In order...

The dial
The hands
(How the dial and hands work together)
The case
(How the dial, hands and case work together)
The bracelet (for a diver)
(How the bracelet works with the case)
The warranty and service
The box set
The leather strap/clasp

The dial, hands and case are easily the most important thing. All must 'fit' together aesthetically, else be different enough to complement each other but not so different as to be jarring. The case isn't as important as the dial and hands to me - the dial and hands make the watch, whereas the case can either tie it all together or ruin it. It's not often I find the case to be a real overriding factor in what makes it beautiful.

 

Pretty much what Brad said. I will add symmetry in the dial is important to me, and for that reason I've started disliking the day and even the date complication if it's at 3. Date at 6 is ok, and I even like date around the 4, because even though symmetry is broken, it's odd enough to be interesting. An uncluttered dial is also appealing, although a well done, symmetrical dial like on the Cerberus or the Certina DS-2 Precidrive chrono can also be appealing. Full of contradictions today, aren't I?

 

- Pretty face
- Nice curves
- Appealing rear view

 

- Pretty face
- Nice curves
- Appealing rear view

You like the "high maintenance" type.

 

I'm very much into a more classic look. Here is what the few watches I really like have in common:

1. Dial - Must be flat (not textured). Must also be black, silvered (off white like Cartier Tank) or blue. I prefer text be kept to a minimum. If there is a date wheel, I prefer the background and numerals to match those of the dial.
2. Hands - Must have high contrast against the dial. The minute hand should reach the markers vs falling short.
3. Case - Must be nicely finished. For round watches, I like more sculpted/tapered lugs.
4. Movement - Must be very reliable. For all but occasionally worn, must be chronometer grade.
5. Service - I prefer companies that carry parts for and service old watches.

 

Simply, the harmony of dial + case + bracelet (or strap), all those facts combined.

After that, it comes down to personal perception.

 

Boxes and warranties have no place in my decision process...

It's all about character for me. Aesthetics of course and in no small part history or significance of the watch. It all has to make sense for me to buy.

I have a limit to what I can afford but when it comes to price level I do adore my Vostok as much as my Omega.

All the elements of the watch have to come together for me to call it beautiful.

 

Dial
Movement (if case-back is transparent)
.
.
.
.
.
Hands
Case

 

What is important to me has changed over time. As I am getting older, I find that I prefer a Day & Date, rather than just a date - and I anticipate this will be more important as I head into retirement where you have no external reference to the day of the week. I also prefer the Day to be complete, not abbreviated. When my eyes were better, contrast between the hands and dial was not a big deal. As I age, I find this becoming a bigger issue. I suspect in the next 10 years, I will not prefer some of my current favorite watches due to contrast issues.

Things that I don't see changing are (except on a dress watch): 1) a timing mechanism. This can be a rotating bezel or a chrono, but something where I can time things, like when I am cooking. 2) Date, although as noted above, adding a day is nice. I have always preferred to have the date on my watch. 3) Water resistance to at least 30 meters. 4) Lume, I like lume. I wish they would come back with tritium paint.

 

It must be the whole package. Depending on the watch different combos of case\dial\hands\movt\features can make it great or uninteresting for me.
Only things I could not care less about are 6) box set and 7) warranty\service

 

face (dial, hands, rehaut, bezel), case (shape, material), movement (through display back) then bracelet/strap/clasp

The general aesthetic I prefer is form follows function... Beauty through simplicity... Nothing unnecessary added.

And I agree with Shutterbug that my taste can change over time although I find it is my taste in the functions of a watch that change rather than the aesthetic (I never used to like dive watches - now I like simple dress-divers)

 

A symmetric, easy to read dial with an asymmetric complicated colorful movement with a see-through case back. As a pathologist, my eye is drawn to symmetry (benign) versus asymmetry(malignant). Even though cancer's asymmetry indicates a bad outcome, my eyes still find beauty in it. I will never tire of looking at beautiful watch movements. They are the eye-candy-siren-song that pulls me into my deep appreciation for mechanical watches.

 

To be honest, you are asking the wrong question.

If my purchasing decision is solely based on the material and parts, A seiko skx007 is just as good as a rolex sub.

A beautiful watch is a sum of all the parts plus the brand history, watch history, story aka the romantic emotional bit.



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Well I'm not so superficial as some, so I judge them on their personality and intelligence rather than their looks. But other than that, I like a simple style, and nothing too flashy.

 

Everything, and I mean everything, factors in in one way or another; but the level of some are different for each watch.

It ends up balanced out.

 

1. Dial, simple, clutter free and readable
2. Rotating bezel, must be easy to read and complimentary to the dial
3. Case, nicely shaped
4. Bracelet, I'm not wearing the watch unless it's on one

 

Never really thought about it. I'm into looks (some would say shallow) so the watch/bracelet combo needs to appeal to me.

 

For me there is no one thing that makes a watch beautiful. I know where beauty starts in my eyes, though, and it is found in not having any elements that jump out when you first look at it. Each element should work together stylistically to form one unit. The dial, hands, case, crystal, etc all need to work together in a way that does not command any attention to one element unless you want to look more closely yourself. This doesn't necessarily guarantee a beautiful watch, but I have never seen a watch that I thought was beautiful that did not satisfy this criteria. I am an 87 year old trapped in a 27 year old's body, so maybe I am just to dated to appreciate newer, more modern styles.

I think this is part of the reason that the Sub and Speedy Pro are so popular. Every styling element blends seamlessly into the next. You are not struck by the hands, dial, or case shape when you see one, it just looks 'right' all at once at first glance.

 

I know this is going to be sound a bit daft, but.

Colour of dial is as important to me as anything else.

In my defence I am colour blind (and contrary to what is commonly believed) I 'see'; colours completely differently to those with colour vision. For example (don't laugh I see a lawn as orange not green. Many colours seem a whole lot more vivid to colour blind people, there's still a lot of research going on in this field and yet new discoveries are around the corner.

With that said colour is important to me. Maybe that is why I have two Sumo's in my collection, one yellow, one white/cream. I also love the Seiko Pouge's, again the vibrant orange does it for me.

And I have in the past owned a Breitling Avenger Yellow.

As simple as that sounds that's it, I am always attracted to colour first.

 

For a watch to be beautiful to me it must be void of features I find unappealing. Things like open dates, wrong choice of date wheel color, oddly placed dates. Vestigial features are a no no. Symmetry is important, California dials drive me nuts.

 

Case - Mostly brushed but I make exceptions. Curved lugs are a plus for my small wrist. A timing bezel or other bezel embellishments are nice. Don't care about open casebacks. Prefer screw-in crown and pushers that aren't too big.
Dial - Clean-ish and easy to read. Like pilot style arabics or applied markers. Don't like stuff like tachy's that I never use or excessive text that add clutter to the dial. Big date is a plus over magnification. Like dialed textures like the snowflake, VCO, and RO.
Hands - Don't care as long as they are nicely executed. Prefer that the hands are easily distinguishable and find that my Aqua Terra's minute and seconds hands are too similar.
Bracelet - Prefer a simple brushed bracelet over a strap, multi-link, or mesh. Hate PCL's they look like hell after a few weeks of desk diving.
Box - Am briefly impressed by nice boxes...before storing them in the basement.
Service - Inexpensive and longer service intervals are nice.

 

Hi everyone!

I always have had the belief that when it comes to wrist watches - beauty is in the eye of the beholder, everyone has it's own likes and dislikes.

But in general - I also believe that there are a few baseline rules that are common to all of us when looking at a watch and judging it.

What ticks for you when looking at a new watch purchase ? How to you determine the "score" for the watch ? and decide it's shear quality or a just-as-normal timepiece ?

Of course - disregarding the movement (since we all appreciate the movement if it's in-house, fully decorated, geneve seal movement etc.. - which does not come in every watch)

What do you look at:

1. The case ?
2. The dial ?
3. The hands ?
4. The bracelet ?
5. The leather strap ? the clasp ? (normal clasp or deployant?)
6. The box set ?
7. Warranty and service ?

For what qualities are you looking for:
finishing ? rounded edges ? color ? lume ? precious metals ? solid build ? unusual design ? unusual features ? simple/classic look ? massive and thick ?

To me it's mostly - case well machines and finished, classic dial and crisp font, leather strap has to be high quality and not the rough type -if not a genuine alligator\croco than at least a high-quality genuine leather and pattern on top, nice clasp that is comfortable on the wrist. I like to have at least one complication that's not a date window.

I'd love to hear what you guys think.

How a watch looks has little to do with its beauty...for me its function over form.

If a watch cannot handle what I throw at it, it becomes ugly very quickly...kind of like a wife on the verge of divorce.

 

I'm a leg guy myself. Short skirts......

Oh, watches, I've always preferred Arabic numbers and still do. After that is accuracy but will never actually know till I buy the watch.

 

Oddly, I think the strap/bracelet is as important as the case for me. I look at it like the designers intent to go with that strablet choice.

I like a bit of flash to the dial. Sunburst, wavey (can't spell guilloche or feel like looking it up) but only to an extent. It has to have a subtlety to me that I can immediately see, yet isn't obvious.