
Sapphire crystal is an extremely hard mineral that is used in making jewelry, gemstones, and other high-end items. It is also used in making watch crystals.
Cheap watches with sapphire crystals are the best type of luxury watches to buy from the market these days. They are both stylish and sophisticated. They are very affordable and also they are very durable.
As you may know, the use of sapphire crystal in watches has become an industry standard of high quality. It is a very strong choice because it is very hard and more resistant to scratches than the regular crystal. It also looks very elegant when it is used in watches.
In this guide, we review the cheapest sapphire timepieces available right now.
The Best Sapphire Crystal Watches We Discuss In This Article:
- Victorinox Swiss Army Chrono Classic Watch (Model: 241493)
- Citizen Men’s Eco-Drive (BM7100-59E)
- Seiko Men’s Automatic Watch (Model: SARB033)
- Invicta Men’s Pro Diver (18026SYB)
- Citizen Perpetual Chrono A-T Watch (AT4008-51E)
- Seiko Sapphire Titanium Watch (SGG731)
- Casio Lineage (LCW-M170TD-7AER)
Advantages of a Synthetic Sapphire Watch Crystal.
There are several things those genuine sapphire crystals and make them unique when compared with other watch crystals in the market.
- Sapphire crystals in watches are highly transparent to light wavelengths. This makes them ideal screens for watchmakers to use on their watches to increase readability.
- Sapphire crystals are twice as hard as standard glass. In fact, it is the third hardest mineral on the Moh’s scale of mineral hardness. This means sapphire crystal is almost resistant to scratches unless you attack it with another sapphire or a diamond.
- A sapphire watch glass has a compressive strength of 2000 Mega Pascal. This means sapphire is not only hard but also very strong compared to other watch crystals.
- With a high melting temperature of about 2053 degrees Celsius, sapphire crystals can withstand temperatures other watch crystals like acrylic or mineral can’t.
All these advantages mean that sapphire crystal watches will have long lifespans than mineral crystal watches.
7 Best Affordable Watches With Scratch-Resistant Sapphire Crystal
Victorinox Swiss Army Chrono Classic Watch (Model: 241493)
When you combine the experience from Swiss watchmakers with a resistant sapphire watch glass at an affordable price, you get this Victorinox Swiss Army watch.
Victorinox designed this watch from hypoallergenic stainless steel making it relatively unlikely to cause a metal allergic reaction to its owners.
Its Swiss quartz movement ensures the watch keeps accurate time even if you don’t wear it for a period of time. The case measures 41mm wide by 12mm thick which gives it enough space to accommodate all your daily activities without feeling too bulky.
One of the coolest features of this Swiss timepiece is its triple-coated anti-reflective sapphire crystal. This triple coating ensures that the watch face is viewable even at very oblique angles so you can just glance at it and check the time unobtrusively.
Besides this fine feature, its bezel features a tachymeter. This is very useful for speed measurements and its leather strap is comfortable too. This Swiss timepiece also has a 100-meter waterproof rating, a chronograph, and a date calendar.
Pros
- The black dial is easy to read.
- Features an anti-reflective (AR) sapphire.
- Features a tachymeter bezel.
- It has a 2-year Amazon warranty.
Cons
- Its chronological components are not in zero position.
- It loses some minutes within 24 hours.
Citizen Men’s Eco-Drive (BM7100-59E)
If you need a sapphire Eco-Drive watch that recharges itself continuously in any kind of light, go for this Citizen Eco-Drive. Its Eco-Drive technology ensures that you have a scratch-proof timepiece that keeps ticking without the hassles of replacing its batteries.
Besides its efficient Swiss quartz movement, it also has a water resistance rating of 100 meters. This watch is safe to use under the shower or at a swimming pool.
This resistant sapphire timepiece also features an anti-reflective sapphire watch glass and a greyish dial to increase its readability. The stainless steel case and bracelet of this watch are well polished.
One thing I dislike about its dial is the date window. It is small and needs some focusing to read off the date. This timepiece is readily available with free shipping from Amazon and other major stores.
Pros
- You can easily can the straps.
- It’s solar-powered.
- It comes with solid end links.
Cons
- Small date window.
- Lume is not bright and does not last long.
Seiko Men’s Automatic Watch (Model: SARB033)
The Seiko SARB033 is the watch you would like to pick if you are one of those with a small wrist. With its 39mm case size, this Seiko with sapphire dial fits all wrist sizes, and it is perfect for women too.
Resetting this sapphire automatic watch down to the second is achievable as its automatic movement offers you the mechanism to stop and set the second hand.
One outstanding feature you get from this dress watch is its high-quality 6R15 caliber automatic movement. This movement drives Seiko’s expensive dive watches like the mechanical Prospex series. This movement is Seiko’s in-house movement known for its excellent timekeeping, smooth winding, and has a 50-hour power reserve.
Also, its band is very comfortable on the wrist.
Pros
- Has a high-quality (6R15 caliber) movement inside.
- With a 39mm case, it fits all wrist sizes.
- Well-polished bracelet.
- An automatic watch.
Cons
- Poor clasps quality.
Invicta Men’s Pro Diver (18026SYB)
The Invicta Pro Diver is another affordable sapphire crystal watch you’d like to pick for your diving expeditions. As you’d expect from a diver’s watch, this Invicta sapphire diver features a unidirectional bezel for marking the time you spend underwater.
Its 100-meter water resistance rating makes it suitable for swimming and snorkeling, but not scuba diving. It also comes with a screw-down crown and rubber strap.
To improve its readability underwater, this diving watch comes with luminous hands. One feature that will put off most users is its big watch face. This scratch-proof timepiece is not suitable for people with small wrists.
Pros
- Black dial improves its readability.
- Very long band length, enough to go round any wrist size.
- Well marked unidirectional bezel for diving
- Luminescent dial, easy to read underwater.
Cons
- Big face watch, not suitable for smaller wrists.
- Lacks a date function.
Citizen Perpetual Chrono A-T Watch (AT4008-51E)
This chronograph watch is another affordable timepiece with a sapphire crystal you can consider from Citizen. It’s an Eco-Drive timepiece and therefore recharges its Japanese quartz movement simply under any kind of light.
Together with its Eco-Drive feature, this scratch-resistant watch is atomic clock-controlled, has a perpetual calendar, and a second-time zone indicator. All these features give you the chance of setting it once and never bother about doing it again throughout its lifespan.
Its stainless steel case and bracelet are well polished and attractive. This sapphire crystal chronograph watch has a water resistance rating of 200 meters.
Pros
- It syncs seamlessly with the atomic clock.
- It comes with a power reserve indicator to check the power levels.
- It’s a fantastic solar-powered watch.
Cons
- Its band lacks micro-adjustments.
- Weak straps. Pin breaks easily.
Seiko Men’s Titanium Watch (SGG731)
Combined with the reliability of Seiko, this Japanese movement watch brings to your wrist accurate time measurement while maintaining its simplistic design.
This Seiko watch with a sapphire crystal has its case and bracelet made from Titanium. Titanium watches are comparatively lighter and durable than watches made from steel.
To increase its readability, the dial is greyish while the hour markers and hands are white.
You need not search for the calendar with this Seiko dress watch. You’d find its day/date display at the 3 o’clock mark and it is very visible. This timepiece also features a waterproof rating of 100 meters.
Pros
- Handsome lightweight watch
- Looks good on smaller wrists
- Its subdued greyish dial increases its readability.
- Visible and easy-to-read day/date window.
Cons
- The second-hand does not line up exactly with the markings as it ticks.
- The day/date can be tricky to set.
Casio Lineage (LCW-M170TD-7AER)
I close this review of the top affordable sapphire watches with this cheap sapphire crystal watch from Casio. This company is known for its shock-resistant G-Shock line of watches. However, this timepiece has a sapphire crystal on its watch face.
The Casio Lineage comes with Casio’s Wave Ceptor technology. This ensures the watch synchronizes daily with time signals from various government time services around the world.
Apart from its accurate timekeeping, it is water-resistant up to 50 meters and has a dedicated button to illuminate its white dial.
This is an anti-scratch watch powered by sunlight. If you are interested in this dress watch, you can also check out other features it offers.
What does “Wave Ceptor” mean?
It means that the watch automatically adjusts itself according to different times zones. It uses GPS satellites to determine which zone you are currently located in.
Pros
- Automatically switches to summer or wintertime.
- Its titanium case and straps make the watch comfortably light.
- Good size solar and radio-controlled watch.
Cons
- Its white dial makes it difficult to read in poor light.
How can I tell if my watch has a sapphire crystal?
The best way to know whether your watch has a sapphire crystal is to look at the watch specs before you make a buying decision. From the specs make sure the glass is sapphire.
Alternatively, you can look at the case-back of the watch. You should see the word ‘sapphire’ engraved into the surface of the glass or case. On some watches, it is engraved on the watch dial instead.
If there is no such engraving or indication on the watch specs, then chances are that your watch doesn’t have a sapphire glass. If that is the case, you may want to consider checking out the cheaper sapphire watches above.
Final Thoughts
While shopping for watches with sapphire glass can be a daunting task, this guide gives you some reasons you should own one.
If you are an outdoors person, then the Citizen Perpetual Chrono watch is what you can go for. It is solar-powered and does not need further setup once it is ticking.
The Victorinox Swiss Army watch is our overall best sapphire crystal watch in this guide. It is made by a high-end Swiss manufacturer and features a triple coating sapphire for increased visibility.