If you’ve been shopping for vintage in the past few years, you know how high prices are getting. But mastering that retro aesthetic doesn’t have to break the bank. Cheap vintage watches aren’t a myth, and we have the receipts to prove it.
7 Cheap Vintage Watches You Can Still Buy Today
TikTok may not be good for many things, but it’s great at explaining the difference between wearing clothes and styling them. One way to elevate your vintage wardrobe is with a period-accurate timepiece. Pump up your thrifted pieces with one of these cheap vintage watches that you can still buy today.
| Cheap Vintage Watches | Average Sales Price |
|---|---|
| Movado Museum Watch | $600-$2,000 |
| Timex Marlin Watch | $200-$300 |
| Freestyle Shark Watch | $65-$120 |
| Swatch | $60-$130 |
| TAG Heuer Formula 1 Watch | ~$2,000 |
| Digits Finger Watch | $95-$115 |
| Casio BABY-G Watch | ~$100 |
Movado Museum Watch
Movado is an understated, historic watch brand that’s best known for its completely vacant dial, save for a glittering drop at the top to signify 12 o’clock. Since 1947, they’ve been making the timelessly fashionable Museum model, which embraces this traditional aesthetic with modern colorways and technologies.
These automatic watches come with a variety of bands (links, leather, and metal mesh), dial colors and sizes. They’re on the pricier side of cheap, ranging from about $600-$2,000 apiece. Yet, when the spectrum is dirt-cheap department store watches to six-figure Rolexs, they’re firmly on the lower end.
Timex Marlin Watch
Timex is one of the lesser-remembered watch brands. They’ve been in business since 1854, but they really hit their stride with audiences in the 1960s. Today, you can nab their iconic mid-century Marlin model for around $200-$300 a pop.
One thing to keep in mind when looking at Timex Marlin watches is that they’re not all automatic. What does that mean exactly? It means you have to hand-wind the mechanism to make the watch work. If you don’t want to jump that far back in time, don’t worry! There are several automatic Marlin styles to choose from.
A unique vintage Timex design is the Marlin Moon Phase watch. It features three sub-dials and was inspired by the “great minds that propelled mankind to the moon.”
Freestyle Shark Watch
If you come from surf culture, then you’ve probably heard of the Freestyle brand. Focused on fun, bright watch designs that could take a beating, they released the Shark watch in the early 1980s. Take one look at these technicolor marvels, and you’ll be shocked they didn’t make more of a mark.
According to Hodinkee, “Swatch had an exponentially larger distribution stream to Freestyle,” making this niche product stuck on a smaller scale. However, you can get a piece of the extreme sports action with their current lineup of Shark watches, each of which costs about $65-$120. If you like bold, clunky watches, these are perfect for you.
Related: 5 Most Valuable Vintage & Antique Watches Ever Sold
Swatch
Swatch took the 1980s by storm with their cheap, brightly colored rubber watches. In true rebellious fashion, these in-your-face watches were a far cry from the dainty watch bracelets of their parents' youth. Swatches matched the energy of the MTV generation, and they’re still going strong.
While only a handful of true vintage Swatches are worth money, their current lineup is chock full of cheap and flashy wristwatches. For anywhere between $60 and $130, you can get in on the Swatch action.
TAG Heuer Formula 1 Watch
In the mid-1980s, TAG Heuer “capitalize[d] on the demand for colorful, inexpensive quartz watches” with their iconic Formula 1 series. Jack Heuer (of the Heuer watch-manufacturing family) was deeply integrated into the sport, and, through his partnerships, inspired the unique watch that’s still being sold today.
While current styles don’t always match those from previous collections, they keep the same essence alive. These Formula 1 watches are by far the most expensive on our list of cheap vintage watches at around $2,000 each.
TAG Heuer currently sponsors the Visa Cash App Red Bull Racing team and has two Red Bull Racing special edition watches for sale.
Digits Finger Watch
The whackiest cheap vintage watch on our list has to be Digits. In 1987, they pushed conventions with their unique watch model — the finger watch. Originally marketed as a “digit” watch, these ring watches are still as bulky and gawky as you’d expect.
If you’re in the market for a vintage accessory no one else you know has, we're sending you in the direction of Digits. For $95-$115, you can nab one of these miniature watches.
Casio BABY-G Watch
As a 90s kid, I mourn the day that fashion changed and colorful, translucent plastic was no longer popular. With it, Casio’s BABY-G watch and its iconic chunky style, colorful translucent plastic, and digital face fell out of favor. Yet Casio never lost faith, and with all things Y2K making their comeback, it’s only a matter of time before these BABY-Gs do, too.
At just under $100 apiece, you can’t pass up on living out your Y2K dreams.
Cheap Vintage Watches Aren’t a Myth
From old-money style to Y2K revivals, vintage lovers run the gamut. But, if there’s one thing they have in common, it’s finding the perfect accessory to match their outfits. And if you’re a vintage lover through and through, now you know exactly where to go to find the cheap vintage watch of your dreams.
