Background: I began writing this as a guide for my uncle. It originated in my notes app to be eventually sent over text, but I quickly realized it would be difficult to read, so I transitioned to email. In the midst of drafting what was fast becoming a clunky email, I realized I might as well make an article–so here we are.

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Disclaimer

If you want a watch, you should probably buy an Apple Watch. But if you care not for having the most functional thing you can conceivably wear on your wrist, then you’re in the right place–welcome! However, I must warn you that “interest in watches” engenders “watch enthusiasm” which quickly turns pathologic. Putting that aside, In this short guide, I will provide you with the basics about watches, an overview of the types of timepieces out there (as I see them), and the key considerations I keep in mind whenever I’m interested in pursuing a watch. Let’s begin–

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A Brief History of Time(keeping)

Coming soon (don’t sue me trust of Stephen Hawking).

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The Basics

Types of Watches

There are, essentially, 2 types of watches: Quartz (battery-powered) and Mechanical (powers itself). There are hybrids and weird ones, but those aren’t really pertinent. Mechanical watches further subdivide into:

• Manual: You have to wind up the watch like an old radio or music box
• Automatic: has a rotor that winds the watch as you move (as pictured in the picture below)

The important thing to keep in mind for our purposes is that watches either have a battery or do not.

(I used Grand Seiko examples because I’m a fan)

Pros & Cons of Mechanical and Quartz Timepieces

Type	Pros	Cons
Quartz	– Unparalleled Accuracy/Precision – Cheap – No maintenance other than infrequent battery changes – Can be very thin	N/A
Mechanical	– Powers itself	– Not as accurate as quartz – Requires service – Generally more expensive – Needs to be wound constantly – More delicate – Usually thicker/bigger

Considering the list above, I think now is an apt time to bring up the Quartz Crisis of the 1970s. In 1969, Seiko released the world’s first quartz watch, and soon other manufacturers followed. The quartz movement watch was highly accurate and was available at a draw-droppingly low cost relative to its mechanical counterpart (Girard-Perregaux advertised accuracy within about 0.164 seconds per day, something mechanical watches could not even dream of). However, despite the promise of quartz, the Swiss were reluctant to embrace it for a variety of factors–including national identity–and were almost ruined by it. Up until the introduction and popularization of quartz timekeeping, the Swiss, who controlled about 50% of the watch industry at that time, possessed an effective monopoly on the market. By the 1980s, Everyone thought mechanical watchmaking was over, and many Swiss watchmakers either collapsed or quickly shifted to producing these battery-powered timepieces. As you can see, there aren’t really any drawbacks technically speaking, so the mechanical watch’s persistence is simply a testament to humanity’s appreciation for craftsmanship and pure mechanical beauty, in my humble opinion.

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Summary

1. Some watches are powered by batteries, some are not
2. Watches can have a lot of different functions other than telling the time (called complications) that often inform how they are styled/look
3. If you only want to tell the time, and do it well, buy a Quartz watch

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Short Glossary of Terms (Watch Lingo)

Not comprehensive, but largely what you really need to know. I may turn this into a small gallery of photos eventually:

1. Horology: the science of measuring time
2. Complication: Anything a watch does other than tell time
3. Crystal: the glass of the watch
4. Water resistance: how deep in water you can go with a watch before the risk of damage
5. Dial/Face: The first thing you see when you see a watch–the central part of a watch on which all the time-telling parts rest (e.g. white, black, blue, etc.)
6. Bezel: The ring around the crystal of the watch that holds the glass or crystal in place, and sometimes features a complication (think: dive watch 60 minutes indicator)
7. Case: holds the watch movement and everything inside the watch
8. Crown: A button, usually on the side of the watch, used for adjusting time and other functions of the watch
9. Movement: The engine that powers a watch
10. Band: Informal term for a watch bracelet or strap
11. Index (Indices)/Hour markers: The time indicators (Roman numerals, Arabic numerals, polished rectangles, etc.)
12. Lugs: The top and bottom projections of the watch case in which the band is inserted.
13. Gray Market: Unauthorized seller of new watches (usually at nicer prices, but lack official warranty)
14. Subdial: A smaller window on the face/dial of a watch that has a secondary function (think: chronograph circles)
15. Date window: The box you see the date through on a watch
16. BPM: the frequency at which the watch oscillates
17. Bracelet: Metallic watch band
18. Strap: non-metal watch band
19. Lume: The luminescence of the watch (chemical or digital)

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Styles/Categories of Watches

Let’s not pretend this list is exhaustive, but it is quite comprehensive. Here is an overview of the most popular high-level categories of timepieces as I see them.

1. Diver Watch
2. Chronograph
3. Field Watch
4. GMT (Traveller’s Watch)
5. Dress
6. Pilot’s Watch
7. Vintage

Divers

Kicking us off is the diver’s watch–arguably the most well-recognized watch style in modern times next to the Chronograph (discussed in the next category). Dive watches were historically used during deepsea diving, owning the critical charge of tracking how long someone has been underwater, allowing divers to quickly know how much oxygen-time they have left.

The Rolex dive watch, the Submariner (pictured in the middle), is perhaps the most recognizable watch in modern times. Since its introduction in 1954, it has in many senses set the standard for how a dive watch ought to be designed for modern times–possessing an influence quite pronounced throughout the entire watch industry.

Highlights of a Typical Dive Watch

• High water resistance (≥200 m / 650 ft)
• Robust/rugged construction (Stainless steel usually)
• Dynamic use cases (Can go from the pool to the boardroom)
• Rotating bezel with 60 minutes tracker

Chronograph

Watches that double as a stop-watch. That’s it. That defines the category, and everything else is an add-on. These pieces were meant for precision timing (think racing, scientific experiments, etc). The legendary Omega Speedmaster, the first watch worn on the moon, was a chronograph, and it was critical in helping astronauts on Apollo 13 return home.

Highlights of a Typical Chronograph

• Tachymeter Bezel (usually used to measure kph/mph)
• Sporty and versatile
• Bicompax or Tricompax (has 2 or 3 subdials)
• Has usually 2 “pushers” the controls for the chronograph
• Water resistance typically of 50-100m (150 – 300 ft)

Field Watch

Field watches are purpose-driven. They derive from the war-era timepieces of soldiers during the world wars and beyond. They vary in design and details and are known for their clean, extremely legible dials with few superfluous details. They are small, lightweight, robust, and get the job done without being a burden–as a soldier would love.

GMT (Traveller’s Watch)

The GMT watch, named after “Greenwich Mean Time” as you probably surmised, allows the wearer to track 2 or more timezones simultaneously. This functionality ranks it among the more “useful” watches, but let’s be real: an iPhone is infinitely better, let alone even needing a smart watch or watch at all. It is very cool, however, and one of my personal favorite complications.

Highlights of a Typical GMT Watch

• Usually high Water resistance (WR)
• Legible
• Has a “4th hand” that tracks the hour of another timezone
• Available in multiple styles of the watches seen in this guide

Dress

This is literally a watch for dressing up. Technically, anything can count these days if you’re bold enough (people where the Rolex Submariner with a tux), but the styles above tend to typically fall into the category of traditional dress watches.

Highlights of a Typical Dress Watch

• Traditional Colors
• Gold, Steel, or Platinum
• More traditional diminutive sizing
• Minimal complications

Pilot’s Watch

Pilot watches emerged as a way for pilots to reliably tell time in an aircraft cockpit or make complex calculations before the advent of computers, radar, or GPS. Interestingly, the first men’s wristwatch was a pilot watch, designed by Louis Cartier for Alberto Santos Dumont, the Brazilian aviation pioneer. There are different styles of Pilot’s watches, but the most dominant was the “Flieger” watch (German for “flyer”/”pilot”) as seen in the images above. The Breitling Navitimer is also an iconic design, however, and my preferred iteration of the category.

Highlights of a Typical Pilot Watch

• Very easy to read
• Include useful complications for navigating

Vintage

These watches are just old watches (as late as pre-2000’s) that are out of production but have some historical value or just antique appeal. I don’t know much about Vintage, but there is a deep market for these watches. Just don’t expect reliability at all pretty much, but usually after getting service from a trusted watchmaker, you’re golden.

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Yahya’s Key Considerations When Looking For a Watch

There are 3 main questions that guide me whenever I’m interested in pursuing a watch (this is presuming I didn’t just organically find a watch I’m totally smitten with–in that case, all this pretentious logic goes out of the window).

So, in no particular hierarchy, let’s begin:

How do I plan to use this watch?

When buying a watch, I always think: “When or how am I going to use this?” Below, I’ve distilled the myriad use cases of a watch into 3 broad categories, each containing the key requirements I demand for each use case:

1. Everyday watch (go anywhere, do anything)
   • Water resistance:
     • at least 50m water resistance (so you don’t worry about water)
   • Construction:
     • Steel case
     • Usually minimal high polish (mirror finish)
     • Silicone or steel band (leather last option) (keep in mind you can always switch between any kind of strap for most watches)
   • Dial Color: I think black, green, blue, or white is best (can go with anything)
   • Other: I tend to like an interesting dial design/pattern
2. Dress watch (special occasions or more classy engagements)
   • Water resistance: Does not really matter
   • Construction:
     • Steel (silver, PVD rose gold, or PVD gold) case
     • A leather strap, but a steel bracelet can also work depending on the style of the watch.
     • Some people like wearing sports watches too now for formal occasions (think: Rolex Submariner, Cartier Santos).
   • Dial Color: Black or white typically
   • Other: Minimal complications preferred, strong bias for Moon phases
3. Sport watch (this is usually the #1 option for an everyday watch unless you prefer a more elegant style, but there are tons of sporty-dress hybrids)
   • Water resistance: at least 100m (you can dive with it)
   • Construction: Steel (any color is fine)
   • Dial Color: Everything
   • Other:  N/A

What kind of style do I want?

The second thing I consider is the style I want + complications (like a chronograph, moon phase, etc). These were covered above, but here are some examples:

Quartz or Mechanical?

Finally, I consider how the watch is powered. By now you know the only choices are Mechanical or Quartz (barring some weird ones).

Here are some reasons I would choose Quartz or Mechanical, but this is purely opinion (then gain everything in this article pretty much is):

Mechanical	Quartz
– I want an open case back (see the movement in all its glory) – I find the engineering remarkable – I just want to know I’m wearing a piece of artistic and engineering craftsmanship	– I’m too lazy to set the time every time my watch dies – I want something I can just pick up anytime and go any place – I want the height of accuracy – The quartz version of the watch i like is way more affordable, and I don’t mind the movement

So, as you can see, it’s really up to you. There is always something for everyone, but if you’re particular, it takes patience to find a watch you will be truly satisfied with. The goal, in my humble opinion, is to buy watches that make us smile or marvel every time we look at them. And, as with any material possession, we must temper our attachment and take care to not fall into heedless excess. The less we have something, the more we will value it. This brings my guide to watch buying to an end. I hope it was just a tiny bit helpful.

Happy watch hunting!

– Y