Technical vs Design - What is More Important in a Watch?

Deciding what watch to buy an be a difficult decision. It probably feels like there are endless amounts of watches out there. Should you buy a Rolex Submariner or Omega Speedmaster because everyone else says you should? What should you consider when buying a watch? The biggest divide between watch collectors often is if the technical aspect of the watch is important or if the design of the watch is more important.

Technical arguments fall to whether or not the movement of the watch has horological significance. In the past, this argument was extremely relevant and had to do with identifying techniques to make the most accurate time keeping device. Today, this concept has manifested itself to be about whether or not the watch has an ‘in-house’ movement. This means that the manufacture of the watch create their own movement instead of buying a mass-produced one. Collectors have an idea that ‘in-house’ movements are higher in quality which may or may not be true. It can come across in a snobby way, but it really is just preference.

Some watch collectors look at watches a different way - do they like the way that it looks? They are look for a watch that looks good to them. It could be the way the dial is finished and proportioned, the movement finishing, case quality or how it is all put together. And let us be honest, the first thing one notices about a watch is how it looks, so it is definitely an important part of finding a watch you like.

Both these factors are important to most collectors and some place more importance on one of them. Like we said in our rules for collecting watches, buy what you love - who cares what other people think of your decision!

Enjoy!