Your Next Watch: A Guide for Buying a Great Watch!

Seiko SRPC07 Orange Samurai Diver

For this week's blog post, I am writing on a topic that was suggested to me by my friend and co-worker, Ryan. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a watch enthusiast, with quite a collection of "normal" watches and "smart" watches. I will not mention my totals for two reasons; the first being that this number is subject to change, and secondly because its not gentlemanly to brag unless someone asks. It's not GENTRY! (Follow "The Urban Gentry" on YouTube) Shameless plug for my favorite watch YouTuber aside... Let's begin!

So, I would like to get something out of the way before we delve into this post and subject any further. Everything I will be writing about will contain my personal opinion on what the best things to look out for actually are. I speak from personal experience, from watch purchases I regret, and purchases I am still glad I made. I will also touch on great "first" watches for those who haven't gotten into the watch world like I have just yet. That being said, I will always welcome watch related questions whenever you see me, and you know it will be a long conversation when you ask.

There are two main types of watches to consider in 2019 with many sub-types after those too. Let me explain. I break these types, or categories, in two for a tech friendly reason. These types are "normal" watches and "smart" watches. A normal watch is a quartz or mechanical timepiece, and a smartwatch is essentially a cellphone on your wrist. Watch enthusiasts usually only buy "normal" watches, just so you are aware, but I am a hybrid of sorts, so it works out for you in the end. Sometimes the smartwatch is looked down on in certain watch communities, but I firmly believe they have a place. When I discuss what to look for in a smartwatch, I will tell you why. Let's unwrap what to look for in a normal watch first!

Quartz, Automatic, and Mechanical: What Do These Mean?

Quartz watches are essentially defined as movements that work on a battery or solar cell to run. A movement is the mechanism that moves the hands and actually keeps the time. This is under the dial or the watches face where you see the numbers and hands. Most watches you find at your local Walmart or Department Store are quartz watches. There are varying degrees to the quality of a quartz watch from super cheap and generic throw-away watches, to high-end well built pieces. The best way to tell if a quartz watch is built well is to first look for a legit name brand like Casio, Armitron, or Timex. If you do not see a name brand like this at your local store, do not bother wasting your money on it. Really. The above listed brands are the only inexpensive watch brands you should feel comfortable buying. the $5-10 watch at Walmart may seem like a great deal, but it is junk that will break very easily. I guarantee that! I call these "throw-away" watches because that's all you will do with them within a year. A good quality "inexpensive" watch like a Casio or Timex may run around $20 and up to even $100, but these are actually worth it for the most part. Just use good judgment and do your research. I will list a few watches you should consider picking up if you are in the market for a first watch, or a "beater" or what have you. These are my personal picks that I believe will last you a long time, and be worth the money.

Casio F-91W Digital Watch for $10

Timex Weekender (Many Styles) for $20-30

If you find these two model's it will be worth your money to pick them up and start your collection. The only issue with a watch at this price-point is that there is no real water resistance. When I first started collecting, water resistance was hard to understand. I will give you the long and short of what "WR" or "Water Resistance" means on a watch. This is essential for finding a good watch, and I will cover this soon enough. Water resistance in a watch is measures in 30, 50, 100, and 200+ meters.

30 meters of water resistance basically means that if a raindrop or something like that hits the watch it will withstand very limited exposure to water exposure. A rule of thumb is that if a watch claims to have 30m water resistance, intemperate that to mean it has ABSOLUTELY NO water resistance and you will be safe. Water is one of the two biggest enemies of your wrist watch. 50m means that you can technically submerge the watch in shallow water for up to 30 minutes without the seals giving way to the surrounding water pressure and allow water to enter the case and movement. Not the safest bet for your watch, but you can get away with washing your hands, hanging out in a hot tub, or wash the dishes with this watch on. Do at your own risk though. Next are watches with 100m and up of water resistance. Personally, this is the only way to go in my book. With 100m water resistance you can shower with the watch on, swim in a pool, and generally not have to worry about water leaking into the watch and destroying it.

Luxury watches you find at the jewelry store are usually "fragile" dress watches. These watches may look great, but they are meant for formal occasions where, let's face it, water would not be an issue. They are usually 30m water resistant unless otherwise labeled. I have found that it is rare to find a 100m+ WR dress watch below $350-500. Yeah, the prices are a whole different post to make. If you want me to justify the prices of watches, let me know down in the comment section! I would be happy to explain why certain watches cost so much. So, we have learned about water resistance, and this is essential to know before you buy your watch. You would be surprised how much you actually do come in contact with enough water to ruin a watch in a week's time. Now, I would like to hit on great quartz watch companies to keep your eye out for the next time you go to a department store or jewelry store with some money to spend; Citizen (Eco-Drive), Seiko, Bulova, Casio, Casio G-SHOCK, Timex, Armitron, and the polarizing brand; Invicta. Personally, I have no issue with Invicta, but that is not always the case with "watch people". Long story.

Now price is usually the first major factor for most people looking for a watch, but I would argue this is secondary if not the third thing to consider before buying a watch. Why would price not be the first thing to consider? Price is subjective. Prices can be inflated by the manufacturer to make the watch seem like a high quality timepiece and fool you into paying that price (Invicta), or it might be too expensive for simply for fashion's sake alone, with little quality to show for it (MVMT, Daniel Wellington, Shinola, any Fashion Branded Watch like Gucci). Please do not fall for the name inflation scheme of these companies, who make watches purely for profit, not to make great timepieces while turning a profit. There is a "fashion" watch company that this rule does NOT apply to, that I back completely; Vincero. Vincero watches are actually quality pieces and I am impressed by the build and movement of these watches. I recommend them to anyone who wants a stylish fashion watch for not a lot of money. No, I am not sponsored by them, but I would be more than happy to review my own Vincero watch in a later post!

Now we have touched on quartz timepieces, we should move into the more respected and desired field of watches. Quality Automatic and Mechanical watches are usually much more expensive ranging from $200 to several thousands of dollars for a single watch. One way to tell if a watch is automatic/mechanical is to watch the seconds hand. On an automatic watch, the second hand "sweeps" or glides along the dial, while a quartz watch "ticks" or stops at each second marker before clicking to the next one. Also, the word "Automatic(k) or Mechanical" are written on the dial. With these watches, you will never need to change a dead battery because they run only on energy stored up in a spring that is equally distributed and utilized by many gears. Basically, there is no electricity in these watches at all. These are watches at their purest form, and are highly sought after by watch enthusiasts like myself. Automatic watches need serviced more frequently than quartz watches, and the time needs reset about once or twice a month due to the higher accuracy of a quartz movement. Most all mechanical or automatic watches run slower by seconds or minutes depending on the movement inside, and this is not enough of an issue for you not to consider buying one. For example, my Swiss Made Hamilton Khaki Field Automatic watch runs about 30 seconds slow within two weeks or more. Not a deal breaker, given the mechanism inside is self regulated and bumped around as I wear it. Wrist watches were made only this way since they were invented in 1868. Only in 1969 did the first quartz wrist watch hit the market from Seiko Japan. This is known as the "Quartz Crisis" where mechanical watches became a harder sell to the consumer and major companies like Rolex began to struggle a little to sell mechanical timepieces.

(Seiko's First Quartz Watch Costed ¥450,000 or the Cost of a Toyota Corolla at the Time.)

Since this post transformed into more of a history lesson than a buying guide, let me make it plain and simple. Below, I will make a list to go through before you pull the trigger on a watch you have been admiring. Knowing what you know, you are now better equipped to make the right choice, avoid buyers remorse, and wear a watch you can be happy to pass down to the next generation. In the words of a Patek Phillipe watch advertisement, "You never actually own a (N), you merely look after it for the next generation..." I take this quote to heart, and below the original advertisement, you will find the my list of things to look for in a quality watch.

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My List of Features That Make for a Great "Normal" Watch

1. Water Resistance of 100m or more
2. Name brand with heritage and a reputation for quality
3. Priced within your budget (financing is a great option)
4. Lug width that is easy to buy for (16, 18, 20, 22mm)
5. Base metal color matches rings/necklaces you already own
6. Quartz: Second hand lines up with second markers
7. Automatic/Mechanical: display case-back and power reserve of 40+ hours
8. You love how it looks! Do not buy to impress others, buy to impress yourself!
9. Case size fits your wrist size
10. The watch has a date window at the 3 o'clock position
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How to Buy a Smartwatch: A Guide to Selecting the Right Smartwatch

Since 2014, when Apple announced the very first smartwatch to the world, this new "breed" of watch has started complicating things for traditional watch manufacturers. The Apple Watch needs no introduction, but there are many other options for those who do not have an iPhone. Oddly enough it has not taken tech companies long to saturate the market with variations of their own smartwatches. Watch companies worth covering in this post would be Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Fossil, Michael Kors, and LG. Other companies are mainly geared towards fitness tracking, but also have "smartwatch features" like phone notifications and NFC or "near field communication" payments at cash registers. Companies that make these watches and activity trackers are Garmin, Fitbit, Misfit, Polar, and other like these.

First Generation Apple Watch was $349 at Launch

In the smartwatch world, the two main options that are readily available are Apple and Samsung. You can either buy an Apple Watch or a Galaxy Watch, and both are very advance pieces of technology. Why would you want or need a smartwatch? Well, smartwatches are great for people on the go, those who cannot always use their phones but want to see their notifications, or are trying to keep track of their activity throughout the day. These watches are uniquely able to do what a "normal" watch simply cannot do in the traditional sense. A smartwatch has become a computer on your wrist, while a regular watch only ever tells you the time and sometimes the date.

Garmin Fenix 5s Fitness Tracker and Smartwatch ($699)

These watches ultimately come down to preference and need, and this is all subjective. I cannot make a definitive guide to buying a smartwatch, but here are five things to lookout for when buying one!

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My Guide to Buying a Smartwatch (Top 5 Things to Consider)

1. The watch will work with your smartphone's OS (Operating System) iOS or Android
2. Consider the battery life and water resistance
3. Does the watch have an activity tracking feature (heart rate, steps, etc)
4. Is the screen size big enough for you to read text comfortably
5. What needs does this watch satisfy by having it? Fitness or Smartphone Extension?
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Smartwatches are a recent phenomenon and there is not much to discuss about them, hence the brevity of their portion of this blog post. Most of what buying the right smartwatch comes down to is personal preference, and consultation with a knowledgeable sales person or friend is needed to make the final decision. I am happy to take questions concerning particular watches if you may be considering. Please leave all questions and comments below for either regular wrist watches or smartwatches/fitness trackers, as I have a background in all of these categories!


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