Five Things You Need To Know Before You Buy A Quality Watch
Buying a quality watch can be a serious decision. Not only is it a sizeable investment, but the watch you choose can have a material impact on people’s impressions of you. A great watch is a perfect complement to a well-cut suit — it conveys confidence, charisma, and success. But much like a suit, a watch should fit your personal taste and style.
Get your buying decisions wrong, and you could end up with an overpriced timepiece that leaves you feeling and looking awkward. To help you avoid that situation, we’ve assembled a list of the top five things you need to know before buying a premium watch. In less than five minutes, you’ll be ready to shop like a pro.
1. Do Your Research
This is perhaps the single most important thing to do when it comes to collecting watches. As the saying goes, knowledge is power. The more you know about your watch before you buy it, the better. Everything you learn about a watch reduces the risk of you regretting your purchase later.
Knowing the dimensions of the case allows you to compare it to watches in your current collection, which can give you some idea of what the watch might wear like before you have the opportunity to try it. This need for research is doubly true for vintage watches; the sheer number of frankens or outright fakes on the market can be terrifying. People often say that you should “buy the seller”, and there may be reputable sellers as well as buyer protection, but I take those as a safety net and nothing more. If you want to avoid getting burned, nothing beats arming yourself with as much knowledge as possible before taking the leap.
2. What Features Do You Really Need?
To choose a quality watch that’s right for you, you’ll want to consider the features it offers. Does a minimalist dial with date function, like the one on GT collection Timepieces series, suit your style?
Sometimes, your choice will be dictated by your lifestyle or interests. For instance, if you’re a racing fanatic, you may want a watch with a chronograph — perhaps with a built-in tachymeter, so you can calculate lap speeds.
Alternatively, you may want to see everything at a glance, with a watch face that includes date, month, and day of week indicators — perhaps even a moon phase indicator to show off your taste for classic aesthetics. Again, it’s wise to think about whether your chosen watch reflects your personality and lifestyle — there’s little sense in buying a watch with a ton of indicators and complications you have no need for and may never use.
3. Value
We believe that the true value of a watch is how often you wear it times how it makes you feel divided by the price. So price isn't the most important thing. The example I had here, these fakes. How many times do you think I've worn this Rolex? Zero. How much did I pay for it? $100.
The way it makes me feel, number of wears, is basically zero divided by 100. This was a complete failure as watch. I feel really good about it. It's reasonably priced. It's reasonably priced, about $100. It's a nice looking watch. I've already got compliments on it. So the value of this watch is much higher than all these fakes I've gotten. And that's what I want you think about.
Because I don't want you — I would rather you have save up for the watch you want or when you out there and purchase one, buy one that you're going to get a lot of wears out of them. But make sure that you get value out of the watch that you want.
4. What Does Your Watch Say About You?
First impressions matter, so give some serious thought to what your timepiece will “say” about you. Every brand has a personality — some give off an understated, laid-back sense of style, others announce their presence more boldly. James Bond’s Omega Seamaster 300 might be just the thing for an international action hero, but for many situations, it might be, well… a little too much. Try too hard, and you may end up looking less “007” — and more “Austin Powers.” Definitely not groovy, baby!
Choose a watch that projects your image — not someone else’s. Flashy status symbol watches might spell success for some, but they may be a definitive “fail” for others. Eye-catching though they may be... the macho Scuba style of a Rolex or Breitling diver’s watch won’t be to everyone’s taste. A TAG Heuer might be ideal for the rugged, sporty type — but is that you? A quality watch is an investment, so take the time to choose a timepiece that makes you feel self-assured, rather than self-conscious.
GT collection watches blend contemporary design and features with high quality materials. Glimpse one on a person’s wrist as you shake their hand, and you’ll know the wearer is someone who cares about their appearance — but isn’t a peacock. It’s about substance, not show. With a GT collection Timepiece, you’ll feel just as much at home in the boardroom as you do sipping cocktails with friends on a patio.
5. Buyer Protection
And this one is really important especially when you're looking to buy a watch online. You want to make sure that you buy from a reputable buyer. You want to make sure that you buy from a reputable company.
Those are two things which will have an effect. When you buy from a reputable buyer, if it's get damaged in shipping, if something happens where you get a defective, you can actually work with them to resolve the situation.
When it comes to warranties, that's where having a manufacturer who stands behind what he builds is very important. Because if it's a year in and you spent $1000 or $500 on that watch, then you want to make sure you're getting the right item.
When it comes to warranties, that's where having a manufacturer who stands behind what he builds is very important. Because if it's a year in and you spent $1000 or $500 on that watch, then you want to make sure you're getting the right item.