The style of watch that will suit you will depend on your wardrobe, your signature style and even, what you do for a living. There are plenty of things to consider before you invest in a timepiece, whether it’s a hard wearing, sporty style, a classic design or a more modern stainless steel variety you are after, so here are five tips to get you started.
Don’t be afraid of pre-owned styles
When buying a pre loved watch or if you are thinking of buying one at auction, there are many small tricks of the trade to consider before making that all important purchase.
The key thing to look out for is functionality; in other words, make sure it works! The chronograph, minute repeater and date field must be checked to ensure they are all in good working order. Checking first could save you a fortune in jewellers fees if you need to get them fixed.
Digital or analogue?
Digital faces give the user a more accurate reading of time, particularly useful if your job involves working to deadlines or you operate under similar tough time constraints.
Analogue watches, offer a more classic look, however, if an analogue watch uses high precision movement (gears and springs), it will actually provide the most accurate representation of time.
Consider day to day practicalities
If you work with your hands, it’s very likely that during working hours, you will either leave your watch at home, or you will have to find one to suit the durability it will need to stand the test of time. Consider watches which are lightweight, waterproof and have a reasonable level of shock absorption.
These rules apply if you enjoy outdoor adventure too, so choose a watch to match your lifestyle if you are hard on your clothes and accessories, and consider having another one for weddings, job interviews and events. If this is the case, you may want to hold off until your favourite shop is having a watch sale, as buying two watches at once can be expensive.
Choose a movement
Movement is the name for the mechanism that enables the watch to tell the correct time and there are four different types of movement in modern watches: Quartz (battery), Mechanical (hand wound), automatic (self-winding) and solar-powered.
Quartz is the most popular, and uses a battery and a quartz crystal to tell the time, while mechanical watches rely on mechanical moving parts to keep moving.
Automatic watches are similar to mechanical watches, except the watch is designed to keep winding itself up whenever the wearer moves, so the more often you wear it, the longer it will work. While, solar-powered watches rely on energy from the sun via a special photovoltaic cell on the watch face to keep working.
What kind of strap?
There are several types of strap to choose from when it comes to buying your watch. Leather straps are more classic looking and will last longer, but will be more costly.
Does your style suit a coloured strap or do you require a more neutral shade like brown or tan? If you have a colourful wardrobe, choose a neutral tone which will match everything, if your wardrobe is filled with blacks, navys and creams, why not liven it up with a brightly coloured strap?
If you are very active, you may want a watch which incorporates a stop watch to keep track of your time when running or hiking, and also a fitness monitor to track your body temperature and heart rate. Remember, the internet is your best friend when choosing a watch, if you aren’t sure, do your research and always get a second opinion.
-Contributed Content-
