What do you look for when buying a watch?

When the time comes to purchase a new watch,
What's important to.you? Looks are one thing, what about, brand history, innovations, achievements. Does the brand influence your decision?

Looks, feel and practicality (stems from knowing the features I use in reality), those influence the brands I choose rather then brand for brand sake.

Also I do chose brands on reputation, as it helps confidence that the watch will last, be serviceable etc

I look for the watch that "speaks to me". Hard to really explain but all of the watches I've bought were watches I couldn't get out of my head until I purchased them.

The feel of the watch on the wrist is important to me though, so I make sure I try the watch on at the dealer. I have seen watches online that made me say "wow" only to find out they were not what I was looking for in person.

Anyways, I'm sure others here will tell you the same but - go with your gut. Buy a watch YOU want and not a watch that others tell you you would want.

I often buy watches I always wanted then end up selling or trading cause it doesn't "speak" to me.
Part this hobby for me is hunting. The other part is buying a nice watch but one that for me at least brings value in the sense that it has history and achievements, quality of materials, precision, fit and finish... If I'm dishing out a few grand for a watch. Call me ungrateful but one brand I can't pay tons of money for is Panerai.
I just don't see how they've achieved omega / Rolex status. This is a whole different other topic. Sorry for the derailment lol.

I also look for the overall "tool utility" of the watch.
I mostly own GMT or Dual Time watches or Speedy Pro's.

I was a private pilot for years and the GMT time was useful with flight planning and weather reports (always in zulu time).

And I actually use the stopwatch and tachymeter features of a Speedy Pro.

For example, if you're watching friends driving their cars fast on a race track, you can time their laps or their time through a certain section of the track. Amateur drivers will have a lot more variation in lap times than pro drivers. So, it is obvious when they're having a great lap or section of track.

Also, on older classic cars, the tachymeter can be used on the marked mile signs to check the accuracy of an old speedometer.
I've done this on my 65 Corvette on occasion. It's useful to know your old speedometer is showing 4 mph faster than the actual speed when a policeman is following you down the highway. 😀

And, of course, watches are great at knowing the time of day and the date on some of them.

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As I build my collection, I'm looking for variety in the type of watch and brand. I would like to have "premier" or iconic brands as much as possible, but not always, to help with re-sale if needed.
So my collection includes:
1. Chronograph: Speedy FOIS
2. GMT: Rolex
3. Gold dress watch: Eterna
4. Black dial dress watch: Certina (for occasional black tie events)
5. Moon phase: CW

I'm looking to add:
6. Diver (probably an Omega Seamaster)
7. vintage watch with seconds subdial (maybe a Longines?)
8. Tool watch (would love a IWC Ingenieur)
9. Vintage Hamilton just because I live in PA.

Then of course I have a few others just because I like them 😀

Definitely how they look initially. Sometimes it can be something totally irrational, perhaps a unique feature. I bought my Seamaster 300 after seeing someone wear one on holiday. My Panerai was bought after trying them on because I liked the back story (literally a story!) Speedmaster after trying a friends on and realising what I’d been missing out on for years. A couple of skindivers as they were cheap and had great aesthetics (one I’m selling as I’m not in love). G-Shock collab models because they’re cool.
An Eloga double crown triple calendar from the 50s......that’s the irrational one!

Looks first. Most of my recent purchases, i got interested first because i saw a picture online.

then brand, history, value, complications, etc.

Almost exclusively how it looks, is the first consideration, then quality to price ratio. I have liked watches since I was a kid and it has almost always been the aesthetics that drew me to a particular watch.

They should be well proportioned and balanced and the dial should not be over busy, it hurts my head to look a watches with a million different scales on them, I don't think I could buy a Breitling Navitimer.

I also dislike watches that have both analog and digital display. The only watch I have sold was an Omega Albatross, I love 70s watches and thought I would love it, but as soon as I saw it when it arrived it went straight back into the draw. The only time I looked at it again was when I posted it off to its new owner.

how it looks on my wrist
if it has anything interesting (case shape, movement, historical relevance in the watch world or broader)
rarity