Looking to invest in the perfect wristwatch? Let us introduce you to 5 useful tips on how to choose a watch that best suits you. We look at design, budget, functional features, and we help you choose the right watch for your personality and style!
How to choose a watch that suits me?
With so many options out there, it's hard to choose the watch that best suits you. But there are a few things that can help you narrow down the search and make the best decision. And those are: the style and design of the watch, the movement, its functional features, your wrist size, and of course, your budget.
Let's look at each of these aspects and establish what are the right variables for you when it comes to choosing a watch. And then, you can narrow down the search for your perfect watch.
5 tips to choose the perfect watch
1. Choose the right style / design
How to choose the right style for your watch? It's simple. Think about your lifestyle, and about the places and events where you will wear the watch most frequently.
For example, if you work from home and regularly leave the house to go to the gym or grocery shopping, you want to opt for a casual, sporty watch. A watch that you can wear with T-shirts, gym clothes, and semi-smart outfits as well.
Semi-formal Guess watch for ladies - perfect for everyday wear & special events
Alternatively, if you have an elegant dress code at work, if you regularly attend parties, or corporate events, you will want to opt for a more elegant, dress watch. Something that's full stainless steel maybe - in silver or gold tones.
2. Opt for the right watch movement for you
There are usually three types of watch movements to choose from: quartz (battery powered), hand-winding, or self-winding movements.
Quartz watches are generally more affordable. They work with a battery and they are precise. The only thing is, you need to change the battery from time to time.
Hand-winding movements are mechanical movements that need to be regularly winded manually in order to keep time correctly. Watch enthusiasts often opt for this type of watch. With this one, you need to remember to hand-wind it daily, or every two days, depending on the power reserve, and to check from time to time that the watch still keeps time correctly.
Self-winding movements are some of the most impressive out there. These are mechanical movements that get charged as you wear the watch on the wrist and move your arm during the day. These watches are usually more expensive.
When it comes to your perfect watch, select the movement that makes sense to you. If you're not a watch enthusiast, you can't go wrong with a quartz movement. It does the job and needs minimum maintenance.
3. What features are you looking for in a watch?
Watches have a variety of functional features and special design features that you can take advantage of.
When it comes to useful features, some watches offer options like: day & date display window, multiple time zones, high resistance to water, alarm function, geolocation, compass, and so on. Of course, many of these functions are already present within our smartphones, so you need to ask yourself which of these are you actually going to use?
Casio Mens G-shock Multifunction Watch
Then, when it comes to the design of the watch, there are a few things to consider as well. For example, some people prefer to have a digital display, instead of an analog one. Some people prefer to have large, easy-to-read numerals, glow-in-the-dark hands, and so on.
It all comes down to preferences, necessities, and lifestyle. So, you need to ask yourself, what features are important to you?
4. Know your wrist size
Use a fabric measuring tape to measure your wrist above the bone, where the watch would normally sit. As a general rule, a watch that will fit you needs to be with 2-2.5 cm longer than your wrist (case + strap).
You also need to consider the size of the case - diameter and height. Make sure that the height of the case (lugs included) does not surpass the thickness of your wrist. Otherwise, the watch will look extra bulky on the wrist.
A good way to know if a watch is right for you size-wise, is to compare it to a watch that you already own and that fits well. There will be slight differences, of course. The material of the strap also comes into play here.
If you found a watch that you love online, go to a local store and try one with similar measurements. This way you'll know more or less if the watch you want will fit you.
Keep in mind that some watches can be tightened to fit your wrist, especially those with metal bracelets. Links can be taken out in order for the watch to fit a smaller wrist size. But if the case is to big for your wrist, there's not much you can do.
5. Decide what budget to invest in your watch
A watch is something different for everyone. While for some it's just a time-keeper, for others it's a fashion accessory, for some it's a watchmaking miracle, and for some it's a status symbol. What does this watch mean to you? Answer this question and you'll know what budget you need to invest.
If you're looking for a watch that keeps perfect time and that's it, you can spend a minimum budget of $20-$30. A variety of high-quality Casio and Armitron watches are available for purchase on platforms like Amazon, or even second-hand on eBay, and they work like a charm.
When it comes to fashion watches, you can opt for beautiful affordable timepieces in a price range of $80-$350. Brands like Guess, Fossil, Citizen, Seiko, Timex, Bulova, and many more, offer a large variety of luxurious designs that will simply shine on the wrist. And if you're willing to invest more, you can even opt for more premium brands like Longines or Frederique Constant.
For affordable luxurious fashion watches make sure to check out our selection of vintage & pre-owned watches. Especially if you're interested in vintage timepieces.
If watchmaking is your passion, than you certainly know what brands you need to add to your list. A lot of different opinions here, but some of our favorite watch brands out there are Zenith, Patek Philippe, and Omega. Please let us know, which ones are yours?
Finally, if you're looking for a status piece, the most hunted brand out there is, of course, Rolex. And they are quickly followed by Patek Philippe, Omega, and Cartier - the last one is especially popular for women. You will often see rich couples in movies wearing two of the most popular status watch brands out there: a Rolex for him, and a Cartier for her.
How to choose the perfect watch
Now that you've been through the 5 things you need to consider in order to choose your perfect watch, write them down and narrow down your search gradually. Style, movement, wrist size, features, and budget, these are the 5 major guidelines that should influence your choice. And, of course, choose a watch that you find beautiful and that you'll enjoy wearing. It's probably what matters the most!
Already found the perfect watch? Or are you still searching for it? Let us know in the comments what's the watch that you love most. And if you have any other tips on how to find the right timepiece!