Editor’s Note: So you’re ready to make a watch purchase? Not so fast. Before committing, it’s worth thinking carefully about your needs to make sure you’re truly buying the right timepiece for you. Our series Five Questions aims to help you do just that.
Everyone has to start somewhere, and as concerns watch collecting, this often means starting with an inexpensive watch. However, though not everyone can afford a timepiece from a big Swiss brand the first time around, this doesn’t mean that buying a cheap watch need equate with buying a shitty watch. A watch buyer in these days is truly spoiled for choice — with so many boutique and mircrobrands on the rise today, it’s easier than ever to snag an affordable timepiece that can serve as a springboard toward more expensive purchases.
If you’ve never bought a cheap watch before (and for the purposes of this article, we’re going to equate “cheap” with sub-$200), it’s worth asking yourself the following questions before you hit that “Buy Now” button on eBay, Amazon, or what have you. Because thought you can certainly nab a perfectly functional timepiece for under $200, it’s always better to be informed before making your purchase, and, ultimately, to ask yourself if it isn’t worth saving up just a bit more money before you pull the trigger on your first ticker.
Either way, we support you.
1. What are you going to use this watch for?
If you’re looking for a serious dive watch that you can take beneath the waves, for example, you might have a tough time finding one for $200. (You used to be able to find new Seiko SKX007s for roughly this price, but since being discontinued, prices have jumped up closer to $400). However if you need a simple dress watch or everyday watch, scoring one for this money should be a cinch. Think about whether or not your use for this watch is going to involve serious physical abuse — the more of this you want to subject your watch to, the more careful you need to be in evaluating a purchase.
