Ever heard of the saying, “Why wear a watch when you could just look at your phone?”

No? Me neither.

Okay, that’s not a real saying, but I bet you probably heard it from someone or thought about it.

But did you know there are a lot of advantages to using a watch over a mobile phone?

Watches are more convenient than continually whipping up your phone just to check the time. A quick glance at your wrist is more classy and discrete.

Watches are also a thing of beauty that comes in all sorts of designs. It may be a minimalist look to an over the top design and color. You can even try watch modding. Most digital smartwatches today even have a customizable display feature.

What I’m trying to say is, “Watches are essential and will never go out of style.”

Agreed? Great!

But do you know what the best type of watch is for you?

No? Don’t fret.

Here, let me guide you in choosing what’s the perfect watch for you.

Analog or Digital, What’s the difference?

Analog watches are the traditional type of look. It consists of three “hands”, the second, minute, and hour hands to tell time. These hands lineup with numbers in the watch’s face or “dial” to tell the exact time.

Analog watches usually have a ticking motion and the “tick-tock” sound.

Digital watches, on the other hand, tells time through a display screen. Older digital watches like the Casio Vintage models show the time in digits or numbers.

But newer digital smartwatches today, like Apple smartwatches, have a customizable setting to mimic an analog watch display.

How does it work?

Analog watches have a timekeeping mechanism for them to work. There are several types of analog watches, but I’m going to tell you about the most common type: the quartz analog watch.

A quartz watch uses a battery to power its movement. The battery sends an electrical current to a small quartz crystal to create vibrations that move the watch’s gears and hands.

A digital watch can also use a quartz timekeeping mechanism.

The main difference is the display. An analog uses hands to tell the time, while the digital uses an electronic display, usually LCD or LED.

Battery Life

Quartz mechanism watches need a battery for them to work. Watch batteries come in different types and sizes.

If you’re looking for a watch with excellent battery life, traditional digital watches will last longer than analogs.

Why? It’s because analog watches drain more battery with the gear movements to move the hands. An LCD or LED screen of a digital watch will drain less compared to an analog.

There are also other battery-draining factors to consider. Your watch may come with a backlight, stopwatch, alarm, and multiple time zone features. These features will drain your battery faster.

On a single battery, a basic analog watch can last for two years on average, and a traditional digital watch can last 4 – 5 years.

Key features

Analog watches are simple, consistent, and classy with a more elegant look compared to digital watches. Analog watches are perfect for special events and occasions. They are also more durable compared to a digital watch’s screen display.

Digital watches have a lot of unique features available. At a glance, you can tell the time because of the number display. It is also easier to see the time at night because digital watches have a backlight feature or display. Some analogs would just have glowing numbers and hands making it hard for some to read the time at night.

Digital watches can be an all-around tool because of the features it can offer—features like GPS, alarm, stopwatch, calculator, and calendar. Newer and more advanced digital smartwatches can even have heart rate monitors, steps tracker, sleep tracker, email alerts, message alerts, social media notifications, call answering, music players, and maps.

Benefits of both watches

Both watches have their pros and cons. And there is always the perfect occasion or activity for every type of watch.

Suppose you’re looking for simplicity, style, and elegance. You’d never go wrong with an analog watch. A classy watch can amp up your style and tell more than time. It can tell your personality.

If you’re going to a more casual event, out to exercise, or tech and connectivity is your thing. A digital watch is a perfect choice.

An excellent digital watch tells you are a fun and savvy person. With the plethora of health apps that a digital watch can offer, it can help you monitor your fitness goals. It also lets you stay connected to the internet. With all the connectivity apps and features the new digital watches today offer, you’ll never be out of the loop, miss a tweet, DM, or notification.

What to look for a good watch

Now, if you are on the hunt for the perfect watch, here are some tips to consider.

Digital watch

Brand/Manufacturer

It’s always good to buy from known and trusted brands. With one google search, you’ll know immediately if the watch model you want has some issues or defects like charging problems, connectivity problems, etc.

If you’re eyeing a lesser-known brand, do your research. Check forums, blogs, even youtube channels for reviews about the product.

Warranty

A digital smartwatch can be considered an electronic device. So like other electronic devices like phones and laptops. It would be great if a smartwatch has a warranty on it.

Functions

Check the functions if it fits your lifestyle. Does it help me with my fitness goal? Or does it make my work more comfortable?

Battery Life

Check the lifespan of the battery. You wouldn’t want your watch dying on you in the middle of the day.

Materials used

Check the build and materials used for the watch. Is it waterproof, shockproof, and scratch proof? Can the built survive a few bumps when your running or at the gym?

Analog Watch

When it comes to analog watches, there are also several things to look at. The main thing to look at is the build quality.

Material

A good watch is at least made from stainless steel. Other materials are used in good watches like titanium and ceramic, but it would come in a hefty price tag. Stainless steel is resistant to moisture and sweat. It could also prevent allergic reactions to some type of metal.

Glass

Check for the glass used. A good, scratch proof glass would be made from sapphire(technically, it’s a crystal). Some use mineral glass, but this would be more prone to scratching. If your watch got scratched, you could replace it with a domed sapphire crystal.

Water resistance

Water and moisture would definitely mess up your watch. Quality watches are waterproof to some degree. Check the ATM resistance of your watch. A quality watch should have at least 3 ATM.

Buying a timepiece can overwhelm any watch enthusiast. Whether you buy an analog watch as classy as the Seiko divers watch or as high end as an Apple watch, make sure that it fits your needs.