The 1990s were a fabulous decade. While 90s kids would wholeheartedly agree, we can surely convince folks from other generations that the last great decade of 20th Century was indeed a great time to be alive. Speaking of time, 90s watches too were in a different league all together. So, was 90s fashion and 90s Britpop, Grunge and pop music. We could rave on possibly about every aspect of the 90s that is influential in pop culture today, but that is a conversation best left for some other time.
Down below, we have done a rundown of the best 90s watches which encapsulate the zeitgeist of that memorable time perfectly. These timepieces are still going on strong both in terms of fashion appeal and efficacy after nearly 30 years. Without further ado, let’s get started.
7 Best 90s Watches You Can Still Buy in 2023
1) Rolex GMT-Master II
The timeless Rolex GMT-Master I was the epitome of the 90s. Considered as one of the best 90s watches, its production was halted in the 90s. So, we have inducted its sister model, the GMT-Master II which resembles the Dark Knight’s color scheme.
The GMT-Master II lets you adjust the hour hand and some of its variants also feature a rotatable bezel which came in handy in different time zones in the glorious 90s. It could also simultaneously keep track of three time zones concurrently.
The GMT-Master II was indeed one of the best gmt watches of the 90s and couple with Rolex’s premium brand aesthetics it has gained a following in recent years as well.
2) Omega Seamaster 300M
Super spy James Bond aka 007 is very fond of his watches. And, the Omega Seamaster 300M makes for one helluva of a timepiece in James Bond watch collection. We are talking about the Pierce Brosnan era of the 90s.
The iconic movie character, James Bond, got even more suave on the silver screen when Brosnan took over as the new charming Bond in town. It was he who introduced the Omega Seamaster 300m to public limelight in Goldeneye in 1995.
The lush navy blue and black watch faces on the Seamaster 300m oozes style and panache of a different kind. If you want to pair something that is classy for your official endeavours, the Seamaster 300m is a serious contender for the job.
Interestingly, since 1995, the James Bond character has gone on to wear an Omega watch in all of the films to date including the current Bond, Daniel Craig, who has his own Daniel Craig watch collection of Omega timepieces.
3) Swatch Originals GP156
Renowned for their peppy and women-centric style, the Swatch line watches are Swiss-made watches that are quintessential 90s watches introduced in the early years of that decade.
Swatch watches were designed to be worn as the ‘second watch’, as they were suitable as casual accessories as opposed to other brands that were marketed solely as timepieces.
The bright color timepieces, especially the Pink and Purple variants are iconic 90s watches that look every bit vintage now.
Since Swatch watches were designed to be worn with casual attire, they were very affordable and had a certain mass appeal. However, many of the 90s swatches had a plastic and rubber-feel, a stark contrast to contemporaries of the time. Luckily, you can still buy one of these playful 90s swatches and relive your youth and nostalgia.
4) Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
Quite a sturdy looking timepiece, this hit 90s watch was popularized by action film stars with a macho personality such as Arnold Schwarzenegger. Renowned for his action roles and Greek God physique, there were not a lot of watches that would look right on Arnie’s massive wrists.
Despite receiving a gift from his rival, later his friend, Sylvester Stallone of a Panerai watch following his return from Europe, the Terminator favored his own watch brand,
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak model first premiered in 1993 after Arnold’s Terminator 2 had broken numerous box office records. The Royal Oak variant with the wooden color scheme instantly gave Arnie’s Governator look even more credence and appeal.
5) Panerai Luminor 1950
Often regarded as Sylvester Stallone’s signature timepiece in the 90s, the Panerai Luminor 1950 was first introduced by Sylvester Stallone on the silver screen in the film Daylight.
Subsequently, Panerai saw an exponential boost in sales in the 90s off the back of Stallone’s preference for this watch. Unsurprisingly, Stallone became the brand ambassador for this once little-known Italian watchmaker. So much so, you still might bump into Stallone wearing one of these timepieces.
6) Timex Ironman Classic 30
Perhaps the most popular watchmaker on our list of 90s watches, Timex introduced its famous Ironman series in the late 80s but these watches reached iconic status and highest sales in the 90s.
The Timex Ironman Classic 30 was touted at the time as a futuristic timepiece because a mere touch of a button would light up your watch with a light blue color which was also called Indiglo night light.
Interestingly, a vast majority of Timex watches till date feature this Indiglo feature in most of their timepieces.
However, the model that you are seeing in the picture above is not the exact one from the 90s, rather an updated version of the Ironman Classic 30 that has reached iconic status among horologists worldwide.
7) G-Shock Baby G
Rounding off our list of the best 90s watches is the G-Shock Baby G that was introduced in the mid 90s and continued to be a pop culture staple watch throughout the 90s.
The ‘Baby G’ was a lightweight and highly popular women’s watch. In fact, this watch brought a renaissance of sorts for the G-shock series watches in the 90s and parent company Casio was more than happy to introduce similar variants on the market.
One may notice how this line of watches inspires design of newer G-Shock models to date including the G-Shock Rangeman. Even in recent years, pop icon Rihanna can be seen donning these iconic timepieces which is testimony to their widespread appeal.
Best 90s Watches: Bottom Line
The 90s still continue to influence our fashion choices till date in myriad ways, and the 90s watches on our list arguably had a huge impact at the time. So, what watches did you love the most from the 90s? Let us know in the comments.