Watches come in all shapes and sizes and to meet literally all price brackets. So, when you can buy a watch for anything from £50 to £5000, it’s worth asking what really makes the difference.
What are some of the real signs of quality to look for in a second hand watch?

Automatic movement

The mechanism that makes a watch work is called its ‘movement’. An automatic watch essentially means that the watch doesn’t need to be wound up manually. A. conventional manual mechanical watch needs to be wound up regularly.
The cheaper alternative is a quartz watch. This is a watch that uses batteries. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule and there are some high-quality luxury timepieces that use quartz movements. However, in general terms, watches with automatic movement are seen as classier.

Synthetic sapphire crystal

The transparent front window of a watch is called the ‘crystal’. The most exclusive and expensive watches feature a crystal made from synthetic sapphire. The cheaper option is mineral glass but for the sturdiest and most scratch resistant material, you really need to look for a watch with a synthetic sapphire crystal.
A key thing to consider is the thickness of the crystal. The highest quality watches have a thicker synthetic sapphire crystal.

Chronometer rated

Another key mark of quality is whether a watch is chronometer rated. This is the standard that shows that a timepiece has been independently tested to establish that that the piece tells extremely accurate time.
The term ‘chronometre certifie’ inscribed on the dial then it means that the timepiece has gone through COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres). This is a rigorous round of tests of the piece’s temperature and conditions that takes place over several days.