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subject: Want to buy a men's watch but don't know how to start? Let's me tell you! [print this page]


Want to buy a men's watch but don't know how to start? Let's me tell you!

There is only one useful indicator of a man's self-image: his wristwatch. Once that jacket sleeve creeps up, the sole piece of acceptable jewelry beyond a wedding ring reveals the wearer's sense of taste and occasion.

Watch sellers employ a logical Italian dictum: a well-dressed man owns at least three timepieces. The day watch

The day watch is most important: it is the watch that suits your occupation. If you're in finance, sobriety is all your watch must offer beyond the time. If you work in the media or the arts, you can be more eccentric. If your occupation involves specific tasks -- from ambulance driver, to insurance broker, to 747 pilot -- then, just as with iPhone apps, 'there are watches for that.'

Watch No. 2, dress-down timepiece
Want to buy a men's watch but don't know how to start? Let's me tell you!


For watch No. 2, you have more scope. This is your dress-down timepiece, worn everywhere from the beach to the ski slopes or for pottering around in the garden. Whether a sub-GBP 50 Swatch, or a close-to-unbreakable Rolex, it will mean you don't have to worry about a quick dive in the pool or a round of golf. This is your casual watch.

Dress watch:

Last is the dress watch. If you find yourself wearing black tie more than once a year, or if film premieres, opera visits or smart restaurant bookings keep appearing in your diary, your day watch may lack occasion. For this final part of the trilogy, you may go one of two ways: a classical, slim, time-only gold dress watch -- or blatant bling. The presence of diamonds on your watch will accomplish this for you.

Where to start? One's first watch is often a gift -- anything from a Timex on up -- received at graduation, confirmation, first job or Bar Mitzvah. It will never be exactly what you want, but you will wear and cherish it from your teens until your first pay check. Then you will be seduced by TAG Heuer, Omega or Rolex, depending on your budget. It will be your first 'real' watch.

Here are some styles of TAG Heuer watches which match you, maybe you can check them out:

mens TAG Heuer watches

TAG Heuer formula 1 mens quartz watches

TAG Heuer aquaracer automatic chronograph watches

etc...

Buying well is the key, and it's not as tricky as you might think. As master watchmaker Peter Roberts observed: 'There really are no bad watches out there, because they all have to perform the same basic function and perform it well: tell the time. Manufacturing standards are impossibly high. So you should buy according to your budget and your taste.'

Established brands offer watches that will keep you reliably informed of the time for the rest of your life. Quality mechanical watches start for under 500 euros ($683) from makers such as Tissot, Seiko and Victorinox. (Quartz is simply infra dig, so keep that for your throwaway or unbreakable casual watch.)

'Serious' watches start at around 1,000 euros to 1,500 euros, while a modicum of exclusivity begins above 3,000 euros. To dabble at the high-end of the watchmaker's art, expect to part with at least 5,000 euros. And if you want to wear something unlikely to be seen on the wrist of a fellow guest at a dinner party, start thinking 15,000 euros and above. This gets you into the arena populated by brands such as A. Lange &Sohne, Breguet and Patek Philippe among others. It will likely buy you a model above their entry-level offerings. Think of it this way: they may both have the same badge, but there's a world of difference between a 3-series and a 7-series BMW. So, too, with wristwatches.

For the extra outlay, you get more in the way of 'complications,' the watchmaker's term for any function beyond displaying the seconds, minutes and hours. The most common and useful are the ability to display the date, followed by day of the week, month and year. The most popular functions among collectors are dual time-zones, moon-phases and chronographs. It's a given that the cases will be gold or platinum. Above this, where the cognoscenti prowl, prices reach six figures for perpetual calendars,tourbillons and minute repeaters.

'Pre-owned' is the euphemism for second-hand watches. As with exotic cars, someone bought an esoteric watch, grew bored and traded it in after a short period. And like cars, watches -- unless they are very special -- do not appreciate in the short term. Thus, you have dealers such as David Duggan and the Watch Club who are able to sell you pre-owned watches, with boxes and papers, for truly substantial savings. The downside is that you are not buying from a 'main agent.'

The tag 'vintage' is arbitrarily bestowed on anything over 25 years old. Vintage watches can only really be acquired by being in the right place at the right time. However much your heart may be set upon a 1930s rose-gold Rolex Bubbleback, you cannot go to your nearest dealer and order one as you would a Rolex DateJust

As for spares, don't even consider a vintage watch unless you have deep pockets and access to a master watchmaker. If your watch needs a part that cannot be ordered from the manufacturer, it will have to be made from scratch. And that means a costly repair.
Want to buy a men's watch but don't know how to start? Let's me tell you!


Watch auctions are increasingly popular. The rules are the same as for any other type of auction: study the catalogues, know your financial limits and attend viewings before the auction. Recent watches will sell for substantially less than in stores that stock used pieces. If you find yourself bidding for a relatively new watch with little competition, you could snag a bargain.

If in doubt, the substitute for knowledge and experience is access to the services of an expert. A watchmaker, an enthusiast, an honest retailer -- any of these will minimize the risks of buying a fine watch.

Want to buy a men's watch but don't know how to start? Let's me tell you!

By: vincehope1986




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