I know I'm not going to pick up in 5 minutes what some people have spent years studying, but how can i start to get to grips with what is desirable and what's not. The differences in the movements and advantages of one over another!

It's so confusing when I'm looking at two watches, both say 20 years old, they look identical yet one is a lot more expensive than the other. I appreciate auto over quartz, price difference, but I have no idea about which movement to look at.

 

Be patient and enjoy the process, that's all. You will always be somewhere between Complete ignorance and knowledgeable.

Ask questions and pay attention to other people's questions and answers. Even then don't take the first or second answer as axiom. Follow up on the details through searches and other forums and soon enough you'll be able to discern for yourself.

 

Great way to start is movements. Read a lot about them and go from there.

Also style of watch. You need to pick what you like because desirable to me is different to others.

Pick what you like and research it for a few days if not weeks. This will lead to knowledge of all sorts as comparing similar styles and movements are part of research.

So what interests you at the moment ?

 

Hello
There are so many watches out there that it can feel overwhelming trying to learn about them. I get quite dizzy thinking about it. There are reference books like moon watch only and A journey through time. Obviously the forum is a major help. In order to learn more, if I see a watch I want to buy then I try to learn as much as possible about the watch and variants of it. I think asking here helps but try to offer some insite of what you know already as it shows that you want to be part of the community and not just letting someone else do all the work. Speedies are a nightmare to work out for the unitiated, they all look the same

 

Having looked at one at the Omega boutique and seeing so many posts on the Moon Watch, this seems to be something I that is drawing my attention. Buying one new is easy'ish, but since I'll probably be looking at used, that's where it gets complicated.

 

Start with basic and narrow down from there.

1- what do you like about the watch? The looks, the history?
2- let's say you want the historic value of the model to carry on into your piece. what is your lifestyle? Can you handle a vintage and the money and care they need? As much as you like purity can you handle a manual watch versus and automatic? Accept that in either case you have a watch that is not quartz and that will have variances in time etc. If you decide you want history then start at the beginning. Pre moon, moon, transitional. You will slowly find the piece that meets look and budget.

Conversely you may decide that you want all that but your watch has to be reliable and modern and have water proof capabilities, then you start looking closer in dates and budgets....

Or you may say " I just need a nod, a wink of respect towards the history but I rather have an automatic with Saphire case back, or blue, or orange, or a dark side or gray side etc....

While you do this browse the sales section here and elsewhere and do searches for the models that catch your attention. Wjat makes this one different or more appealing? Why is that one so expensive? Why does @ulackfocus prefer the quartz movement ( what does he know we don't)

By the time you finish answering these questions you will be a speedy aficionado and you will be ready to ask yourself and others the right questions and understand the answers. Then you're ready to buy... But wait , what's that? A seamaster what?

And start over.

4 to 5 hours of browsing will get you much further than you may think.....although I'm assuming you're a millennial which means 4 to 5 hours focused work probably will feel like a year.

Have fun

 

I will caution you. Once you start hanging out on here reading about watches, learning, shopping. Suddenly your productivity is in the toilet and you've got a light checkbook and a box full of beauty!

 

As mentioned above, be patient and keep reading and learning.

 

Thank you, that is very helpful!

 

Here's the basics:

http://www.watchtalkforums.info/forums/thread22496.html

Written by a watch dummy for watch dummies.

You guyz think you're funny, eh?

 

That's an excellent link, thank you!!