Land Diver Society

There is so much information out in the watch world on how to buy your first watch and honestly some of it is good, some of it is simply shit, and like anything else with all of this information it can get genuinely confusing for people to get a clear picture. This is something we want to clear up for those asking our opinion on the subject. After over a decade in this hobby and helping many with their first watch purchase, this is going to be our thoughts on what to look at and consider for your first watch purchase.

To preface all this L.D.S. is brand agnostic. While we have brands that we tend to like over others, there are many brands out there that make a phenomenal watch. We are also price agnostic. It is a strong belief that a good watch can be purchased at any budget. We believe there are good watches that are mechanical or quartz. We never support the purchase of clones, replicas or “Homages” that take an entire design from another manufacturer, slap their logo on it, and then claim it as their own design. We are ok with Homages that borrow design but do something that changes the design enough to make it different or a homage of a piece that is not feasible for the average person to buy.

We are going to get some base rules out of the way before going into the specifics of the watch. These should be ground rules and are rules we use for any purchase not just watches.

1. Set your budget from the start

Our first rule is to set a budget that you are willing and able to spend on a watch. Stick to this budget and don’t overextend yourself. Everyone’s financial situation is their own and is going to be different from person to person. Personally, I stick to watches at the $2000 and under price range, occasionally having gone over that but I tend to stick around that price range because it is what I am comfortable and able to spend without it hurting the pocketbook. NEVER FINANCE A WATCH. If you have a watch that is in mind that you cannot afford now, consider buying a cheaper piece and saving until you can get the goal piece, there is no shame in doing this we have all been there before. Sometimes the best option is to just step back, save the money and get to where you can happily buy the watch you want. The best watches are earned. If you buy a watch that makes you struggle to acquire basic needs such as food or housing, this is a bad decision. Either save or find something cheaper. Do not put your life, health, or comfort to the back burner to get a watch.

2. Buy for you not for others

At the end of the day if you are buying anything to impress others, this is the wrong reason to be buying it. The truth of the matter is no one gives a damn about what watch is on your wrist. If they do you likely do not want to be associated with them anyways. Buy what makes you happy and what you are going to enjoy. Do not buy for social media clout or to portray something you are not. Be authentic to yourself.

3. research Research Research

You are getting ready to make a purchase, that is something you will be living with on your wrist. You are about to spend good money on that piece. You do not want to come back after a month with the watch and realize you hate the thing. In today’s world there is a bunch of information, everything has reviews, and there are more resources than ever. UTILIZE THEM!  Go to an AD try the watch on, check a site like Hodinkee, use YouTube, check social media and ask questions. I use tattoos as an example. In today’s world I do not feel bad for someone getting a shitty tattoo. Every artist and their mother has an online portfolio for you to look at. If you do not research the artist and get bad work, that is completely on you for not utilizing your resources. An example would be the Pennywise tattoo that I have. I spent years researching artists before I finally got the work done by a talented artist that I knew her work was up to par and she was going to be able to execute what I wanted.

4. Try before you buy

With any product you should try to take the opportunity to try a watch on before you purchase it. If a friend has a watch, you like ask to borrow it, if there is a piece you are looking at find a local AD there are ADs for brands from Seiko, Citizen, all the way to Rolex, Tudor, Omega, and beyond. If you are not able to physically get the piece on the wrist before purchase revert back to suggestion 3 and see if you can find a watch that has similar dimensions and look that is available at a local AD to try on and use that as a very basic idea of how the watch will look and feel.

Now we are going to get into the watch specific suggestions.

5. Decide what the watch is going to be used for.

Is this going to be your one and only watch that you are going to wear in every situation from the beach, to work in the office, to a wedding? If this is going to be a only watch something with a neutral dial in Black or White and something less sporty may be the best option. Something that is clean and easy to wear in any situation. If this is going to be part of a multiple watch collection, decide what role you want this watch to fill.

6. What’s your style?

We here at Land Diver Society obviously love the dive watch. Others prefer a Chronograph, GADA watch, Dress Watch, or any other style of watch you can imagine. What is going to work best for you is what you really need to decide on. Are you the outdoors type who finds themselves strapping a oxygen tank on and going to look at old shipwrecks in the great lakes? Are you the person who is dressing up with a suit and tie and going out to a Michelin star restaurant nightly? These are all things you must look at to make sure the watch you are getting is going to be able to handle what you need it to in practice.

7.What size is best for you?

Spend some time figuring out what sizes are going to be best for your wrist that will be comfortable and look pretty normal on YOU. For most men 36-42 mm is what ends up sitting best. Sorry ladies, I can’t speak to what fits you best. I have only ever been a man. The case diameter isn’t the only thing to consider. Look at the lug to lug and thickness as well. Both matter. Too thick and you are bashing it around and a long or short lug to lug can make a watch wear either larger or smaller. A good example of this is the Seiko SPB261 Willard. This watch has a 42.7mm diameter but has a 46.6mm Lug to Lug which makes it wear smaller on the wrist and feel more similar to a normal 40mm.

8.Mechanical or Quartz?

One thing you need to decide sooner rather than later is if you want to go with a mechanical or quartz watch. Realistically both are good, but mechanical comes with some extra care and maintenance considerations. You are going to have to service a mechanical every so often to keep it working properly. A lot of moving parts that must be maintained, tend to not handle shocks as well, and are more prone to magnetism. All considerations you need to consider. Quartz is easier, needing a battery swap, less moving parts, and a little more resistance to magnetism and shock. Servicing can vary in price but will always be more expensive than a $15 battery.

9. Microbrand or Big Brand

In today’s world of watches there are a lot of options for brands. Larger brands have legacy with them and have been around and have the history behind them to know that if you need the support or service or parts on a watch, they are likely to still be around, but sometimes they do rest on there name alone and you get less in specs for a higher price. Rolex and Seiko are prime examples of this. Rolex used to be the king of tool watches. Now to get into a Submariner brand new in 2026 you are going to have to be on the “wait list” and spend $10,500 where back in the 90’s to around 2008 you could still get one and use it as a tool at the for around $6000. Seiko is another example of this. In order to get into things such as Sapphire Crystal from them and a decent bracelet you are having to spend $750 or more. Examples of this would be the Seiko Monster SRPE27 which comes in around $400 features hardlex and a pretty bad bracelet on a watch marketed as being a professional dive watch; in order to get to the higher specs, you would need to go to something similar to the SPB477 at $1600. Looking at Micro Brands, you get a lot of specs for good value from a brand that may not have been around for very long, which comes with its own risks of if they are going to be around if something goes wrong. Luckily a lot of these use other manufacturers’ movements so you can still get them serviced but still a risk you take. Zelos is a micro brand that comes to mind. Compared to Seiko, you can get a Zelos Swordfish 42mm for $300.00 which uses a NH35, Sapphire Crystal, Ceramic Bezel, and a much nicer bracelet. Life is all about tradeoffs, you just have to decide which ones are going to matter to you.

10.Buy the seller

We all like a good deal, hell I am guilty of that in many aspects, but when it comes to buying watches, you really need to buy your seller. Whether you decide to buy used or new, the seller matters. Buying off of a random stranger on Reddit or Facebook named Survivingthedeep6942067 may seem great because you can get a watch for cheap, but what are the odds if there is a problem that person is going to take care of you? This goes for any second hand or grey market purchase. I have bought off of Bezel, Chrono24, eBay, Facebook, and from ADs previously and have normally had good experiences, but there have been some bad ones that were nightmares to deal with. I have been lucky enough to be a part of some awesome Facebook pages for buying and selling and having the ability to develop relationships both as a buyer and seller but this has taken years. I also always vet a seller to the best of my ability. If you are new to this, you are almost always better spending the extra and buying new from a reputable website or AD where possible.

At the end of the day no one is going to have a flawless watch hobby. These tips are meant to try and help you have the least painful experience you can. These are not the only considerations to take into account but for us at Land Diver Society these are the biggest 10 that we personally stick to. Go out there find your watch and enjoy it, just make sure to do your due diligence.