Buying The Best Men’s Watch: Tips & Advice

Let’s talk men’s watches.

Sure, smart watches are all the craze now . . . but sometimes an old school watch may be a better bet. 

Why? Well, if you work at a job site that can be dirty/dusty/messy, you may not want a fancy $500 smart watch on your wrist. A simple digital watch can get the job done, without fear of messing up that expensive gadget.

Likewise, we like to take an inexpensive digital watch with us on vacation to the beach. Again, do you want that smart watch exposed to the surf, sand and salt water? A large, easy-to-read dial is a plus for aging eyes.

Finally, sometimes an old school mechanical watch is a nice fashion statement. And if you want to get away from the constant digital harassment of a watch that is notifying you of every new text message, a non-smart watch may be a good investment in your sanity.

To find the best best, as always, we turn to our readers for their real-world experiences. We looked at dozens of different recommendations and then interviewed watch industry veterans for their additional insight. We studied which brands tend to have the highest overall quality (based on customer satisfaction and repeat purchases).

So, drum roll. Here are the watches we’d recommend:

About the Authors

Denise & Alan Fields are consumer advocates and best-selling authors. The Fields have authored 12 books with three million copies in print, including the best-selling guide to baby gear, Baby Bargains.

The Fields have been featured and quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

As consumer products experts, the Fields have been guests on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s 20/20.

How We Pick Products To Recommend

We often turn to our readers (3 million strong!) to find products to recommend. We ask our parent readers for their favorites and consider their real-world experiences in our recommendations.

When we test a product, we always purchase it with our own monies. We do not take free samples, as we believe that compromises our independence.

We also fact check manufacturer information with our own measurements. If a maker claims a product weighs X pounds, we will weigh it to make sure. If the battery life is supposed to be six hours, we will see how it stands up in the real world.

In some cases, we will do interviews with experts in the field to get additional feedback on products.

To get hands-on time with products, we regularly meet one-on-one with gear companies and even tour manufacturing facilities. (When we do this, we pay our own travel expenses).

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

We make our living from affiliate commissions, but we always recommend what we think are the best bets for our readers (not the ones that are the most expensive). We are always looking for products that offer the best bang for the buck.

Our independence is a key reason why we have been doing this so long. As we mentioned above, when we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!