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Casio vs Timex: Which Budget Brand Should You Buy?

Casio vs Timex: Which Budget Brand Should You Buy?

Casio and Timex make most of the good watches you can buy for under $100. They are not interchangeable: each is clearly better at certain kinds of watch. Here is where each one wins.

By Michael Chen

Watch 101 and Brands Editor

October 9, 2026·4 min read

A sandy path through dune grass splitting into two directions — Two good roads, one choice

If you are spending under $100 on a watch from a brand you have heard of, the money almost certainly goes to Casio or Timex. Both have been in the business for decades, both sell quartz watches that keep good time, and both have products that have barely changed in a generation because nothing needed changing. They do differ, though, and the differences follow their origins. Casio is a Japanese electronics company that came to watches through the digital display. Timex is an American watchmaker that came to quartz from mechanical pocket watches and clocks. That history still shows in what each one does best. Prices below are from each brand's US store.

The quick verdict

Choose Casio for digital watches, metal bracelets under $100, gold tone vintage styles, and features per dollar.
Choose Timex for analog field and everyday watches on straps, heritage designs, and the first step into mechanical watches.
Either works for a simple dress watch under $100; it comes down to whether you want a bracelet (Casio) or a strap (Timex).

Digital watches: Casio by a distance

Casio built its watch business on the digital module, and it shows. The Casio F91W at $29.95 gives you an alarm, a stopwatch and a backlight in a resin case that weighs next to nothing. The Casio AE1200WHD World Time at $54.95 adds world time with a map on the display and a steel bracelet. Timex's best digital is the Q Timex 1975 Digital Reissue at $169, a stylish reissue of a 1970s LCD watch in a steel case. It is a design object; the Casios are tools. Unless you specifically want the retro look, Casio wins this category, and our Casio buying guide covers its digital line in depth.

Analog everyday watches: Timex has the edge

Timex's analog watches are its home ground. The Timex Expedition Scout 40mm at $95 is a 40mm field watch with a date, both 12 and 24 hour scales and an arrow tipped seconds hand. The Timex Weekender 38mm at $77 is lighter and more casual, with a slip through fabric strap you can swap without tools, and the Timex Easy Reader 38mm at $77 is the most legible watch either brand sells. All three have Indiglo, which lights the whole dial evenly at the press of the crown.

Casio's analog answer is mostly on bracelets. The Casio MTP1302D Dress Watch at $89.95 is a simple three hand watch with a black sunburst dial and a steel bracelet, and it looks more formal than any of the Timex trio. If you want a field watch, buy the Timex; if you want something for the office for under $100, the Casio is the better fit. Our list of the best field style watches has more options in that style.

Metal and gold tone: Casio again

Under $100, Casio has far more watches on metal bracelets than Timex. Its vintage line includes the Casio LA680WGA Vintage Gold at $69.95 and the Casio A159WGEA Vintage Gold at $79.95, both gold tone digitals on fine link bracelets, and they have become a style in their own right. Timex's steel bracelet watches start higher: the Timex Q Continental 39mm at $179 is a handsome 39mm watch with a day and date, but it costs about twice as much as the Casios.

Heritage and mechanical watches: Timex

Once you go above $150, Timex has something Casio's range largely does not: watches with a story and, in some cases, a mechanical movement. The Timex Waterbury Classic 40mm at $149 carries the logo of the Connecticut company Timex grew out of. The Timex Marlin 1965 Reissue Hand Wound 34mm at $259 reissues a 1960s design with a hand wound movement, and the Timex Marlin Automatic 40mm at $299 has a 21 jewel automatic. For a sporty chronograph, Casio's Casio Edifice Chronograph at $165 is the stronger value, a 40mm steel quartz chronograph on a bracelet. If you are curious about the mechanical side, quartz vs automatic explains what changes.

Casio vs Timex, category by category

Category	Casio pick	Price*	Timex pick	Price*	Winner
Under $50	Casio F91W	$29.95	None in this range we would pick		Casio
Digital	Casio AE1200WHD World Time	$54.95	Q Timex 1975 Digital Reissue	$169	Casio for value
Field	None comparable		Timex Expedition Scout 40mm	$95	Timex
Dress under $100	Casio MTP1302D Dress Watch	$89.95	Timex Easy Reader 38mm	$77	Tie
Gold tone	Casio A159WGEA Vintage Gold	$79.95	Timex Q Continental 39mm Gold Tone	$199	Casio on price
Chronograph	Casio Edifice Chronograph	$165	Q Timex Chronograph 40mm	$259	Casio on value
Mechanical	None among models we checked		Timex Marlin Automatic 40mm	$299	Timex

*as listed on each brand's US website, October 2026

Buying from each brand

Both brands sell through their own US stores and through a huge network of retailers, and prices vary between them. On their own stores, Timex lists a one year warranty and returns within 30 days of purchase; Casio's terms allow returns within 30 days of delivery, with return shipping paid by the buyer and a restocking fee on non defective returns, and set the warranty per product. If you are buying a watch as a gift and are not sure of the style, those return terms are worth reading first. For the full picture of what this budget buys, see the best watches under $50 and the best watches under $100.

So which should you buy?

If you want one watch that does everything for as little money as possible, buy a Casio digital and never think about it again. If you want an analog watch that looks like a watch your grandfather might have worn, and that you can dress up or down by changing the strap, buy a Timex. And if your budget is around $300, Timex's Marlin automatic gets you into mechanical watches in a way Casio's mainstream range does not try to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which lasts longer, Casio or Timex?

Both make durable quartz watches, and the movements in their cheapest models are simple and reliable. In practice the strap usually wears out first. Casio's resin digitals are especially hard to kill; Timex's leather and fabric straps are easy and cheap to replace.

Is Casio or Timex better for a kid?

For a first digital watch, Casio. For learning to read an analog dial, a Timex with clear numerals, such as the Easy Reader, is the classic choice. See a first watch for a teenager for more.

Which brand has the better warranty?

Timex's US store lists a one year warranty. Casio's US terms set the warranty per product, so check the individual listing. Both accept returns within 30 days on their US stores, with conditions.

Do Casio and Timex make automatic watches?

Timex does, in its Marlin and Waterbury lines, from about $299. Casio's range is overwhelmingly quartz, and none of the models we checked on its US site were mechanical.

About the Author

Michael Chen

Michael Chen covers automatic watches, watch brands and Watch 101 for WatchesUnder: how movements work, how to size and care for a watch, and how the affordable brands compare. Prices in his guides are checked against each brand's own website.