Which Affordable Watch Should I Buy? Take This Quiz to Find Out!

A COMPLETE, SIMPLE GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING WATCHES, AND A HANDY QUESTIONNAIRE TO SELECT THE ONE THAT FITS YOU BEST.

There is no doubt about it. We are living in a modern world, where the last advances in technology have rendered almost obsolete several established fields — including traditional timekeeping. That is, the one made with a wristwatch.

When time is available on any smartphone and is visible in every corner of the city, and on every display there is, you do not really need a precise tool like a watch to get to your appointments on time. And even if we are watch lovers, there is no point in denying that.

If you have decided to buy a watch, apart from the sheer practicality of telling time at the flick of your wrist, you are probably looking for a fashion accessory that you like to wear every day and with which you can feel at ease among other people. Or you could be a fan of watchmaking that seeks a model which is well-built, using high-quality materials and refined technical solutions that you are well-aware of — or you might have heard about.

Whatever your driver for buying is, it is important to understand how to choose a wristwatch without the risk of running into an unsatisfactory purchase, especially if you are somewhat “new” to horology. And to do that, we must try to understand the particular characteristics of the different models on the market.

Types of wristwatches

There are basically three kinds of watches.

• A wristwatch can be mechanical. That is, it works thanks to a set of small mechanical elements which are powered by a coiled mainspring.
• It can be powered by a disposable battery through a quartz mechanism.
• Or it can take advantage of solar radiation through a small photovoltaic panel.

Apart from this basic choice, there is a long list of features that can determine the choice of a wristwatch.

If you like watches, you can’t really escape the lure of the most important horology brands, and the kind of workmanship they provide, which is so high as to offer timepieces that are close to real jewelry, with precious materials and painstaking attention to detail.

Also, you have to consider the aesthetics, based on your style and the clothes you wear, and the function that your future watch will have so that it can become your best choice from every point of view.

Choosing a wristwatch: the power supply

There has always been a certain divergence of opinion among watch lovers between the two factions: those who prefer mechanical watches and those who prefer quartz watches. In recent years, solar-powered watches have also been added, and apart from a problematic start, they have recently been improved a lot thanks to companies like Citizen, which has already captured a large number of buyers with its functional Eco-drive collection.

To answer any doubts you may have, it is important to point out the real differences between the three types of movement. Let’s see what are the advantages and disadvantages of the various types, regardless of the price range, as you could find watches in almost any range of prices, from the tens of dollars to the (literally) millions.

Mechanical watches

Mechanical watches can be either automatic or hand-wound; many good quality models have both. Their fascination cannot be questioned, because besides coming from the historical tradition of watchmaking, they represent a charming assembly of minute pieces, which have to be very precisely wrought, and put together with creativity and ingenuity to give the watch its functions. This fact alone justifies the sometimes very high prices of some luxury watches.

Manual winding takes place through the crown, which rewinds the watch using a spiral spring that generates potential energy and gradually releases it. Automatic winding takes place employing the oscillations of the wrist, which in turn stimulates a rotor that produces kinetic energy; the latter will be accumulated by a winding spring, which will have the potential energy to allow the watch to function.

Choosing a mechanical watch, however, means having less precision (the best COSC-certified models can have a minimum deviation of a few seconds per day). So, if you want absolute precision in your watch, you better resort to a quartz watch costing just a few tens dollars than to an automatic or manual model priced at hundreds or thousands of dollars.

The mechanical watch is a valuable choice reserved for true enthusiasts, so those who want to combine the highest possible precision while maintaining the tradition of watchmaking. Mechanical timepieces are heavier and their second-hand moves almost continuously, apparently fluidly — this is one of the most distinguishing traits of mechanical watches;

Quartz watches

The movement in quartz watches is guaranteed by a battery that supplies energy to a quartz crystal, which, when subjected to an electrical voltage, resonates, producing regular oscillations. A special circuit located downstream of the quartz synthesizes the vibrations in an electrical impulse that has the task of moving the second hand.

The precision of quartz watches is much higher than that of mechanical models; the maximum deviation of a good-quality quartz watch does not exceed 15 seconds each year. Considering the absence of complicated mechanisms, the watch is much lighter; moreover, they can determine time much more accurately. A standard quartz chronograph can measure time with extreme precision, even in hundredths of a second. The best mechanical chronographs, like the Zenith El Primero, have a precision of one-tenth of a second.

The choice of a quartz watch is typical of most people, as the price-performance ratio is often very high. There is no shortage of expensive and luxurious models.

Solar-powered watches

This is the most recent solution that companies like Citizen have taken up a few years ago with the production of their Eco-Drive and similar models. The first models of solar-powered watches had a great defect of being easily damaged, especially if left unused for a long time.

Today, these watches offer considerable precision; some of Citizen’s Eco-Drives, in particular, are radio-controlled, that is, they receive the time reading from atomic clocks, absolutely precise timepieces that are based on the resonance frequency of an atom, and are operated in several laboratories around the world.

There is also another type of watches, which are not manufactured anymore but represent an interesting niche of vintage timepieces.

Electromechanical watches

These models represented a transition between mechanical and quartz movements. One of the most famous — and appreciated by watch enthusiasts — is the Bulova Accutron. It was special because it replaced the balance wheel, the timekeeping element of mechanical watches, with a tuning fork, which vibrated with a frequency that was much higher than the traditional balance wheel — 360Hz for the tuning fork, 5Hz for an extremely precise watch like the El Primero chronograph.

With this kind of system, the precision and fluidity of the movement increase considerably, and the second-hand moves very smoothly, on the contrary to the typical quartz watches. From a commercial point of view, the electromechanical watches had to give way to quartz only for pricing reasons and because the mechanism was somehow delicate.

The modern alternative of the wristwatch: the smartwatch

This is the most technological alternative to the traditional watch available on the market; smartwatches are becoming increasingly popular as our world becomes more and more connected, and can not be otherwise, considering that in addition to doing everything a watch can do, smartwatches incorporate all the functions of a smartphone (or iPhone), connecting to the device via Bluetooth.

Choosing a smartwatch is equivalent to buying a wristwatch; it consists of a subjective choice, for which there is no lack of exchanges of opinion between traditionalists and those who prefer to own the most advanced product of the moment.

The materials used in watch cases

The watch cases can be made in different materials.

Traditionally, metals like gold and silver were the most used, but today you might find watches made of almost everything. Stainless steel is the most common choice, but there are watches made in titanium, ceramic, plastic and other materials.

In this regard, it is worth mentioning that Rolex, possibly the most famous Swiss watchmaking company, has also used the case material to distinguish itself from its competitors. Rolex watches are generally made in steel, but they use a different kind of steel than the majority of other companies. While others use 316L steel, Rolex uses 904L steel, which is more difficult to work, but gives you a different shine when polished.

Contemporary Rolex watches are mechanical-based and only on a few occasions the company made some models with a quartz movement. of course, the use of a different kind of steel is not sufficient to render Rolex timepieces the icons of horology as they are: the technical details are of the highest precision, and make them amazing for precision and aesthetics, justifying the great commercial success achieved. Other watchmakers offer many different solutions as far as materials are concerned.

Gold watches

Watches have always been a sign of affluence and distinction. And as such, the first watches were made in precious metals, especially gold and silver.

While gold resisted through the years and is still very used in the high-end models, silver is virtually non-existent anymore in watchmaking. The reason why is very simple: if you keep silver on the contact of your skin, the chemical reactions with the sweat form an ugly blackish patina on the watch, which soils the clothes. So, while silver cases were quite common in pocket watches, very few wristwatches use this material anymore.

Gold watches are better reserved for the most formal occasions, especially when they come with an integrated gold wristband.

Plated watches

During the first years of the last century, stainless steel was costly and difficult to work, and gold was way more expensive, but the market demanded wristwatches. The answer was to create cases made in an alloy called base metal, which was then covered with precious metals or chrome through electroplating and other techniques, creating a beautiful surface effect.

Unfortunately, the reactions of the chemical compounds of the sweat to the layer of chrome or precious metal are harmful to the integrity of the surface, so vintage plated models often look dented and faded.

Today, plating is still used, but the improvement in industrial processes means that the surfaces obtained are much less subject to this effect.

Steel watches

The majority of modern production of watches come in stainless steel, including from companies that focus exclusively on low cost and competitive price.

In this sense, as we have already noted, there are many different steel types and sometimes consist of special variations, such as the 904L used by Rolex.

While steel was at the beginning of watchmaking a difficult material to work with, modern techniques have rendered it the standard in watch case making.

Titanium and carbon watches

Titanium and carbon, while quite different, share several characteristics.

They are very contemporary materials, coming in watchmaking from advanced engineering fields such as aeronautics and motorsports.

The choice to use these ultra-light materials, particularly resistant to scratches and shocks, was initially made by watchmakers such as Tag Heuer.

Titanium is a material similar to steel, but grayer and with unique reflections; it gives you an idea of science fiction and modernity. Carbon does the same, but with its typical black hue.

Plastic watches

It cannot be said that plastics and their silicone derivatives are valuable materials. We are talking about cheap watches, among which you should remember the famous production of Swatch, a brand that, thanks to its huge success, currently holds the majority shares of around 20 other very famous brands.

Around the end of the last century, Swatch produced many timepieces entirely in plastic, among which each model had a unique style, so much so that many loved and still love to collect them.

They were (and still are) low-cost, analogic watches which price started from around $60, and inside they mounted an excellent quartz movement made in Switzerland. The Swatch collections were launched in an era where the market was dominated by cheap digital watches of Japanese make — and these colorful watches saved Swiss watchmaking from its demise.

Among the best models is the Swatch Scuba, a submariner capable of withstanding 20 atm of pressure; the Swatch Irony, a collection of models made with a metal case; and the Swatch System 51, the newest, automatic watch that is made with only 51 pieces of highly-optimized elements.

Ceramic watches

Contrary to what you might think, ceramic can be very resistant.

Thanks to the R&D of several companies, which Rado is one of the most famous, ceramic has been improved so to be used in watchmaking, becoming very resistant, as well as very beautiful aesthetically.

Rado watches have the characteristic of working on the style of the watch and its material rather than the movement, which often is a good but otherwise common Swiss quartz, and often they display a design-oriented look, thanks to the use of materials such as ceramic itself (High Tech Ceramics, as the watchmaker says) and tungsten.

Not really sure about what watch to pick? Try our watch choice test

Choosing a watch can be a long and painful experience, and we know it quite well. And as it usually involves a sizable expenditure of money, it is highly suggested that you just think over it again and again, without following the instinct of the moment.

So, we have prepared a test for you to select your perfect watch, along with some suggestions you might appreciate. IOf course, the suggestions are not definitive: most probably, many alternative choices are equally suited to adorn your wrist. But at the very least, our recommendations will leave you a good starting point in the quest for the most fitting watch for yourself.

THE WATCH TEST

1 — What does a watch represent for you?

1. A passion, as I like the tradition of mechanical excellence, go to question 2
2. A function, as I like modernity and precision, go to question 3

2 — Do you plan to dedicate some time to your mechanical watch?

1. If yes, go to question 4
2. If no, go to question 5

3 — So, a quartz watch would be great for you. Do you need to be always connected to the digital sphere?

1. If yes, I can’t stay without, go to question 6
2. If no, I really have a mobile phone for that, go to question 7

4 — What means winding up manually a mechanical watch for you?

1. If you think it is a sort of nuisance go to question8
2. If you think it is a relaxing daily rite go to question 9

5 — So, you like a mechanical watch, but a practical one, so an automatic would be best. Do you like your watch to feature also other functions besides timekeeping?

1. If yes, I am fascinated by them, go to question 10
2. If no, I just need basic timekeeping, go to question 11

6 — Where do you plan to use mostly your smartwatch?

1. If mostly for traditional uses, like work and meetings, and you like important brands, go to 12
2. If mostly for leisure activities outdoors, and you care about sturdiness and practical issues, go to 13
3. If mostly for tough activities, so you need something that is almost indestructible, go to 14

7 — Where do you plan to use mostly your quartz watch?

1. If mostly for traditional uses, like work and meetings, and you like important brands, go to question 15
2. If mostly for leisure activities outdoors, and you care about sturdiness and practical issues, go to question 16
3. If mostly for very tough activities, so you need something that is almost indestructible, go to question 17

8 — Well, we know it is a nuisance to wind up a mechanical watch. You prefer mechanical watches, right?

1. If yes, all the way, go to question 5
2. If not really, after all a non-mechanical would be fine, go to question 7

9 — So you like a wind-up mechanical watch. But do you like also other functions?

1. if no, not really, I want a time-only watch, go to question 18
2. if yes, because I am a diver, go to 19
3. if yes, because I want to track down events, such as sports and races, go to 20
4. if yes, because I want a watch that measures different timezones, go to 21
5. if yes, because I want a unique watch with special complications, go to 22

10 — So for you, it would be best an automatic watch which does some other functions. What kind of added functions would you like?

1. If you are a diver, go to 23
2. if you want to track down events, such as sports and races, go to 24
3. If you want a watch that measures different timezones, go to 25
4. If you want a unique watch with special complications, go to 26

11 — Where do you plan to use your automatic watch?

1. If you need a good all-rounder for business and leisure, go to 27
2. If you need a watch mostly for business and formal occasions, go to 28
3. If you need a watch mostly for leisure activities, go to 29

12 — The best choice for a person needing a good smartwatch coming from a well-known watchmaker, incorporating good design and the possibility of receiving notifications from your digital sphere.

The Tag Heuer Connected offers you some applications through which you can customize to your liking different chronographic functions. It works with the operating system WearOS, probably the most used together with Apple Watch (the latter to be possibly combined with iPhone), offering a customizable aesthetic and able to imitate the best models of the Swiss brand.

13 — The best all-rounder, which looks good in a meeting room and also at the wrist of a runner doing his morning jog, is the Apple Watch (with WatchOS operating system). This model interfaces perfectly with the iPhone and offers you innovations of all kinds, such as the adoption of a screen that can present a visible surface 30% larger than the actual one. Another function not to be underestimated is the one that allows the Apple Watch to monitor your bodily functions, including heartbeat.

14 — If you need the most resilient smartwatch there is, the Casio WSD-F20A is for you. It belongs to the Pro-Trek collection and is a smartwatch with military-grade 810G shock resistance. It’s water-resistant up to 50 meters and is preloaded with a huge range of features, like a compass, altimeter, barometer and much more.

The case is a mixture of engineering-grade plastic and aluminum, for a perfect balance of durability and shock resistance. The WSD-F20A mounts also a low-power GPS and runs Wear OS. The display is its best-selling point — it’s 320×300 in resolution and 1.32” in size. It’s bright and vibrant, and you can switch between color and monochrome modes to preserve the battery.

15 — What of the following statements applies most to you?

1. If you like fashion brands, go to 30
2. If you like a nice, colorful watch that you can change often, go to 31
3. If you want a watch coming from a good watchmaking company, go to 32
4. If you are a diver, go to 33
5. If you like motorsports, go to 34

16 — Would you prefer a leisure outdoor activities watch with easily replaceable batteries or a solar-powered watch?

1. If you want a battery-operated watch, go to 35
2. If you prefer a solar-powered watch, go to 36

17 — Would you prefer a tough outdoor activities watch with easily replaceable batteries or a solar-powered watch?

1. If you want a battery-operated watch, go to 37
2. If you prefer a solar-powered watch, go to 38

18 — So you want a time-only wind-up mechanical watch. Where do you plan to use it?

1. If you need a good all-rounder to use all day, go to 39
2. If you need a watch mostly for business and formal occasions, go to 40
3. If you need a watch mostly for casual activities, go to 41

19 — So you want a simple mechanical time-only watch for diving. Well, we are afraid that while this configuration may appeal to you, it isn’t manufactured because of practical reasons. Constantly screwing and unscrewing the crown to wind up the watch would possibly compromise its water resistance, so you should refer to 23

20 — You want a wind-up chronograph then? Well, the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional chronograph is the right watch for you. It is one of the most iconic timepieces of history, and even today, after more than 50 years since its introduction, it is the perfect chronographer for wind-up enthusiasts.

The watch comes in a balanced size of 42 mm in stainless steel with the bracelet complementing the black bezel.

21 — if you are a frequent traveler and need to track at least a couple of timezones, we are afraid that the current windup designs won’t help you much. Currently, few companies are manufacturing their own movements, and most of the watches mounting this useful complication are also automatic. So, you should refer to 25.

22 — A windup watch mounting interesting and peculiar complications? Well, you should check the Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso Calendar, a beautiful watch coming straight from 1930. This watch is available in many versions, buy this reference, mounting an annual calendar (needing to be set only once per year) and a moon phase indicator, is one of the most elegant. It is a great watch, featuring a rectangular steel case of 29.9mm by 41.5mm, fitted with a black leather strap. The dial has a beautiful guilloche-textured center, making the gun-metal blued hands stand out.

23 — The best-known diver watch is the Rolex Submariner. However, we would like to present you with another watch which will cost you much less, but it provides excellent value. And we are talking about the Tissot Seastar Powermatic 1000. An excellent watch, the Tissot Seastar 1000 Powermatic has an impressive design and top-notch features. It is water-resistant to 1,000 feet and mounts a unidirectional bezel made out of ceramic which does not only resist corrosion but also makes the watch quite light to wear. And also, it is very affordable.

24 — One of the best chronographers ever made is the famous Zenith El Primero, introduced in 1969 and still manufactured today. We have chosen the Zenith El Primero Chronomaster 38 mm, which is a faithful re-edition of the original model from 1969. It is a beautiful watch, which clearly shows its years and its definitely retro charm. But it is still one of the most precise chronographers ever made, even today, fifty years after its launch on the market.

25 — Worldtimers tend to be quite costly, but this is not always the case. One of the most interesting is the Frederique Constant Classic Worldtime.

It is a sizable watch, at 42 mm, but it wears smaller at the wrist. The brown dial version presented in 2017 is powered by the in-house automatic caliber FC-718.

The watch is great-looking, and it is also quite affordable as well, especially when confronted with its competitors.

26 — If you have a taste for something nice, and well-stocked of interesting complications, Oris proposes a model belonging to the Artelier collection, the Oris Artelier Complication, which displays the day, date, moon phases as well as a second time-zone.

The watch features a 40.5 mm steel case and a guilloche dial, and the price is really interesting!

27 — There are watches that you would like to wear all day long, whatever you are doing — and the Tissot Visodate Heritage is for sure one of these. It is a re-edition of a model from the Fifties and preserves its retro charm and style while mounting a tried-and-tested workhorse movement. Its steel case will accompany you everywhere, from the meeting rooms downtown to your favorite leisure activities. And it is also very affordable, which is an added plus.

28 — The perfect watch for a dressy occasion, the Mido Baroncelli Heritage was created to celebrate its 40th anniversary, and it’s a lovely, thin dress watch, with its 6.85 mm of thickness. Its PVD gold-plated case looks distinguished and way more upscale than its extremely affordable list price would suggest.

29 — There is a watch that you don’t really suspect, but can endure almost everything you throw at it. We are talking about the Seiko Alpinist, a beautiful Japanese-made watch with a stainless-steel case and a durable leather wrist band. The Seiko Alpinist SARB017, now discontinued, had an extremely accurate automatic movement with up to 50 hours of power reserve. With a luxurious hunter green face, golden hands, and a golden dial, this watch is an eye-catching timepiece with a sporty nature, with its 200 meters water-resistant as well. But don’t worry: an improved Alpinist is expected to make a comeback in January 2020.

30 — You want a no-nonsense watch from a well-known fashion brand that will make you feel distinguished? The Hugo Boss collection of watches is perfect. We have chosen this Hugo Boss 1513258 model because it represents completely the style elements that have made the German watchmaker famous: rigor, understatement, and design. This watch comes with a Swiss quartz movement and an Italian leather strap.

31 — The Swatch is the kind of watch to buy when you need something colorful around your wrist. The Swatch group has presented in 2019 a special collection of models, the Swatch Bauhaus Edition, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Bauhaus — and they mix the strict design elements from the tradition with their playful mood, featuring styles varying from casual to sporty to even avant-garde.

32 — The Mondaine Stop2Go is a quirky but beautiful watch coming straight from Switzerland. It has a curious feature: when the second hand on this watch hits 12, it stops for two seconds — then the minute hand jumps forward and the second-hand resumes. This is actually the way all Swiss railway clocks operate, so it has been resumed in this unique quartz timepiece.

33 — Luminox is famous for its resilience and functionality. Founded in 1989, the company provides rugged timepieces with its proprietary light technology. This Luminox Original Navy SEAL XS.3001 is water-resistant to 200-meters and provides a carbon-reinforced unidirectional rotating bezel making it perfect for diving.

34 — There was another watch on the Moon apart from the Omega, and it was a Bulova. Specifically, Bulova’s watch went on the first lunar rover expedition in 1971. The Bulova Moon Watch, a reproduction of the 1971 watch that had this honor, mounts a very precise 262 kHz quartz movement that provides serious accuracy on both the main dial and three subdials of this elegant black and white watch.

35 — The Victorinox I.N.O.X. watch, coming from the famous company of the multi-tool knife, is perfect for the outdoor adventurer, yet stylish enough for using it at the office. It is made in 316L steel and can handle the most severe conditions and tests. Yet it’s exclusive, so you’ll always find pleasure in checking the time every moment and in every condition.

36 — The Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Altichron BN5058–07E is the perfect timepiece for the adventurous soul. Under the black-ion plated bezel of its solid stainless steel case, scratch-resistant mineral crystal dial window, this timepiece packs a load of features and a superb water resistance to 200 meters which makes it suitable for deep diving. it also includes an altimeter, a bidirectional rotating compass bezel, and date display at the 3 o’clock position.

37 — The Casio G-Shock DW5600E is the modern heir of the original G-Shock. It is the true “beater” watch, nearly impossible to destroy, and if you do manage to destroy it, you’re probably not going to worry too much about it as it is really budget-friendly. For the needs of today, its et of features might sound a bit light, but there would be a classic between robust digital watches, this would be it.

38 — Casio has presented a special edition watch in honor of G-Shock’s 35th anniversary, the G-Shock 35th Anniversary Frogman GF8235D-1B, which is perfect for the hardiest adventurer. This watch features 200-meter water resistance and can measure moon data, tide graph, and dive time and surface interval measurement, as well as having a full array of other features.

The Casio GF8235D-1B is powered by Casio’s Tough Solar technology, which gets energy from either natural or artificial light and even the weakest source, giving it a power charge of up to 10 months.

39 — This watch is a call to the past. The Timex Marlin was sort of ubiquitous, in the 1960s, as every watch out of four sold in the USA back then was a Timex. Now, the company has re-issued the Marlin, a no-nonsense, practical watch designed to be worn everywhere. Its movement is an honest Sea-Gull, but you simply cannot beat its price.

40 — There is a German company called Nomos which makes some amazing timepieces. And the Nomos Metro 38 Datum is a great product, with a definite, stylish Bauhaus-inspired look. A glance through the sapphire crystal glass back reveals the manual movement DUW 4101 with the Nomos Swing System. The height of the movement is just a very thin 2.8 mm, and the watch comes with a power reserve of 42 hours.

41 — If you fancy a nice-looking military-style watch with a hand-wound caliber, well, you are in luck. The 38-millimeter Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical embodies standard-issue timepieces of the 1970s. The inner 24-hour track, traditional case, mil-strap, and beige lume look like the real deal, and the ETA 2801–2 movement is ready to serve you for many years of use.