Finding the right watch can be tricky. Watches can last a long time, so picking the right one is important because it’s a commitment. From weighing the pros and cons of different types of mechanisms to choosing among the various styles of watches.
Check out these handy tips for choosing the right watch for you.
Consider Watch Movements
Movement involves not only the sweep of a watch’s hands around its face but the way its inner mechanisms produce that effect. Thus, a watch’s movement is fundamental in how it keeps time. There are three types of watch movement: mechanical, automatic, and quartz.
The Mechanical Watch
The movement of the mechanical watch is powered by a coiled wire of metal, known as a mainspring, that is wound by hand. If you have an appreciation for history, refinement, and craftsmanship, the mechanical watch is a good choice.
Note that it requires regular winding, is not 100% accurate, and is expensive. It makes up for this with its character and by requiring no battery.
The Automatic Watch
Automatic watches are also powered by a mainspring. The difference is you don’t need to wind it yourself to keep it ticking. Instead, your movement throughout the day winds up the mainspring as you wear it. They also require no battery but can be quite expensive.
If you want an automatic watch, you can check online reviews. You can also go through compiled rankings for the top automatic watches at WatchForTomorrow.com to find out which one will best suit you. Compare the specifications of each and decide if it’s really worth the price.
The Quartz Watch
Quartz watches are powered by electricity from a small battery. The battery sends the electricity through a small quartz crystal which causes the crystal to vibrate 32,768 times per second. Then the vibrations are measured by a circuit, which converts the vibrations into a pulse, which moves the second hand on the watch.
If you’re looking for affordability, durability, and accuracy, this one’s for you.
Choose a Style
You’ll be wearing your watch a lot, so it has to go with your style. It’s one of the most important considerations when you’re choosing a watch.
For example, if you’re a pragmatist or simply a minimalist who isn’t into gadgets and functions, a nice three-hand watch with an easy-to-read dial may be the way to go. Alternatively, if you’re fashion-forward, consider watches with colorful dials or unusual case shapes.
You’re spoiled for choice:
- For a dressy look opt for a dress watch. Identifiable by their typically thin leather strap, with dial displays that have simple hour indexes such as saber-style indexes (those little lines), Roman numerals, or small Arabic numerals
- Consider a field watch for a casual, rugged style. Identifiable by their typically stainless steel or sometimes titanium case and white dial and black numbering, or black dial with white numbering
Know the Features
Your basic wristwatch tells you the time, but if you want a watch that does other things besides that, you have options. Thanks to technology a lot of wristwatches come with extra features called “complications.”
Useful features you can choose from include:
- Calendars
- Displaying the phases of the moon
- Power reserve indicators
- Repeaters which is a feature that chimes the hour and minutes on your watch at the press of a button
- Displaying dual time zones
- World timer indications
- A chronograph, that times intermediate events such as swimming laps or running sprints
Compare the Price
Once you decide what type, style, and watch features you want, the next major decision is to decide what kind of price range to look in.
With watch prices ranging from getting a Casio watch at $10.00 to the most expensive watches costing millions of dollars the gap in price ranges is massive.
A distinction can be made between mass-market luxury watches and rare luxury watches. Brands like Rolex and TAG Heuer charge thousands of dollars for a watch even though they mass-produce by hundreds of thousands each year because they’ve created the perception in the public through decades of advertising that their watches are elite and worth thousands of dollars. On the other hand, companies like Audemars Piguet, and Blancpain can command exorbitant prices because they’re actually scarce. Often, just a few hundred or maybe a thousand of a particular watch are made, because each watch is meticulously handcrafted (with a little help from machines) from the finest materials and taking up to months or even years to be finished.
When it comes to price, frugality is relative. If a 10,000 dollar watch will not make a dent in your bank account, by all means, get your money’s worth. If you’re an average Joe, there are plenty of watches that will fit your needs, budget, and still get you compliments.
Finding just the right watch for you can seem daunting, especially if you’re new to the market. It doesn’t have to be, however, if you carefully consider watch movement, style, features, and price.
