The Questions No One Asks Before Buying Their First Luxury Watch

[00:00:00]Buying your first luxury watch is a big decision, but a lot of collectors regret their first luxury watch. And the worst part is it's not even because the watch is bad. In fact, it's all about you. Now listen, your first luxury watch is always super exciting. You spend weeks researching, comparing reviews, checking out specs, watching YouTube videos, convincing yourself that this is the one. And then you actually buy it, and you actually get to live with that watch, which, as you're going to learn a little bit later in the video, is a very different thing. You're just wearing the watch and it just feels a little bit off. Something just doesn't feel quite right. And suddenly you realize that you didn't buy the watch you wanted to wear, you bought the watch you thought you were supposed to buy. And so, if I went back in time to buy my first luxury watch, here are five mistakes that I would avoid to make the best decision possible. Okay, to start off, let's just talk about a very uncomfortable truth.

[00:00:46]Most people who have been collecting watches quite a while are more than happy to advise you to buy certain watches. You know, just buy this diver, buy this watch, buy that watch. The truth is, you shouldn't listen to any of them. Even me. I will never tell you to buy a certain watch because it's going to be perfect for you because I don't know anything about you. But what I will do is I will invite you to think about that particular timepiece in a certain way and to consider certain points. Now listen, some people like to be told what stocks to buy, what watches to buy, which car's the best, but I want to be able to make my own decisions. So, the only way to do that is to have knowledge and actually understand what I'm buying.

[00:01:21]So, that's the first mistake people make. People buy the first luxury watch that other people tell them to buy. This isn't about them. This is about you.

[00:01:29]This is about your wrist. And also, more importantly, your money. Every wrist and every person is unique. And also, let's be completely honest, luxury is subjective. One man's idea of luxury is a £600 watch, and another man's idea of luxury is 60K. So, the most important thing is that you buy the watch for you and your lifestyle, and completely disregard pretty much everything that anyone else thinks. Whatever anyone else is saying, take it on board, consider it, but make your own decision because most of it's just noise. Next, just because something cost more money doesn't mean it's going to be more satisfying. Yes, some people idealize brands like Rolex and Patek Philippe because surely if you spend more on a timepiece, the experience of wearing it is going to be better. Well, not always.

[00:02:12]In fact, usually in a lot of cases, at least in my experience, the exact opposite happens because expectations are so high. But then when you try on a watch from a lesser-known brand and it's like, you know, a tenth of the price, you're wondering why people spend so much on watches. And listen, I'm not saying that all expensive watches are bad. What I'm saying is there are some watches out there that are poorly designed and that are actually worse than watches that are a tenth or even 5% of the price. And listen, what would you rather have? A £1,000 watch that feels amazing and really fits your lifestyle perfectly and suits your wrist, or a £10,000 watch that has a nice brand name, but just feels disappointing every time you wear it? And also as well, even at $1,000, you're going to be getting a completely different watch from a huge brand like Tissot, for example, with the PRX, which I actually own, and the Evermoon 38, which I actually designed.

[00:02:57]The finishing, the thought, the design, how it feels on the wrist, having micro-adjustment, all these tiny little considerations, which yes, look good on paper, but when you feel them on your wrist, the watch just makes so much sense. So, do not always think that a bigger price means a better watch because it is very rarely the case. Next up, let me ask you a question. Where do we always tend to see watches? Now, I can't speak for everyone, but for me personally, I see quite a lot of watches on social media. And these watches are shown in perfectly lit studios that have been tweaked to make the watch look incredible. Or in lifestyle pictures where the person's having a really nice dinner, or they're traveling, or they're having a special occasion. And listen, that's cool and all, but we're not doing that every day. Most of our watches live very ordinary lives. I'm talking about coffee runs, work, weekends with the family. Your first luxury watch should fit your actual life and your lifestyle, not some fake fantasy life that would look good on an Now, I know some people say, you know, buy the watch to inspire you to make your life better, but honestly, that just sounds like the worst financial advice I've ever heard. And actually, a much healthier way, I think, to buy watches and build a collection is to level up your collection and work towards a watch which is kind of, you know, a good amount of money, but which is still well within your means. So, you can spend money on stuff that's, you know, really important like family and experiences. Set yourself a milestone, a personal goal, and then work towards that. And then, once you achieve it, then go out and buy the watch. And listen, if that's not good enough motivation to work your ass off and level up, then I don't know what is.

[00:04:27]Now, some people might get annoyed at this next tip, but I think specs are important, but they aren't everything.

[00:04:33]You can always have a better movement, bigger power reserve, bigger water resistance. And on paper, watch A can completely destroy watch B side by side.

[00:04:41]But the truth is, and we all know this, watches are not worn on paper. And I think the reason is because watch collectors love specs. It's kind of part of the hobby. Me included, I love a good feature on a watch. But what's even more important is going out to the boutique, spending time without being rushed because, you know, life's busy, and just seeing how the watch feels. And just enjoying yourself, actually enjoying the hobby and not stressing out about, you know, if the water resistance is 250 or 300. Who cares? Like, for example, my Tissot PRX has 80 hours power reserve.

[00:05:11]And listen, that looks great. It sounds cool. It sounds powerful. But I've never woken up 3 days later after not wearing my PRX for a couple of days and thought, "Ah, I'm so glad it has 80 hours power reserve. It means I don't have to set the watch, which takes like 15 seconds."

[00:05:25]So, listen, if a spec's important to you, then fine, but don't worry too much about it. And certainly, don't let a simple spec change your opinion on a watch. And so, get your sexy ass out there, get yourself a coffee, and spend the day actually trying on watches. And in fact, after doing your research and really considering which watch you think you want to buy, take a month off and just think, "Okay, if I like that watch in a month, maybe it's really considering buying. And literally, that's the exact thing I did with the Longines HydroConquest. I tried it on and then a few months later, I ended up buying it. And lastly, I think this is the question that no one really asks.

[00:05:58]And honestly, I think it actually matters more than price, more than brand, more than specs even. And the question is, "How much wrist time am I going to be able to give this watch?" So for example, buying a dress watch for your first luxury watch is not really a great idea in my opinion. And here's why.

[00:06:14]Unless you wear a suit every single day, then you're never going to be able to really wear that watch comfortably with a t-shirt and jeans. It's just not going to make sense with your outfit. And listen, I completely understand that your first luxury watch is not the last watch you'll ever own, but it often becomes the most memorable. And listen, if the watch is going to be one of the most expensive watches in your collection at least for a little while, then you want to give it as much wrist time as possible. So before you go out and buy your first luxury watch, don't ask yourself, "What's the best watch I can afford?" Instead, ask, "What is the best watch for me, and my lifestyle, and my current budget?" And honestly, respectfully, screw what anyone else thinks. And listen, I'm never going to tell you which watches to buy because I just don't know you well enough. But I might say, "Listen, consider this, consider that, and then check it out for yourself." But ultimately, only you know yourself well enough to make that decision. But anyway, hopefully this serves as a nice little guide to help you make the best decision possible when buying your first luxury watch. And actually, let me know in the comments, which watch are you considering right now? Do you have a watch that you're working towards? Do you have a watch that you have in mind that you really like? Let me know in the comments, and I'm more than happy to give my feedback.

[00:07:18]And also as well, if you are thinking about getting an everyday watch, then make sure you check out the Evant 38 Gen 2 because that watch has been considered and designed specifically to be the perfect everyday watch, so it's well worth checking out. But anyway, it's been a pleasure, as always, and I'll see you in the next one.