Men's Watches

Quartz, automatic and solar movements:

what sits behind the dial decides how a watch ages. Quartz runs on a battery, keeps better time than anything mechanical and asks for nothing more than a new cell every few years. An automatic winds itself from the movement of your wrist; entry Seiko and Orient automatics are where most men start, and they stop after a day or two in a drawer. Citizen’s Eco-Drive charges from light, so it never needs a battery change, although the rechargeable cell inside does tire eventually.

G-Shocks, dress watches and divers:

a resin G-Shock is the watch for a building site, a coffee farm or a football pitch. It shrugs off knocks, and the backlight works in the dark. A dress watch is thin, sits on leather and has to slide under a shirt cuff, which matters if you wear cufflinks with it. A diver has a rotating bezel and a crown that screws down; Seiko, Orient and Bulova all make them, and it is the one built for swimming. Read the water-resistance marking on the case back, because the lowest rating covers rain and handwashing, not the pool.

A G-Shock or an Eco-Drive, new and second-hand:

new, a G-Shock costs around Q1,300 to Q1,700 in Guatemala, and an entry Seiko or Orient automatic or a Citizen Eco-Drive runs from about Q1,800 to Q4,000. A used G-Shock stays close to its new price, because the module rarely fails and the strap and bezel that do wear out can be replaced. An automatic loses more ground when nobody can say when it was last serviced, since that bill lands on the next owner. Casio’s basic quartz line costs a few hundred quetzales new, so a used one has to undercut that clearly and come with a fresh battery.

Case backs, crowns and the G-Shock test mode:

on most G-Shocks a button combination opens a factory test that shows the module number, and it should match the number stamped on the case back. Replicas show nothing, feel light and carry thin, uneven lettering on the back. On an automatic, give the watch a gentle shake and watch the seconds hand start to sweep, then turn the crown and feel whether it winds smoothly. A screw-down crown that will not catch its thread lets water in. Leave an Eco-Drive on a sunny windowsill for a day: if it still stops overnight, the cell is worn. Mineral glass scratches as easily as a cheap lens from men’s sunglasses, while the sapphire on dearer watches resists it. A Rolex or an Omega offered at a fraction of the brand’s price needs a watchmaker to open the back, with the box and papers on the table.

Spare links, box and service slip on a watch for sale:

photograph the dial straight on, the case back with the reference legible, the clasp and the crown. Say what drives it, when the battery was changed or the watch last serviced, and roughly how much it gains or loses in a week. Mention an aftermarket strap or a replaced crystal. A buyer coming from Huehuetenango or Escuintla wants all that before the bus ride, and meeting near a watch repairer settles most doubts on the spot. Then dig out the spare bracelet links that came out when the watch was sized: a man with a bigger wrist cannot wear it without them, so they go in the box when you hand it over.

FAQ:

• Will a battery change spoil the water resistance?

  It can if nobody checks the gasket. Ask the watchmaker to grease or replace the seal and, on a diver, to pressure-test the case before you swim with it again.

• Can I use a second-hand Apple Watch or Garmin?

  Only once the seller has removed it from their account: an Apple Watch still tied to someone else’s Apple ID will not pair with your phone. Have it unlinked in front of you and check the battery health.