So much more than just a way to tell time, having a luxury watch is also a statement and a piece of jewelry.
So, while it must be attractive and stylish, it also must be functional.
Best luxury watches won’t necessarily have all 5 of these features, and I’m pretty sure there are other features I’ve missed.
But I’ve simply summarized the general opinions from lots of watches buying guides:
The Material
At least made of stainless steel, a watch is harder/better when it is made of ceramic or titanium, but those watches also have a more expensive price tag.
Compared to “normal”, stainless steel cannot be affected by moisture or perspiration. Note: getting skin irritation is rare with stainless steel watch.
Furthermore, a watch without a coating may discolor within a year by frequent use, A PVD coating is important to ensure that it reserves its color.
In addition, the weight of the watch might also be a sign of good quality.
The Movement
You will almost always find a watch powered by a battery in good watches under $300.
A good watch has a quartz movement or a certified mechanical movement and the advantage of quartz is that there are less moving parts required. Note: This makes watches more accurate and affordable.
There are three types of movement:
Quartz – Powered by a battery. The movement causes the second hand to move in individual ticks.
Mechanical – The watch requires manual winding to operate. the movement will let the second hand to move in a smooth sweeping motion.
Automatic – from the wearer’s wrist kinetic energy is transferred automatically to drive the mechanism inside the watch.
The Watch Glass
Depending on the purpose of your watch. A quality watch always has sapphire glass, it maintains clear and scratch-free after frequent use.
There are also watch glasses that suffice for an average watch like crystal glass and mineral glass which is cheaper than sapphire glass, but it’s more susceptible to scratches.
Why sapphire glass?
It is combined of crystallized aluminum oxide, value 9 Mohs of mineral hardness (same as titanium carbide) which is astonishingly sturdy.
Since it is Superior to Quartz or gorilla glass it is scratch resistant.
The Water Resistance
There is almost nothing more damaging to a watch than water.
10 BAR / 10 ATM / 100m / 330ft: water resistance is associated with a quality watch and that also means that your watch is suitable for swimming, snorkeling but not suitable for aqua diving or high board diving.
But if you want a watch for extreme diving and water activity, You can always do some research and or ask for a recommendation in any retail store.
There are luxury brands in the market that has good quality water-resistant watches like Casio, Luminox, Citizen, and any Omega watch.
A Beautiful Finish
Besides the above-mentioned characteristics, we can say that a quality luxury watch has a nice finish.
We can differentiate Cheap to a luxury watch. It should look nicely finished or feel comfortable to wear.
You can also see the quality by just looking at it. If you don’t see any loose index, unusual bumps or some other form of poor workmanship then you’re getting the quality you’re looking for.
Takeaway
We know people wear watches for one obvious reason — to tell time. But as you can see, watches can be about so much more.
Watches aren’t always cheap so carefully consider each purpose.
The watch you choose or select is a reflection of your personal style and the image you wish to project, at the end of the day.
You need to wear it so don’t buy a watch just because you see it on other people’s wrists or because it’s popular.
Make sure that it wears comfortably on your wrist.
It’s a very personal decision. The best advice I can say is to buy watches that you yourself want and like.
I want you to do your research, take your time and don’t rush.
Read reviews and look for a good retailer who can help you effectively navigate your next watch purchase.
Consider it a lifestyle, extension of your good taste and maybe a sign of your success.