10 Best Affordable World Time Watches [List & Guide]
When it comes to functions in watches, there is an endless number of different functions and features to choose from. Chronograph function, an annual calendar, a perpetual calendar, a Date indicator, a day indicator, a power reserve, and much, much more.
Some functions are mostly a testament to complicated craftsmanship and watchmaking, whilst others are highly useful in practice. The good news is that depending on your needs and wants in terms of functions, there are a lot to choose from.
One function that can be truly useful is the world time function. In this article, we will look closer at what a world time watch is, and also look closer at some of the most popular affordable world time watches on the market.
What is a world time watch?
A world-time watch is, as the name suggests, a watch that indicates the time in different parts of the world. Unlike a regular watch which can only display one timezone, a world time watch can indicate the time in several different timezones. When talking about watches that can show the time in different timezones, most people think about the GMT watch. But a GMT watch can only show two or three different timezones. A world time watch shows the time in at least 24 different time zones all at once.
Of course, there are several great benefits of this. If you are curious to know what the time is around the world at the glance of your wrist, travel frequently, or do business with a lot of different countries, a world time watch can be extremely useful.
The core function of an analog world time watch is that it is equipped with an internal bezel that (normally) shows the names of key cities around the world. In turn, the watch has a 24-hour ring or hand that rotates one full rotation per day. A world time watch is set according to your home Time zone with a rotating inner bezel. The inner ring then rotates as time passes and continues to indicate the correct time in all of these time zones.
There are world-time watches in all kinds of different price ranges. World time watches are often associated with high price tags from brands like Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and Audemars Piguet, but the good news is that a world time watch does not have to break the bank. In general, if a world time watch is executed with a mechanical movement, the mechanism is rather complex, and therefore, you’ll almost exclusively find mechanical world time watches in luxury watches.
But the world time watch function is also available at a much more affordable price tag, and these watches are usually quartz or digital, as the manufacturing process becomes much easier and much less complicated.
Best Affordable world time watches
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Below, we’ll have a look at the most popular affordable world time watches for the jet-setter, international businessman, or for those who just want to be able to know what the local time is around the world at the glance of their wrist. We will focus on analog world time watches, but also look at a few digital world time watches as well.
G-Shock Mudman Compass G9300
Starting off this list, we have the Casio G-Shock Mudman Compass 69300. This watch offers everything we have come to love and expect from a G-Shock, but it also incorporates a world-time function. In addition to this, it is also packed with a number of different functions.
First and foremost, this watch is tough, durable, and robust. It is built to last and to handle all kinds of different hardships. G-Shock watches are greatly appreciated for tough conditions and outdoor use, and this watch will be able to stand up to the most extreme conditions. It has a large and robust black resin case, but most importantly, it incorporates a number of useful functions. It is powered by a quartz solar movement that gets energy from solar and ambient light, and has a thermometer, a moon graph, and a digital compass. In addition to this, it also has all the usual functions that you expect in a G-Shock. But most importantly, it has a world time function, allowing you to quickly see the time in different timezones around the world.
This watch may not be the most ideal for formal occasions, but it will work exceptionally well as a functional tool watch.
Specifications
- Crystal: Mineral glass
- Dimensions: 53,0mm x 50,8mm x 18,2mm
- Weight: 68,5 grams
Casio AE-1200WHD-1AVCF
The Casio AE-1200WHD-1AVCF is a cool and funky digital watch with a unique design and appearance.
The watch has a square/rectangular case with two push buttons on each side. It is presented with several different LCD screens which all indicate different information. One of those screens shows a map of the world, and this is of course used for the world time function.
The watch is powered by a Japanese quartz movement and has a case in plastic and a bracelet in stainless steel. For improved legibility, it has an LED light with after-glow. It also has a countdown timer, 12/24 hour formats, and a number of additional features that can come in handy for everyday wear.
The water resistance of 100m/330 feet is also quite good for this type of watch.
For those who are looking for a funky and unique digital watch and also want a world time function, this is certainly a good (and extremely affordable) choice.
Specifications
- Diameter: 39.5mm
- Movement: Japanese quartz
- Water resistance: 100m/330 feet
- Battery life: 10 years
- Case dimensions: 45×42.1×12.5mm
Citizen JY8078-01L Promaster Skyhawk A-T
The Citizen Promaster Skyhawk A-T Y8078-01L is a robust, sporty, and functional pilot’s watch made for those who want a sporty, cool, and functional timepiece.
The watch has a stainless steel case with a diameter of 45mm and a thickness of 14mm which makes it rather large. This watch offers a lot of different functions and has both digital and analog displays. On top of the case, it has an anti-reflective sapphire crystal.
Of course, it incorporates a world time function with precise atomic timekeeping in 43 cities. It also has a chronograph function, a perpetual calendar, alarms, a countdown timer, and a dual time. In addition to this, it has numerous calculation functions that can be used by pilots. It is designed with a rotating slide rule bezel with which the different key information is calculated.
In terms of design and attention to detail, Citizen has done a great job with this watch. It has a blue background with two LCD screens and several analog sub-dials which display key information. The sword-shaped hands are large and have applied luminova which ensures excellent legibility.
The watch is powered by the quartz solar caliber U680. This means that the movement gets its energy from solar and ambient light, thus eliminating the need for replacing its batteries.
It is also water-resistant to 200m/330 feet and built to handle harsh conditions.
All in all, this is a great sporty world time watch that works for men who want a large and sporty timepiece that is packed with functions but doesn’t compromise on the design.
Specifications
- Crystal: anti-reflective sapphire
- Water resistance: 300m/660 feet
- Diameter: 45mm
- Thickness: 14mm
- Movement: Eco-Drive quartz
Casio EQS500DB-1A1 Edifice Tough Solar
The Casio Edifice Tough Solar EQS500DB-1A1 is a sporty yet versatile timepiece that works well on many different occasions.
It has a stainless steel case and is presented on a stainless steel bracelet for a sporty look. It is completely analog and is powered by a quartz Solar movement which also offers a number of useful functions. The movement has a power reserve of 5 months on a full charge. On top of the case, it has mineral glass.
For a sporty look, it is equipped with a fixed black bezel. To match the bezel, it has a black dial with a lot of different functions which, to some, may make it a bit busy. But all of the functions presented on the dial are such that may be truly useful. The watch has applied metal hour markers and sword-shaped hands with a red seconds hand for contrast.
It has a world time function that displays the time in 29 cities+ UTC. It has a city code display on the dial which is seamlessly integrated around the rehaut. Between 4 and 5 o’clock, it has a sleek date window integrated.
In addition to the world time function, it has daylight saving on/off, a beeper alarm, a 1/100 second chronograph, day & date Display, as well as a full auto-calendar. It can indicate the time in 12/24 hour formats.
Powering all of this is module 5123 solar quartz movement.
This watch is built to be tough and work well for everyday wear, and this is also why the water resistance of 100m/330 feet is quite practical to have as well.
Specifications
- Movement: solar quartz
- Water resistance: 100m/330 feet
- Crystal: Mineral glass
Citizen Eco-Drive World Chronograph A-T AT8020-54L
Next up, we have this highly popular pilot’s watch from Citizenships which has a sporty yet versatile design that works well for everyday wear.
It has a 43mm stainless steel case with a diameter of 43mm and an anti-reflective sapphire crystal on top. The watch has a thin fixed blue bezel with a polished finish that goes well with the blue theme of this watch. In addition, the thin bezel allows for a large dial and excellent legibility.
For added sportiness, it is presented on a stainless steel bracelet with a satin finish. The crown is positioned at 3 o’clock and sits protected between crown guards. On each side of the crown guard, you can find chronograph push buttons.
The main theme of this watch is blue, and the dial has a matte/sunburst finish to it, but it is complemented by yellow accents which are subtle yet very important for the overall design of this watch. The dial has applied metal hour markers with luminescence applied to them. The hands follow the same theme and have a sword shape. The seconds hand is colored yellow.
Moving on to the functions, this is where the watch really shows what it’s all about. It features automatic timekeeping in 26 world cities and three chronograph subdials. For perfect accuracy, it uses atomic timekeeping Technology with Synchronized Time Adjustment which is available in all 26 Time Zones.
Furthermore, it has a Perpetual Calendar Chronograph, a 1/20 Second Chronograph, a power reserve indicator, as well as a 12/24-Hour Time.
Powering this watch and all of its different functions is a Japanese quartz movement with Eco-Drive technology, meaning it is powered by solar and ambient light.
Last but not least, it has an impressive water resistance of 200m/660 feet which makes it suitable for swimming.
All in all, this watch is a huge value proposition from Citizen. It has tons of functions and great attention to detail. Most importantly, it has a sporty yet versatile design that makes it suitable for many different occasions and everyday wear.
Specifications
- Diameter: 43mm
- Movement: Japanese quartz
- Water resistance: 200m/660 feet
Citizen Eco-Drive Calendrier Quartz BU2020-02A
The Citizen Eco-Drive Calendrier BU2020-02A is designed as a sporty timepiece but with a versatile twist to it.
The watch is designed to be sporty but to work on many different occasions and even for everyday wear, but it still has a stainless steel case with a diameter of 44mm, meaning it is large and requires a relatively large wrist to pull off. Overall, the case design is quite simple and has slim lugs with a polished bezel and polished, classic lugs.
The dial is where this watch stands out, with lots of different functions and great attention to detail. It has a white/silver-tone dial with applied metal hour markers and elegant blued sword-shaped hands with luminescence applied to them. The dial background has different patterns and is designed on different levels which provides depth and makes it more interesting.
Around the outer edge of the dial, you can find the abbreviations of different cities on the world time disc. Obviously, this is used for the world time function and for keeping track of the different time zones.
In addition to the world time function, it also shows the day, the date, and a few more functions.
Powering this watch is a quartz movement using Citizen’s signature Eco-Drive technology, meaning it gets energy from solar and ambient light.
For a more versatile and elegant appearance, it is presented on a blue croci-embossed leather strap with contrast stitching. It also has a deployment buckle with double push-button closure.
Last but not least, the watch has a water resistance of 100 m (330 ft).
Specifications
- Diameter: 44mm
- Movement: Japanese quartz Eco-Drive
- Water resistance: 100m/330 feet
- Crystal: mineral
Seiko SPL057 Worldtimer
The Seiko SPL057 is a popular world time watch due to its classic and elegant design. Unlike many other world time watches, it does not have a bulky, large, and sporty design. In fact, quite the opposite.
The watch has a stainless steel case with a reasonable size of 40mm and a thickness of 10mm with a lug-to-lug of 46mm. The case has a classic and unique lug design where the lugs are curved. On top of the case sits Seiko’s signature Hardlex crystal.
The dial also has a classic design but also incorporates numerous useful functions. It has three sub-dials at 6, 9, and 12 o’clock which display the local time, and alarm. The different cities can be found around the reheat of this watch in 24-hour format. The dial has a dark green color with a Sunday finish which is very vibrant but also gives a classic look. The dial has yellow gold accents with applied Roman numerals and classic designs. Positioned at 3 o’clock, it has a date window with a yellow-gold metal frame around it.
The daily alarm function can be useful for reminders or as a wake-up clock. Powering it is the Seiko Caliber 5T82 Quartz. As we can expect, the water resistance isn’t great, at only 50 meters.
All in all, if you want an affordable world-time watch without having to opt for a sporty and robust timepiece, this is probably the best choice. This watch has a sleek and elegant design that works just as great with a suit as it does for everyday wear.
Specifications
- Diameter: 40mm
- Thickness: 10mm
- Lug-to-lug: 46mm
- Movement: Seiko Caliber 5T82 Quartz
- Crystal: Curved Hardlex
- Water Resistance: 50 meters
Citizen AT8110-53E World Chronograph A-T
The Citizen World Chronograph AT8110-53E is one of our favorite affordable world-time watches due to its stylish, sporty, yet refined design.
The watch has a stainless steel case with a diameter of 43mm with a thin polished bezel design and an elegant stainless steel bracelet with a fold-over clip with a push-button release. On top of the case sits a sapphire crystal. It is also quite slim with a thickness of only 10mm.
What stands out about this watch is its beautiful grey dial with a brushed finish and subtle circular details. The dial has applied metal hour markers and sword-shaped metal hands. At 4 o’clock on the dial, you have a date window that is always practical to have, and you’ll also find sub-dials in different sizes at 6, 9, and 12 o’clock.
The watch is powered by an Eco-Drive quartz movement which is powered by solar and ambient light. This is a very convenient technology that means you will never have to replace its batteries.
The water resistance is 100m/330 feet, meaning it is suitable for swimming but not diving.
This watch also has a number of features to offer in terms of functions, including a chronograph and a world timer, which can be found on the outer edge of the dial.
Specifications
- Diameter: 43mm
- Water resistance: 100m/330 feet
- Thickness: 10mm
- Movement: Quartz Eco-Drive
Citizen BX1000-06L Eco-Drive World Time
For those who enjoy citizen watches but found the other timepieces we looked at a little too sporty, this is a great alternative. It is designed with a simple, clean, and versatile design with a sporty touch, making it suitable for everyday wear.
It has a stainless steel case with a diameter of 40mm and a thickness of 10mm which is a very reasonable size that works for many different wrist sizes and isn’t too big, nor too small for most wrists. The case has a thin polished bezel and brushed slim lugs. The crown is also somewhat protected by the crown guards which extend from the case. It has a sapphire crystal on top.
The dial is black but has a subtle pattern that is supposed to resemble the earth’s globe. This subtle design feature obviously goes well with this watch considering it also incorporates a world time function that displays 26 time zones. The names of the cities can be found printed on the dial. The applied metal hour markers with luminescence applied to them, as well as the sword-shaped hands with luminescence really enhance this watch’s appearance and shows that Citizen has paid attention to the details. In addition, they also improve the overall impression of quality and elegance.
Positioned at 3 o’clock, you’ll also find a date window which can be useful for everyday wear.
Powering this watch is a quartz movement that uses Citizen’s signature Eco-Drive technology, meaning it is powered by light. A very practical and convenient function.
The water resistance is 50m which, in practice means that it can resist water splashes but is not suitable for swimming or diving.
All in all, if you want a watch with a world-time function that can work for everyday wear and isn’t too sporty, this is a great option. If you don’t like this particular version, the model is also available in a few different iterations.
Specifications
- Movement: Quartz Eco-Drive
- Water resistance: 50m
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Diameter: 40mm
- Thickness: 10mm
Casio PAG240T Pathfinder Triple-Sensor
Last but not least, we have the Casio Pathfinder PAG240T. This is a tough, durable, and robust timepiece made for outdoor activities. This isn’t an everyday watch or an elegant timepiece, instead, it is built to handle the harshest conditions.
The watch has a robust 51mm stainless steel case with a mineral crystal. It is designed with an integrated bracelet design which is also made of titanium and has a double-locking fold-over clasp. The watch is completely digital and has an LCD screen with backlight and afterglow. The watch also incorporates Seiko’s solar technology which generates energy for this movement.
The watch has a triple sensor which includes a barometer, thermometer, and compass. Since it has found its way into this list, it also has a world time function that displays 31 time zones in 48 cities. In addition, it has a city code display, five daily alarms, an hourly time signal, a 1/100-second stopwatch, a full auto-calendar, as well as a countdown timer.
In other words, this watch is really PACKED with functions that are useful for outdoor activities.
The water resistance is pretty good as well at 100m/330 feet.
For the active explorer and outdoor enthusiast, this is the ultimate world-time watch.
Specifications
- Diameter: 51mm
- Movement: Solar quartz
- Water resistance: 100m/330 feet
How does a world time watch work?
A watch with a world time function is a watch that is built for keeping track of a large number of time zones around the world, often 24.
World time watches work differently depending on how they are designed, and in particular if they are quartz or analog. But in general, an analog world time watch has an internal bezel that displays 24 world cities where each of the cities represents a different time zone. Complementing these markers, the watch usually has a 24-hour ring or hand that makes a full rotation per day.
To use a world time function, you set the bezel that tracks the time zones to your home time zone on the 24-hour ring and as time passes, the hand or bezel ring rotates. When the 24-hour ring points at a particular city, it tells you the time in that particular time zone.
What is the difference between GMT watch, Dual-time and world-time watch?
Even if some people use the terms interchangeably, there are differences between all of these. A dual-time watch is, as the name suggests, a watch that can keep track of two time zones simultaneously. Normally, dual-time watches use two-hour hands in the form of a main hour and a sub-dial.
A GMT watch is equipped with an additional hour hand at the center and is used together with 12-hour or 24-hour additional hour markings, oftentimes on the bezel, to present additional time zones. Watches with bidirectional rotating bezels have become more common in recent years as they allow you to keep track of additional time zones.
A world timer, is the king of timekeeping in timezones, as it is made for keeping track of a large number of time zones around the world – normally 24, and not just one or two.
History of the world-time watch
The world-time function was developed by the independent watchmaker Louis Cottier in early 1930. Shortly thereafter, many watch brands found the appeal and practicality of the world time function and incorporated it into their watches, including brands like Rolex and Patek Philippe.
One of the reasons why world-time watches are so popular is obviously the practicality of being able to keep track of a wide array of time zones around the world. But another reason, in particular when it comes to mechanical watches, is the complexity of making this function that people find so interesting. But with that said, the complexity of the world timer function, at least when it comes to mechanical watches, means that they are generally quite expensive. It is a true testimony of fine watchmaking and the art of mastering difficult mechanical complications.
Buying an affordable world time watch
The good news is that a world-time watch doesn’t have to break the bank. As more affordable watch brands have released world-time watches, and as new technology has come about (including quartz and digital movements), this function is not only reserved for the fortunate few who can spend thousands and thousands on a watch.
Today, there are world-time watches in all price ranges, from Patek Philippe world time watches for 100.000 to affordable ones like the Seiko SPL057.
When buying a world-time watch, you obviously need to consider whether you want an analog or digital watch. Both of these have their pros and cons, and it all depends on your needs and preferences.
In addition to choosing the movement that powers it, you have all the usual considerations that go into buying any watch. The most important criteria are:
- Size
- Style of the watch (do you want a dress watch, sports watch, dive watch, or something else?)
- Which color on the dial do you want?
- Do you need good water resistance?
- What type of strap do you want? Metal, rubber, leather?
Keeping these criteria in mind will allow you to make a choice of the watch that suits your needs, tastes, and preferences the most.
