Everything You MUST Know Before Buying A Watch - Essential Beginner's Buying Guide
Summary
TLDRThis video offers an in-depth guide to purchasing a watch, focusing on movement types—quartz, mechanical, and automatic—and their advantages. It discusses materials, with an emphasis on 316L stainless steel, and crystal types, favoring sapphire for durability. The script addresses water resistance, finishing quality, sizing, and style preferences. It advises on brands to trust and where to buy, warning against overpriced or fake products. The video concludes with budget recommendations, suggesting £60 for a quartz watch and £100 for an automatic, highlighting the sweet spot of £150-£250 for quality without excessive brand markup.
Takeaways
- 🕰️ The movement is the most crucial aspect of a watch, with quartz, mechanical, and automatic being the main types.
- ⚙️ Quartz movements are common in entry-level watches, are battery-powered, and require less maintenance.
- 🔩 Mechanical movements are classic, hand-wound, and provide power through a clockwork mechanism.
- ⚙️🔄 Automatic movements are a type of mechanical movement that winds with the natural motion of the wearer's wrist.
- 💼 For practicality and low maintenance, quartz watches are recommended, especially for manual jobs or where accuracy is necessary.
- 👔 For a classy look or special occasions, mechanical watches, particularly automatic, are a good choice due to their smooth second hand movement.
- 🛡️ Watch materials are significant; 316L stainless steel is the industry standard for durability, while resin is lightweight and impact-resistant.
- 🔎 Crystals can be acrylic, mineral, or sapphire, with sapphire being the most scratch-resistant and premium choice.
- 🏊♂️ Water resistance is vital and should be considered based on the wearer's activities; a minimum of 10 bar is recommended for swimming.
- 🛠️ Finishing is essential for quality, including accurate brushing or polishing, and craftsmanship in finer details.
- 📏 Sizing is subjective but has guidelines; case diameter and lug-to-lug size are crucial measurements for a proportional fit.
Q & A
What are the three main types of watch movements?
-The three main types of watch movements are quartz, mechanical, and automatic.
How does a quartz movement work?
-A quartz movement uses a mini electrical circuit powered by a battery and a tiny piece of quartz that vibrates at a specific rate when a current is passed through it. This vibration is converted into a single pulse per second.
What is the difference between a mechanical and an automatic movement?
-A mechanical movement requires manual winding by the user, while an automatic movement winds itself using the natural motion of the wearer's wrist throughout the day.
Why might someone choose a quartz watch over a mechanical one?
-Quartz watches are more accurate, require less maintenance, and are less susceptible to impacts, making them a practical choice for those who need accurate timekeeping or are involved in manual jobs.
What materials are commonly used for watch cases?
-Watch cases are commonly made from resin (plastic), brass, zinc alloy, or 316L stainless steel.
Why is sapphire crystal considered the most desirable for watch crystals?
-Sapphire crystal offers the best scratch resistance and is only damaged by diamonds or huge impacts, making it highly durable.
How is water resistance measured on a watch?
-Water resistance is measured in ATM, bar, or meters, which are pressure units that indicate how well sealed a watch is against water.
What is the minimum water resistance rating recommended for swimming?
-For swimming, a minimum of 10 bar or 1080m or 100 meters of water resistance is recommended.
What factors contribute to the overall fit and finish of a watch?
-The fit and finish of a watch includes the accuracy and precision of brushing or polishing, craftsmanship in finer details, and the quality of custom shapes and parts.
What are the two important measurements to consider when choosing a watch size?
-The two important measurements are case diameter, which is the width of the watch, and lug-to-lug size, which is the measurement from one set of lugs to the opposite side.
What are some popular and versatile watch styles that are generally well-received as gifts?
-Retro digitals, dive watches, and chronographs are popular and versatile watch styles that are often well-received as gifts.
What is the recommended minimum amount to spend on a steel quartz watch and a steel automatic watch?
-It is generally recommended to spend no less than about £60 on a steel quartz watch and £100 on a steel automatic watch.
Outlines
🕒 Understanding Watch Movements
The first paragraph introduces the critical aspect of watch movements, which are the mechanisms that power the watch. It discusses three primary types: quartz, mechanical, and automatic. Quartz movements are common in entry-level watches, powered by batteries and known for their accuracy and low maintenance. Mechanical movements, an umbrella term for clockwork mechanisms, require manual winding by the user and are more traditional. Automatic movements are a subtype of mechanical that uses the wearer's wrist motion to wind the watch, offering convenience without the need for regular manual winding. The paragraph also touches on the pros and cons of each type, such as accuracy, maintenance, and the visual appeal of the second hand's motion.
🛠 Materials and Construction of Watches
The second paragraph delves into the materials used in watch construction, focusing on the case and crystal. It compares various materials like resin, brass, zinc alloy, and stainless steel, discussing their durability, weight, and resistance to damage. The paragraph also explains the different types of crystals: acrylic, mineral, and sapphire, each with varying levels of scratch resistance. Additionally, it covers water resistance, an important feature for watches, and how it's measured in ATM, bar, or meters. The discussion includes practical advice on choosing a watch with appropriate water resistance for intended use, such as swimming or diving.
🎨 Aesthetics and Fit of Watches
The third paragraph addresses the aesthetics and fit of watches, emphasizing the importance of case diameter and lug-to-lug size for a proper fit on the wrist. It provides guidelines for selecting the right size based on the wearer's wrist dimensions and offers advice on choosing a watch that complements the wrist size and personal style. The paragraph also touches on the thickness of watches and the impact of domed crystals on perceived thickness. It suggests being cautious with sizing, leaning towards smaller watches if in doubt, and discusses various popular watch styles, such as retro digitals, dive watches, and chronographs, suitable for different occasions and preferences.
💰 Buying and Pricing of Watches
The final paragraph discusses the practical aspects of buying a watch, including where to purchase and how to avoid counterfeits. It advises against buying from dubious sources and recommends authorized dealers or reputable retailers for assurance of quality and warranty. The paragraph also addresses the question of how much to spend on a good watch, suggesting price ranges that offer good value for different budgets. It warns against overpriced watches that don't deliver commensurate quality and encourages consumers to watch for paid reviews that may not reflect the true value of a watch. The paragraph concludes with a suggestion to check out additional resources for personal watch recommendations.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Movement
💡Quartz
💡Mechanical
💡Automatic Movement
💡Materials
💡Water Resistance
💡Finishing
💡Sizing
💡Brand
💡Price
💡Chronograph
Highlights
Choosing a watch can be tricky due to the variety of sizes, styles, materials, and brands available.
This video covers everything you need to know before buying a classic watch.
There are three main types of watch movements: quartz, mechanical, and automatic.
Quartz movements are common in entry-level watches and are battery-powered.
Mechanical movements are more complex and require manual winding by the user.
Automatic movements wind themselves using the motion of the wearer's wrist.
Quartz watches are accurate, low maintenance, and suitable for those needing precise timekeeping.
Mechanical watches offer a sweeping second hand motion and a higher perceived quality.
Materials used in watches include resin, brass, zinc alloy, and stainless steel for the case.
Crystals can be made of acrylic, mineral, or sapphire, with sapphire being the most scratch-resistant.
Water resistance is measured in ATM, BAR, or meters, with higher numbers indicating better protection.
Finishing is important for the overall quality and appearance of a watch.
Case diameter and lug-to-lug size are important measurements for watch sizing.
Thickness can be a consideration, but it's less important than diameter and lug-to-lug size.
Retro digitals and dive watches are popular and versatile styles.
Chronographs are considered good-looking and make consistent gift choices.
Japanese brands like Casio, Seiko, Orient, and Citizen offer good value for money.
It's recommended to spend no less than £60 on a steel quartz watch and £100 on a steel automatic watch.
Luxury watches over £1000 are primarily about branding and prestige.
For budget options, consider resin Casio watches or titanium field watches.
Transcripts
okay so you're thinking about buying a
watch maybe it's for you or intended as
a gift for someone else nice move as
you've probably found out though
choosing which one to buy can be
trickier than expected there are all
these sizes styles materials and brands
it's difficult to know where to start
well thanks to the youtube gods you've
found yourself in the right place in
this video i was through everything you
need to know before buying a watch as
quickly as possible to help you make a
better purchasing decision after all you
don't want to end up with a piece of
garbage right or worse gifting a piece
of garbage to be clear we aren't
covering smart watches here just the
classic ones let's begin with arguably
the most important factor the movement
the movement is the mechanism that
powers the watch the engine or heart of
the watch if you will there are three
main types with knowing about quartz
mechanical and automatic 99 of watches
will feature one of these three
movements or a variant of them quartz
movements are the most common among
entry-level watches these are mini
electrical circuits powered by a battery
and as the name suggests they involve a
tiny piece of quartz this crystal
vibrates at a very specific rate when a
current is passed through it and other
parts of the movement convert this
vibration into a single pulse per second
you'll notice that the second hands on
analog quartz watches tend to take once
every second for this very reason nite
digital and solar pieces rely on
modified versions of this same
technology and essentially have the same
pros and cons quartz movements are more
accurate than mechanical ones despite
costing far less to produce on average
they also require less maintenance due
to the lack of moving parts and will
tend to keep ticking until the battery
eventually runs out of power whereby it
can simply be changed therefore quartz
watches are a good choice for those in
manual jobs where the watch may be
susceptible to impacts where accurate
time is a necessity in some instances
the ticking noise of a quartz movement
can be audible and the second hands are
often known to miss the markers due to
misalignment both of which can be a
little annoying what's a mechanical
movement then well this is the way all
watches used to be made using a complex
combination of gears and springs the
term mechanical movement is really more
of an umbrella term that incorporates
any watch that uses a clockwork
mechanism to tell the time mechanical
movements rely on you the user to
provide the power for the watch as this
technology predates cheap consumer
batteries when you see this word used on
product listings it typically refers to
hand-wound movements these require the
user to manually wind the movement by
rotating the crown several times which
in turn tightens the main spring this
mainspring gradually unwinds over time
transferring its accumulated energy
through gears to the rest of the parts
the watch will keep telling time until
the main spring has been fully unwound
different movements last for different
durations between winding this figure is
known as the power reserve they've
probably seen on some product pages a
watch that has stopped and fully
depleted its power reserve will need
winding and resetting to start operating
again but you can top it up as you go
along you'd have to wait for it to be
completely juiced this is where
automatic movements come in automatic
movements are essentially a type of
mechanical movement that features an
additional rotating weight mechanism
allowing the watch to be wound using the
natural motion of your wrist throughout
the day many automatic movements still
allow you to hand wind the movement
should you see fit but for the most part
the convenient self-winding rotor
eliminates the need for this so long as
the watch is worn regularly what type of
movement should you buy then well if you
other recipient would like something
practical and low maintenance then
quarter watches are the obvious way to
go some of these also come with
additional functionality that could be
useful depending on your use case
they're no fuss but for the most part
also no frills if you're after something
that looks and feels classier like a
watch for special occasions or as a
reward then it's probably worth
considering some sort of mechanical
offering automatic watches in particular
are a good gateway as they don't require
any fiddly bits to work and the user can
continually charge the watch as they
wear it both types of mechanical watches
offer sweeping actions where the second
hand glides along rather than juddering
once per second this is far more
visually pleasing and together with the
increased weight it gives the impression
of a higher quality product you can
sometimes get these smooth motions in
quartz watches but they are rare to say
the least while impractical hand wound
movements are usually slimmer than
automatics given the fewer parts
resulting in quartz-like slimness that's
difficult to obtain by automatic means
if you or the intended recipient already
relies on their smartphone to tell the
time and the watch will be relegated to
a solely aesthetic purpose then some
type of mechanical watch is probably the
better choice as i think the smooth
sweep looks much more graceful it is to
be noted that due to the intricacy of
the production process mechanical
watches will generally cost you more
than comparatively spec'd quartz pieces
but we'll discuss pricing later before
then we need to mention materials what
are watches normally made of well there
are two main components the case and the
crystal the case is the main housing of
the watch and is usually constructed of
metal whilst the crystal is the
transparent glass-like substance over
the dial the worse these parts are the
more susceptible the watch is to being
damaged the lowest end watch cases are
often made of either resin aka plastic
brass or zinc alloy resin watches like
many casios or g-shocks for instance are
very light stand up well to impact but
do scratch rather easily chromed brass
and non-steel alloys are sometimes used
as cheaper alternatives to stainless
steel these do offer increased weight
versus plastic giving the impression of
high quality but aren't as hard or
durable steel any plating used will
likely wear away or crack over time
meaning these watches aren't
particularly future proofed i'd
personally avoid these and go one way or
the other opt for resin or steel if
possible 316l stainless steel is the
industry standard above the 50 pound
mark at the time of recording this metal
offers good corrosion resistance and is
more durable though will still accrue
some scratches over time some brands ram
this down your throat as if it's an
exclusive miracle metal and while it is
decent it's far from a unique feature
that's worth falling over there are
other grades of stainless steel that you
see used in some wristwatches including
the inferior 304l and the rolex
preferred 904l other exotic materials
include ceramic bronze and a personal
favorite of mine titanium which offers
super lightweight performance but steel
is what you're most likely to see at
retailers there are three main types of
crystal or glass that being acrylic
mineral and sapphire acrylic aka
hesselite or plexiglass is just plastic
this type of crystal scratches very
easily and is the cheapest to produce
some brands up for this as it's more
malleable than the other two and can be
heavily domed at a low cost it's also
shatter resistant mineral glass is next
up the chain and is comparable to the
glass in your windows this copes with
scratches a little better but isn't top
tier some brands offer hardened versions
of this under a variety of brand names
if it's not labeled acrylic mineral or
sapphire it's probably some form of
hardened mineral crystal with gimmicky
branding sapphire is generally
considered the most desirable crystal in
watchmaking it's the most expensive to
produce but gives by far the best
scratch resistance only able to be
damaged by diamonds or huge impacts that
may shatter it you also have raised or
domed versions of all of these three
crystals out there these don't offer any
performance benefits and are simply an
aesthetic choice in most cases the more
scratch resistance you can obtain the
better as people are much more likely to
scratch the watch than they are to smash
it another metric to keep your eyes on
is water resistance this is a measure of
how well sealed the watch is against
water and is normally displayed in one
of three ways atm bar or meters these
are all different pressure units but
they're quite simple to understand one
bar is approximately equivalent to 1 atm
and 10 meters respectively so a 5 bar
rating would be roughly the same as 5
atm or 50 meters and a 10 bar rating
would be roughly equivalent to 10 atm or
100 meters as you can guess the higher
the designation the better the watch is
at keeping water out these ratings are
calculated with static pressure leakage
tests in controlled environments
straight out of the factory and
therefore aren't representative of real
world use take a 380m watch for example
on paper you think that 30 meters of
water resistance would be more than
enough for swimming i mean who really
swims down to 30 meters deep but in
reality the rapidly changing water
pressure and dynamic stresses during
motion would quickly result in water
penetrating the innards therefore here's
what you need to know if the person in
question wants to go swimming with the
watch on your best bet is to opt for one
with a minimum of 10 bar or 1080m or 100
meters of water resistance this is a
sweet spot that should generally keep
you covered anything under that is
essentially splash resistant or maybe
temporarily submerged but shouldn't be
exposed to adam's ale for very long if
it's a dress watch they won't be seeing
much aquatic action then this really
doesn't matter please be aware that many
random chinese brands are stamping all
sorts of water resistance claims on
their watches likely without having
these ratings vetted by the iso if you
really intend on scuba diving i'd avoid
any brand that isn't well known in the
industry unfortunately specs only tell
half of the story you see it's not that
hard to inexpensively cram a bunch of
ticklish components into a watch such a
strategy would look great on paper but
would likely result in a piece that
still looks incredibly cheap in person
that's where finishing comes in this is
the overall fit and finish of the watch
including how accurately and precisely
any brushing or polishing has been
executed as well as how much
craftsmanship has gone into the finer
details low quality watches tend to have
generic markers hands with basic shapes
and will usually look rudimentary upon
closer inspection their cases for
example usually feature a single type of
finishing with a basic structure that's
easy to mass produce higher quality
watches will be done to a better
standard that involves more time and
effort being spent on specific parts of
the watch rather than a reliance on a
load of off-the-shelf parts this can
mean proper custom shapes and parts
varying textures across surfaces and
neater inking of text and logos there is
of course more nuance to it the higher
up the chain you go but i don't want to
stretch this video out for too long
without the experience of handling
multiple watches such factors can be
tricky to judge so it might be worth
comparing several options in the flesh
and keeping an eye out for any quality
control issues which can be much more
obvious such problems are plentiful on
rubbish watches and can include
misaligned markers hands and text as
well as dirt and dust underneath the
crystal of course a watch may perform
well underwater but what if it looks
ghastly on the wrist well there's always
going to be an element of subjectivity
to sizing realistically you can wear
whatever you want regardless of whether
it looks proportionate or not
nevertheless here are some tidbits for
those after a watch that visually suits
the size of their wrist or that of the
recipient there are two important
measurements the main one you'll notice
on product listings is case diameter
this is the width of the watch not
including the crown that juts out of the
side arguably more importantly and often
absent from these pages is look to look
size this is the measurement from one
set of lugs the area that sticks out
holding one end of the strap to those on
the opposite side when the watch is on
the wrist this measurement will
determine whether it lies correctly or
overhangs the edges of your arm if the
watch is for yourself there's a useful
chart on the slenderist.com which i'll
put on screen feel free to pause the
video here if you need to if the watch
is for someone else and you can't
measure their risk without giving the
game away then here's my advice watches
marketed towards females tend to come in
at 36 millimeters or less which is a
sensible size due to their inherently
smaller build girls tend to be able to
pull off oversized stuff better than
guys anyway so the next bit will be
sizing for men exclusively given that's
what i'm familiar with if the recipient
is a skinny guy i'd aim for something
between 35 and 39 millimeters in
diameter ideally with a sub 48
millimeter look to look if they appear
to have a fairly standard wrist size you
can probably opt for something anywhere
between about 37 to 42 millimeters in
diameter and about 42 to 52 millimeters
in look to look size if they've got
chunky arms i'd go for something with a
diameter of 41 to about 45 millimeters
and they'll look to look of 45 to 58
inch if they're a true giant and would
appreciate something flashy then you
could always go bigger than this
thickness is another metric that you
might be wondering about i'd say this is
of lesser importance as even my super
thin wrist can even take some pretty
chunky watches providing that the
previous two measurements are well
tailored watches with domed crystals are
often given a thickness stat that
includes the glass height as well so in
reality they tend to wear a bit thinner
when on wrist than the listing may
suggest the biggest mistake i usually
see is guys wearing watches that
proportionately way too large therefore
if you torn between two watches of
different sizes i err on the side of
caution and tend to go with the smaller
one a watch rarely looks too small
you'll notice that there's a huge
variety of watches out there if the
watch is intended as a gift you'll
likely have some idea of what style
they'll probably prefer though i'll
cover a few of the most popular and
versatile types that should be easy
pleases first up there are the retro
digitals i know these are super popular
from the view counts on youtube alone
the silver versions in particular can be
worn with just about everything and some
are surprisingly good looking luckily
for you i did a full video covering the
best of these which you can see in the
icard above these also have the benefit
of being extremely low cost so if you're
on a tight budget it's a no-brainer
alternatively there are dive watches and
chronographs divers are those sporty
looking models with a rotating bezel
atop them because of the styling and
durability these have become very
popular go-to's in recent years and are
ideal for those into water sports as
well chronographs with their multiple
sub-dials are often considered the
best-looking watches by non-watch folk
at least from my experience i think
there's a correlation between the
complexity of the dial and perceived
quality by non-collectors as such
they're a consistently good gift choice
just be aware that chronographs are
typically larger than other types of
watches so most won't be optimal for
skinny wrists i picked out a few smaller
outliers in another video links in the
icard if you're interested by now you've
probably got an idea of what you're
looking for but which brand do you
choose after all there are thousands of
watch companies out there unfortunately
i don't have time to run through all of
them in this video but here are some
general guidelines first up if the brand
is being rammed down your throat by paid
social media influencers it's most
likely garbage i've reviewed a bunch of
them in the past and the vast majority
have been over hyped and overpriced junk
relying on aggressive marketing tactics
to make sales as opposed to quality
products from my experience you're
better off sticking with brands that
focus on watch production as the core
part of their business and have a proven
history in the industry over the last
couple of years i've found that japanese
brands have tended to offer consistently
good bang for book products so it might
be worth scouting them out as a safe
starting point this includes the likes
of cassio seiko orient and citizen as
well as their subsidiaries where should
you be looking though as always i'd
stick to well-known websites and avoid
dodgy looking listings that seem too
good to be true a rolex for 200 quid
isn't happening obviously a plethora of
fakes are floating around on the likes
of wish.com avoid that site at all costs
unless you fancy scamming yourself or a
loved one if you're planning on spending
a significant amount of money on a
luxury watch most commenters seem to
recommend opting for an authorized
dealer so you can access a
manufacturer's warranty alternatively
you can save a bunch of money on grey
market sites like germashop where you
get a warranty from the retailer instead
which works fine for me on more
affordable watches buying used pieces on
sites like ebay or through forums can be
risky if you're unsure of what you're
looking for so i definitely recommend
against it if you're a beginner
something i'll throw in here too is that
some websites prefer to use renderings
in their product listings these
computer-generated images can look quite
different than the watch does in person
so i'd certainly track down video
footage of the watch in question if you
can some often look better whilst others
can look much much worse here's the
crucial thing then how much do you need
to spend to get a good watch
good one no seriously this is always
going to be a highly debated and
opinionated topic it's a little like
saying how much do you need to spend to
get a good car a fast computer or a
tasty pizza a lot depends on your
preferences and your expectations soon
i'm going to attempt to address this by
recommending the average price of a
watch that's probably enough to please
most people provided that you've taken
on board the previous points in this
video i'd stick to some sort of resin
casio if you're on a tight budget loris
also make a good super budget titanium
field watch if you can find it for a
similar price though stock levels can
vary i'll try and link it below outside
of those if you want to play it safe i
generally recommend spending no less
than about 60 pounds on a steel quartz
watch and 100 pounds on a steel
automatic if you're in the uk i'd say
the real sweet spot is the 150 to 250
pound range if you can stretch that far
after which point you begin to get
diminishing returns i think most
recipients would be very impressed with
the 200 pound watch if he chose wisely
from my experience when you start going
past the 1 000 pound mark you're
primarily paying for branding and
prestige rather than a huge increase in
build quality you basically need a
microscope to see the finer details
which most people aren't carrying in
their back pocket in the us and some
other countries you tend to be able to
get better deals than here so you can
probably convert the prices i just
mentioned and then reduce them by around
20 to get a more accurate figure be
aware though there are plenty of
massively overpriced watches out there
that offer awful quality for high prices
so watch some unpaid reviews first if
you're unsure if you want some of my
personal watch recommendations check out
the video on screen next and i'll see
you there
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