Buying a luxury watch
Today’s watch buyer is spoiled for choice, which in a way makes choice difficult or at least complicated. I know, this might sound controversial but it is a fact. The availability of size, functions, brands, materials, colors and designs spread over very wide price option field, leave the average watch buyer puzzled and concerned about making the right choice. Luxury watch is expensive product and unless one has unlimited recourses, these concerns are justified. It is not however an option to spend months of hard research to learn all about luxury watches in order to make educated choice, unless you are a watch fanatic.
Most modern (genuine) luxury brand watches measure time with accuracy far beyond the average human needs, with reliability and longevity often exceeding the average human life expectancy. Their designs are well executed and balanced to suit the needs of the market they serve. Having all this in mind the choice of luxury watch piece, as long as it is a genuine one, should not be disastrous and totally wrong. It is nevertheless quite possible to make fast impulsive choice that will soon prove to be unfavorable one. To help you sieve trough the vast amount of alternatives I will offer you simple system I have been using in order to avoid the traps of impulsive buying and the subsequent remorse for years. It can be applied to any product where substantial price and overchoice are in place.
The reason in our shopping decisions can be traced in two distinguishable segments forming our choice – Logic and Emotion. If these two segments are addressed individually and does not interfere with each other, our choice is likely to be the one that suits us best. I usually start with the logic but one could do it the other way around as long as one makes the effort to keep them separate.
For example:
If I first address the logic I will ask myself the question: What do I need from my watch? And then single out: style, size, weight, functions, movement type, how does it fit my lifestyle, budget I can afford to allocate and anything else that looks like cold analytical data. Qualities like looking cool or making statement should be leaved for the following emotional assessment. After I answer these questions by writing them on a piece of paper, I will read them and start looking for my options. This operation should shrink considerably the pool of suitable choices.
From this point I will start looking at the short listed selection in terms of aesthetics, brand and statement in order to find something that suit my personality.
Approaching this analysis from the emotional side, possibly more suitable for women, will certainly leave you with different result. The final choice, however different, will be also right as long as you don’t stumble at affordability.
How much one should spend on a watch? As with the jewelry the answer is: as much as you can afford to get maximum satisfaction without seriously hurting your bank account. Reasoning with the watch’s unique functions and time measuring precision to justify overspending seldom make sense as they are very seldom utilized. Although the watch is firstly practical and then ornamental item the practical side is often overlooked for the sake of statement or aesthetic satisfaction, thus strongly placing the watches in the jewelry category. Treating the watch as piece of jewelry makes the things different. Then you know, you buy it because you like it, you deserve it and it makes you feel good, hence definitely justifies the price.
Unlike the jewelry, watches are well classified and easy to shop for. Once you choose your brand and model, just look for few reputable retailers with good return policies and guarantees and compare their prices. Then take the best deal. In the end of the day you get exactly the same product.
How to know if the retailer is reputable?
Look at the credentials with authentication links to organizations like BBB, Bizrate, Authorize Net and the likes. You can also go to the watch manufacturer’s site and check if your merchant is listed as authorized dealer. Beware of extreme discounts. If the price is too good to be truth it most probably is.
