What is the definition of a good watch?

Watches, the accessory for men and women for decades to see what time it is. Where the watch was originally purely for timekeeping, it is nowadays also a piece of jewelry or even a status symbol. For men, the watch is one of the few pieces of jewelry, while women have much more choice. Think of necklaces, earrings and rings. The watch has always played an important role. Simply because time is a core value in our world. Because time plays an important role in everyone's life. Many people wear a watch because it allows you to see the time quickly and easily. After all, you have the watch on your wrist and with one arm movement you can see what time it is.

 In recent years, many types of watches and watch brands have been added. Think of the smart watches from Garmin, Suunto or Apple. Classic watches have always been and always will be, think of brands such as IWC, Patek or Lange & Söhne. Breitling, Rolex and Tag Heuer watches are more modern. Or lesser known brands, such as Davosa, Fortis and Glycine, which offer just as good quality at a lower price. In addition, you have the differences in where the watch is produced. We all know the designation Swiss made, which Swiss watch brands are allowed to display on their watches and in their marketing campaigns. But also very good watches are made in Germany, France and Italy. Chinese watch brands had a reputation for poor quality, which was partly true for a long time, but have also improved and produce better quality. Maybe not yet at the level that is made in Europe, but make no mistake, they are coming. And that is only positive, because the greater the choice and competition between watch brands, the better the consumer can make a wise choice.

When you buy a watch, you want it to wear with pleasure and it must be long lasting. Of course you can expect more from a watch that has cost thousands of euros than from a watch that has cost a few euro. But what exactly is the definition of a good watch? Does this have to do with the price? What should you pay attention to? Where can you best buy a good watch? We will answer all these questions in this blog article.

What is the definition of a good watch?
 
The answer to the question of what is the definition of a good watch depends on the user and what he or she expects from the watch. When you are looking for a good watch, you have to ask yourself what is important for you. Do you find the watch brand itself, the appearance, materials, price or functions important? And to what extent? For someone who would like an extremely luxurious rose gold watch, a Chinese watch will be a disappointment. Those who want to use a watch for diving where the watch must be able to take a beating will not choose a watch with automatic movement and water resistance of 30 meters. If you often exercise, for example play golf and tennis, it is better not to wear an automatic watch. The claps and hits can have a detrimental effect on the timepiece inside the watch.
 
Everything stands or falls with what your expectations are of the watch and with which activities or outfit you want to wear it. Fortunately, there is plenty of choice and you will always find the watch that suits you. But we still haven't answered the question of what the definition of a good watch is. Simply because this question is not easy to answer and depends on many factors as outlined above. But we can give a few guidelines that we think can help you choose a good quality watch.
 
We would start with a good timepiece that is inside the watch and forms the heart of the watch. This can be a quartz, automatic or mechanical movement. The differences between these timepieces are large and we explained that in another blog article, but the quality of the timepiece determines whether the time is correct and the durability of the timepiece itself. After all, a watch with a less quality timepiece will not only break down earlier, but will also indicate the exact time less well. With an automatic or mechanical timepiece, there will be a difference between the time that the watch indicates and the real time. This is inconvenient and annoying, because you cannot rely on the watch.
 
A Swiss timepiece still has the reputation of excellent quality. Timepiece manufacturers such as ETA, Sellita and Ronda produce high-quality timepieces that are used in the watches of many Swiss watch brands, as well as watch brands from other countries. For example in the watches of Tag Heuer, Davosa and Junkers.
 
There are also Japanese watch manufacturers who make good watch timepieces. The Seiko and Citizen (Miyota) timepieces are world famous and are a cheaper alternative to the Swiss timepieces. Are they less in terms of quality? That is certainly not true. They are made in much larger numbers and the finish is often less attractive. They offer less luxury, but just like the Swiss timepiece, they neatly indicate the correct time.
 
In short, if you are looking for a good watch our first step would be to determine if the timepiece inside the watch is reliable and durable. Feel free to let the seller inform you about the timepiece. A Swiss timepiece is mostly more expensive than a Japanese timepiece, but you do get more luxury and a better finish in return. If you are just looking for a good timepiece that shouldn't cost too much, a watch with a Japanese timepiece is an excellent choice.
 
As a next point we want to discuss the materials of the watch as an important part of a good watch. We like to see solid materials such as stainless steel, sapphire glass and real leather. Watches made of plastic, plastic or wood are less durable. A watch case made of stainless steel does not rust, is strong and remains beautiful at normal use. Sapphire glass is one of the hardest type of glass for watches and hardly scratches. A genuine leather watch strap is smooth and comfortable and gives a watch a nice look. You can of course also put a solid stainless steel strap on your watch, especially if you use the watch a lot in/with water. A leather strap does not last long with a lot of contact with (salt) water. Good materials also affect the price. A good watch with Swiss timepiece, stainless steel case, sapphire glass and genuine leather strap simply costs considerably more than a watch with Chinese movement and plastic watch case.
 
We would like to warn you about so called well-known brands with a fantastic German sounding luxury name, where the watches from 800.00 euros now suddenly cost 200.00 euros. These are watch brands that are produced in China and have a chic sounding brand name attached to them. The timepieces used are of unknown origin and often these types of watches quickly break down. A beautiful, but otherwise insignificant and unknown, brand name is affixed to the dial to give the impression that you are dealing with a very prestigious watch brand. The price reduction should then convince you that you are making an excellent purchase. However, the truth is different. The materials of which the watch are made are of lesser quality. And the price is still too high for what you get.
 
We would also like to mention that certain watch brands with years of experience and history usually make better watches than relatively new brands and fashion brands. By fashion brands, watches that often cost less than 150.00 euros, we mean brands that are not actually a real watch brand, but do “stick” their brand name on watches that are often made in China. Think of well-known fashion brands that produce clothing but also want to sell watches with it. These watches that are very general in design but affordable. These watches are also often seasonal and are discounted after a few months. As a result, the watch price does not really remain stable in the short and long term. Are these watches of poor quality? No they are not. You can have a lot of fun at a nice price.
 
Brands such as Tag Heuer, Maurice LaCroix, Fortis, Epos and Damasko have many years of experience, knowledge and expertise in the production of watches. Producing watches is craftsmanship. This is reflected in the quality of the watches, the materials used, the service, but also in the price. The prices of this type of watches are often somewhat higher. Quality comes at a price. However, you do get a lot of watch in return and they are usually also more durable in the longer term. If you look at it this way, the investment of a higher amount can be more interesting in the longer term than having to buy a new watch every two years. When you buy a watch from a respected watch brand, you are sure to buy good quality. They have proven this for decades and that is why they have become so famous.
 
Is the quality of a watch related to the price?
 
Actually, we already gave the answer to this question a little in the text above. A good timepiece, solid materials and production by a well-known watch brand have a price. In our view, the quality of a watch certainly influences the price. However, a cheaper watch does not have to be bad. An Iron Annie watch made in Germany is very affordable and offers a lot of quality for its price (starts from 199.00 euros). There are also examples of very expensive watches that are not much better in quality than a watch with a lower price. You pay part of the price for the brand and the brand experience. A Breitling or Rolex watch has a certain appearance and is also a status symbol. You pay a little extra for this. A Davosa or Damasko watch from Germany, which also have a Swiss movement, is cheaper and is perhaps just as good in quality. Only Davosa and Damasko are smaller and lesser known watch brands and with a Breitling or Rolex watch you will stand out more and perhaps get the desired (or unwanted) attention.
 
A good quality watch that is made of good materials and has a solid quartz timepiece, for example from Ronda, starts from + - 200.00 euros. If you want a watch with automatic movement from Japan (Miyota or Seiko), the prices for a good watch start from 400.00 euros. If you prefer a Swiss made watch with automatic movement, keep prices in mind starting at 600.00 euros. The biggest differences in price are determined by the type of timepiece (quartz, automatic or mechanical) and the origin of the timepiece (Swiss, Japanese or Chinese). In addition, the watch brand, reputation and popularity play an important role in the price.
 
Quality has a major impact on the price. But in every price segment you can find a good watch with excellent features that you can enjoy for many years.
 
Where can you best buy a good watch?
 
You can buy a good watch in various places. What is most important to you, the lowest price without any kind of service or a fair price with good service? If you want to buy a watch for the lowest price, there are several web shops where you can succeed. Huge discounts are given on many ordinary watch brands and fashion watch brands. You can buy these watches from Amazon, Ebay or Alibaba. However, do not expect a special service and take into account a more complicated settlement and high shipping costs in case of a defect.
 
If you want to buy a watch where you also get good advice and can always return for service in the form of answers to questions and warranty in case of a defect, we advise you to visit a good online store or jeweler. These are often official dealers of the respective watch brand and have years of experience in watches, watch winders and other accessories.
 
Often you already have a certain feeling when you enter a jeweler or visit an online store. If you have doubts, ask the right questions and listen carefully to the answers. Are they only busy with a sale or do they really want to help you so that you buy exactly the watch you want? There are many good jewelers and online stores that sell beautiful watches, help you well and are keen to help you in case something is wrong with the watch. Then you're at the right place!
 
Do you have any questions or comments regarding the above blog article? Feel free to send us an email or call us.