What watch brand would you recommend ...

If someone asked, I would recommend Bulova. Why? Bulova has been killing it lately. Incredible reissues and movements and all at really obtainable prices and more importantly availability.  

Let's face it Seiko is rebranding and they are going to be considerably more expensive than in the past and harder to find. Let's face it. that's why we bought them up to begin with.  Great watches at great prices.  Well....Bulova has stepped up and is now the great watch at a great price company.  

I would have to say that it would depend on the budget of the person asking, and their reasons for getting into the hobby. Yes, Bulova has been releasing some great watches recently, especially in their Military and Archive series, and yes, Seiko has been repositioning themselves up market, but I am not sure that Bulova is a better recommendation than Seiko for someone just getting into the hobby. Bulova is a good recommendation and I have added a number of Bulova watches to my collection recently, but Seiko is still a good recommendation as well. There are still a lot of Seiko 5 SNKs available on the market for just over $100, and I still recommend looking for an SNK809 as a first mechanical watch to people on a budget. Further, the price on the new Seiko 5s has been steadily dropping, and you can easily find an SRPD or an SRPE, or even an SRPG for around the same price as a Bulova Hack, and I expect the same thing to happen with the brand new SRPH models soon.

Seiko, Citizen, Orient. Love me some Timex too. 

These. Because they’re reputable companies that produce a massive selection at beginner budget prices.

I might dare even add a personal find: Long Island Watches. They’ve positioned themselves as a US based, SE Asian manufactured, Seiko discontinuation replacement, microbrand with excellent customer service.

Great points and I agree. 

Solid recommendations. I agree completely with LIW, especially his new "SKX MONSTER". 

Even though they have been creeping up in price, I would recommend Seiko for 9/10 people. The budget and the style of the person in question is really important to understand though.

Definitely agree here! You can't go wrong with an Islander.

Citizen. Most important, most significant manufacturer. And can be had on any budget, so gives anybody the chance to start with an in-house watch from the top manufacturer. 

Another nice thing about LIW is it is also one of the brands producing models assembled in the US with USA Quartz movements.

Hah! Never could get around to liking the Monster aesthetic, of all his designs it’s probably my least favorite. C‘est la vie.

All great suggestions so far. Seiko would be my first choice. They have so much variety, with something for everyone. They still offer good watches for under $200 if you look. Orient would also be a great place to start with some great bang for the buck offerings. 

I'd recommend an established micro brand.  They usually have good stuff and great customer service.  Think nodus, raven, farer, c ward, astor banks, traska, etc

Personally, I'd steer people away from Seiko. Entry level Seiko watches are a great "cheap" way to "experience" an automatic, but they tend to be very "cheap" feeling. My SNK809 is one of my biggest watch regrets, and it's far from my most expensive. 

I think getting people to look at better made, more substantial feeling watches will likely serve them better in the long run. With that in mind I'd recommend Hamilton, Tissot, nicer Citizen Eco-Drives, and perhaps if they are a bit adventurous CW, or Oris. 

Hamilton, and Tissot offer both quartz, and mechanical versions of many of their watches, so there is a watch for every style of collector. They are both brands that people have seen in a mall AD, so they "feel" more classy. 

Citizen Eco-Drive is my recommendation to anyone not sure about watches. They are about as zero "fuss" as a watch gets, and come in a variety of styles and sizes. Also a brand seen by everybody in mall ADs/jewelry stores. 

CW offer well finished mechanical watches, at prices that match the big Swatch brands, while being different enough that they're not common. Perfect for people who want a nice watch, but don't want something available in the mall. 

Oris, same as CW, but an expensive brand in the mall ADs. Gives people a bit more brand cachet with their cool new watch.  

+1 on Raven and CW. Also NTH.

Depends on what you are after, but I would recommend Hamilton or Tissot if you want to spend little and get a lot of watch.

For a relatively sizeable purchase - Longines. Absolutely smashing it right now.

My first rec would be to avoid the used market. Sure, for those who know what they are doing and have experience with watches, it's a great way to find deals, but it can definitely be intimidating to look on WUS, reddit, etc. As such, steer clear until a bit more experience is had.

As for brands, many people just getting into watches think spending $300-$500 is "a lot" and have a hard time justifying higher prices; I think we are all skewed in what we find 'affordable' as we are all clearly interested in watches (as evidenced by simply being on this site) and can justify higher price points, but for the sake of argument and keeping it simple, I would start off with the sub-$500 price point.

My go-to brand in this price point is probably a reputable micro-brand for someone who is looking to grow their interest. You generally get a great watch at a great price and you also get excellent customer service and a sense of community (if that's what they are looking for) on sites like WUS and IG. I would recommend Nodus, Boldr, Islander and Zelos without hesitation and are great places to look.

If someone just wants a nice watch and is intent on a more mainstream brand, Hamilton is my go-to. Lots of style options, support of the Swatch brand, and great history. They also make great watches. hard to go wrong with Hamilton. 

I suppose Seiko is a good starting point purely based on relative affordability and variety.  However, Phoibos are offering very high quality and affordability as a microbrand at the moment.  They do run out of the popular models quickly though and take forever to produce more.  I'm on the list for an abalone dial Wavemaster and have been for around seven to eight months.

Hamilton, Seiko (if you can get it on the grey market for a reasonable price), Tissot, which is where I started and looking back I would have bought something else I think the brand is a little bland, in my opinion of course. 

Good call on Islander. Don’t own one myself but in the dozens of reviews online I hear nothing but “well made, great customer service.” Got some DateJust and Khaki Field-esque models now too, so you get some non-Seiko options now too.

I would base my recommendations  on budget. Although I think there is something special about starting at the Timex and messing up with a fashion watch (Fossil or Shinola) then getting back on track with the Orient or Seiko. Gradually progressing to the Hamilton, Tissot's and on to Longines and up. 

I feel like you appreciate it more when you go on the watch journey.  You start with a Speedy and you miss out on some fun things,  in my opinion.