Everyone needs a great watch, but choosing your very first can feel like a monumental decision. There are so many timepieces out there to choose from at every price point and the mere task of narrowing it down can be daunting. But whether you’re after a diver, a traveller’s watch or a classic everyday wearer, you want something versatile.
You want something that you can wear everywhere and in any situation; after all, you don’t yet have a collection to rifle through for that perfect pairing. As you’ve yet to pour your life savings into your watches, you probably also want something that offers some great value.
Here then are five watches that you’ll find yourself not wanting to take off while saving a bit of money for your inevitable second watch.
1. Beaucroft Arc
The successor to Cambridge-based Beaucroft’s dressier Seeker, the Arc takes that go anywhere, do anything vibe to its most versatile level. A trio of gorgeous fume dials in jewel tones paired with 100m water resistance and lume for low-light reading, this is a watch that never stops putting in the work.
It’s also – and this is something very important for a first-time buy – incredible value at US$585 / £525. It’s still on the more elegant side of horological aesthetics, but with practical specs, solid finishing and a workhorse automatic movement, it’s hard to argue against.
While it would be nice to see the variety of colours available in the brand’s bright, sportier Element collection, the teal version is beautiful and looks a watch in a very different price bracket.
2. Christopher Ward C63 Sealander GMT
A GMT is a great thing to have in your collection; keeping track of multiple timezones can be useful even if you don’t regularly hop from country to country. And having undergone a recent refresh, Christopher Ward’s best-selling C63 Sealander GMT is better than ever.
It’s still channelling the Rolex Explorer II vibes that it wears on its sleeve, but with a bright orange GMT hand and a new crown guarded conical crown it’s much sportier.
The Sellita movement inside is nothing to shout too much about, but the refined case and elevated dial details – black-edged indexes, a framed date – are. It also has a bracelet that allows you to remove links without a tool. That might not sound like much but honestly, being able to quickly swap a link in as it gets hot is a gamechanger.
At US$1620 / £1190, this is a great first buy.
3. Oris Aquis Date Relief
Every watch collector needs a dive watch somewhere in their arsenal, whether or not they ever plan on it seeing the water, and the Oris Aquis lands squarely between entry-level homages and the pieces those homages are imitating.
It’s a relatively large watch even for a modern diver at 43.5mm across, but has the specs to match: 300m water resistance, a unidirectional rotating bezel and plenty of lume. The Relief version adds a dash more refinement to the Aquis’ utilitarian personality with a three-dimensional dive scale and a glossy silver dial, a bit more boat-to-bar than the classic date models – and at US$2000 / £2050, it’s a lot of watch for the money.
It comes on either a bracelet or a bright red rubber strap that matches the lollipop seconds hand. For sheer versatility and to keep that monochromatic cool, the bracelet is the better option in most instances, even if it’s a bit more money.
4. Grand Seiko Heritage Quartz
Normally I wouldn’t recommend a quartz movement as a ‘proper’ watch, but this isn’t just any quartz. Back in 1969, Seiko invented the quartz oscillator, completely upending the watch industry and over the decades since they’ve been refining their timekeeping tech to a fine art.
That means this isn’t just any quartz – it’s a Grand Seiko quartz, losing at most 10 seconds a year. It’s also the most accessible movement in their line-up, allowing you to get your hands on the kind of immaculate finishing, including the Japanese brand’s signature Zaratsu finishing, and textured dials that make even hardened collectors swoon.
Get one of these and you’ll be well on your way to getting yourself a high-end Spring Drive version. There’s just no going back.
5. Rolex Oyster Perpetual
Sometimes you just want to start strong – and that means the Crown. Rolex is the single most important watchmaker in the world and the Oyster Perpetual is the simplest, most affordable way in.
Coming in a solid variety of sizes and colours – including this year’s colourful Jubilee printed dial – it’s simple, versatile and very, very Rolex. That means two things: a relatively high price tag for an entry-level watch at US$6750 / £5400 and a killer movement in the calibre 3230. It’s resistant to shocks, magnetism and pretty much anything else you care to throw at it, meaning that this is a watch that’ll stand the test of time in more ways than one.
Of the various colours and sizes, 36mm is the classic though if you have larger wrists, you may be more comfortable with the 41mm. The harder part is deciding on the colour, though there’s something about the champagne-adjacent beige dial that feels like a true classic.
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