Learn How to Buy Your First Luxury Watch

What variables, such as style, size, and technology, should you take into account?

Style. Watches can be classified into a variety of categories and genres, the most common of which being dress and sport. Watches can be classified according to their conventional uses (diving watches, pilot watches, field watches, etc.), more ambiguous designations (tactical watches, minimalist watches, etc.), or functionality (chronographs, GMTs, even alarm watches, etc.). There’s a lot to discover, but it’s useful to understand the purpose of a watch’s design or features, as well as the variety of options accessible.

 

Size. 

The correct watch size is mostly determined by your wrist size and how bold of a style you like. Traditional watch sizes are measured horizontally in millimeters, excluding the crown. Other elements, though, influence how large the watch appears and feels. They include the case thickness, lug-to-lug length, as well as the color and size of the dial. Even the climate in which you reside (short-sleeve weather is preferable for larger watches) and the sort of clothing you regularly wear are important considerations. When feasible, try on a watch before purchasing rather than depending solely on dimensions to evaluate its fit. In addition to looking at it on your wrist, check it out in a mirror.

Technology.

The movement is what keeps the watch ticking inside. The kind can make a major difference in price, so you should understand what you’re paying for — for example, the difference between traditional mechanical movements (which include automatic watches) and battery-powered quartz movements. Quartz is less expensive and more accurate, although it is frequently regarded as less intriguing.

Mechanical movements are valued exactly because they are more sophisticated, difficult, and expensive to produce — plus it’s good not to have to change a battery because these are driven by an unwinding spring. Automatic motions are also mechanical, with a rotor that spins when you move your wrist to maintain the spring wound.

Design that is refined and unique.

Beauty is subjective, but you should get the impression that as much time and effort went into creating and perfecting a high-end watch as it did into manufacturing it. This can be applied to both traditional and unorthodox, avant-garde styles.

 

Materials that are unusual.

At this pricing point, solid gold, platinum, and the like will be typical, but you can also discover proprietary alloys and, on occasion, unusual and inventive materials. Stainless steel watches become less common as you approach the five-figure mark, unless they have a specific prestige value (such as the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak) or are regarded rarities from manufacturers that solely utilize precious metals, such as Patek Philippe and A. Lange & Söhne.

Handmade and completed by hand.

The higher the price, the more likely that a large portion of a watch’s components were individually made and completed by hand. This can include everything from the casing and dial elements to the hundreds of microscopic movement parts inside the watch (yes, even ones you can’t see). This requires professional and experienced employees, can take many hours or days, and inevitably restricts manufacturing capacity.

Crafts and methods from other countries.

This can range from engraved movements and guilloché dials to uncommon techniques adopted from other industries, cultures, or periods by watchmakers. Watch companies will be eager to tell you everything you need to know about these strategies in their marketing materials.

Movements that are complicated.

Not only can you anticipate high-quality movements with gorgeous finishes, but also more features than just telling time — and combinations of features. Perpetual calendars and tourbillons are two watchmaker favorites, and you’ll see both on the same watch when you get into the really sophisticated stuff.

Certifications of renown.

For ultra-high-end watches that acquire particular certifications, such as the coveted Geneva Seal, even movement finishing must reach a specified quality (among other criteria).