Free tool
What watch should I buy?
Eight questions about how you actually live rather than which brands you like. You get specific suggestions, the reasoning behind each one, and an honest note on what the recommendation is trading away.
Why these questions and not brand preference
Most watch recommendation tools ask which brands you admire, which guarantees you are shown what you already know about. The more useful questions are about constraints, because constraints eliminate options and preferences do not.
Wrist size eliminates more watches than budget does. A 44 mm case on a 15 cm wrist will look wrong regardless of how good the watch is, and no amount of enthusiasm fixes it. Similarly, how often you swim decides water resistance, and that single number rules out most dress watches for anyone who does.
The question about whether you would wear it gardening is not a joke. It is the fastest way to find out whether you are buying a watch or an asset, and the answer changes the correct recommendation completely.
The three mistakes almost everyone makes
Buying for the person you plan to become. People buy dive watches they will never dive with and dress watches for a formal life they do not lead. Buy for the eleven months of ordinary weeks, not for the one week you imagine.
Overspending into anxiety. The most common regret is not buying too cheaply. It is buying something expensive enough that it stays in a safe, which converts a watch into an object you own rather than one you wear. If you would hesitate to wear it on holiday, the number is too high.
Treating it as an investment. A small set of references have historically held value, and even those fell hard between 2022 and 2024. Everything else loses money. Buy a watch because you want to wear it, and treat any value retention as a consolation rather than a plan.
Common questions
What should my first nice watch be?
Something you can wear daily without worrying. A versatile 38 to 40 mm case with at least 100 m water resistance handles nearly everything, and buying at a price that does not make you anxious matters more than any specification.
New or pre-owned?
Pre-owned, usually. Most watches take their steepest depreciation in the first few years, so buying one that has already taken it means someone else paid for it. The exception is references where retail sits below market price.
Does a more expensive watch keep better time?
No. An inexpensive quartz watch outperforms almost any mechanical watch at any price. Mechanical watches are bought for craft and history rather than accuracy, and being clear about that prevents disappointment.
How much should I spend?
An amount that does not change how you wear it. If you would hesitate to wear it travelling or gardening, it is too much for a watch you intend to enjoy rather than store.
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