Buying a luxury watch
The unintimidating guide to making that ultimate luxury purchase…
Is it still worth buying a watch in this age of smartphones?
It’s tempting to think your one-stop Apple watch can deliver it all. But an investment watch does more than just stop you being late. Laurent Feniou, managing director of Cartier, points out that a watch marries innovation with beauty. ‘Our Panthère de Cartier watch-cuff, for example, is both a watch and a piece of jewellery.’
How do day watches differ from evening watches?
From a design point of view, anything goes during the day, but at night things become a little more elevated, with precious metals and stones. ‘The most evening of all timepieces is the secret watch,’ says Beth Hannaway, head of fine watches and fine jewellery at Harrods. ‘These masquerade as a bracelet, hiding a small watch face beneath an intricate design.’
What are the trends worth buying into?
A watch is the one item in your accessories wardrobe that shouldn’t be trend-led. What it should be, excuse the pun, is timeless.
Having said that, there are certain styles, according to Beth Hannaway, that are popular now and won’t date. ‘We have seen an increase in women wearing men’s watches as an oversized accessory,’ she says. Cartier’s stainless steel Ballon Bleu automatic watch has a case width of 42mm and the kind of chunky bracelet strap that will feel nice and weighty on the wrist.
How about a good 24/7 watch?
Given that most of us can’t afford to invest in two once-in-a-lifetime watches, the good news, according to Jasmina Steele, international communication and public relations director at Patek Philippe, is that many are being designed to be worn every day – forever. ‘Most of our clients choose a watch that will adapt to all occasions and their busy lives,’ she says. The brand’s Twenty-4 collection, comprised of quartz and automatic watches made from stainless steel or rose gold, was created to fit any moment in a woman’s life.
Another perfect day-to-night piece is Tudor’s 1926 watch. This has a diamondset dial with a rose-gold bezel and silver/ rose-gold bracelet.
What models are worth investing in?
For classic models that will never date, Beth Hannaway suggests Cartier’s Tank or Panthère, Rolex’s Datejust or Jaegerlecoultre’s Reverso or Rendez-vous. Sam Beer, head of purchasing at Watchfinder & Co, a website where you can buy and sell luxury pre-owned watches, advises that both Rolex and Patek
Philippe have outperformed most traditional investments in the last 10 years. Or invest in a model that has an anniversary approaching. The brand may reissue a new model to celebrate and that can increase the value of the existing model.
Do all watches self-wind?
No, some have to be wound by hand, while others self-wind with the movement of their wearer (known as automatic watches). ‘Women with busy lives might prefer to use self-winding watches that are generally bigger in diameter and height,’ says Patek Philippe’s Jasmina Steele. ‘On the other hand, some clients prefer to interact with the watch and wind it. It becomes part of their routine.’
How long will a good watch last?
‘Forever, if you look after it properly,’ says Sam Beer. ‘Brands will advise getting it serviced every three to five years, but I’d suggest you do it once you notice it’s losing or gaining time.’
Are all diving watches waterproof?
Yes, but the distance at which they’re waterproof varies. The watches in Omega’s Seamaster range, for example, vary between 150m, 300m and 600m, while Tag Heuer’s Aquaracer range are all safe up to 300m. Always double check before you take a dip and submerge them.
What are watch cases made from?
Case materials vary from stainless steel to gold, bronze and ceramic. Whatever you choose, try to invest in a watch with a PVD (physical vapour deposition) coating. It’s a thin layer of titanium nitrate that is second in hardness only to diamond. Matthieu Baumgartner, vice president of marketing at Swiss firm Longines, says it ‘protects from corrosion caused by perspiration, sea water and pollution’.
What is a chronograph?
Some of these intricate watches can measure speed or distance and all have a stopwatch function controlled by buttons to the right-hand side of the face.
What is the difference between a quartz watch and a mechanical watch?
‘A mechanical watch, powered by a spring, is more valuable than battery-powered quartz because the workmanship involved in creating it is usually much greater,’ says Sam Beer. ‘At least 100 separate parts make up a mechanical movement. These are finely tuned to transport power from the spring through the escapement and this moves the hands.’
Is it worth buying a watch-winding box?
If you have several automatic watches that need to be worn to self-wind, then yes. Aspinal of London’s mock-croc leather box with a lock-and-key closure will accommodate five timepieces and would make a useful Christmas present.