Lucky Fours vs Timex: Prices, Specs and Which to Buy

Timex is the American watch most people owned first. The company traces its roots to the clockmakers of Waterbury, Connecticut, in the 1850s, and it built its name on watches that cost little and kept going. Lucky Fours is a much younger online brand that sells steel watches in the shapes of famous designs, mostly on bracelets, from $79.99. Both live under $200, both sell direct, and both are bought by people who would rather not spend a week's pay on a watch. So rather than one long essay, we scored them round by round.

WatchesUnder is owned by BlackRobin Capital Inc.

Round one: heritage

This round goes to Timex without a contest. More than a century and a half of watch and clock making, the Indiglo night light that became a household name, and a catalogue that still includes reissues of its own designs from the 1960s and 1970s. Lucky Fours has none of that history and does not claim it. Its pitch is design and price, and that is what the remaining rounds test.

Round two: the steel bracelet matchup

The fairest single comparison is the integrated bracelet watch, because both brands make one. The Timex Q Continental 39mm has a 39mm steel case with an aquamarine dial. The Lucky Fours Caspian has a rounded octagon case, a horizontally ribbed dial and a date window, in 6 colorways, and it is the brand's best seller.

On price the Caspian wins clearly: $79.99 against $179, and with the current buy one, get one free offer the Caspian works out at about $40 a watch. The Timex has the slightly smaller case, which suits slimmer wrists, and a clean, sober dial that reads as more grown up to some eyes. Round to Lucky Fours on value, with a nod to Timex on proportions.

Round three: movement

Almost every watch in this comparison runs on quartz, so the movement round is close. Timex also offers mechanical watches in its Marlin line, including the Timex Marlin Automatic 40mm at $299 and a hand wound reissue. Lucky Fours answers with the Spine at $149.99 and the Skeleton at $99.99, both automatics with open dials. Timex's automatics are the more conventional, better documented watches; Lucky Fours' are cheaper and put the movement on show. We call it a draw that depends on taste. Our quartz vs automatic explainer helps if you are torn.

Round four: build and bracelet

Here Lucky Fours takes the round. Nearly its whole men's range comes on a steel link bracelet, and it states 316L stainless steel for case and bracelet. Timex's cheapest watches, such as the Weekender and the Easy Reader, are mostly sold on straps, and its steel bracelet models start well above Lucky Fours' prices. If you specifically want the weight and shine of steel on the wrist, Lucky Fours gets you there for less. Bracelets at both brands are sized by removing links; our guide to adjusting a watch bracelet shows how.

Round five: design range

Timex designs are practical and a little understated: field watches, divers, chronographs and readable dress watches. The Timex Waterbury Classic 40mm at $149 is a good example, a tidy 40mm everyday watch. Lucky Fours leans dressier and louder. The Nassau is a white dial Roman numeral dress watch on a fine steel bracelet, the Santos has a fluted bezel and day date windows, and the Vantage is a racing chronograph with a tachymeter bezel. For a suit or an evening out, Lucky Fours has more to offer; for a hike or a weekend in the yard, Timex does.

WatchesUnder is owned by BlackRobin Capital Inc.

Round six: warranty and returns

A tie. Timex states a one year warranty from the original purchase and returns within 30 days. Lucky Fours states a 12 month warranty against manufacturing defects and returns within 30 days, see the store terms. The practical difference is service: a Timex can be looked at by almost any jeweler in the country, and the brand has a long record of standing behind its watches.

The scorecard

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

WatchesUnder is owned by BlackRobin Capital Inc.

Price per watch

Timex wins on the single cheapest watch; the Weekender at $77 is less than any Lucky Fours. Count per watch on a pair, though, and Lucky Fours comes out ahead: two Caspians, or a Caspian and a Nassau, cost $79.99 together, about $40 each. That is the main reason the brand is worth a look for gifts and for anyone building a small rotation. Our list of the best watches under $100 has both brands side by side with Casio.

Which should you buy?

Buy Timex if you want the cheapest reliable watch, a strap watch for outdoor use, a name any jeweler knows, or a reissue of an American classic. The Weekender and the Waterbury are hard to fault for the money.

Buy Lucky Fours if you want steel on steel, a dressier or more recognizable design, or two watches for one price. Start with the Caspian for an everyday sports watch and the Nassau for the office.

WatchesUnder is owned by BlackRobin Capital Inc.

Frequently Asked Questions

About the Author