The Best Watch Stores

Wednesday, March 19th

2025 Watch Store Reviews

Ashford

• Prices from $19.99 to $29,520.99
• Sale watches up to 94% off
• 3,067 watches in inventory
• Free ground shipping
• 100% authentic guarantee
• 30-day return policy
• 4.7-star average rating
• "A+” rating and accreditation from the BBB

Ashford is a watch and accessory store that's been around since 1997. Opened specifically to offer luxury watches online, the store is known for its 100% authentic pieces all with accurate serial numbers and original boxes. Plus, in 2019, the store added luxury sunglasses as well. Promising to make good use of their purchasing power to offer customers the best prices, Ashford is a great spot to check out top-quality timepieces without being overly expensive.

Cluttered, but helpful

Ashford's website is a little cluttered, but don't judge the site by its cover because this is a fantastic watch-buying resource. The site offers a range of filters to help you browse, including brand, gender, price, dial color, band type, case width, movement type, features, and shipping time. Once you start browsing your favorites, you'll find plenty of details on each listing. At a glance, you can see the brand name, the name of the watch, the price, and any sales. After clicking through to the full listing, you'll see specifics like whether or not the watch is in stock, details about the metal used, waterproofing (where applicable), and customer reviews for each individual watch.

Inventory includes 3,067 watches

Ashford has an impressive inventory with a range of men's and women's watches. There are brands like Corum, Tissot, Hamilton, Glycine, Versace, Louis Erard, Invicta, and more that include both affordable watches and high-end brands. The men's inventory includes 1,890 different watches while you'll find 1,187 watches in women's. 1,451 of all watches (men's and women's) are bracelet-style bands and 1,549 were straps instead. The most popular face color on Ashford was white mother of pearl followed closely by silver and regular white. However, there were only two smartwatches, so the selection in that category is pretty limited.

Prices from $19.99 to $29,520.99

To compare prices across different retailers, we looked at the price ranges for men's, women's, and smartwatches at each watch store. We also found the best watch offered at a discount to give you an idea of what kind of savings you might find at each retailer. For both women's and men's, the least expensive watch at Ashford was a Timex. The most high-end options were a Corum Admiral Cup for men and a Piaget Polo for women. Here are the costs we found during our research:

• Men's watches: $19.99 to $29,520.99
• Women's watches: $19.99 to $24,359.99
• Smartwatches: $33.99 to $39.24
• Best sale watch: Invicta Pro Divers Men's Watch (Gold) for $34.99 (94% off)

Free ground shipping for most watches

For most watches offered on Ashford, you'll score free standard shipping as long as you're located somewhere in the contiguous United States. This notice will be on the listing page for the watch you'll want to buy along with information if it is in stock or not. You can also apply extra coupons or promos offered by Ashford before you add items to your cart. Ashford also offers 2-day shipping for $19.95 and next-day shipping for $29.95.

100% authentic with 30-day returns

Ashford offers a variety of guarantees. The watch store promises that all watches are 100% authentic and have a manufacturer's warranty. Every watch will come shipped in a new box. You're also guaranteed a 30-day return period for a refund if necessary. Just make sure you don't size the watch before returning it. If you did pay for shipping, this is not refundable as part of your return.

Impressive reputation and customer service

The Better Business Bureau shows an "A+” rating and accreditation for Ashford as well as an impressive 4.7-star average rating. On Trustpilot, Ashford shows a 4.3-star average and an even higher 4.6-star rating is seen on Sitejabber. Customers love the prices here. Every review left within a few months of our evaluation praises something about the quality: packaging, condition of the watches, color, or metal quality. When issues arose, like shipping mistakes or missing items, customers were thrilled that the Ashford team stepped up and solved the issue right away.

Ashford is the full package

Since customers have almost no complaints about Ashford, it stands out as our favorite watch store online today. With a range of inventory that includes both affordable and high-end watches, competitive men's and women's selections, solid pricing (and sales), and free shipping, Ashford is pretty much the whole package. For this reason, it earns a full 5 stars and the top spot in our review.

Zappos

• Prices from $69 to $500
• Sale watches up to 55% off
• 165 watches in stock
• Free shipping on all orders
• Free return shipping
• 365-day returns
• "A+” rating and accreditation from the BBB

A store that started off as a shoe retailer, Zappos is now a massive online store with a wide array of items including clothing, handbags, accessories, and (of course) watches. Zappos has an impressive commitment to giving back to the world with its "Zappos for Good” program that helps with recycling your donated second-hand items. So, when you buy a watch from Zappos, you know you're supporting a company that supports others. Whether you just want a watch or to revamp your whole look, this one-stop shop is a great way to start browsing.

One-stop shop browsing isn't designed for watches

Finding the watch section on Zappos can take a little work. You can either go under the men's tab and find watches under accessories or search for watches on the main search bar. Once you find what you're looking for, there are plenty of filters to help you narrow the field like color, brand, sale, and cost. Notably, the filters are designed to serve the entire website rather than just watches, so some filters we've seen on other watch stores are missing (like watch face color or band style). The listings show previews of different colors offered for each watch, how many are in stock, the name, and the total price. The main listing page will show additional details like what kind of clasp closure each watch has, the sizing information, and whether or not a watch has a payment plan.

165 watches in stock

As a one-stop shop, we're not surprised to see that the inventory at Zappos is smaller than its competitors. It offers so many items that watches aren't its first priority. You can expect 165 different watches at Zappos. 74 watches are for men and 73 for women. There are a few other options for children as well. Zappos doesn't sell specific smartwatches, but they do offer straps for an existing smartwatch if you need one. Most of the watches are by Nixon with 34 total items from that brand.

Prices from $69 to $500

For our cost comparison, we looked at the women's and men's watches as well as the watch with the best sale at Zappos. Since there weren't smartwatches available, we couldn't offer a price comparison for those. To give you an idea of the watches you can expect here, the lowest-cost men's watch is a Timex in silver, and the cheapest women's watch is a pink Fossil watch. The most expensive watches were a men's Nixon 51-30 Chrono and a women's Michael Kors Lexington Chronograph. Here are the prices we found:

• Men's watches: $69 to $500
• Women's watches: $84.41 to $275
• Smartwatches: Not available
• Best sale watch: Bulova Classic for $163.95 (55% off)

Free shipping on all orders

A huge benefit to shopping with Zappos is that you get free shipping on every order. No matter how many items you buy or how much money you spend, you can always expect totally free delivery at Zappos. Plus, if you join the Zappos VIP club, the site offers free expedited shipping on some orders.

Free refunds within 365 days

Zappos also provides free 365-day returns. Any return shipping in the US is 100% free, and you can return your items for a full refund within 1 year of your date of purchase. Only items that are listed as "final sale” do not qualify for returns. If you damage the tag or security tag, you may not qualify either, so be careful when you try your watch on so that you don't miss out on this amazing policy.

Customers love the service reps

Zappos holds a full "A+” rating and accreditation with the Better Business Bureau, plus it shows balanced reviews on third-party review sites like Sitejabber. Currently, Zappos shows a 3.5-star average where customers generally praise the "excellent customer service” as well as the impressive selection of items at Zappos. However, many of these reviews are for the clothing or shoes offered by Zappos rather than watches, specifically. Some customers are displeased with the fact that Amazon is now the owner of Zappos, and feel the quality has gone down, but more than half of all reviews are 5 stars, making the complaints less than the majority.

Trustworthy and good for average watch needs

While Zappos isn't going to offer the most options of any watch store in our review, its solid reputation for good service and impressive return policy put it near the top of our list. You may still need to browse our other top option if Zappos doesn't carry the brand or style you're looking for, but overall Zappos is a great place to find deals and backs those deals with customer-friendly policies.

Watches2U

• Prices from $24.86 to $2,088.95
• Sale watches up to 43% off
• 4,672 different watches in stock
• Free shipping on all international orders
• 30-day return policy
• 4-star average rating

A watch store based in the UK, Watches2U is an international entity that ships worldwide. Watches2U has been around for over 20 years and promises high-quality watches and affordable prices. The site was founded in 2001 and is featured in the Daily Mail and the Mirror. Watches2U currently ships to 100+ countries around the world including the US. With its sister site, Sunglasses2, you can get everything you want from one retailer. Plus, with its Toff London in-house brand for watches, you've got even more unique styles to choose from here.

Easy browsing with details at a glance

We loved our browsing experience on Watches2U. You can use the top navigation bar to start shopping by brand or gender. Once you find the watches you want, Watches2U has plenty of helpful filters to narrow the field. The only problem? Even if you switch the site to USA, you'll be seeing prices in GBP, so some calculations will be necessary to see the final cost in USD. Watches2U offers filters by gender, display type, strap type, color, price, head shape, clasp, chronograph, movement type, time accuracy, and more. The listings will show you the name, price (as well as the sale or savings), and whether or not a watch is currently in stock at a glance. When you click through a listing you can see how long it will take to ship, and whether or not there are any promo codes applicable to the watch you're looking at.

4,672 different watches in stock

There are plenty of watches to choose from at Watches2U. You'll find 2,232 watches for men and 2,440 different watches for women. Around 3,903 are analog watches, 509 of the watches are digital, and 10 offer smart- or touch-screen technology. You can expect to find brands like Fossil, Michael Kors, Daniel Wellington, Casio, Timex, Armani, Guess, and Vivienne Westwood across the inventory. The most popular dial color at Watches2U is white, closely followed by silver, and black.

Prices from $24.86 to $2,088.95

Watches2U offers a range of affordable pricing, but there is that little snag we mentioned. As we checked the costs for men's, women's, and smartwatches at Watches2U, we had to do a little translating because all of the prices are in GBP. So, we did the calculations for you to see the cost in USD. We also found the best sale watch (by sale percentage) at Watches2U. Across the inventory, the least expensive men's watch was a Bench watch in blue, and the cheapest for women was a Lipsy watch in cream/gold. The top-priced watches were a men's Baume & Mercier black watch and a women's Oris Artelier Watch. Here are the costs we found in USD:

• Men's watches: $24.86 to $1,958.39
• Women's watches: $24.86 to $2,088.95
• Smartwatches: $52.21 to $364.26
• Best sale watch: Michael Kors MK7212 Ladies Everest Watch for $182.77 (43% off)

Free shipping, but watch out for import taxes

International shipping from Watches2U is free of charge. You will be able to get your package within 3-10 days; however, it can take up to 6 weeks due to import and port authority stops. Your order may also be subject to duties and taxes depending on your location and policies for shipping to the US from the UK. These fees are determined by your customs office, though, and Watches2U can't control those (or give you pricing).

Returns within 30 days

Watches2U has a 30-day return policy that offers a full refund unless there is something missing or damaged in your return package (which will incur a $13.04 USD restocking fee). Sadly, any import taxes or fees you pay are also non-refundable, so you may need to take that into account before making a purchase. Returns to international sites in general tend to be much more costly.

Happy customers in the US

While Watches2U doesn't currently have a page on the Better Business Bureau, there are plenty of reviews on other third-party review sites like Trustpilot. With over 6,000 reviews, Trustpilot shows that Watches2U has a solid 4-star rating average out of 5. In general, customers praise the hassle-free experience. They have few to no problems with shipping and praised the quality of the items even after a long time in transit. Shoppers are generally happy with Watches2U, with 80% of all reviews showing 5 stars.

Impressive service even with the currency problem

Unless you need to worry about the international return issue, getting a watch from Watches2U is a pretty solid choice. While we would love for the site to update information for USD when users specifically choose the United States as their country of origin, this is the only real issue we had with Watches2U. Don't hesitate to give them a go when you're looking for a watch.

WatchMaxx

• Prices from $79 to $455,000
• Sale watches up to 73% off
• 8,581 different watches in stock
• Free shipping on orders of $150+
• 30-day return policy
• "A+” rating and accreditation from the BBB

WatchMaxx is a family-owned site that offers 25+ years of experience with fine watches. Specializing in "investment-quality timepieces” (yep, you're looking at beefy price tags here), you'll find a range of luxury watches but at better-than-average prices. All watches at WatchMaxx are promised to be 100% genuine and have authenticity details included. The watches also come with full warranty protection and original serial numbers.

Narrow the options to exactly what you want

You can start shopping for watches here by looking through the entire inventory, or use the top navigation bar to browse by gender, brand, parts, or savings. Once you pick a place to browse, use the detailed filters including delivery time, brand, style, band material, case material, dial color, gender, movement, and sale price to find exactly what you're looking for. The individual listings show the brand name, the specific watch, and the serial number at a glance. The listing previews also show the total price and the savings offered. Once you click through the listing, you'll see details for payment plans, extended protection, and whether or not the item is in stock. Some watches come with free standard shipping and a free band adjustment too.

Impressive luxury inventory, but no smartwatches

There are 8,581 different watches available at WatchMaxx. 4,905 of the watches are designed for men while 3,427 of them are designed for women. You can expect to see brands like Movado, Tissot, Breitling, Victorinox Swiss Army, Oris, Longines, Luminox, Omega, TAG Heuer, Hamilton, and more. 1,855 of the watches are considered "luxury” and 404 of the designs are "sport”. The most popular dial color is black (1,828 watches) followed by blue (1,356 watches). However, there are no smartwatches offered by WatchMaxx. Even using search terms like "smart” or "smartwatch” on the website turns up zero results.

Prices from $79 to $455,000

To compare prices with other watch stores, we looked at the costs for women's and men's watches at WatchMaxx. We also found the best sale watch (by sale percentage); however, since there were no smartwatches at this retailer, we couldn't include them in our price comparison. The lowest-cost men's watch was an Invicta Pro Diver and the cheapest for women was a Coach Classic Signature. The most expensive watches were a men's and women's Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. We found the following price ranges across the inventory:

• Men's watches: $89.95 to $455,000
• Women's watches: $79 to $215,900
• Smartwatches: Not offered
• Best sale watch: Glashutte Original (women's) for $1,889 (73% off)

Shipping free for orders of $150+

Free shipping is offered by WatchMaxx within the contiguous US. You will need to meet a threshold of $150 to qualify for free shipping. Otherwise, the price of shipping will be $5. This includes standard ground shipping in 1-5 business days. You can also pay extra for expedited shipping ($19) and next-day shipping ($29).

Refunds within 30 days don't cover shipping

WatchMaxx offers a 30-day return policy for any new watches. If you choose a pre-owned item, you will have a more limited time of 14 days instead. Regrettably, shipping charges are not included in the return policy, so you will have to pay a minimum of $15 to ship back your watch. However, if you pay for your order with one of the payment processing partners at WatchMaxx (Amazon Pay and Affirm), your order will not have any restocking fees. If you want to exchange your watch, you can get a free exchange if your item is over $350. Otherwise, you will have to pay for shipping on exchanges too.

Solid reviews overall but some concerns about quality

WatchMaxx has an impressive reputation overall, including a full "A+” rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. The BBB also awards WatchMaxx a 4.3-star average out of 5. While the ratings are still good elsewhere, there are a few more complaints on sites like Trustpilot where WatchMaxx has 3.8 stars out of 5. In general, customers loved their experience and found high-end watches for lower-than-average prices. However, a few customers had trouble with their customer service, long waits for shipping, or out-of-stock items. Some customers called it a "gamble” whether or not you get a watch without a defect. However, for most customers (almost 70%), the experience was very good.

Good for luxury picks

If you're looking for luxury watches, this is a great place to find a deal. While we would love to see a more robust return policy without high return shipping costs, the general consensus is that WatchMaxx will help you find your dream watch. However, with some concerns about overall quality, this site doesn't rank quite as high as it could, but it's still worth a look.

WatchCo

• Prices from $249.99 to $1,100.75
• Sale watches up to 60% off
• Around 280 watches in stock
• Free shipping on orders of $40+
• 110% price match guarantee
• 365-day return policy
• "A+” rating from the BBB

If you're looking for unique watches, WatchCo is the place for you. This watch store was established in 1993, and you can shop at one of WatchCo's three retail locations and its online store. Founded by David Gerczak, WatchCo is meant to help you find high-quality and designer timepieces with 100% authenticity and manufacturer warranties.

Typos and limited information

The site was started in 1993, and it looks like it. Once you start browsing, you'll find filters for men's, women's, unisex, color, product type, and material. However, there are a range of typos and repetitions in the filters. For example, there are three different tags for men in the gender filters ("Men,” "men's”, and "Mens”). There is a typo that reads "ProductType” all squished together, and some of the filters look like they are written in HTML to look like "Color_Black”. The listings themselves seem to be in order, but the text is very smushed together. You'll be able to see the price and the item name at a glance, but nothing else. There were no reviews from customers on the WatchCo site for any of the watches we looked at.

Limited inventory of around 280 watches

WatchCo has a limited inventory with only around 280 watches (including men's and women's selections). While you'll also find some unique picks like the Kit Cat Ocean Waves Limited Edition wall clock, you may miss out on some of your favorite watches or brands here. If you're looking for something specific, WatchCo may disappoint you. Some of the brands we saw included Bertucci, Garmin, Luminox, Tense-Inuk, and Nine2Five. There are around 26 smartwatches that include weather, health insights, time, and GPS capabilities.

Prices from $249.99 to $1,100.75

At WatchCo, we checked out the prices for men's, women's, and smartwatches. We also found the price for the best sale watch (with the highest sale percentage). The least expensive men's watch was a Casio Men's Black Dial, and the cheapest for women was a Timex Women's Classic. The most costly watches were a men's Luminox Black Dial and a women's Garmin Forerunner 255. When you break down the prices you'll find:

• Men's watches: $24.99 to $1,100.75
• Women's watches: $27.07 to $349.99
• Smartwatches: $2.99.99 to $1099.99
• Best sale watch: Tense Wood Mini Yukon for $140 (60% off)

Free shipping on orders $40+

WatchCo offers free shipping on orders over $40, and shipping will go to anywhere in the US including Hawaii and Alaska. If you don't meet the threshold, shipping for standard ground is $3.99, which is around $2 cheaper than many competitors. You can also pay for express shipping for $19.99 (2-day) and $34.99 (overnight).

100% price matching and refunds in 365 days

WatchCo offers two guarantees. First, the site has 110% Price Protection. If you find a watch for a lower cost at another site or store, WatchCo will refund you 110% of the difference. They also promise to honor the new cost if the price decreases at WatchCo after you purchase a watch. On top of this promise, you have access to a 365-day return policy. Returns are free and you'll get a 100% refund of your purchase price.

Mixed reviews include refund issues

Despite extremely impressive refund policies, WatchCo gets an average rating from reviewers. Currently, WatchCo holds a 3-star average on Trustpilot. While some customers praised the impressive customer care experience overall, others complained that items never shipped, representatives were rude and unhelpful, and refunds weren't provided even if items were returned within the policy timeline. However, around 72% of all reviews are 5 stars, so there is a balance of pros and cons at WatchCo. The site does have a solid "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau, which keeps it from falling too far in our review.

A mid-tier option with decent smartwatches

While we don't love the concerning reports of no refunds, WatchCo isn't all bad. There are plenty of folks who loved their experience. However, there are limitations in the inventory that might keep you from finding something if you have a specific watch or brand in mind. While we are pleased with the array of smartwatches compared to other sites, WatchCo isn't a top-tier option overall, earning a just-above-average rating from us.

Jomashop

• Prices from $18.98 to $6,950,000
• Sale watches up to 67% off
• 55,345 watches in stock
• Free shipping on orders $100+
• 100% authentic
• 30-day limited return policy
• 4.2-star average rating
• "A+” rating and accreditation from the BBB

Jomashop has been around for over 20 years to offer luxury fashion items to customers around the globe. A one-stop shop for accessories (including watches), you can find everything you love in one place. Between handbags, sunglasses, shoes, and fragrances, Jomashop helps customers create a total outfit at a fraction of retail costs. With tens of thousands of watches to choose from and the promise of 100% authenticity, you can expect a full range of choices at your fingertips.

Clean and modern site

Jomashop offers a clean browsing experience. You can start searching for watches by looking at those for men, for women, for use-case (like smartwatches or those for sports), or jump right into luxury options. Once you start browsing, Jomashop lets you filter by how fast the watch will ship, which ones have coupon offers, price, condition, brand, gender, category, color, watch style, and more. The listings give you the basics right away with the name, style, and price of the watch at a glance. You can also see how much each watch is on sale before even clicking on the listing.

55,345 watches in stock

Jomashop has a shockingly large inventory. There were a total of 55,345 different watches available at the time of our review. 33,563 of these watches were for men, and 18,311 styles were for women. There were also 4,782 smart- and sport-watches, but only 88 of those are "smart” and none of these are digital watches; they are all analog and miss many of the features most customers picture when they think "smartwatch”.

Prices from $18.98 to $6,950,000

Ever seen million-dollar watches before? Well, get ready to feast your eyes. To give you a solid price comparison across different watch stores, we checked out the pricing for men's, women's, and smartwatches. However since none of the smartwatches were actually smartwatches with a screen here, we did not include them in this comparison. In addition, we found the best sale watch at Jomashop. The least expensive men's watch was a Timex UFC Street Quartz and the cheapest for women was a Timex Standard Quartz. The most expensive watches include a Patek Philippe Grand Complications Hand Wind for men and a Patek Philippe Aquanaut Luce Minute Repeated for women. Here's what our research turned up:

• Men's watches: $19.99 to $6,950,000
• Women's watches: $18.98 to $1,650,000
• Smartwatches: Not included
• Best sale watch: Ice Watch (unisex) for $59.99 (67% off)

Free shipping on orders of $100+

Jomashop offers free ground shipping on any order over $100. Jomashop will pick the shipping method among UPS, FedEx, or USPS depending on what is least costly on their end. If you do need to pay for standard shipping, it will cost you $5.99. Regrettably, shipping policies for returns aren't as helpful. For returns, the cost of shipping will be deducted from your final refund (even if you qualified for free shipping in the first place).

Refunds within 30 days for like-new items

Jomashop allows for returns within 30 days, but there are some limitations. All items must be in their original packaging with serial numbers and tags attached. Otherwise, your refund may be refused. If the packaging is not perfect, you may have to pay 10%-25% in restocking fees for sending back "used” items. Pre-owned items have a similar policy, but those must be returned within 14 days rather than 30.

Mixed reviews and costly returns

Jomashop has a mixed reputation depending on where you look. Currently, this watch store has a 4.2-star average on Trustpilot, with impressive reviews from customers who love the authenticity and safe delivery of their items. However, on Sitejabber, the reviews are more balanced with a 3.4-star average rating. Recent reviews show increasing levels of dissatisfaction with the customer service at Jomashop. There were issues with replacing watches, issues getting refunds, and a large number of complaints about expensive return shipping. However, Jomashop does hold a solid "A+” rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau which increases its reliability a bit more.

Misses the mark on customer service

While the impressive range of watches is a standout feature (and if you're in the million-dollar watch market, this is the place to be), there are some downsides to consider. The smartwatches listed aren't actually digital or offer smart features like heart monitoring or calling. On top of that, the lackluster return policy and issues reported by customers make this site less than ideal for many watch aficionados. Unless you have to have that top-of-the-line watch, you may want to browse elsewhere first.

Zales

• Prices from $315 to $2,995
• Sale watches up to 70% off
• 1,323 watches available
• Free shipping on $199+
• Free return shipping
• 30-day returns
• "A+” rating and accreditation from the BBB

Zales is one of the most popular jewelers in the US. Known for its exquisite wedding rings and beautiful diamond selection, Zales is a catch-all for jewelry and accessories that stand out for being high-end. You can find all sorts of watches at Zales under the cheeky "Time to Upgrade” banner. Zales has been open since 1924 when Morris Zale and William Zale opened the first Zales Jewelers location in Texas. The company now has over 400 retail locations and a beautiful online store where you buy anything from diamonds to necklaces to a snazzy new watch.

Helpful filters and tons of details on listings

To find watches on Zales, you can use the top navigation bar to jump right in. Once you decide on which watches to scan through, Zales has helpful filters like gender, price, metal type, metal colors, stone type, stone color, and bracelet style. The listings themselves show clear photos of the watches, the names, and the price all at a glance. Many of the watches come with a free gift with purchase (which will also be shown on the listing preview). If you click through to the listing page itself, you'll see options for payment plans, estimated ship dates, whether your chosen watch is eligible for any promotions, the specifics of the free gifts, and whether it qualifies for free shipping. For example, on a Bulova watch, Zales was offering a free mini Bluetooth speaker with purchase.

1,323 watches available

While the inventory isn't as large as some watch stores in our review, Zales has a solid base of brands to choose from. You can find Bulova, Citizen, Armani, Casio, Coach, Fossil, Invicta, JBW, Kate Spade, Movado, and Rolex. There are currently 861 watches in the men's section and 462 watches in the women's. The majority of the watches are stainless steel (743) with the next closest metal type being white gold (457). There are some luxury watches here, but most are more popular brands than high-end luxury. You won't find any smartwatches here, but there are plenty of stylish straps for an Apple watch.

Prices from $315 to $2,995

At Zales, we looked at the costs of women's and men's watches. We also found the best sale watch, but since there weren't smartwatches at Zales, we couldn't offer those in our price comparison. To give you a quick idea of the watches you can expect, the lowest-cost men's watch was a Citizen Eco-Drive, and the women's watch was a Bulova Sutton Diamond Accent Watch. The most costly watches were a men's Bulova Precisionist Special GRAMMY Edition and a women's Movado SE Automatic. Here are the expected costs:

• Men's watches: $315 to $975
• Women's watches: $395 to $2,995
• Smartwatches: Not included
• Best sale watch: Ladies' Citizen Eco-Drive for $247.50 (70% off)

Free shipping at $199+

Zales has a higher-than-average threshold to score free shipping. You have to place a minimum order of $199 to qualify. Since all of the watches cost more than $199, you can be sure you'll get free shipping every time. However, if you decide to buy other jewelry from Zales, make sure you get enough in the cart to qualify for free shipping.

Free returns in 30 days

Returns are allowed within 30 days of your shipment date, and you can make exchanges up to 60 days from the shipment date. Exchanges must be done at a Zales retail location, rather than through shipping. To qualify, all items need to be in their original condition and include all packages and paperwork. But Zales does provide a free pre-printed label for return shipping, so you will not have to pay any fees to send back your watch.

Customers aren't satisfied with service reps

Currently, Zales holds an "A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, but it's a little harder to find balanced reviews of the company. For such a large retailer, there aren‘t many individual reviews to see online. There are just under 300 total reviews across both Trustpilot and Sitejabber. Customers complain about rude customer service personnel during the return process. "Horrible customer service” is a phrase we see popping up for Zales across all review sites, which is disappointing for a place known for its luxury jewelry and high-end appeal.

All-around average

While we're disappointed in Zales' reputation for returns and customer service, if you don't wind up having to deal with a Zales rep, you might be all right. With free returns in 30 days (and no shipping fees) this is a good place to shop if you're worried about needing to send something back. But with reports of difficult customer service team members, the return process may be pretty bumpy. While the prices aren't great, you can find a lot of your favorite brands here. For these reasons, Zales comes in as an average choice in our review.

World of Watches

• Prices from $23.98 to $7M
• Sale watches up to 73% off
• Over 20,000 watches to choose from
• Free shipping on $74.99+
• Price-match guarantee
• 30-day returns
• "A-” rating and accreditation from the BBB

Despite its name, World of Watches is an online retailer that offers more than just watches (but that's its primary focus). World of Watches offers a range of accessories, fragrances, and clothing at this one-stop shop. Promising 100% authenticity and only new watches, you can buy your next timepiece and get everything else covered too. Plus with regular and seasonal sales, World of Watches has some solid prices and deals for both luxury and standard watches.

Find the watch page before you start

The World of Watches landing page shows you the "daily deals” before you even start searching. If you're looking for something more specific, you can use the top navigation bar to browse men's, women's, and by brand. But, you may want to start by clicking "watches” first or you'll end up seeing the entire men's or women's inventory on World of Watches. Once you get to the page you prefer, there are a range of filters like category, price, brand, department, gender, color, dial color, case shape, features, movement, and more to help you narrow the options. The listings themselves include the names of the watches and how much you're saving with the sales at a glance.

Over 20,000 watches to choose from

World of Watches has a massive inventory of 20,572 different items in the watch section of the site. There are 13,079 men's styles and 6,182 women's styles. The rest are unisex options along with a few watches for children too. There are some unique styles as well, like 36 military watches, 5,452 luxury watches, and only 10 listed as smartwatches. However, these smartwatches don't offer many of the features of what we normally think of as a smartwatch, and none of them offer touchscreen capability.

Prices from $23.98 to $7M

For our price comparison, we looked at the costs of women's and men's watches. We also found the best sale watch at World of Watches; however, since the smartwatches didn't offer truly "smart” technology, we did not include them in our price comparison. To give you a quick idea of the watches you can expect here, the lowest-cost men's and women's watches were each a different black Timex. The most expensive watches were a men's Patek Philippe Men's Grand Complications and a women's Patek Philippe Women's Aquanaut Composite. Here's are the expected price ranges:

• Men's watches: $24.98 to $7,158,499.98
• Women's watches: $23.98 to $1,699,499.98
• Smartwatches: Not included
• Best sale watch: Movado Women's Kara Stainless Steel for $168.98 (73% off)

Free shipping on $74.99+

World of Watches offers free shipping on all orders over $100. This covers priority mail and your watch will arrive at your home in 1-7 days, depending on the shipping company. According to the shipping policies, you can easily get free shipping on orders $74.99+ too if you use what appears to be a permanent code "WOWSHIP”. If you don't meet either of these thresholds, the cost for standard shipping is $5.99.

Limited price matching and costly returns

World of Watches also has a Best Price Guarantee. If you find a better deal on another site, World of Watches will match the price for you. However, you will need to make sure that the total price of purchase (including shipping, taxes, and sales) is lower than the price at World of Watches. The policy is also limited to one item per claim, and it does not apply to auction websites or certain brands (but the excluded brands are not listed). The site also offers a 30-day return policy for any new or unused watches you don't like. Be aware that any item over $4,000 will require an 8% restocking fee, and you will not be reimbursed for shipping when you make your return.

Customers leave lots of complaints

World of Watches holds an "A-” rating from the Better Business Bureau, which isn't too shabby, but the ratings on other third-party review sites show some concerning red flags. On Sitejabber, where World of Watches has the most reviews, the company only holds a 2.2-star average out of 5. Customers complained about being sent watches that were dead and could not be fixed. Some noted that they received watches without warranties, and others complained that company reps don't care about their customers at all. Some reviews mentioned waiting weeks with still no resolution to problems. With missing orders, and issues with customer service all over the place, we're a little concerned about the business practices at World of Watches.

Use it for watch research

While the inventory is extremely impressive, and there are plenty of watches to choose from, this may not be the best place to actually buy. If you want a place to help you research different watches and get ballpark ideas on pricing (even for extremely high-end brands), you can use World of Watches as a resource. However, with consistently negative reviews for customer service and quality, you may want to do the actual purchasing somewhere else.

Authentic Watches

• Prices from $850 to $199,000
• Sale watches up to 46% off
• Around 800 watches in inventory
• Free next-day shipping
• 100% authentic
• 30-day return policy
• "A+” rating from the BBB

AuthenticWatches is a watch store that's family-owned and focuses on Swiss-made luxury timepieces. AuthenticWatches was started as McPherson Jewelers, which opened in 1979 as an authorized dealer of watches and jewelry. Based in Southern California, this retailer moved into the online space to serve a worldwide customer base (which is when it changed its name from McPherson to AuthenticWatches). With a promise of 100% authentic Swiss watches, the selection may be slightly more limited but includes plenty of high-quality watches in its inventory.

Could use a visual update

The top menu bar offers you direct links to specific brands like Rolex, Breitling, Omega, and Cartier right away. If you look far enough to the right of your screen, you'll also see the option to browse by men's or women's watches. AuthenticWatches offers filters like brand, dial color, movement, case size, case material, and price. However, using these filters may be difficult depending on the browser you use. For example, the site glitched for us while using Firefox, but seemed totally fine on Microsoft Edge. The listings themselves are detailed including the name and brand of the watch, but the text can feel tight and hard to read on some browsers. Once you click through the listing, you'll see details about whether or not a particular watch is in stock, whether it is new or used, and the expected delivery window.

Around 800 watches to choose from

Specializing in Swiss watches, AuthenticWatches includes mostly Swiss brands with a few popular extras. You can expect to see TAG Heuer, Breitling, Omega, Baume & Mercier, Oris, Rolex, Cartier, Tissot, Movado, MontBlanc, Tudor, Hublot, and Piguet. The number of items in stock is much lower at AuthenticWatches compared to other sites in our review: there were only 475 men's watches and 328 women's watches. The most popular brands are Rolex and Omega and the most offered watch-face color was white mother of pearl (65 watches) and silver (44 watches). There were also a handful of smartwatches by Tag Heuer.

Prices from $850 to $199,000

We compared prices at each watch store by looking at the price ranges for men's, women's, and smartwatches. We also found the best sale watch too, so you can see what kind of deals you might expect. The least expensive watch for men was a Baume & Mercier Hampton and the cheapest option for women was a Michele Serein Limited The most costly options were a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona with 18k White Gold for men and a Rolex Lady-Datejust with White Gold for women. The price ranges include:

• Men's watches: $875 to $199,000
• Women's watches: $850 to $37,995
• Smartwatches: $2,215 to $10,125
• Best sale watch: Baume & Mercier Hampton Stainless Steel Quartz Men's Watch for $875 (46% off)

Free next-day shipping

AuthenticWatches has an impressive shipping policy that says any item listed as "in stock” will ship the same day you order. All purchases over $500 will receive free FedEx overnight shipping on any weekday. Since all of the watches offered by AuthenticWatches are over that threshold, you can expect free next-day shipping on every single order you place.

30-day refund policy

AuthenticWatches offers a 30-day free return policy also. If you're not satisfied with your new watch for any reason, you can return it within 30 days of the date it was shipped to you. You won't have to pay shipping or restocking fees either. With so many big-ticket items for sale here, this is a great policy to help you feel confident in making an order.

Red flags for warranties and returns

Currently, AuthenticWatches has a full "A+” rating on the Better Business Bureau, but the reviews show some concerns. At Trustpilot, the average rating for AuthenticWatches is just 2.4 stars, and on Sitejabber the average is just 1.7 stars. Customers complain that warranties weren't honored on watches purchased from AuthenticWatches. Further, customers noted that similar or the same watches could be found elsewhere for much lower prices. With increasing complaints about difficult customer service reps, repeated issues with warranties across review platforms, and some customers not receiving a full refund as promised, AuthenticWatches raises quite a few red flags.

Don't waste your money

Despite an impressive inventory of luxury watches, AuthenticWatches has extremely negative reviews with a host of issues, including problems with warranties and returns. Considering the high price tag for many of these watches, it's important that you're able to trust the company you're buying from. For this reason, AuthenticWatches isn't a spot you want to consider.

Watch Station

• Prices from $24.99 to $1,956.99
• Sale watches up to 40% off
• 1,364 watches in stock
• Free shipping on orders $150+
• 30-day return policy

Watch Station is a watch store that partners with brands around the world to help you have access to the newest styles on the market. A member of Fossil Group since 2007, Watch Station owns over 100 physical stores worldwide on top of its online presence. Watch Station promises to be ahead of the curve with innovations and wearable tech. However, you may find slightly fewer high-end luxury brands here..

Simple browsing with helpful filters

Browsing at Watch Station is a simple and modern experience. You can start shopping with the top navigation menu which offers quick browsing for new watches, specific brands, and men's and women's watches. The site offers helpful filters including brand, department, price, case color, strap color, dial color, material, jewelry silhouette, movement, and more. The listings themselves tell you the name and the price, and show star ratings for each item. When you click on a particular item, you'll see more details like how soon the item will ship and if you can pick up a particular watch in-store. The only frustration is that Watch Station doesn't show if an item is out of stock until you click on the full listing, which can create some annoying back-and-forth while browsing.

1,364 watches in stock

Some of the brands you'll find at Watch Station include luxury names like Armani Exchange, Diesel, DKNY, ELLE, Armani, Fossil, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Skagen, Thom Olson, and Zodiac. There are 730 different watches for women and 634 watch styles for men. Sadly, we didn't find any true smartwatches, despite the company's promise to sell them. The page that offers smartwatches seems to focus on "digital” or watches that just aren't analog rather than those with true "smart” capabilities. The most popular dial color at Watch Station is white (with 184 different watches) followed by silver (103 watches). The most popular brand is Fossil - which makes sense given Watch Station's partnership with Fossil Group.

Prices from $24.99 to $1,956.99

For our watch store price comparison, we checked out the cost for men's, women's, and smartwatches. However since none of the smartwatches were actually touch screen and "smart”-featured (just digital watches), we did not include them for Watch Station. We also looked at the sale watches to show you the best deal you might find. The least expensive men's watch was a Sketchers Larson 44MM Digital Chronograph, and the cheapest for women was a Sketchers Floweridge. The most costly watches were a Field Olympos Automatic Leather Watch for men and a Caber Mid Two-Tone 18k Gold-Plated Diamond Watch for women. Here's what you can expect:

• Men's watches: $30 to $995
• Women's watches: $24.99 to $1,956.99
• Smartwatches: Not included
• Best sale watch: Michael Kors Liliane Three-Hand for $124.99 (40% off)

Shipping is free on orders of $50+

Shipping at Watch Station is offered for free on any order over $50. Most standard shipping items will arrive within three days and at zero cost. You will see this notice on every item in the store, and you'll see free shipping automatically applied to your cart when you reach the $50 threshold. If you don't reach $50 in your cart, standard ground shipping is $5.99.

Refunds within 30 days

Watch Station also offers free 30-day returns. If you aren't satisfied with your items for any reason, you can return them for a full refund. Every order includes detailed return instructions if necessary, and you'll also get a manufacturer's warranty. The site does not state whether or not you need to pay for return shipping, but if you pay for shipping to you, the shipping cost isn't refundable.

Concerning reviews about shipment problems

Watch Station doesn't have a lot of buzz online. There are only 99 total customer reviews on Trustpilot, and many of the items on Watch Station that are supposed to have their own reviews have no reviews at all. Currently, the average rating for Watch Station is 2.4 stars out of 5. Customers complain about receiving the wrong watch, receiving faulty watches, and having difficulties with both the warranty and attempted returns. All of the reviews within the last year have nothing positive to say about Watch Station. The Better Business Bureau also notes some issues with Watch Station, indicated by its "B+” rating overall, which keeps us from trusting the quality at Watch Station.

Reviewers don't recommend it

Considering there are plenty of watch stores that can get you the right watch when you order, you may not find Watch Station the most ideal. The selection is more limited, only holding middle-tier luxury items rather than truly high-end accessories. Further, with rampant issues with shipment mistakes, and complaints from customers across Trustpilot, this may not be the best site to trust with your money.