Different Styles of Wrist Watches Explained - Beginner’s Guide to Every Watch Type
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Everyday / All-purpose
It’s only natural to begin with this type of watch, since most people who own watches, most likely own a single watch that goes on the wrist every day, or even stays on the wrist 24/7. Of course, not everyone’s opinion of the perfect everyday watch is going to be similar, especially among us watch collectors. But we are going to try to narrow it down anyways through examining what it requires for a watch to support the everyday grind.
First and foremost, I think what everyone WILL agree on is the comfort factor, and by this, I mean weight, weight distribution, and size of the piece. A watch can look beautiful and function perfectly in every way, but if it weighs too much and takes up a giant patch on your wrist, off it comes well before the day is out. The typical “heft” of a watch is the one factor that a wearer can tell if it can support everyday activities or not, as with some steel and/or large watches begin to feel like you’re dragging a boat anchor. So, for the purposes of discussion, the generally acceptable weight and size for the mass public is anywhere between 50 grams and 150 grams (with band/strap/bracelet) with a case diameter of between 30mm and 40mm. Much like a pair of shoes, some watches need to be tried on to determine if the piece will be comfortable throughout the life of the watch….or the wearer, especially if you’re spending some decent money. It should also be mentioned that while physical comfort is important, it is equally important for the piece to be aesthetically comfortable as well. After all, it’s called an everyday watch because it doesn’t clash with most of your attire and lifestyle.
It should be mentioned that to combat the weight issue, many watch companies offer pieces built with titanium cases and bracelets. This makes the piece far lighter while still maintaining the “tool-like” appearances of its heavier, steel brethren. However, on the other end of the price spectrum, a customer could always seek a piece built of resin plastic, which can often feel light as a feather since most plastic watches house lightweight quartz or digital movements within.
This brings me to my next and equally important quality for an everyday watch. Cost. Leaving some watch enthusiasts out of this decision process, who will argue that price matters not if the piece is perfect in every other way, cost and availability are usually what will get a watch onto the wrist in the first place. Rolex offers some pieces costing more a year of college, with an application process and waiting list to boot! Certainly not the circumstance with a normal, everyday piece. This is true for pieces meant for men, women, AND children. Think back, your “first” watch was probably one that was available in a department store so one could see it and hold it before deciding to buy, which would allow the prospective buyer to get a good representation of real-world dimensions, appearance and weight. Often when the price tag is seen, that’s the decision-making moment. If a watch is light, well-built and attractive for the buyer, a watch under $50 or even $100 can easily take the ride home with it’s new owner.
The third and final factor for a suitable everyday watch is reliability and accuracy of the movement. This is a no-brainer, but with some watches that are too “cheap”, the movement inside can leave much to be desired, so for this category I’d recommend staying with a well-established brand which offers many different, easy-to-find pieces such as Timex, Casio, or Citizen. Such brands carry a legitimate warranty and will keep accurate time for years.
The everyday watch does possess other characteristics that are going to be covered further in this article within the other watch type categories, but I feel the 3 most important factors of this category are represented. The everyday watch is seen differently from person to person. For instance, my current “best” everyday watch by my own opinion is the Steinhart 39mm Ocean One (Red). It’s certainly not widely available and does not fit the budget category, but it is piece that “ticks all the boxes” by my own preferences. So now you see how different watch qualities can bleed into each other…
Everyday watch recommendations by price category:
$10-$50 – Timex Weekender or Expedition
$50-$100 – Bertucci DX3 or Seiko SNK line
$100-$200 – Citizen Eco-Drive or Classics line
Beater / Rugged / Military
The beater is a must for any watch collection. Even if you only own two or three watches, one of them should be a beater. The name says it all. This piece is meant be beaten. This is the watch you wear changing your oil, gutting fish, trimming trees and changing diapers.
Obviously the most important quality of a beater is ruggedness. It needs to be able to withstand abuse from copious amounts of water submersion, shock, and grit, all while keeping accurate and legible time. In the beater category you’ll find many pieces that are waterproof to 200 meters offering all-day, everyday protection from water ingress. For a beater, 100 meters is probably the lowest water resistance rating you’re going to want to allow. The water resistance rating is important to point out because there are MANY watches at the local store that “look the part”, but if you read the case back or the fine printing on the dial, you’ll find an inferior water resistance of 30 or 50 meters.
Materials and construction of the piece are typically thick resin plastic or steel. No room for precious metals here, nor cheap, chrome-coated brass. Worthy beaters will also have a thicker and wider profile to protect the movement inside. Many can also be found on the wrists of those who work with their hands. Wrists of military personnel around the world will absolutely need a dependable beater for timing maneuvers, duty rotations, and a host of other operations.
Beater watch recommendations by price category:
$50 – Casio Duro or G-Shock 5600
$50-$100 – Timex Command
$100-$200 – Luminox Evo
Dress
You may have noticed a pattern with this list. The essentials are at the top of the list and our 3rd type has to be the dress watch. Probably the first and most redeeming quality of the dress watch is the classic and elegant look. This is the piece that will be worn with your formal attire and be in the pictures that will hang on your wall. Most importantly, the piece won’t look strange, outdated, or just plain stupid (smartwatch!) after a couple decades.
Not only should the look be understated, but the sizing. Dress watches will typically have a relatively low profile and modest diameter on your wrist. Bracelets on a dress watch are also of the leather or case-matching metal variety, many of which could be precious metals. Depending on your line of work, your dress watch could actually function as your everyday watch, if your everyday attire is a suit or something similar. The modest sizing will slip nicely under your cuff and only reveal itself when you make it so.
The dress watch is all about providing the time and sometimes the day/date as simply and classically as possible. The dial is not clogged with non-essential information nor does it show off any complicated functions. In this respect, a dress watch is a close cousin to the everyday watch.
Water resistance and ruggedness are also not factors for dress watches as the attire and activity should be appropriate to the piece and vice versa; unless you’re planning to get married on a reef while wearing scuba gear….
For some of us, our dress watch once belonged to our father or grandfather, but I’d advise wearing those pieces only on very special days and definitely not wearing them every day. More on that later.
One down side of the dress watch is when the style of the piece crosses into the “fashion watch” territory. These are usually a dubious cash grab move by companies that have no business producing timepieces, because the quality is sub-standard for the price you pay. These companies mainly produce clothing, fashion accessories, sporting equipment, or jewelry. They often come equipped standard with cheap quartz movements, inferior materials, and gaudy styling. In short, your money is only buying the name printed on the dial. So, spend wisely and try to stick with pieces made by companies with a strong reputation in the watchmaking industry, not the fashion industry.
Dress watch recommendations by price category:
$100-$200 – Orient Bambino
$250-$500 - Tissot Gentleman (depending on movement type)
Diver
Though a dive watch can most certainly be included in the beater category, it really deserves its own. Usually with a classic look and simple layout, the dive watch is all about reliable function and clear legibility. Further, the case construction is usually composed of sturdy 316L stainless steel to ensure years of use and abuse, especially when contending with immersive environments. A hefty crystal is also a must, usually made of scatter resistant mineral crystal or sapphire.
The way the reliable case components are constructed also matters a great deal. The case backs are usually solid stainless steel and screw-down into the case. The crown screws down as well. Both components have an o-ring to further seal these points of potential water ingress, to provide a diving industry standard water resistance rating of 200 meters of depth.
Features for a dive watch also include a unidirectional rotating timing bezel, which allows the user to set a time-elapsed point upon the minute hand. If the bezel is bumped out of position, the time elapsed only shows the wearer that more time has elapsed, not less. When diving, thinking you’ve had less time underwater than you’ve actually had can lead to life-threatening decompression sickness. Given that scuba diving is largely an analog activity, it is the preference of some divers that the bezel exhibit a legible analog display to offer the user a sense of spatial awareness of the time elapsed and remaining. Many a diver owe their lives to the dive bezel. It’s also useful for timing an egg or burger on the grill.
The dial and legibility in the dark is also an equally important feature. As in diving environments, the deeper you go, the less sunlight penetrates from above. Setting the bezel and knowing where the minute hand sits at any given time during a dive is crucial. Luminous material that is visibly applied to the hand set and minute markers is standard, as well as the counter balance on the seconds hand. During a dive, if you notice the seconds hand isn’t ticking, it’s time to end your dive immediately or check with a buddy to know how long the dive has elapsed.
Regarding cost, dive watches aren’t the cheapest watches to acquire. You also won’t usually find them in a local department store, especially those that are ISO certified for diving. The best practice is to look at reputable online retailers. One thing to also be aware of when looking for a diver is the weight and size of the piece. Some dive watches are absolute beasts!
Dive watch recommendations by price category:
$100-$200 – Citizen Promaster BN0150
$200-$400 – Seiko Turtle SRPE93 or SRP775
$400-$600 – Bulova Oceanographer or Tissot SeaStar
Note: Many dive watches range into the thousands, but do your homework first regarding specs, movement, and build quality.
Aviator / Pilot Watch
As you may have noticed a pattern in this list of watch types, it is with good reason. Like different production vehicles, each of these pieces represents a different feeling and function unique to each category and the preferences of its user. One of the best-feeling and simple all-around of these types is the pilot-style watch.
Built usually with a simple but legible dial, acceptable water-resistance, long-lasting build materials, and a reliable movement these watches can stay comfortably on many wrists day after day. Sizing of the dial omits a rotating bezel for a wider diameter of the dial face. Many examples usually offer a small date window as well. One of the main features of the dial is the presence of bold minute indicators on the outer ring of the dial and equally legible hour marks on the inner portion. Many pilot watches also offer 24-hr indicators or a GMT function (Greenwich Mean Time) with worldwide cities indicated somewhere on the dial perimeter or the bezel, as well as some offering a generous helping of luminous compound for good legibility in the dark. Some pieces even offer a rotating bezel to calculate fuel trim against usage; a watch function I personally don’t think anyone has used in the past 50 years.
Many pilot watches also give off the aesthetic of a vintage, analog airplane dial without looking too utilitarian. Simple white numbering on a black background is the standard look. Simple and reliable quartz or automatic movements are typically found to keep these pieces accessible to many buyers. Upper price-tier examples offer Swiss movements as well, offering decades of reliable time keeping.
Pilot watch recommendations by price category:
$100-$200 – Torgeon T9
$200-$400 – Long Island Watch Calabro
$400-$600 – Laco Aachen or Hamilton Aviation Pilot
Chronograph
In addition to simply telling the time, one interesting movement you can find to be offered by most manufacturers is the chronograph function. In general, the function is to measure elapsed time down to seconds or even tenths of a second often with small sub dials upon the main dial. They can also make the piece give the appearance of a more precision tool if the sub dials are well-placed and modestly sized. The trick of balancing the aesthetic of a chronograph dial is to ensure it isn’t crowded with too much information. But some buyers tend to like dials that copious information, even if we don’t really use it most of the time.
The diameter and thickness of a chronograph piece can vary widely depending on the type of movement inside. Quartz chronograph movements are thinner, more widely available to microbrands thanks to Seiko and Miyota, and cost much less than mechanical/automatic chronographs which are far more complex and exponentially more expensive to own and have serviced. Much like watches themselves, Japan-made chronographs (quartz) are very affordable and Swiss-made chronographs (mechanical) ……..aren’t.
Many chronograph watches will also feature a fixed tachymeter bezel for measuring time against distance with the seconds hand. It is a fairly analog feature but a curious and useful function once you get proficient at using it. It should also be mentioned that most digital watches, being of the sporty and athletic type of piece, usually come standard with a chronograph function. So if all you’re looking for is a reliable chronograph function, you can spend as little as $30 on any number of offerings from Casio.
Chronograph recommendations by price category:
<$20 – Casio F91-W (digital option)
$100-$200 – Seiko SND365 or Citizen CA0621-05L
$200-$400 – Bulova Lunar Pilot or Seiko SNA411
Let’s just call them expensive options – Omega Speedmaster or Tag Heuer Carrera
Field
This category can seem close to the everyday category, as a field watch will certainly fulfill all the daily duties of an everyday watch, but with more utility. In general, a field watch is light, modestly sized, had a comfortable strap.
Left - Hamilton Khaki Right - Bulova Hack
One defining feature of the field watch is the highly legible dial. Usually a high contrast black dial and white numerals (or vice versa), often with a date window tucked away somewhere on the right. Numerals are also lumed in most pieces. To keep with the modest size and weight, many field watches have a quartz movement.
Another feature that sets field watches apart from the everyday variety is the water resistance of at least 50 meters, but usually 100 meters. The build quality is usually steel or titanium.
Price points are almost always in the affordable category as well.
Field recommendations by price category:
$45 – Timex Expedition Field
$100 – Boderry Voyager Field
$200-$300 – Bulova Heritage Hack
$400-$500 - Hamilton Khaki Field
GMT
We’ve covered Aviator pieces that “show” Greenwich Mean Time, depending on how the time is set against the bezel. But there are GMT pieces that have a 4th hand that makes one revolution every 24 hours. Again with a 1-24 scale indicated along the edge of the dial or on a dedicated, rotating bezel. Looking much like a diver’s bezel, a GMT bezel is often colored 50/50 with a light and contrasting dark color, to show night and day hours. So, one can easily tell the time in 2 time zones at a glance. Such pieces were made for pilots but they do differ greatly from older-stlye aviator watches.
Also with the new NH34 movement becoming available to micro-brands, many new and interesting GMT pieces are coming into the market.
GMT recommendations by price category:
$100 – Invicta Pro Diver GMT
$200-$230 – Timex Q or Waterbury GMT
$350 – Seiko SSK001, 003, 005
Minimalist
As the name suggests, these designs are minimal, bare even. Some might say cold and contemporary, but every style has it’s market. Many of the styles of watch already listed offer interesting functions and features, but this type does not. The time is indicated with three hands and small indices. The dial is usually one tone and with only one contrasting color or finish the balance it. Some pieces go so far as to not offer any indices at all; only hands.
But with any type of style, sometimes less is more. Some find this style to be refreshing and unobstructed. So, for a minimal watch category, I keep this segment minimal in kind.
Minimal recommendations by price category:
~$70 - Skagen
~$150 - Mondaine Classic
~$200 - Movado Bold
Digital
We can’t talk about watches in general without talking about digital pieces. Often the first watch for many people, most digital watches are simple, composed of lightweight resin or plastic material, and dependable for several years of trouble-free use. Many makers offer them in a variety of colors and sizes, plus with ease-of-use functions like back lighting, oversized pushers, and enlarged numeral displays. This type of watch certainly reigns supreme in the affordability category, as you can spend as little as $15 and as much as several hundred. With such a variety of choices, I’d be confident in stating that there exists a digital for EVERY wrist and taste.
Digital watches make for an easy choice when going to the gym, out to the garden or for a hike. If you want to spend a few more dollars, many digital pieces offer a decent water resistance rating as well. True, not all digital watches are appropriate for dressed up occasions, but some models also come in different finishes, such as silver or gold. So even though digital pieces aren’t necessarily suited to formal wear, you might be able to get away with it.
Digital recommendations by price category:
$22 – Timex T78587
$80 - Seiko Prospex SBDH015
$100 - Casio Solar GWM5610-1
”Ana-Digi” (Analog / Digital)
Equipped with a small digital display and integrated functions, these otherwise analog display watches offer a nostalgic, 80’s/90’s vibe. Many of the big watch maker’s are now making these models available again, but many enthusiasts seem to either love or hate them. Admittedly, they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but are quite unique and have had quite a resurgence in the past couple years.
Casio Forester
A great many Ana-Digi pieces are offered by the same companies that produce a majority of the digital watches already mentioned.
Ana-Digi recommendations by price category:
$5 - $30 - eBay: used/vintage choices galore!
$40 - Casio AQ-230A or Timex Expedition
$89 - Casio G-Shock or ProTrek
$250-$300 - Seiko Prospex SNJ025 “Arnie”
$300+ - Citizen Sailhawk or Navihawk
Nurse Watch
This is an interesting one that deserves it own category. Nurses are the backbone of the medical care industry. They perform unglamorous tasks and deal with every kind of mess, fluid and semi-fluid that most are reluctant to speak of. They work long hours in a high-stress, often unpredictable work environment that has very little margin for error and require the least amount of unexpected issues whenever possible.
As such, a dependable timepiece is very important for those in the nursing profession. Said piece must be incredibly dependable and accurate, adequately water (or fluid) resistant, light, comfortable, and cleanable! Nurses have neither the time nor the energy to fiddle with anything less on their wrist. Smartwatches are very prevalent in the medical industry since they are cheap, legible and can often handle specific apps that can save time. However, in this segment we’ll recommend examples of non-smart watches that can offer no-nonsense functionality against years of abuse.
Nurse-worthy recommendations by price category:
$20 - Armitron 45/7086
$40 - Timex Unisex Ironman or Transit
$50 - Casio Baby-G BG-169R
Skeleton Watch
No, this is not a watch you wear on Halloween, but you certainly can. Skeleton watches are made with components that are finely machined and hollowed-out to maintain their structural integrity, but allowing the user to see through the watch and reveal all the moving components. When coupled with a mechanical movement, the effect can be quite striking, especially for those who are mechanically awe-struck. Not only is the dial face hollowed out, but often the moving bits of the movement itself as well as the case back.
One subtle derivative of this design concept is commonly called open-heart construction. You’ll find this design on many dress watches, where only a small, circular portion of the dial is hollowed out to reveal only the escapement components, such as the pallet fork and balance wheel. When isolated within a specific cutout in the dial, the effect can be mesmerizing.
One key thing about skeleton watches is that they are an acquired taste and not all watch makers offer this design.
Skeleton recommendations by price category:
$100 - Invicta 23533
$250 - Bulova 96A187
$1,200 - Tissot Squelette
$10,000 - Zenith El Primero Skeleton
Open-heart designs:
$200 - Orient Bambino Open Heart
$300 - Seiko Presage
Hand-Wound Mechincal Movements
In early times of watchmaking, the first type of movement to appear within handheld or wrist bound watches is the hand wound mechanical movement. The user must wind the crown, transferring the energy to a mainspring inside the movement, where it releases a carefully engineered amount of energy into the moving components which move the hands across the dial.
The benefits of hand-wound movements is that they are easy to service, have been well-established and available for generations, and they are beautiful to look at if you’ve gotten a piece with a see-through case back. Many collectors find the most satisfying aspects of the hand-wound movement is that the user must pause to impart the energy for the movement to run.
Automatic Mechanical Movements
The next generation in mechanical movements is the automatic. Built and serviced almost exactly as the hand-wound movement, it also contain a weighted rotor on the bottom of the movement. The rotor spins back and forth as the wearer moves his/her arm, which passively winds the mainspring without the need to stop and wind it.
Many automatics come with a power reserve of 40-80 hours when fully wound, depending on the beat rate. Modern automatics also feature a hand winding function, which can allow the wearer to “jumo start” the movement if the piece has not been worn for a few days and has run out of energy.
These days, automatic movements tend to be move available than hand wound pieces. Thus an automatic can be purchased for less than $100 from many reputable makers. Seiko, Citizen and Tissot all make affordable pieces with automatic movements.
Quartz Movements
Quartz based movements came about in the wider watch market in the late 1970’s, and by the 19080’s had eclipsed mechanical movements. Driven by battery power, an electric charge is sent to a quartz crystal where vibrations are created and power the movement.
Generally understood to be cheaply produced, more accurate than mechanical movements, and virtually maintenance free, quartz became the “easy button” for many watch makers. Such pieces can be obtained for less than $25 and don’t require a new battery for 5 years or more.
Precision Quartz Movements
Following the same principles as traditional quartz movements, precision quartz adds finely shaped and sometimes multi-pronged crystals that are grown to very tight tolerances. Such crystals give a much higher beat rate and a highly accurate time keeping to within a mere seconds PER YEAR. When it comes to accuracy, precision quartz wins it all.
Not only does the wearer enjoy the benefit of precision time keeping, but often the seconds hand is beating to rapidly per second that the seconds sweep seems smooth. No tick, tick tick.
Solar Quartz Movements
One of the more common types of “trouble free” quartz movements to come about in the last few years, the solar quartz operates much like a traditional quartz. The piece however has a dial that allows light to pass through all or part of it, where it can reach a solar cell that charges the power reserve.
Not needing a traditional battery change, these movement are truly maintenance free. One of the only drawbacks of solar quartz is that the cell doesn’t seem to last past 15 years, if worn every day.
Digital Module Movements
Indeed one of the most widely available movement types, time pieces fitted with a digital module movements can had for next to nothing. Digital movements are in fact powered by the same means as quartz movements. The only difference being is that the oscillation of the quartz crystal is used to power a digital module rather than an analog display of moving hands.
Being that digital movements contain little to no moving parts, they can last even longer than traditional quartz movements. In fact, many digital movements only demand a change of battery every 10 years, with the movement itself lasting for decades.