainless steel and fitted with a brown leather strap. Hidden underneath the beautiful blue dial isn't your typical Quartz movement, the Sistem is fitted with an analogue automatic movement with date function. That's very impressive for a watch that costs less than £300.

If you're looking for something iconic, look no further than this timepiece from Braun. The company's minimalist, clean aesthetic, was introduced by renowned German designer Dieter Rams, was built around the brand ethos - less, but better. 

Rams and his colleague Dietrich Lubs launched a range of functional timepieces based on the established visual language that made Braun products iconic. In recent years this range has been re-established and revived, so you can now buy a piece of design history for under £300.

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.

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.

This 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.

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.