Buying a luxury watch is the ultimate expression of luxury for most of us. It represents a significant investment of time besides the value in function, design, and quality. When you buy a luxury watch, you acquire an exceptional product designed to give you a lifetime of enjoyment and then some. It’s a major life decision, even a way of life for some.

That’s why we’ve put together our buyer’s guide to pick your first luxury watch. We have tried to cover everything from what to think about before you even enter the boutique so you can pick an ideal luxury watch, one you can hand down to future generations. 

Buying your first luxury watch is an unforgettable experience. A luxury watch is an accessory, unlike any other. You wear it on your wrist every day, and after a while, it just becomes a part of you. Mechanical timepieces with superior precision originally fulfilled the need for accurate timekeeping to facilitate different activities. However, this has changed.

Your luxury watch is now perhaps that little window you wear on your wrist. Through just one glance, it allows a peek into your character and personality. Knowing the fundamental aspects of a watch to purchase one that resonates with your personality, lifestyle, and taste is very important.

Here we delve into a few crucial points to keep in mind while buying a watch that suits you best!

Choose your style

A watch is an investment that’ll stay with you on your wrist, ticking away forever. The best advice that we could give you would be to remain true to your style. Pick a design that effortlessly fits into your wardrobe & lifestyle. Carefully consider the size of your watch before picking up your first luxury watch.

People often fall prey to some false trends and end up picking watches that don’t sit well on their wrists or are too large to wear daily. Here are some categories regarding watch design that you can select from:

Sports watches – These watches are usually large, with prominent markings on the bezel. They are generally water-resistant and nearly always have thick luminous hands and markings. These watches are an ideal choice for those who are fans of all things sporty and love the outdoors. The majority of the sports watches take heavy inspiration from deep-sea diving, aviation, race car driving, and equestrian sports. If you decide to go for one of these, take your time to look into their exciting functionalities. Judge them according to the sport they’re inspired from. Pick according to your sporting requirements!

Classic watches – Classic luxury watches from brands like Rolex and Patek possess a plain and thin case, unassuming bezel, and bold markings. Your masterpiece will easily take you through formal days at work to casual dinners and parties later. These watches are the safest to begin your collection with.

Dress watches – We have never believed the stereotypes associated with dress watches. With modern fashion widening its horizons and relaxing its views on what’s formal, the dress watch has found a whole new meaning now. Gone are the days where you would perhaps ignore them and wait for the next big release. You can easily wear a dress watch every day, teemed with a bit of attitude, of course!

Pick your brand

Take time to research different luxury watch brands, their heritage, and the things that inspired them to decide the Swiss watch brand you like most. The luxury watch brands come with rich and varied histories and long-standing devotion to quality. For instance, if you’re a keen diver, then you may want to study the long history Rolex has had with deep-sea exploration.

A movement that suits you

Also known as a ‘caliber,’ the movement is the engine of a watch. This internal mechanism is the watch’s powerhouse that enables the hands’ movement and powers complications such as chronograph, an annual calendar, etc. Numerous movements are created by watch manufactures; however, each of these movements fits into one of the 2 categories –Mechanical or Quartz.

Mechanical – The mainspring, which must be wound to store energy, is the most important mechanical movement element. When this spring unwinds, it releases energy to move the gears that power the watch. Created by expert watchmakers, this movement contains an intricate series of tiny components that work together with the way every watch did before the dawn of battery-powered watches.

Although a mechanical movement is not as accurate as a quartz movement, technology today allows for more precision than ever before. Mechanical movements further get divided into manual and automatic.

Manual hand-wound movements are more prevalent for traditional watches with the beautiful display that you can see through the case-back. However, automatic movements are more popular as they are self-winding & harness energy through the natural motion of your wrist.

Every mechanical movement in luxury watches is a work of excellent craftsmanship. And with many variations and complications available today, a well-built one should last several generations. These watches are a perfect choice for those who appreciate the European tradition of constructing beautiful & intricate timekeeping instruments.

Quartz – Quartz is a popular timekeeping technology. These watches are battery powered and are typically priced lower as they have few moving parts. It is an immensely reliable movement that loses only a few seconds every month, plus it is super easy to maintain.

Although the quartz movement isn’t as popular as the mechanical movement among watch enthusiasts, one may still lean towards convenience, affordability, and fewer time adjustments. Leading Swiss watchmakers do create watches with this movement with stringent quality standards.

Why should you go for luxury watches? 

For men, it’s one of the few accessories that they can don well, and they are the most overt expression of their persona. For women, luxury watches are part of their jewelry or fashion ensemble. For them, it requires equally considered co-ordination and no less the name of their persona.

Some choose to wear luxury brands simply because they like the way it looks – indeed, but you can also regard many examples as art. Others get excited about the engineering of the complex inner-mechanics in these high-end watches.

Why is buying from NY Watch Lab always the best choice? 

NY Watch Lab is proud to be an official retailer for all the brands we offer in our boutique. We’ve got all the famous watch models from Rolex (Datejust, GMT-Master II, etc.), Patek Philippe (Aquanaut, Calatrava, etc.), and Audemars Piguet (Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore).

There are several advantages to buying from an official retailer. We offer authenticity and buyer protection and can provide you the luxury watch of your dreams. We also offer customizing and an outstanding in-house full-service & repair department. Get in touch in case of any queries; we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.