With so many choices today, finding the best solar watches can be a daunting task. We have scoured solar powered watches reviews to help you find the best watch for your needs.
Solar powered watches have come a long way since their introduction in the 1970s. While the name applies that the watch gets it’s charge from the sun, it also gets it’s charge from artificial light. In this way, solar powered watches can be more reliable than battery powered watches.
Table of Contents
- How to Choose the Best Solar Powered Wrist Watches
- Seven Best Solar Watches Reviews
- #1. Casio Men’s GW-9400-1CR Master of G Stainless Steel Solar Watch
- #2. G-Rescue Solar Atomic Classic Color Watch
- #3. Casio Men’s EQS500DB-1A1 Edifice Tough Solar Stainless Steel Multi-Function Watch with Link Bracelet
- #4. Casio Men’s Solar Sport Combination Watch
- #5. Casio Men’s G Shock Stainless Watch
- #6. Seiko Men’s Black Ion Finish Solar Calendar Dress Watch
- #7. Citizen Men’s BM8180-03E Eco-Drive Stainless Steel Watch
- Final Thoughts
The only time a solar powered watch is not charging is when it is stored in complete darkness. Even then, the storage capacity allows the watch to remain charged from 30 days up to as long as 8 years – depending on the watch.
How to Choose the Best Solar Powered Wrist Watches
Before choosing a watch, it is important to determine when you will use the watch and what features you are looking for.
Style
The first thing to consider is when you will be wearing the watch. Do you need a watch for work and/or black-tie events? Do you need a watch for sports activities? Or, do you need a watch that can be worn in either setting?
This will help you when choosing the best solar powered watches for men or women.
Water Resistant
If you plan to wear your watch on – or in- the water, it is important to know if the watch is water resistant. A crucial factor is depth of water resistance. This will tell you if the watch should be used only for above water activities or if you can wear the watch for underwater activities such as scuba diving or snorkeling.
Shock Resistant
For an active lifestyle, you will want your watch to be shock resistant. A relatively new term in the watch-making world, a shock resistant watch can withstand constant movement and/or being dropped without damage to the mechanisms that make the watch work.
Battery Life
Battery life is another key factor to consider. For instance, if you wear a different watch for work and play, you will want the stored watch charged and ready to go when you need it.
Both ladies’ solar watches and mens solar watches offer different periods of time that the watch will remain charged while in storage. If you only use your watch for special occasions, this could be a crucial factor in deciding.
Comparison of the Best Solar Watches
| Name of Watch | Style | Water Resistant | Shock Resistant | Battery Life | View On Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casio Men’s GW-9400-1CR Master of G Stainless Steel Solar Watch | Sporty | Yes | Yes | 10 years | Check Price Read Review |
| G-Rescue Solar Atomic Classic Color Watch | Sporty | Yes | Yes | 5-23 months | Check Price Read Review |
| Casio Men’s EQS500DB-1A1 Edifice Tough Solar Stainless Steel Multi-Function Watch | Dress | Yes | Not stated | 5 months | Check Price Read Review |
| Casio Men’s Solar Sport Combination Watch | Work or play | Yes | Not Stated | 10 months | Check Price Read Review |
| Casio Men’s G Shock Stainless Watch | Dress or Play | Yes | Yes | 9 months | Check Price Read Review |
| Seiko Men’s Black Ion Finish Solar Calendar Dress Watch | Dress | Yes | Not Stated | Not Stated | Check Price Read Review |
| Citizen Men’s BM8180-03E Eco-Drive Stainless Steel Watch | Sporty | Yes | Not Stated | Not Stated | Check Price Read Review |
Seven Best Solar Watches Reviews
#1. Casio Men’s GW-9400-1CR Master of G Stainless Steel Solar Watch
One of the best solar-powered G Shock watches, the men’s watch from Casio is sporty and fun. This watch is perfect for the active lifestyle. This shock resistant watch can withstand a drop of 32 feet. It is also water resistant – perfect for the avid fisherman and for water sports, including scuba diving.
Not only is this watch great for an active, outdoor lifestyle, it is also great for rescue crews and rangers because of it’s toughness and water resistance.
Features
- Quartz movement
- Analog Display
- Digital Compass
- Altimeter
- Barometer
- Thermometer
- Day/Date/Month Calendar
- Water Resistant up to 660 feet
- Shock Resistant
- 32-foot freefall endurance
- Water resistant up to 660 feet – makes it ideal for underwater sports
- 10-year battery life
- Multiple displays
- 5 daily alarms
- Countdown timer and 1/10 – second stop watch
- Style may not be suitable for work or black-tie environment
- Does not have world time feature
Check Availability & Customer Reviews on Amazon
#2. G-Rescue Solar Atomic Classic Color Watch
This classic sports-style solar watch features Japanese quartz movement with a digital display for easy reading. This solar watch by Casio is shock resistant and water resistant, making it ideal for surface water sports. The world time feature makes the Rescue Solar Atomic watch ideal for the professional deep-sea fisherman.
Features
- Water resistant up to 660 feet
- Shock Resistant
- World time in 48 cities
- 12 and/or 24-hour formats
- Japanese Quartz movement
- Digital Display
- EL backlight and digital readout allow easing reading in any light
- Suitable for water sports
- Suitable for professional fishermen
- Has tide/moon graph
- World time allows you to keep accurate time in 31 time zones
- Style is geared more toward an active lifestyle and may not be suitable for situations the require a dressy style
Check Availability & Customer Reviews on Amazon
#3. Casio Men’s EQS500DB-1A1 Edifice Tough Solar Stainless Steel Multi-Function Watch with Link Bracelet
This solar watch from Casio comes with a silver link bracelet that makes it ideal for casual or black-tie. It is equipped with World Time in 29 time zones, which makes it ideal for the traveling businessman. It has a full auto-calendar that come pre-programmed until 2099.
This watch makes the ideal gift for the ambitious businessman who needs a watch that does most everything for him automatically. The beautiful craftsmanship makes this watch perfect and stylish in any setting.
Features
- Solar Powered
- Water Resistant
- World Time
- Full Calendar
- 12/24-hour formats
- Quartz movement
- Dial display
- Water resistant up to 330 feet
- Stainless steel silver linked bracelet makes it perfect for work or play
- Pre-programmed calendar until 2099 makes this the perfect watch for businessmen
- World Time in 29 time zones allow you to travel without having to set your watch in each time zone
- Battery remains charge for 5 months with no exposure to light
- Specifications do not mention if shock proof, so may not be ideal for an active lifestyle
Check Availability & Customer Reviews on Amazon
#4. Casio Men’s Solar Sport Combination Watch
The Casio Men’s Solar Sport Combination watch is ideal for a casual environment. The watch has Japanese Quartz movement with both a digital and analog readout. This watch is equipped with 2 countdown timers as well as a digital stopwatch.
World time capabilities and multi-lingual day of the week display makes this a great watch to wear while traveling.
Features
- Solar Power
- Water Resistant up to 330 feet
- World Time
- Multi-lingual day of week display
- Full Auto Calendar
- 5 daily alarms
- Battery Power Indicator
- Battery life is approximately 10 years on full charge
- World Time capabilities make it easier when traveling
- Multi-lingual day of week display gives you the day in English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, and Italian
- Water Resistance makes this watch ideal for an active, outdoors lifestyle
- LED light and neo-brite luminous hands create functionality in any lighting
- This watch does not advertise as shock-resistant but does advertise as tough.
- The style is sporty, so it may not be appropriate for formal occasions.
Check Availability & Customer Reviews on Amazon
#5. Casio Men’s G Shock Stainless Watch
The Casio Men’s G Shock watch is shock resistant and water resistant. The stainless steel linked band makes this classic style watch appropriate for formal and casual wear. It has world time capabilities that make this watch an excellent choice when traveling.
The stainless-steel silver links along with water resistance and shock resistance ensures that this watch can go from casual to formal without a change. If you are looking for the best solar powered watches, this elegant but sturdy G Shock watch may be just what you need. Dressy and functional.
Features
- Battery life – 9 months
- Shock Resistant
- Water Resistant
- World Time
- Full auto-calendar
- Power saving function
- 4 daily alarms
- Countdown timer and stopwatch
- Fully charged, the battery life is approximately 9 months with no exposure to light
- World Time allows less worry about setting the time for each time zone
- Features 4 daily alarms with 1 snooze alarm so that you are never late
- Water resistance up to 660 feet makes this an ideal watch for work and/or play around, and under, water
- Shock resistance minimizes the worry of damage to the watch during strenuous work or play
- Does not have multi-lingual day of week display
Check Availability & Customer Reviews on Amazon
#6. Seiko Men’s Black Ion Finish Solar Calendar Dress Watch
The Seiko Men’s Black Ion Finish watch is one the best Seiko solar watches for men. It is elegant yet practical and would be appropriate in any formal or casual setting. Water resistance and solar power makes this watch perfect for working, or playing, outdoors.
The sleek black stainless-steel band makes this watch stylish enough to go from your favorite fishing spot to you next board meeting without fuss. This watch is among the top choice for Seiko solar powered watches.
Features
- Magnified date window
- Japanese Quartz movement
- Analog Display
- Stainless steel, black watch bracelet
- Water Resistant
- Water resistant up to 330 feet makes it safe to wear in marine environments
- Classic and stylish, this is the perfect watch for dress or casual
- Magnified date window makes it easy to see the date
- Hardlex dial window protects the mechanisms of the watch so that it lasts longer
- Seiko 3-year warranty
- Not indicated that this watch is shock resistant
- Does not have world time functionality
Check Availability & Customer Reviews on Amazon
#7. Citizen Men’s BM8180-03E Eco-Drive Stainless Steel Watch
This stainless-steel watch is one of the top Citizen solar powered watches. This military-inspired watch is designed to have a rugged look with a comfortable fit. It has a stitched, green canvas band that makes this watch perfect for an active, outdoors lifestyle.
This watch features Eco-Drive, which allows the use of any light source (not just the sun) for charging the battery. You can count on Eco-Drive to keep your watch running at it’s fullest power as long as there is some form of light source. It also eliminates the need to replace expensive batteries.
Features
- Water Resistant
- Rugged band
- Japanese quartz movement
- Analog display
- Day and date display
- Stainless steel case
- Stitched canvas band is made to withstand an active lifestyle
- Eco-Drive movement enables the watch to charge in sunlight or indoor light
- Water resistant to 330 feet, making this watch ideal for fishing, swimming, or snorkeling
- White numbers on a black background make it easier to read the analog display and the day/date.
- Great fit for the active outdoorsman
- Shock resistance not indicated
- This watch is not suitable for a formal setting
Check Availability & Customer Reviews on Amazon
Final Thoughts
Solar powered watches have changed the world of watches. Because the batteries are almost constantly recharging, your watch will work at it’s peak all the time. It also eliminated the need to purchase expensive batteries that are sometimes hard to find.
Special features are a key factor when researching watches. For example, if you travel a lot, you might choose a watch the features World Time or multi-lingual capabilities. If you work or play in a marine setting, one of the key factors is water resistance.
Choosing a solar powered watch can be a daunting task. To find the watch that best fits your needs, you must determine your needs, and find a watch that has the most features to meet those needs.
Key features to consider when choosing a solar powered watch include ruggedness, chargeability, and battery life when stored. Battery life is extremely important if you have one watch for casual wear and another for formal wear. A longer battery life without a source of light ensures your watch is ready to go when you are.
With these features in mind, we feel that the Casio Men’s Solar Sport Watch is the best choice. Not only is it stylish and rugged enough for work or play, it also has features that will make work or play easier.
World Time capability and multi-lingual day of the week display make this watch a must for travelers. An approximate 10-month battery life without exposure to light ensures your watch is ready when you need it.
The price combined with the features makes the Casio Men’s Solar Sport Combination watch one of the best solar watches available.
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