I'm in the market for a watch, but I've got basically no idea where to start. Never really been a watch guy but I've wanted to get myself something nice, something that will last. Ideally something that isn't situational, would look alright with a suit but would look alright for normal everyday-wear. Budget roughly $2k, but could stretch to $3k if it's the right watch. I know we're not talking ultra high-end here but it looks like I should be able to get something decent. Any ideas? Where should I be looking?
I think getting into watches is a really awesome journey. If you are self-proclaimed, never really been a watch guy, I feel it could potentially work out better if you take a different approach. I’ll put it out there and let you decide.
As I started watching youtube videos about watches I learned a lot. I learned all about specifications to look for, all the different styles of watches out there, and what watch makers are out there. And you know how on youtube it seems everyone has a different opinion on… well just about everything? I actually found some advice that I heard several times, from multiple different sources, that started to resonate with me. And I took it. The advice was basically…
If you are just starting out, go with a dive style watch. It can be worn casual or dressy. Is a very common style watch, and a good place to start. And get an Orient because they have amazing specifications for an incredible price. It’s pretty much unanimous that Orient watches are the king of value.
So my advice for you would be… go to
Long Island Watch , filter down to the Orient brand, and pick something out that you like. The somewhat unanimous king of value of the Orient watches is the Orient Kamasu. They sell for about $270. In house movement, screw down crown, sapphire crystal, 200M water resistant at an amazing price. The other most popular are the Orient Ray and Mako. They sell for about $170 and the only thing you don’t get (compared to the Kamasu) is the sapphire crystal. Unfortunately the Ray and Mako are not labeled on the website with those names… so you may have to do some research to figure out which is which, but they are well documented on youtube.
When you order, get a cheap watch tool. You can get one for less than $10. You could get an Orient Mako or Ray and a tool for the grand total of $180. When you get it, play with it, figure out how to set the date, wind it, set the time. Figure out how to size the bracelet to fit on your own so you don’t have to go somewhere to adjust it. Then just wear it. See how you like it. Think about what you like and what you don’t. Eventually, maybe look into different strap options. You could go from dress to casual in some cases by simply switching the strap. Dive watches look great with rubber straps, NATO straps, and pretty much all style straps.
The way I see it is, if your budget is 2K to 3K, taking $180 off that budget isn’t going to make a big difference and will give you a ton of information to help figure out… what you like. It will make it such that, when you go to make that big purchase you will be much better informed and make a better choice. What if you go spend thousands on a Tag then find out you don’t necessarily like the style? The work on the front end will pay off in the long run. I bought the
Orient Ray in black and I am loving it. Best of luck.