The majority of people buy watches from a brand someone suggested for them or a brand that is pretty known for their watches. In this article, we’ll go over some ways to tell a good quality watch from bad quality one.

The quality of a watch is what determines its worth for you, before the brand name. The craftsmanship of the watch is what will keep the watch ticking for years if not decades.

Here are some tips on what to pay attention to when looking at a watch:

  • Give it a close look: As they say, ‘The devil is in the details!’. So that’s the first thing you should pay attention to. How well are the cuts done, are the edges smooth or rough? See how well the watch is polished or brushed. Things like these could really give you an idea about how hard was it to make the watch. Look at the dial and check out its details and finishes. Are the details engraved or printed? How smooth are the engravings? These simple things really tell a lot about the manufacturing of a timepiece.
  • Look at its movement: This should be very obvious; is the movement a cheap plastic quartz movement? And if it was a quartz, is the movement of high quality? If it’s a mechanical/automatic, how well is it finished? Is everything tight enough to hold everything together for a long time? Are the jewels real rubies? These are all factors that determine how well the watch works.
  • Check the crystal: The crystal is really important for the watch. If it was a glass crystal, don’t be surprised if you wake up some other day and find your watch lens scratched or even broken in some cases. However, if the timepiece had a lovely sapphire crystal, that’s when you can guarantee a non-scratched, hard to break and smooth crystal to keep your dial as safe as possible. There are many materials used for the crystal, the best is sapphire.
  • Price tag: Despite all the above, your brain and eyes should work together. Think of it like this: your eyes make the judgement whether what it sees is worth the price tag or not, and then your brain makes the judgment. Ask yourself these questions: how much did it cost to manufacture this watch, and what’s the difference in between that and how much the watch is selling for. Never let the sweet talking of salesmen get into your head before making sure that what you’re buying is worth it.

Now that you know what to look for, what are the key factors that make you buy a watch?