The Best Watch for a Teenager

Please get it out of your head that a quartz Omega is an "investment" that's going to "appreciate" in value. You can toss that rationale out the window. It's not true (you/he/she will lose money on it) and it's a bad reason to justify buying a watch.

I got a Seiko Sports 150 Chronograph 6M25-6000 when it was new and I was around 14 at the time. It was the coolest watch to me, I wore it all the time, smashed it up bad several times. But it is still with me today and was the only watch for all my teenage years, until I bought my first watch, an old Seiko Bullhead in 2003, which started the madness.

My point is, that Seiko seems like a good starting point to get interested into watches. The sports models (both quartz and mechanical) are sturdy, affordable, good value and still technically interesting. Also, way less kids will beat you up on the schoolyard for having a Seiko. 😀

G-Shock and Apple Watch wear the choices here

In my opinion definately a new iPhone.
Thats all my kids use (16 and 20). But on the long run they are have their eyes on my two Speedys, they say 😀

I vote for (boys) a TIGER Concept (day-date?) mechanical watch.

I would never buy my child a four figure dollar amount watch unless they were putting in for at least half. They are much more likely to respect and care for it if they have some skin the game. I could be convinced as a highschool/college graduation gift. That said, I like your suggestion OP of a Quartz Seamaster. You can even spend a little time and find one pre-loved, but still in excellent condition, and avoid some of the depreciation of buying new.

I believe that casio g shock as a best option until they learn to care for them…

Seiko... There are many options.

Can I be your kid? I promise to take better care of the Air King!

I think there's a good bit of underestimating going on in this thread. That, and some unintentional ( or otherwise ) gatekeeping, to use a phrase I only just learned.

In my experience, boys love trains. Boys love firetrucks, helicopters, sailboats, and all manner of Rube Goldberg machines and things with moving parts*.
In the day, dad took you out and you helped him change the oil, the brakes, fan belts, and whatever else you could ( and maybe shouldn't ) do to the car.
You had Erector sets, radio kits, chemistry sets, electric trains, etc...
The idea that kids aren't into these things anymore because of iPhones and computers is simply NOT TRUE.
Kids aren't into them because their dads aren't fostering the interest. It takes time and effort, and video games and iPhones are cheap baby sitters.
I made sure my boys had all the "old" toys and developed their interest in them, along side the "new" stuff. I didn't have to push any of it on them. They had a natural interest and excitement. I took them to the train yard and watched them couple and load. We went to the firehouse and fire museum. Built Revel models, took apart guns, and populated shelves with "How It Works" books.
They have always had the Xbox ( so do I ), the smartphone ( when they got to their teens ) and laptops ( when I could afford them ). There was no proscription against technology. I didn't intentionally raise luddites.
But the old was always along side the new. It taught an appreciation for quality and maintenance and not being afraid to do things for yourself.
Did they still break every...single...thing? Of course, because...kids. But it doesn't mean they didn't appreciate it, and as such, they were always up for making repairs. And eventually got better at taking care of things.

Watches, I think, are part of that way of thinking. Boys want a watch. And they should get one as early as possible. An analog one. And learn to tell time. And maybe use the bezel as a compass.
Saying they are not interested, or not responsible enough, etc..., is tacitly saying, "Only we, the chosen, are good enough for watches." And then go crawl into the Cave of Sadness and lament that no one wears or appreciates a watch anymore.


*I don't know about girls, and I sure as the #@*% don't know anything about full grown women.

Edit: I'm not too crotchety - in my 40s - if it makes a difference in how this reads.

I chose this watch as a Christmas present when I was 12 years old. It cost the princely sum of £110, a decent sum of money for a watch for somebody of my age then. It stood me in good stead for many years and I still have a fondness for blue dial watches to this day. If I was buying a watch for a youngester I would go seiko 5. It has to be mechanical as I can't really see much point in a quartz these days. You can look at your phone for accurate time. The joy of a mechanical piece is what it's all about in my opinion.

I think times are different these days, kids want electronic watches. I don’t think I’ll buy my kids a nice watch, just hand down the few that I have one day and hope they keep and enjoy them.

My daughter wears a G-Shock Frogman that she purchased. I want to get my daughter another watch and my wife keeps telling me not to, that my daughter wears her G-Shock because she bought it. Go figure.

If you're going to go with a Vostok I'd lean toward these: https://am-diver.com/ - let the kid pick and choose the style, finish, dial, bezel colors. Plus they're nice cause you can beat the hell out of them and get replacement parts dirt cheap.