Need some help with finding my first watch

That’s a long list. Please provide photos of the watches you are looking at and try to shorten your list.

Look at Marc and Sons a German micro brand great value for money, good luck.

Flip a coin…

In all seriousness, watches are personal item. What type of lifestyle do you lead? Active? Low key? What do you consider everyday? Are you looking mechanical? Quartz? Too many things ine needs to know before suggesting a watch.

Go Seiko or Hamilton, brand recognition is surprisingly important for your first nice watch.

Seiko and Hamilton should both work in most situations and last a long time. At that price point, maybe look at quartz as well. I’ve owned a few Citizen Eco Drive watches and never been disappointed. You can get an affordable solar powered watch that is reliable, durable, functional and works in most situations. Regardless, buy what you like and wear it everyday.

Seiko ProSpex and Hamilton Khaki are a great way to go for your first watch. While I adore the design of the Baltic MR01, I would skip it as an everyday wear. The movement is an unproven Chinese micro rotor and may be difficult to service. The WR is 30 meters, so requires consideration for certain activities and is squarely in the dress Watch category.

I’d look at Islander for a first watch. Marc pretty much has something for everyone. Either way, for $700 and just starting out I’d find 2 very different watches and a couple strap options. Play around and develop your taste.

I’d avoid watches like the PRX only because the difficulty in strap changes.

hi guys! I hv narrowed it down to the folloing few:

hamilton khaki King

tissot prx

maen

seiko

oris

orient

they are all just so gorgeous 😭😭

oooh they look really good too 😭 goddd I really dk what to buy anymore

hii I shortened it by abit and gave some pics in the comments! thankss

hmm I'm more into mechanical watches atp but I do have a casio f91w that I got when I enlisted :D currently my lifestyle is q low-key but I do intend to get more active soon (like running and gymming and sports)

I’d get this. It’s the most versatile.

Out of those Seiko SARX. That is an awesome (basic and unassuming) watch that you can dress up or down and get a lot of mileage out of.

I can ramble with my first cup of coffee...

Get a mechanical. A quartz watch is reliable and durable. They absolutely have their place. But they are boring. You can't see its mechanical heart thumping away, counting seconds for you.

To make sure you can see the beauty of the machine, get an exhibition case back. A nice one like on a Sugess, not a tiny portal like an Aragon or Invicta.

People tend to say too big or small if you get outside of 38-46 millimeter case size.

Don't get fads or trends. No cartoon character special editions. Go for a timeless classic. This is something your grandson will give his grandson.

I've heard something about Tissot putting plastic inside their works. I'd make sure I wasn't getting plastic inside.

Don't buy a NH35 based watch. They are awesome, but they are throw-away commmodities.

At your price point you should be able to squeeze into a valjoux 7750, or a sellita sw200 based machine. Both are serviceable and beautiful. Alternately, if you want to save some money. The ST19 series was a swiss design (and manufacturing equipment) that was sold to the Chinese. I think it was the Venus 175 in Switzerland.

Finally, find a dial that you admire. A flaming orange or pink won't go with every occasion. Something beautifully detailed yet easy to read. Something too sparse is boring. Something too detailed is a chore to decipher.

I don't normally shop the $700 range, so I don't have a lot of specific suggestions, but check Herbelin, I think they are right there.

Search on those movements too.

Tudor, Nivada, Hamilton, maybe Breitling, likely have something you can't live with out.

That's my brain dump. Good luck.

thanks for the detailed advice! I'll go check out herbelin and the movements you suggested :)

My advice, cheap as it may be, is either the Hamilton or the SARX.

Throw the names in a hat and draw one. Can't really go wrong with either. Can be dressed up/down and will last forever with proper maintenance.

Absolutely no idea on this one, field, dress, divers, sports, all nice but you will have to choose.

I would say buy what you really like. That being said, I’d steer you toward the Hamilton line. For your first watch, I think you can’t go wrong there. Either the King that you mentioned, or a 38mm Khaki Field auto. I’ve bought from Jomashop a couple times and haven’t had any issues. At least check out their prices.

Best wishes!

I am going to buck the trend here. Rather than one mid pri Ed watch I would argue that you need to learn what you like. Since you have no history, you probably don't know whether you will be wearing it regularly. The budget you set can buy you many types of good quality watches. But it is also an amount that could be an expensive mistake if you learn your not a watch guy, or not into regular winding of a mechanical. My thinking is that perhaps you spend a small amount on two watches, one quartz, one mechanical to teach yourself what appeals to you. For 50 you could get a casio duro. For about 100 you could get a mechanical watch that can teach you about upkeep and regular day to day issues. Perhaps a seiko snkl79? If you buy from Amazon they have a solid return policy. This strategy will allow you to prioritize as to what is important to you. Best of luck.

I started a collection 2 years ago. The red Seiko Cocktail Time was the second watch I bought and I love it. It is versatile, has a great dial and isn't too expensive. That's as good as you can do with a first watch.

right? it's a gorgeous watch

Buy the Maen Manhattan if it’s not to late