The world of watch collecting can be a hazy one. It is said that you can tell a lot about a man by what is on his wrist, and with the choice of men's watches only expanding, it’s tough to tell what makes the most sense for you. This fashion tip will provide you with a fundamental understanding of watch terminology, the four different categories of watches (and when to wear them), the differences between collecting vintage and new watches, and, of course, where to find them. In essence, what we're going to teach you is how to start a watch collection.
watch basics
The first step in starting your watch collection is being able to keep up in a watch conversation. Here are the parts of every watch you must be aware of.
Watch terminology
Crown: A small metal protrusion from the watch’s case, typically found at the three o’clock mark, which is used to wind the watch as well as set the time.
Dial: Commonly referred to as the face, the dial sits inside the watchcase and acts as the main focal point of the watch. The watch’s name, hour markers and depth rating are typically printed or applied directly to the dial.
Bezel: Most bezels reside on the outside of the case and circle the dial of the watch. The purpose of this metal gauge is to allow the wearer to read elapsed time quickly, and many watches feature no bezel or one located inside the crystal.
Movement: The mechanical device that powers the watch, the movement consists of a winding mechanism, a balance wheel, mainspring, and escapement. These combine to create power and then accurately release it to push the hands of the watch around the face.
Case: The case is the the watch housing and is often made of stainless steel; although, gold, platinum and titanium are also used.
Watch complications
Chronograph: A chronograph allows the watch to display elapsed time, in addition to the time of day, in an organized manner. This includes a second hand that may be started and stopped at will as well as sub-dials to make for easy viewing. A prime example of a chronograph is the Tag Heuer Carrera, originally used to time professional races on the F1 circuit.
Power reserve: A power reserve is a visual indication of how much power remains in the watch’s movement. These are very useful in manually wound watches, as no rotor exists to automatically wind the movement. Many watches now have power reserve displays, but Panerai’s Luminor 150 is perhaps one of the best examples.
GMT: Named after the global time zone scale, a GMT complication is now known as a tool that displays a second time zone or a 24-hour scale on a mechanical wristwatch. The GMT watch was invented by Rolex in the 1950s when Pan American Airlines needed a watch for its international pilots. The Rolex GMT still sets the bar to this day, but there are many other GMT options out there.
watch categories
The next step in starting a watch collection involves assessing your needs. There are few watches that can be worn for any occasion, so you must be aware of the four major watch categories (and when to wear each); otherwise, you may end up wearing a rubber strap with a tuxedo -- and God knows that’s not right.
Dress watch: A dress watch is typically very thin, uncomplicated and on a leather strap. This is the type of watch you wear to formal events like weddings, and even on job interviews. This watch is not to be worn with jeans and a T-shirt. A good example of a dress watch is the new Piaget Altiplano.
Sport watch: While the line is getting blurrier each year, a sport watch is typically rather chunky, features either a metal or rubber strap, and often features one or more complications; chronographs are very popular in this category. While some sport watches may be worn with a suit during the day, it’s best to not play with fire and keep the sport watches for your casual outfits. A typical sport watch looks like this IWC Aquatimer, which is a diving watch with a chronograph.
Everyday watch: There are few watches that fall neither into the dress or sport category, but these everyday watches are some of the most useful out there. They typically take the middle ground in terms of thickness, and can be found on a metal or leather strap.
While an everyday watch may feature a few complications, they are often very understated. Some great all-purpose men’s watches include the Rolex Datejust, the Rolex Submariner (even though it was originally designed as a diving watch, its sleek steel look has become a style icon and many even wear it with a suit) and the IWC Portuguese, which does feature a chronograph. You can get away with wearing any of these three watches from a beach party to a black tie gala.
Complicated: A complicated watch features a movement that is capable of great things. For example, if the watch features a Tourbillon, it removes the force of gravity. If the watch features a perpetual calendar, your watch will remain accurate until the year 2100 without having to reset it.
Complicated watches are extremely expensive and really only for the connoisseurs; as such, they typically fall into the same realm as dress watches, only being taken out of the safe on special occasions. One such example of a complicated watch is the limited edition Baume & Mercier William Baume Tourbillon.
vintage vs. modern watches
When beginning a watch collection, you have to ask yourself whether you want to buy rugged and modern watches or rarer and collectible vintage watches. Both have their ups and downs.
Modern men’s watches are more durable than vintage watches, they are better constructed and the crystal used is often sapphire, which is extremely scratch resistant. You can also find a bevy of information about new watches both online and in magazines, and it is very easy to acquire the watch you want simply by walking into an authorized dealer and asking for it.
That said, modern watches do not have the same collectors appeal as vintage watches do, and many find it a turn off that others may purchase the same watch as you so easily. There is also little chance of many modern watches increasing in value anytime soon.
Vintage watches, on the other hand, feature plastic crystals that are easier to scratch. Also, decades-old mechanical movements require a little more maintenance than brand new ones. However, the upside of vintage is extreme rarity, as it is very difficult to find similar pieces, and an increased respect both from collectors and the people around you is a major selling point.
Also, there is a massive secondary market for vintage watches, and if you have a good one, you stand to make a lot of money if you were to ever sell it. For example, you can spend $5,000 today on either a vintage Rolex Submariner or a new Rolex Submariner; in five years, expect to get about $2,000 more for the vintage and $2,000 less for the modern.
watches: where to buy & learn more
The best places to buy a watch are typically large authorized dealers if you’re looking for something modern, or long-established dealers of vintage pieces if you’re looking for something old. Some great choices include the top five international watch boutiques we featured last year; you can’t go wrong with any of them