Top 8 Best Affordable Ceramic Watches [List & Guide]
Watches are made in all kinds of different materials and executions. Most commonly, you’ll find watches made of stainless steel. After all, steel has always been the go-to material for most watches due to its affordable price, nice finish, and the fact that it is easy to work with. And those who want to step it up a notch may perhaps opt for gold.
But in recent decades, watch brands have started experimenting more and more with new materials. Some manufacturers have worked to improve the property of certain metals by developing their own alloys. Other brands have looked beyond that and explored unique materials that are rare to find in the watch industry. One of these materials is ceramic.
At the same time, it’s important to highlight that ceramic is not really a new material for watches. It has been around for quite some time now, but what stands out are watches that are made completely of ceramic. For example, brands like Rolex and Tag Heuer (amongst many more in recent times) have used ceramic inserts for their dive watch bezels due to their scratch resistance.
In addition, it is also just recently that some of the largest and perhaps most traditional brands have also hopped on this trend, inlacing brands like Omega and Audemars Piguet.
Watches that are made completely made in ceramic are certainly more unique, and whilst more and more brands hop on this brand, they are still quite uncommon today. But apart from being unique, cool, and different, ceramic has a number of advantages when it comes to watches.
Benefits of ceramic watches
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Resistant to scratches: The first and perhaps the greatest benefit of ceramic for watches is that they are extremely resistant to scratches. In practice, ceramic doesn’t really scratch by regular use. It requires a hard material and a hard knock to scratch, chip, or damage it. This is a great benefit that keeps ceramic watches looking as good as new for a long time to come. Scratches are one of the most annoying aspects (according to some) with materials such as steel or gold, which will inevitably develop scratches over time. The downside is that ceramic can crack if dropped or knocked hard against materials like stone. And Ceramic cannot be repaired in the same way as steel, which means you may need to replace the whole case, which can be quite costly.
Hypoallergenic: Ceramic is a hypoallergenic material, and therefore, it is appreciated by individuals with sensitive skin and symptoms of nickel allergies which may appear when wearing metal watches.
They look good: Another, perhaps obvious benefit of ceramic watches is that they look good. Ceramic can get a beautiful polished finish but also a lovely and sharp brushed finish. Their shine and luster stand out compared to that of steel and therefore gives a modern and beautiful appearance.
Now, the thing with ceramic is that it is much more difficult to craft, finish, and work with compared to stainless steel. As a result, ceramic watches tend to be more expensive than their stainless steel counterparts. This also means that not a lot of affordable watch brands focus on using ceramic as a material, making the selection of timepieces rather limited. All of these factors also make ceramic watches come at a higher price point.
Without further ado, let’s look closer at the best and most popular affordable ceramic watches for both men and women.
Best Affordable Ceramic Watches
We’ll start looking at the best affordable ceramic watches for men and then look at some ceramic watches for women.
Rado DiaMaster Quartz Ceramic R14135106
Starting off this list, we have the Rado DiaMaster R14135106. This is a stylish, classic dress watch made in titanium with a simple and refined design.
The watch features a slim ceramic case with a diameter of 40mm and a thickness of 8,4mm. The case has a simple design with a thin bezel and slim lugs. All of these things make the watch wears very discreetly on the wrist and slides under a cuff without any issues. This makes it a perfect dress watch. In addition to its slim thickness, the ceramic is also very lightweight on the wrist. The ceramic used for this case is a Plasma high-tech ceramic
The watch features a silver dial with a beautiful finish with a partial sunburst finish and a partially grooved finish. The hands have a classic leaf-shaped design. It is presented on a black embossed leather strap which goes well together with what it is meant to be. On top of the case sits a sapphire crystal.
Powering this Rado ceramic watch is a quartz movement. The water resistance is also quite good for being a dress watch at 100m/330 feet.
Specifications
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Diameter: 40mm
- Thickness: 8.4mm
- Water resistance: 100m/330 feet
Bering Time Slim Watch 32139-302
Next up, we have the Bering Time 32139-302. This is a ceramic watch with a modern, sleek, and timeless design. It has a black ceramic bezel with an integrated bracelet design with a black mesh bracelet. On top of the case, it has a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Note that this watch does not have a full ceramic design, but we felt it still deserved a place in this list since it offers many of the benefits that ceramic offers thanks to the use of medical-grade steel. Because of this, it offers a great level of scratch resistance, is lightweight, and is anti-allergic. Powering this watch is a quartz movement. It has a case with grey IP-plated medical-grade (316L) stainless steel and a black IP-plated Milanese with medical-grade (316L) stainless steel.
The case measures 39mm in diameter and has a thickness of 9mm. With that said, the watch sits quite slim on the wrist and will slide under a cuff without any issues. At the same time, it is designed to work great for everyday wear. The water resistance is 50m.
The dial is black but has three sub-dials that provide several useful functions, including a day indicator, date indicator, and a 24-hour clock.
Specifications
- Water resistance: 50m
- Diameter: 39mm
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Movement: quartz
Bering Time Slim 32039-227
The Bering Time 32039-227 is a sleek, modern, and timeless watch with an integrated bracelet design that creates a seamless appearance. This watch features a case made in black IP-plated ceramic with a high gloss polished finish. The ceramic offers great scratch resistance is lightweight, heat-resistant, and anti-allergenic. On top of the case sits a flat sapphire crystal. The case also has a reasonable size with a diameter of 39mm and a thickness of 6mm which means that it is suitable for most wrist sizes.
The watch is powered by a quartz movement and presented on a black IP-plated Milanese bracelet made in medical-grade (316L) stainless steel. The water resistance is 30m which makes it able to withstand splashes but is not suitable for swimming.
All in all, this ceramic watch really stands out with its unique and distinct style which looks very modern and versatile. The dial has applied metal hour markers with luminescent material applied to them and slim, white hands. The background is matte and has a blue hue to it.
Specifications
- Diameter: 39mm
- Water resistance: 30m
- Thickness: 6mm
- Movement: quartz
- Crystal: Sapphire
Rado Centrix Open Heart Swiss Automatic
The Rado Centrix Open Heart is a watch for the true watch enthusiast. It has a slim case design of 38mm made of ceramic and is presented on a bracelet that combines steel with ceramic. The case design stands out from the ordinary due to the fact that its visual impression makes it look like it has no bezel. Instead, it is completely flat. On top of the case sits a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.
The highlight of this watch apart from the ceramic is the open-heart skeleton dial. This allows you to view the automatic movement inside through the dial. Not only does this give it a unique look, but it also works as a great reminder of the mechanical craftsmanship that is powering this watch, which watch enthusiasts should appreciate. The automatic movement inside is also great with a power reserve of 80 hours.
All in all, the watch has a slim and sleek design which makes it wear quite small and works well for everyday wear, as well as on formal occasions. The use of ceramic and the open heart dial gives it a unique appearance that shows Rado has paid great attention to each and every single detail of this watch.
Specifications
- Diameter: 38mm
- Power reserve: 80 hours
- Movement: Swiss automatic
- Crystal: sapphire with anti-reflective coating
Rado DiaMaster XL Plasma High Tech Ceramic R14074256
Last but not least on our list of men’s ceramic watches, we have the Rado DiaMaster XL PlasmaR14074256. For those who want the benefits of a ceramic watch, but also want something discreet and elegant, this is certainly a great choice.
This watch stands out in the way that it is a ceramic watch but doesn’t look like one. The ceramic case has a plasma treatment which gives it a lustrous finish. As a result, the case looks almost like stainless steel with a beautiful finish but offers the lightness of ceramic.
The case has a slim profile with a classic dressy case design with short and slim lugs. It is powered by a Swiss self-winding movement with 21 jewels which also makes it particularly popular amongst watch enthusiasts.
The dial is also an aspect that contributes to its overall design as it has a champagne color with a brushed finish towards the outer edge of the dial and a pattern at the center. At 3 o’clock, we have a date window which can be practical to have. To go with the classic theme, the watch has blue hands. The hour markers are applied with metal markers.
All in all, this is a great dress watch or everyday watch for those who prefer something more classic and formal. To go with this theme, it has a brown textured leather strap with a push-button deployment clasp.
The water resistance of 100m isn’t too bad for this type of watch either.
Specifications
- Movement: Automatic
- Water resistance: 100m
Best affordable ceramic watches for women
Bulova Ocean Star Women’s Watch
The Bulova Marine Star Women’s Ceramic is a stylish and sporty watch with a unique appearance. It is designed as a dive watch, based on the Marine Star collection, and has a case and bracelet made of white ceramic. This contributes to giving it a sporty look that is also feminine. The watch is also equipped with a polished steel bezel.
The dial used matches the ceramic perfectly since it is a mother-of-pearl dial. For additional elegance and a feminine look, the dial is set with five diamonds. In addition to this, it has applied metal Roman hour markers applied and pencil-shaped hands with luminescence. On top of the case sits a sapphire crystal.
The case is 37mm which makes it suitable for women, but it’s still not a tiny size, and this goes well with its sporty yet feminine concept and purpose. In other words, it has found a great balance between sportiness, versatility, and a feminine design.
The watch is water-resistant to 100m/330 feet which is generally good enough for an everyday watch.
All in all, this is a really great watch that offers exceptional value for money considering that you are getting – a ceramic case and bracelet, a mother-of-pearl dial set with diamonds, and a durable, long-lasting watch.
Specifications
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Water resistance: 100m
- Diameter: 37mm
Bering Time Slim Watch 11435-754
The Bering Time Women’s slim 11435-754 is a simple, elegant, and classy ladies’ watch with a beautiful yet simple design. The watch has a 35mm round case made of white ceramic with short, tiny lugs which extend from the case. In turn, it is presented on a bracelet that is made of steel and ceramic. On top of the case, it has a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Worth noting is that the whole case is not made in ceramic, only the bezel, but it is designed in a way that makes it look like so.
The watch is powered by a quartz movement for perfect accuracy. It has a matching white ceramic dial which creates a seamless look. The dial has 12 small diamonds applied to it and thin pencil-shaped hands.
It offers a water resistance of 30m which isn’t the best, but it is good enough for most women for everyday life.
All in all, this is a really stylish and elegant timepiece that works just as well for everyday wear as on formal occasions.
Specifications
- Movement: quartz
- Water resistance: 30m
- Crystal sapphire
- Diameter: 35mm
Citizen Eco-Drive Chandler FB1230-50A
The last timepiece we have is the Citizen Eco-Drive Chandler FB1230-50A. This watch combines stainless steel and white ceramic for an elegant yet sporty appearance. So whilst it is technically not a full ceramic watch, it still deserves a spot on this list. The case measures 40mm in diameter which makes it end up on the larger side of the spectrum. So either you should enjoy wearing large watches as a woman, or have large wrists.
The watch is designed as a chronograph and has an overall sporty design, making it perfect for the sporty woman. But it also has a perfect balance with elegance, which makes it just as great on formal occasions when you need it. It has a steel bezel with a white ceramic insert, decorated with crystals, The dial is made in white ceramic and also combines sportiness with elegance. It has applied diamonds on the dial and three chronograph sub-dials. At 4 o’clock, you can also find a date window which is always practical for everyday wear. On top of the case, it has a mineral crystal.
The watch is powered by a Japanese quartz movement which offers accuracy and reliability. The movement is also an Eco-Drive movement which means it is powered by solar and ambient light, thus eliminating the need for replacing the battery.
The water resistance is 100m/330 feet which is also quite good.
Specifications
- Diameter: 40mm
- Water resistance: 100m/330 feet
- Movement: Japanese Quartz
Why are ceramic watches so expensive?
A common question when it comes to ceramic watches is why they are so expensive. As you have seen in this list, there are some more affordable ceramic alternatives, but in general, they cost quite a bit more than those made in steel. The answer to that question is simple. Ceramic is a material that is much more difficult to craft, build, and finish than other materials, in particular stainless steel. Due to the complexity of giving shape to ceramic, it is thus naturally reflected in the price.
Not only is ceramic extremely difficult to craft, but it is also much more difficult to finish. To give a ceramic case a brushed or polished finish requires careful and delicate work with specific tools, and the process is a lot more complicated than regular steel watches.
Are ceramic watches still in style?
Yes! As a matter of fact, ceramic watches are more popular than ever. More and more watch brands have started to explore ceramic as a material for their watches – both affordable and luxury brands. Tudor, Omega, Panerai, and Audemars Piguet are just some luxury watch brands that have paid more attention to ceramic in recent years. The most well-known affordable watch brand that is known for its ceramic watches is Rado. Since Rado’s ethos is to explore and try new materials, it makes sense that Rado pays a lot of focus to making watches with this material.
The good news is that as ceramic becomes more common in the watch industry, it will mean that you have a greater selection of different timepieces – in all kinds of different price ranges. This will also help push prices down as the market becomes more competitive, but also because brands come up with new innovations to streamline the process. Ultimately, it will mean that you will be able to find ceramic watches at more affordable prices.
Today, the selection of affordable ceramic watches on the market is still relatively limited, but over the years, the selection has increased and grown and is continuing to do so.
Ceramic watches are a stylish alternative to gold, steel, as well as other materials. They have a special and unique sheen to them that looks more elegant than steel, but at the same time, can be made to look sportier and more masculine. Whilst ceramic is a material that is quite difficult to work with, more and more manufacturers have started experimenting with things like colored ceramic, which is why, for example, Omega has watches with blue ceramic cases or both black and white ceramic cases. With this said, ceramic watches are not just limited to one color and design, unlike the grey color of stainless steel.
Also, since ceramic is a material that doesn’t necessarily have to stand out a lot, it is a material that doesn’t have to go out of style, even if ceramic would decrease in popularity in favor of other materials in the future, you can still wear a ceramic watch without feeling that it is outdated or out of style.
Benefits of ceramic watches
We have already discussed the benefits of ceramic briefly above, but let’s look closer at the benefits that ceramic offers, which help explain why it is increasing in popularity in the watch industry.
Scratch-resistance
The primary benefit of ceramic is that it is virtually scratch-proof. Unlike steel or essentially any other material, ceramic doesn’t scratch. This means that ceramic watches continue to look just like new ones for a long time. When they are also equipped with sapphire crystals, they will look almost as if they are brand new no matter how long you have been using them. This is a unique trait of ceramic that makes it particularly suitable for watches.
In addition to scratch resistance, ceramic is also an extremely durable material. Unlike steel, it doesn’t rust or corrode, and unlike gold, it doesn’t oxidize. Furthermore, ceramic is resistant to UV rays, meaning it never loses its color.
Another important benefit of ceramic is that it is anti-magnetic. This is particularly important for mechanical watches, thus keeping the movements safe and protected from being magnetized and losing accuracy.
Hypoallergenic
An issue that a lot of people experience is that materials like steel can cause rashes and irritation on the skin. But ceramic is hypoallergenic meaning it is a fantastic material in watches for individuals who experience this issue.
Lightweight and unaffected by temperatures
Ceramic is appreciated for its amazing lightness. This is an impressive trait of ceramic is that it is extremely durable but at the same time really lightweight. This combination of scratch resistance and lightness is something that I really like. Thanks to their lightness, ceramic watches are therefore really comfortable to wear.
In addition, ceramic remains virtually unaffected by temperatures. Unlike steel which gets both really hot in the sun or extremely cold when worn in cold temperatures, ceramic is really resistant to temperatures.
Are ceramic watches worth it?
In my view, yes! Apart from the fact that ceramic is a really interesting material from a technical point of view, they also offer a number of benefits as discussed above. In addition, ceramic watches are, as you have seen, available in all kinds of different price ranges, so that means you can get a ceramic watch without breaking the bank. In that sense, ceramic watches are definitely worth it.
Can ceramic watches break easily?
As you know, ceramic does not scratch very easily. However, that doesn’t mean that they are indestructible. The “downside” to ceramic cases is that they can shatter or break. If you accidentally drop a steel case, for example, it can be repaired or polished. But if you drop a ceramic watch and it shatters or breaks, the case will need to be replaced since it cannot be repaired or glued together. With this said, if you accidentally drop a ceramic case and it shatters or breaks, repairing it can be very costly.
The good news is that ceramic will only crack if you drop it or accidentally hit it really hard against a hard object like metal or stone. Since this is not very common, ceramic will in most cases not break – but it can happen.
Can you polish a ceramic watch?
As mentioned, ceramic doesn’t scratch very easily. In fact, it is very difficult to scratch ceramic. But it is possible that, for example, you get knicks or marks on ceramic if you hit it against hard objects
But since ceramic doesn’t scratch, there is no need to polish it. And in addition, knicks or chips will not be resolved by polishing.
The conclusion is therefore that you cannot polish a ceramic watch, and frankly, don’t need to either.
