Any purchases made on this website may earn us a small commission, please click if you want to learn more.
Most watches in the world today are made of stainless steel. It is simply an awesome material which is both fashionable and durable. When watchmaking first began, watches were only for the very wealthy and usually made from expensive precious metals such as gold.
In modern day, there are now thousands of choices within the stainless steel category. If anything, there are too many choices, as it is not difficult to find a stainless steel watch for any budget. This article details the best stainless steel watches that money can buy, for a budget which does not exceed $500, with many choices on this list costing considerably less than this.
Table of Contents
Why Are Stainless Steel Watches So Popular?
Stainless steel watches are popular for two main reasons. Firstly, stainless steel is a good looking metal which doesn’t decay or discolor over time – and is also very durable. This sets it apart from other cheaper metals such as bronze, copper or brass, which will all discolor and change appearance. Stainless steel is also very durable and although it scratches easily, it does not break or bend unless you specifically tried to do this.
Secondly, stainless steel is very inexpensive compared to other finer metals. Silver, gold and platinum are also vastly more expensive than steel, as is titanium. This is why you will often see stainless steel used in entry level jewelry as well as watches. It looks good and is relatively cheap for the manufacturer to produce.
Lastly, steel is also extremely waterproof, which makes it an ideal case material for watches.
Are Stainless Steel Watches Good?
Whilst stainless steel may not be the ultimate material for watchmaking, it does strike a nice balance between durability, style and affordability. This combination of attributes makes stainless steel watches very popular amongst both men and women.
A watch cannot simply be judged on whether it is good or not based on being made of stainless steel. For example, there are models of Rolex Datejust watches which are made out of stainless steel. On the other hand, there are cheap Chinese watches which are also made from steel. The difference between the quality of metal used on the cases is minimal. However, the difference between the movements, attention to detail and level of finishing is gigantic.
Are Stainless Steel Watches Heavy?
Stainless steel watches are not particularly heavy, but are a lot heavier than watches made of ceramics or titanium.
Most watches are made from stainless steel, so people clearly do not think they are overly heavy, otherwise they wouldn’t wear them. It should also be noted that womens watches are significantly lighter than mens watches due to the sizing of them. A stainless steel watch which is 40mm wide, will weigh considerably more than one which is only 28mm.
One final point to add is that stainless steel is far lighter than precious metals such as platinum or solid gold. Watches made from these materials are particularly heavy and extremely noticeable when you’re wearing them.
Best Stainless Steel Watches For Women
Seiko
This Seiko watch is a lot more elegant and feminine than you would usually expect from the brand. It has a 29mm case size, so is certainly not oversized and is just the right size for the wrist of an average woman. As you will likely have noticed, this watch has a similar dial layout to that of a Cartier model. The blue hands, roman numerals and cabochon crown all point towards the French brand, despite being made by a Japanese company.
The jubilee bracelet rounds off the watch very nicely and makes the watch look more expensive than it actually is.
Stuhrling
One of the best value automatic skeleton watches you can find is made by Stuhrling. Whilst this brand is not the most well known, their general reputation is making solid mechanical watches at an affordable price. This stainless steel timepiece has a nice feminine touch with a diamante bezel, as well as hour markers placed on the odd numbers.
Although this watch is not too cheap, it is still very reasonable value for money and somewhat unique. It is difficult to find feminine automatic watches in this style for the right price.
Fossil
A perfect modern day example of a fashionable dive style watch. This Fossil timepiece finds the perfect balance of a fashion that is becoming increasingly popular. Without a doubt this is one of the best $100 stainless steel watches for women you can buy – and can sometimes be picked up even cheaper for this when on sale.
Thanks to the popularity of the Rolex submariner, dive style watches are no longer worn in just the ocean. The similarities can be seen in the dial of this Fossil model with the same shape hour indicators alongside the cyclops used to amplify the date visibility.
In summary, this is a great fashionable watch and well worth the relatively low pricetag.
Casio
Unfortunately there aren’t too many stainless steel digital watches for women. The only real exception to this rule is Casio, with other brands choosing to make plastic cased digital watches. On the bright side, Casio watches are exceptionally well made, tough, durable and inexpensive. They also come with a multitude of functions such as a stopwatch, alarm and light. This ensures that you are getting great value for money whenever you buy a watch from this timeless Japanese brand.
Michael Kors – Runway
Although Michael Kors are best known for some of their very loud and flambouyant watches, the Michael Kors Runway is not really like these models. It is an oversized watch, but in stainless steel with a simple 3 hand movement, it is not like the aforementioned timepieces.
Michael Kors is relatively expensive compared to other fashion watches, so you should only really buy this watch if you vastly prefer the design to others on this list.
Skagen
Scandinavian minimalism at its finest. Skagen are best known for their quiet and subtle approach to watch design. You will not find any oversized cases, nor crowded dials. Instead, Skagen use a simple 2-handed movement on a dial which only displays hour indicators and the brand name with no numbering.
Although this watch is made of stainless steel, it is still very lightweight due to the mesh strap. The benefit of having a mesh strap is that it is very solid, yet allows your skin to breathe and doesn’t weigh as much.
Victorinox
Made in Switzerland, Victorinox is a brand which is most commonly associated with Swiss army knives. Fortunately, their watches are built to an equally high standard and are made from better materials than a typical fashion watch.
By using a sapphire crystal above the dial, Victorinox ensure that the only scratches on this watch are going to be on the steel – not the watch face. A subtle date window at the 6 o’clock position is also a welcome addition to such an elegant watch.
Citizen Eco-Drive
Citizens “silhouette” range is well known for bringing a softer and more feminine design to a brand which is known for its rugged and well built watches. The case size on this watch is 31mm x 8mm, which is a very good size. Due to the small width of the bracelet, the dial of the watch is accentuated and looks very large.
The main selling point of this watch is it’s price, coupled with the fact it is an eco-drive model. This simply means that the watch gets its power from various light sources, meaning once set, it can just run and run. You will not need to replace the battery every 2 years on this watch.
Gucci
A classic design from a classic brand. The Gucci G-Timeless is quite a lot more expensive than any of the other watches featured on this page, although it is a much more reputable brand and makes its watches to a very high standard. The G-Timeless in particular is well known for using the feint silhouette of a G around the outside of the dial and displaying a small date window at the 6 o’clock position.
All Gucci timepieces are made in Switzerland and use ETA movements, therefore unlike other fashion brands, the quality cannot be questioned. Granted, they are expensive, but are worth the money if you are a fan of the brand.
Orient
Quite simply a bargain. There is no doubt that this is the best value for money stainless steel automatic watch for women that you can buy. Orient are not a brand that is too well known for people who are not watch enthusiasts. However, Orient is a subsidiary of Seiko, so is certainly in good hands, not to mention they have been making mechanical watches since 1950.
The fact that you can pay under $100 for this watch puts a lot of other brands to shame. Orient are not as fashionable or fancy as other brands, but they do offer incredible value for money and watches finished to a high standard.
Bulova
Bulova make some very loud and fashionable watches for women, this stainless steel chronograph is certainly no different. Making full use of both the bezel and dial, Bulova have decorated them both with diamonds on each of the hour indicators.
Although much of Bulova’s production has been outsourced to China and Japan, this is reflected in the brands pricing. Formerly made in Switzerland, Bulova watches were somewhat expensive, but can now be picked up in the same designs for under $200. This is a great deal for the consumer.
Tissot
Well known for their quality watchmaking skills. Tissot are a Swiss made brand that has a long and established watchmaking history. This watch is not for everyone as it looks a little different. As you can see, the case of the watch has no real lugs and goes straight into the bracelet. In addition to this, the dial of the watch isn’t really recessed and sits flush with the rest of the case. Diamond hour markers are set around the dial to give the watch a more feminine and elegant feel.
