Tips for Buying a Quality Watch

You only have to take a peek at a couple of my ‘What I Wore in a Week’ videos to see that there’s generally a pretty common thread; my watch. I’ve been wearing my Linjer ‘classic’ watch for over a year now, and it’s become a real defining element of my personal style. The thing that’s impressed me the most is the fact that it’s held up incredibly well; the quality has truly spoken for itself, and aside from some softening and wear to the leather, I don’t have a single scratch on the watch face (and I haven’t babied it… at all). Linjer were kind enough to let me have a play around with some of their other timeless designs, and today, I’m teaming up with them to talk through some of my tips for buying a timeless and high quality watch, and you can get 15% off all women’s and men’s watches from Linjer using the code ‘MADEMOISELLE15’.

What to Keep an Eye Out For

01 | Style

I’ve always felt that a good accessory is the finishing touch to any outfit, and the same rings true for watches. Because I like to make the most of my wardrobe, I want it to be something that will be versatile enough to go from the office to cocktail hour, while still looking right at home with a more casual outfit for the weekend too.

And, there’s quite a few things to consider… Are you after a minimal watch face or do you prefer styles that have some kind of branding? Do you like a bit of embellishment or diamantes on the watch face? Do you prefer leather, bracelet or mesh stainless steel style straps? What colour hardware and straps are you after? And finally, do you want to go all out and splurge on a designer time piece, or would you prefer to go for something that’s more mid-range, but is still going to deliver on quality.

Personally, I tend to prefer a minimal watch with little to no branding, gold or silver hardware, and dark coloured leather straps (chocolate brown or black are my preference). And when it comes to price? I want something that sits within that mid-price range that won’t break the bank, and it has to be reliable. I demand quality no matter what I’m buying, as I want to be sure that anything I add to my wardrobe, will age gracefully over time.

02 | Quality

Which brings me to point number two: quality. You need to weigh up what you’re getting for your money – it could be the quality of the materials used, the country of manufacture, or small design elements or components that are unusual. I want to be sure that the fittings for the watch straps are secure, that the straps themselves are thick but will soften over time, and I want the glass on the watch face to be pretty scratch resistant – I’m clumsy so the last thing I am after in an accessory like a watch is something that’s high maintenance. I want a watch that is hard wearing and will stand the test of time.

03 | Movement

The last thing to consider is the type of movement of your watch, of which there are three options you can choose from.

The first is a mechanical watch. This watch needs to be wound once a day, and is the most high-maintenance of the three movement types. Because of this, it only has a 99.9% accuracy as it loses a second or two every day – essentially, you need to keep your eye on the time, literally.

The second kind of movement is an automatic watch. These watches wind themselves when worn, which means that you don’t need to manually wind it up each day. The downside to a watch like this is that if you aren’t wearing this daily, it won’t continue to wind up or ‘charge’ the battery.

The third kind is quartz movement, which is considered to be the most accurate. A watch with a quartz movement runs on a battery which uses a current that pulsates and keeps the watch moving. You will need to replace the battery eventually, however it keeps the time very well and it’s very commonplace to find this kind of movement in most watches available.

Top row: Linjer Petite Watch 30mm (L) and Linjer Classic Watch 34mm (R)
Bottom row: Linjer Minimalist Watch 38mm (L) and Linjer Men’s Automatic Watch 38mm (R)

How to Pick the Right Size for Your Wrist

I like to joke that there’s a little bit of an art to understanding the right size watch for your wrist. I find it’s best to measure your wrist before you start shopping for watches, so that you know exactly what size you should be looking for. There’s a couple of considerations you should keep in mind, before you measure up: are you looking to purchase a watch purely for style purposes, or will it be a classic every day time piece that you’ll wear for years. You answer will drive what size you go for, once you’ve measured up.

To identify the right size watch for you, using a measuring tape, measure around the smallest part of your wrist. This is just between your wrist bone and the bottom of your palm. Typically, most women’s wrists measure between 5-7 inches in diameter. For those with a smaller wrist, between 5-6 inches, you’ll want to consider looking at watches with a face that is 22-30mm in diameter, and for those with an average to large sized wrist, between 6-7 inches, you’ll want to consider looking at watches with face that is 30-38mm in diameter.

For reference in the images above, my wrist measures 15.5cm around or just over 6 inches.

Given how particular I am with those wardrobe classics (they really do have to be just right), quality is a huge factor for me. As with most of my wardrobe, I want something that’s going to be timeless, and blend in seamlessly with my other core accessories, whether it’s paired with a simple leather tote and some low heeled pumps, or strappy sandals and a straw bag.

As I mentioned earlier, my Linjer classic watch in the 34mm has been a bit of a wardrobe staple for me (one might even say.. one of my wardrobe heroes!). I love the brushed gold hardware, it’s never steered me wrong or made me a minute late thanks to the Rhonda-5 Quartz movement, and with the interchangeable dark brown leather strap, it’s been the perfect companion for all my needs. To mix things up a little bit I’ve been taking the Linjer petite in the 30mm for a spin. This is on the smaller end of the spectrum for my wrist size, and as you’ll see from the photos above, it’s also a daintier choice than the classic style. I’ve been wearing it with the black leather straps, which paired with the shiny stainless steel hardware, has a very luxurious and high end look to it. This is quite a refined and elegant style, which I think is well suited for that shift from desk to cocktail lounge for drinks; it’s the kind of watch that I want to reach for when I’m trying to dress to impress, and want to look like I’ve made a real effort.

Don’t forget that you can get 15% off all watches from Linjer using the code ‘MADEMOISELLE15’.

Thanks again to Linjer for partnering with me on this post.