Everyguyed Buy

Walk into any store that sells watches and you’re going to easily become overwhelmed with the wide selection. With all the colors, functions and different bands, how can you settle on purchasing the right watch?

Buying a new watch can be a complex experience, but once we break it down for you, you’ll realize that finding that perfect timepiece isn’t as complicated as it seems.

Questions to Ask Before The Purchase

There are a couple of questions you should be asking even before you begin browsing. What’s my price range? And, what sort of occasion do I need/want a watch for?

Going in with a narrowed selection just makes the process so much easier. If you know that you’re not willing to spend over $500 on a watch, then you don’t even need to tease yourself by browsing the expensive side of the case. If you’re looking for a watch to wear at work, then don’t bother checking out sports watches.

One final note that should be common sense. Make sure that you do your watch buying at a legit dealer, whether that be a jeweler or department store. The last thing you want to do is walk around with a fake watch on your wrist.

Watch Types

Wikipedia Commons

As noted earlier, there are hundreds of watches out there to chose from. While a price range and occasion may have narrowed down the search, there’s still some work to be done. That’s where the different types of watches come into play.

Analog vs. Digital

An analog watch is a more formal selection since it contains a face that includes hour and minute hands, and either numbers, markers or Roman numerals that display a 12-hour day. This is what you should wear to work or when out on a date.

A digital watch is a more casual piece that contains a LCD (liquid crystal display) or LED (light emitting diode) face that displays the time in numeric form.

And, yes. There are watches that are both analog and digital that can be worn to either the office or during a last-minute pick-up basketball game.

Mechanical vs. Electronic

A watch either has a mechanical or electronic function, which will determine the quality and price.

A mechanical watch utilizes a small pendulum to wind up and keep time via a series of complex gears. Because of the craftsmanship involved, these are more expensive.

Electronic watches accurately keep time through the steady pulse of a perfectly cut quartz crystal, and are powered by either a battery or an automatic winder; these are generally less expensive.

Case, Crystal and Bands

Flickr

The case of a watch is simply the frame which is usually made from steel, titanium, gold, silver, and platinum. Pricer watches are made from the latter three precious metals, while less expensive watches are made from less valuable alloys.

The watch crystal is that transparent piece protecting the watch face. Typically, it’s made from plexiglass if you want to be cheap, the traditional mineral glass or the most scratch-resistant synthetic sapphire.

When it comes to the band, an analog timepiece will either be made out of leather (black or brown) or the metal used on the case. Digital watches, whether a sports model or gadget watch, will usually have a plastic band.

The Right Fit

The moment you’ve been waiting for. Getting the perfect watch for you before making your final decision.

Begin by matching your watch of choice with your body. A guy that’s hairy should stick with a leather band and avoid metal bands with links, which can catch and pull your arm hair, which really is really isn’t fun. A man with a large arm needs to find a piece with a diameter of at least 50mm. Finally, a smaller guy should look for something that has a narrower watch face.

Next up, try on the watch. Make sure it’s comfortable and that it doesn’t hang over the edge, carry a weight that’s substantial or doesn’t move up and down when you move your arm.

Finally, match-up the watch with what you’d like to wear it with. A silver watch goes perfectly with blacks, grays, silvers, and blues. A gold watch looks great with browns, beiges, tans, and other earth tones. As for a digital watch, save that for casual or workout attire.

So, that’s how you buy a watch. Trust us. There might be a lot of guidelines in here, but it’s not as daunting you think. And, it will totally be worth it when you receive compliments on your timepiece.

If you have any other watch buying tips that our slipped our minds, please drop us a comment. There’s no shame in helping out your fellow man. Especially when you can assist in improving his style.