Choosing The Best Wristwatch
Once you dip your toe into the world of wristwatches, you’ll discover that a watch is so much more than just a simple thing you wear on your wrist to help you out with the time. It’s a fashion statement, a tool, a lifestyle choice – but with so many different types and brands out there, how do you know which is the best watch for you?
Whether you’re shopping for a specific purpose, such as a sport, fishing, or golf GPS watch, or you’re looking for a name brand model like a Luminox or Victorinox, we’ll talk you through all the key things to consider when choosing the right watch.
By the time you’re finished reading this guide, you’ll know how to choose the best wristwatch to suit your personality, so it becomes a seamless part of your everyday routine.
What You Will Use Your Watch For
One of the first things you should ask yourself when buying a watch is what you need it for. For some, it could be just as simple as you need a reliable way of telling the time – in which case, style will probably be your main focus (which we’ll address later on). But for others, it might be that you need a watch to help you with a specific activity.
Many watches are designed to be worn for a certain purpose in order to help you out with specific activities. Some of the main types include:
Sports watch – This is a broad category that includes a whole set of niche types of watches. Generally speaking, sports watches are designed for specific sporting activities, such as running, cycling, golfing, and so on.
Almost all sports watches include a base set of features such as an alarm, stopwatch, and chronograph. But you can also find models that have things like a built-in GPS or heart rate monitor, to suit the activity in mind.
If you’re a keen sportsperson who wants a piece of kit that can add to your favourite workout or activity, a sports watch could be the perfect option for you.
Dive watch – As the name suggests, dive watches are designed to go diving. They are built with special waterproofing abilities that allow them to withstand high levels of pressure. Depending on the extremity of the sport, you can find divers watches to suit all levels, including watches for beginners who don’t travel as deep below the surface to high-grade watches that can take on extreme depths.
Dive watches also tend to include special features, such as a light (so you can read the screen in the dark) and a pressure barometer.
Hiking watch – Hiking watches tend to be extremely durable and robust in design, able to take on any knocks or splashes that they might come up against in the great outdoors.
They’re designed to help you with whatever adventures you have planned, and tend to include features to help you read the altitude, track your location, and monitor the weather.
Field watch – A little less intense than hiking watches, a field watch is designed to be a reliable companion while you’re out and about. They tend to have a durable quality without being overly bulky, and are simple and easy-to-read, so you can take a quick look at the time and get on with whatever it is that you’re doing.
Fishing watch – As you might expect, fishing watches have a high level of water resistance, so you can rely on them to accompany you on casual and extreme fishing expeditions alike. They usually come equipped with other outdoorsy features, such as a GPS, pressure barometer, and even tide-reading functionality.
Tactical watch – Tactical watches have a bit of a loose definition – generally, they need to be able to handle whatever heavy-duty activities tend to be part of your lifestyle, whether you work in law enforcement or regularly take part in extreme sports.
Waterproof, scratch-resistant, and all-around tough in design, tactical watches tend to include a variety of special features, such as a chronograph, compass, and flashlight.
Is Brand Important To You?
Just like any lifestyle choice, brand might be a factor that you consider when purchasing a watch. The watch world is bursting with long-established brands that bring a specific sense of character to their products, meaning you can become part of their story by choosing to wear one of their watches.
When deciding on which brand of watch to choose, do a little bit of research into the brand’s values and history to decide whether it aligns with your own lifestyle and point of view. While there are too many brands to possibly cover in this guide, some of the most famous ones include:
Luminox watches: With a reputation for creating products that are worn by Navy Seals and US airforce members, Luminox watches mean serious business. Tough and robust, they feature a special type of self-powered illumination, meaning you can read the face clearly day or night, with no need to press a button.
Victorinox watches: A long-established brand that’s respected worldwide, Victorinox watches are Swiss-made, promising quality and accuracy that will last a lifetime. The brand has an incredibly versatile range, which includes durable and fashionable designs alike.
Timex watches: Perhaps one of the most iconic watch brands, Timex is a globally-loved institution, known for creating affordable timepieces that bring quality and style to every single second.
What’s Your Style?
Once you’ve decided on the features you need and found a brand you can gel with, it’s time to narrow down what style of watch suits your personality and your wider wardrobe.
From ultra-traditional watches that come with a watch winder and feature Roman numerals on the face, to sleek, minimalist designs that might not have any numbers at all, chances are you’ll naturally gravitate towards a model that just feels right for you.
It’s important to match your watch with your outfit. If it’s a casual, everyday watch, you might prefer something with a vintage-inspired leather strap. However, if it’s a heavy-duty model that needs to be able to take on the elements, you might consider opting for a rubber or metal design.
Choosing the best watch might feel like an overwhelming task, but once you’ve spent some time researching which features you need and the brands you like, it’ll be easy to decide on a model that fits perfectly into your lifestyle.
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