Watches Guide

How to Choose Men’s Watches

The selection of new watches that fit your needs, styles and budgets at the same time, it is for every man a task often difficult. And that’s a fact! There are a lot of different things to argue about when it comes to gathering information on the best watches, and each will have its own definition of a good watch. But how can you determine what would be your ideal model when the market offers an endless choice? If you’re asking this question, then you’re in the right place!

If you want to get a general idea about the various brands, then I suggest you read my list of favorite brands of watches that not just me, but lots of people rely. Their best products can definitely help you reach your personal goals.

If you think, you know everything about what to watch and what to overlook, then go directly to the section where you will find many reviews reviewed watches, so that you will know exactly the pros and cons before making a final decision.

Elements to be considered in men’s watches

Surely you know some brands of watches, as you will know, too, that each has dozens of very similar models that differ in small ways, often imperceptible. The problem comes when you decide to want to buy one, then you look at the pictures, if the purchase you decide to do it online, and then what happens? That we cannot explain why a watch has a very different price on the other hand, maybe the same manufacturer, but they look the same.

Have you ever been in this situation?

That’s why you need to read this guide. Below I will provide all the elements that you need to evaluate in order to buy your watches wisely and aware.

Digital or Analog Watches?

This is the first question you must answer. What kind of display do you fantasize about for your wristwatch? Perhaps the biggest advantage of by analog man watches is their unquestionable beauty. They are more attractive to people. And when you want to impress the people around us, wearing a watch top class analog wrist, such as Omega, or TAG Heuer, will surely help you achieve this with minimal effort required!

Wear a high-quality analog chronograph (which does not necessarily mean a luxury), will stand your presence in important events such as business meetings or ceremonies, making you feel like a man in the spotlight. That’s because you wear on your wrist a prestigious accessory that people around you will look at and admire.

The analog display also makes it easy to read the time at a glance. And when you’re in an environment with little light, this type of display, it will make life easier, especially those with dials and luminescent hands.

For digital clocks perhaps the biggest advantage, than analog, is that they can show the time exactly to the second. Digital products also have more features and functions than analog, simply because they possess integrated electronic circuits!

Thanks to the nature of their structure, the clocks of digital humans are more resistant to damage from falls or blows to the wall. This is because they have no mechanical gears inside them, unlike analog counterparts.

So, what’s your choice? I think it is reasonable for every man, having your own personal taste in watches, whether analog or digital. Personally, I like to have both types for different occasions.

Seiko 5 Blue Dial Stainless Steel Automatic Mens Watch SNZF15
Fashion | Accessories, Men's watches, Men's Wrist watches, Wristwatches
Timex Intelligent Quartz Watch with Black Dial Fly-Back Chronograph Display and Beige Leather Strap T2N700
Intelligent Quartz Fly-Back Chronograph Movement; 2nd Time Zone; Quick-Date; 100 Meter Water Resistance
Casio General Men's Watches Digital A-168WA-1UWD - WW
Silver Stainless Steel strap; Plastic case, Black dial; Quartz movement; Case diameter: 38.6mm
$32.50

Product prices and availability are subject to change. Any price and availablility information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of any products.

 

Quartz, Automatic or Mechanical?

The movement is undoubtedly the most important part of a clock. And as the heart of a living being. Without a reliable movement, he fails to keep time and then is not its primary function. No one among the dozens of men’s watches will be ranked as the best without this basic feature! There are basically three main types of movement.

Mechanical movement : With this old-school mechanism, you will need to perform a manual winding to maintain the steady ticking of the clock. Many men believe that their accuracy in keeping time, is not that great.

However, there are many watches with this type of movement that may be accurate as other more modern movements. The reason that a man may prefer the mechanical models, especially luxury ones, is that they represent a craftsmanship, extreme beauty, express the style of the wearer and simply act as a high-end jewelry that people look at and admire. This is what I represent a few models of the Omega collection or other manufacturers of high-end models.

Quartz movement : This movement is considered the most precise motion that a watch may have and which is now in many wrist watches for men but also in models for women. Watches of this type operate on one battery and can last for a very long time. Quartz is also the most popular choice for most modern products. Not only because it is accurate, but also because it is easier for producers, to implement in their products. You can see this movement in action in many collections such as the Casio, Citizen, Fossil, Invicta, Seiko Watches and more.

Automatic movement : Even these have a mechanical core. However, the engine will stop or continue to operate according to the movement of the wrist and arm. The energy accumulated thanks to the movement of the wrist may allow the watch operation for a couple of days, even weeks, depending on the type.

This movement allows a good precision in marking the time, even if less accurate than quartz. Although I prefer models that use quartz movements, given the high precision and reliability, for you the best men’s watches could be supplied by any of the above movements.

Crystal of Men’s Watches

The crystal is another important element to which you should pay close attention. As with the types of movement, there are basically three main materials used to create the crystal.

  • Plastic
  • Mineral
  • Synthetic sapphire

Plastic, acrylic or if you prefer, it is mostly used in digital watches. Its biggest advantage is the great ability to withstand the shocks, but it is more vulnerable to scratches. However, scratches can be easily removed (if minor entities). In addition, models with this type of coverage have lower prices.

The mineral is another widely used type of glass. Glass consists of heat-treated, which can resist both scratches that hard impacts. However, the scratches are not easily removed, as is the case for plastics. Furthermore, this type of crystal is not as resistant as sapphire. So we can say that is a middle ground.

Finally, the synthetic sapphire is the hardest of all types of crystals. Although artificial, it is so hard to resist all types of scratches, except those caused by the diamond. It is not unbreakable, but it’s really hard to be broken during normal activities that take place every day. Sapphire is a bit more expensive than other materials.

This is the reason why the man watches that have a sapphire crystal, are often sold at much higher prices. But it’s worth it, in my opinion, if you do not want to see their irreparably damaged accessory.

The shield that protects the watches: The Case

The case is another important part that you need to pay attention. And as a shield that protects from impact, various damages and scratches. The most common material is the stainless steel. And a heavy material, mainly used in watches for aviation and in sports watches. The advantages of stainless steel consisting in its resistance against scratches and is very well able to protect the watch from impact.

And also a good anti-corrosion material. The only disadvantage that this material is that some men who have sensitive skin it can be allergic. However, it is very rare for this to happen. Another excellent material used to cover the case of a gentleman’s wrist watch is the gold, especially 18k gold. The 18k gold alloys are more malleable of stainless steel and can be transformed into 3 colors, resulting in different colors ranging from yellow to pink/red and white.

And a durable material that manufacturers mostly use to complicated chronographs, such as those with perpetual calendar, tourbillon, etc. … Surely the biggest drawback of a clock man with a gold case is the price, since gold is already for if an expensive metal.

The third material used for the casing is titanium. And lighter than stainless steel but very durable and it does not cause allergies. It may also bear almost all the types of corrosion and can withstand the extremely high temperatures. The color of titanium silver makes it very interesting for the use of these accessories such as real jewels.

But like any other material, titanium has its Achilles heel.  You scratch a little more easily than stainless steel,  and scratches are very difficult to remove.

The strap is an important element of style of men’s watches

The strap of the function is to confer a particular style clock, and then the man who wears it. The materials used for the straps are basically four. They can be leather, nylon, rubber and various types of metal.

The leather can come from skins of different animals such as cow, horse, crocodile, pork, veal and even ostrich. This type of strap is often found in athletes and in those classic watches, in the latter case giving a touch of elegance.

Many manufacturers lately increasingly using this type of strap for their products. Although men’s watches with leather straps are certainly among the most pleasant, does not mean that you have to follow the crowd! Always choose according to your personal tastes.

Nylon is another material often used for the straps of the most modern models. It is cheap and can be replaced easily. You can see these kinds of straps in the most fashionable watches, especially for women, as they are available in a wide range of colors that give a touch of ” energy ” and cheerfulness that people love.

To lovers of men diving in search of diving watches often happen to meet straps made of elastic material. The reason for the choice of this material is that it shows high resistance to water and are comfortable on the wrist.

And last, but definitely not least, there is the metal bracelet. Often the cuff will be realized with the same material of the case. So, if the case is the steel bracelet, it will most likely be made of steel. The same applies to the gold and titanium.

The advantages of metal bracelets are fairly obvious. You are much more resistant than other materials, often they give a more elegant appearance and maintain the fresh wrist during hot days.

Functions of a special watches

To talk about the special features 10 pages would not be enough as there are myriads that manufacturers incorporate into their products in order to provide greater value to customers.

But there are some special features that are often found in different models, such as the luminous hands for easy reading even in dark environments, day / date stamp, GMT display, alarm, compass, altimeter, and more.

My advice is to prefer a watch that offers exactly what you need and not one with 1,000 functions, as it could be much more expensive and not all the functions, you would use anyway.

Waterproof or water resistant. What is the precise?

By the term waterproof or water resistant (water-resistant) it refers to the ability to resist the static water pressure. A watch waterproof man, or water resistant, it may not be a great watch but those of a certain ” caliber ” should have this feature. So keep that in mind.

One of the most important things that such a product must have is a screw down crown. This fact behaves as a safety seal, able to protect the internal parts from the damage that the water may cause. If you are unsure of the pressure that a water-resistant  watch can withstand during daily activities follow these simple rules:

  • Water resistant : withstands only water and rain splashes
  • Water Resist 5BAR : indicated for daily use, such as bathing, showering or washing hands
  • Water Resist 10BAR : suitable for example  for frequent swimming and snorkeling
  • Water Resist 20BAR : indicated for example,  for the dive without cylinders

 

Seiko Men's Analogue Automatic Watch with Stainless Steel Bracelet – SNKE01K1, Black/Silver, Bracelet
Protective Hardlex Window Lens; Round Stainless Steel Case with Steel Fixed Bezel; Stainless Steel Band with Fold Over Clasp
$148.00
Timex Unisex Weekender 38mm Watch – Silver-Tone Case White Dial with Blue & Red Fabric Slip-Thru Strap
Unisex; 24 hour timekeeping; Water resistant to 30 meters; Indiglo night light; red and blue stripe nylon slip through strap
$35.78

Product prices and availability are subject to change. Any price and availablility information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of any products.

Prices and Styles of Men’s Watches

Style is a matter of personal choice. So I will not go too much in this argument. But let’s look at some examples, that can make you understand how you should choose a watch that best suit your needs. If you are a businessman, and you have to meet with clients or hold meetings, consider taking watches with case and metal bracelet because, in those situations is much better suited than one with a nylon strap.

On the other hand, you might want to wear one with nylon strap if, say, you’re going to walk around the streets with your friends on a beautiful summer day. And for the price, well, just do not go broke even if others tell you that their luxury watches are the most beautiful, high-performance men’s watches, that you should consider.

If you do not have money to burn, but you are a fan, or have special needs, a clock for the price of a few $100 or less, with multiple functions, such as those I listed above, should be sufficient. I assure you that there are dozens and dozens of very beautiful models and above all functional and do not reach even $100.

My advice is to look at online stores. Very often these have lower prices than the ” traditional ” shops for the simple reason that they have lower operating expenses. Among all, Amazon is the best, not just because it is known throughout the world for reliability and professionalism but also because it has the best products and lowest prices of all. Seeing is believing

Finally

If you have had the patience to read and understand this guide, you’ll definitely understand what are the most important parts of a man’s watch and what should be the main features. There would surely be many other things to be discussed, but I believe that with the information I have given you up to here, you will be able to choose from hundreds of templates that best suits your needs and do it with greater awareness, as well as relying on appearance also on the functionality of the product.

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