Which watch should I buy next - How to pick the next piece to add to your collection.

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Which watch should I buy next?

Narrowing down your next watch purchase can be quite a daunting task for many newcomers and even seasoned timepiece collectors. There are thousands of brands and models, and even if you’ve narrowed that down there are other things to consider like style, movement, materials, dial colors, bracelet type and more! Some quick questions that only you can answer could help point you in the right direction, such as: are you a passionate watch enthusiast, or is functionality more important to you? What factor does the watch design play? Are you concerned about brand status? While answering these, you will also have to keep your budget in mind as well. 

Have a budget in mind

Our suggestion is to really let your budget guide you in the beginning, this will take a large portion of the watches out of the mix right off the bat, and its something you either don’t have a lot of control over, or have chosen to set a specific amount aside for this purchase. If you find yourself loving steel sport models, and money was no object, you might have already narrowed it down to three of the most popular models out there right now in the Patek Philippe Nautilus, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, or Vacheron Contsantim Overseas. All of these would be incredible smart choices, have held their value (or increased) for a long period of time, and they are all casual enough to wear with jeans and a t-shirt, or dress up in a suit. 

Now, if your budget was a little lower, the market has plenty of options for you. At the under $12,000 mark you can find the ever popular Rolex Submariner. But if you’re not a fan of having what everyone else has, then you might look towards some offerings by IWC, Panerai or Zenith. All of these houses have fantastic products with iconic designs and are loved by watch enthusiasts for their quality, craftsmanship, and history.

Between $6,000-12,000 there are some incredible timepieces to be had as well from reputable brands you hear of everyday such as Omega or historic brands with some of the most iconic designs like Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Below this range, it may get a little harder to narrow down your choice simply because of the number of available options. Some brands within this range could be Frederique Constant, Tissot, Hamilton, Cartier, Nomos, Longines or Tag Heuer, just to get you started.

Are you passionate about a particular hobby/brand/complication?

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You may also want to look towards passion and emotion to help drive your decision. Purchasing a luxury timepiece is an emotional experience and if you think throwing money at an expensive watch will bring you a lifetime of joy, it wont. Oftentimes, there will be something that grabs our attention and leads to an excitement you cannot shake. You might spend days, months or years, dreaming of this watch, and when you finally get the opportunity to make the purchase you may be a little nervous, but in the end you will be overwhelmed with joy. So our suggestion is to follow your passions and what brings you joy. If you love fast cars, or are a car collector yourself, you might find interest in timepieces that might have been inspired by car brands, car designs like some of the limited edition Hublot Big Bangs. Perhaps you will look towards complications in a piece that you can put to use with your existing hobby, like the chronograph of a Rolex Daytona for racing enthusiasts or a pilots watch from IWC for the pilots out there.

If you are one for admiring craftsmanship and pushing the boundaries of design and technology, then you will obviously want to look at the “big three” of the Swiss watch industry: Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin,  as well as Rolex, Grand Seiko, A. Lange & Söhne, Piaget, Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC, among others. All of these produce intricately crafted timepieces within a number styles, complications, metals to suit everyone's tastes.