Do your Research:

            I highly recommend researching a multitude of brands, especially those with offerings within the budget you have set. Some would say this is an obvious piece of advice, but I cannot tell you how many people I have met that have had their heart set on “X” watch for the last decade because they saw it in a movie or some other famous person wore it at one time. As much as I understand sentimental value and having a watch that you have always wanted, once you go down the rabbit hole, your tastes will most likely change. For example, I once thought Hublot watches were something I would always strive for. My grandparents had a boutique in the mall by them, and every time I would visit them, I could check out all of the cool watches, and of course, they would let me try some on. Luckily, I couldn’t afford one back then because now it is one of my least favorite brands. My tastes have simply changed, had I chosen to get into watches AFTER pulling the trigger on a Hublot, I would have eventually been very unhappy about my purchase and wished I would have spent my hard-earned money on another brand. This is why I tell people to do your research and truly understand what the world of Luxury Watches has to offer within the range of your budget. You will find watches you didn’t know existed and fall in love with brands you better identify with.

When and how often do you Plan to Wear it:

            Again, this sounds like an obvious piece of criteria to consider but I believe it gets more people than one would think. If this is your first luxury watch then chances are you will want to wear it a significant amount. Can it be both dressed up and dressed down? Maybe that doesn’t matter to you because you don’t dress up much. Or maybe you work in a formal setting and you need it to be more formal for it to be worn at your workplace. Whatever it is, these things need to be considered. Another personal example: I bought a Cartier Santos after I fell in love with the ADLC version. I knew Cartier was more formal than some of my other time pieces, but I found myself babying the watch because it did feel less tough than any of my others. That is completely anecdotal and maybe an irrational thought, but it was far thinner than my other watches, had less water resistance, and had a DLC coating which can be scratched. So, not only did I find myself only wearing it out to dinner, I was even babying it at the table. I wasn’t getting enough use out of it, nor was it worth the stress of constantly being worried about it. Granted, I did those things to myself, but you need to understand yourself and the environments you typically find yourself in when deciding what to purchase.

** I understand having watches for special occasions, but this article is aimed towards those making their FIRST luxury watch purchase**

Try Them all On:

This is the number one piece of advice on this post. It does not matter what it is, spending a lot of money on something and being disappointed is such a terrible feeling. You worked hard for the money that you are about to spend on this watch, don’t mess it all up by getting trapped with something you didn’t actually fall in love with. The most common way people find themselves in this predicament is buying online. Look, I get that you may not have a lot of boutiques around you, but that doesn’t matter. You would rather drive 3 hours to one to see the exact watch you are going to buy, rather than buy it using only internet pictures. This is why it is also key to visit boutiques and stores when you are traveling or on vacation. Get an understanding of how certain brands fit on your wrist and what their color schemes are. I purchased an Omega Globemaster after only seeing them online (the closest boutique was 5 hours away). I loved the green online, I did not like it at all in person. But, of course, I talked myself into it and chose not to return it because I felt bad for wasting the salesman’s time at the boutique. Screw that, when there is that much money at stake you return it if you do not fall in love with it. If you open that box and there is even a hint of unhappiness or doubt, send it back (or don’t buy it if you are in store). Also, people like to obsess over case sizes and diameters, try it on and find out for yourself. Some brands wear different than others because of the case design. If you there is a watch you think you would love but it has a case size that sounds big or small to you, go try it on first and make the decision for yourself. You don’t buy cars or houses sight unseen, don’t do it with luxury watches either.

Grey Market Pricing vs New:

            The Grey market is when the watch is sold by a secondary seller, typically used but you can find them new sometimes as well. I think a new buyer needs to take the grey market into consideration because sometimes you can afford watches you otherwise could not. And some folks have this God-Like status they have put on certain brands and they don’t realize some can actually be had at quite a discount. Certain Omegas, Panerais, Breitlings, and many other brands, can be had at sometimes more than 30% off retail on the grey market. It is crazy to think that you could have a budget of $5,000 and get a watch that retailed at $8,000 simply because you go grey market.

            One piece of advice when “going grey” is to buy the seller, just as much as you do the watch. Meaning make sure the seller is a reputable one so you do not have to worry about authenticity and condition. There’s many things you may not think of such as:

1. Does it have the correct box?
2. Does it have the original warranty or authenticity papers?
3. Is it in original condition or has it had polishing done?
4. If it comes on a bracelet does it have all of the links?

I would highly recommend checking out https://www.luxurybazaar.com for a highly reputable Grey Market seller. Not to mention they have a YouTube channel that does a great job showing how the grey market works.

Insure It:

            There is always this fear, especially if this is your first luxury watch, that you could lose it, have it stolen, or break it. And even with owning a few luxury watches, I still sometimes bump my wrist into something and freak out. Having the watch insured really lets you enjoy them all the more, not worrying about something happening to such an expensive purchase is a big stress reliever. There are companies that will insure your watches and I am not going to dive into all of those as that could be a separate article. I do currently insure all of mine through my personal property within my housing insurance, not through a specific watch insurer.

Conclusion:

            Buying your first luxury watch is a big deal and if you are on the hunt for one I let me just congratulate you on getting to that benchmark in your life. I would very much recommend researching multiple brands to see what is really available within your budget. Trying the watches on in person if possible is always helpful as well, especially if you have questions surrounding what sizes would look good on your wrist. Ask yourself how often and what situations you plan to where it, and be sure to check the grey market as well as certified retailers. Insuring your luxury watch always makes wearing it a little less stressful as well. And one more piece of advice I give you is this; wear and buy what you like, do not pay attention to what others think. There will always be someone that likes your purchase and someone that does not. At the end of the day you just bought an expensive watch that most will never have the means to, enjoy and treasure it as you should.