Watch Frontier’s ultimate guide to buying a new watch

Watch Frontier’s ultimate guide to buying a new watch

For many people, looking their best is a full-time occupation. The right clothes, perfect grooming, pristine shoes, and not a single hair out of place.

Unfortunately, they often neglect to think of their accessories, and a scuffed, outdated watch can often bring down their meticulous look.

Watch Frontier to the rescue! We have a massive range of watches available to help you restore your street cred as a snappy dresser. Whether you’re after something elegant, an all-occasion look, sports watch, digital, analog, or quartz watches, we’ve got something to suit even the fussiest shopper. Even if you’re after an automatic or mechanical watch, smartwatch, or eco-drive watch, we can help.

Which watch?

So, what do you need to look for in a good quality watch? What are some of the features that are a ‘must-have’ according to today’s watch aficionados? What’s in or out? What about brands?

At Watch Frontier, we’re no slouches when it comes to knowing a thing or two about watches. We are an online Australian watch business with a small team based in Adelaide eager to make a name for ourselves. We’ve honed our collection to focus on Australia’s favourite brands and styles. Popular brands like G-shock, Casio, Citizen, Seiko, Fossil, Tommy Hilfiger, and many more.

But it’s really about what you’re after in a watch. Which features are important for you? 

One question we get asked often is to explain the different degrees of water resistance in our watches. If that’s a feature you’re interested in, here are a few things about the important benefits of a water resistant watch versus a waterproof watch.

How water resistant are water resistant watches?

Watch Frontier has hundreds of watches with varying degree of water resistance. But how do you know whether a watch resistant to a depth of 10 metres is any better than one rated to 30 metres?

Does it make a difference if you’re not planning to go anywhere near the water? And if you’re a water lover, can you leave your watch on without it getting damaged? Let’s take a look at what each rating means.

A word on water and watches

Before we kick off, we want to remind you that water is no friend of any watch. Water can cause considerable damage to your favourite timepiece. In fact, with even the smallest amount of water, the tiny working parts inside your watch can rust and it’s likely that some of these parts, once damaged, can’t be replaced.

Casio G-Shock Men's Watch Aw591gbx-1a9d

Water resistant ratings

Water Resistant —10 metres

Unfortunately, a rating of 10 metres doesn’t provide much, if any, water protection. Keep your watch away from any moisture as it’s likely to be ruined instantly.

Water Resistant — 30 metres

If your watch says it’s water resistant to 30 metres that doesn’t mean your watch is waterproof up to 30 metres; so no diving into a pool or the sea anytime soon. It simply means it’s resistant to small amounts of water, like getting caught in a light shower or splashes from you dopey mates mucking about in the pool.

Water Resistant — 50 metres

This is a little better, but jumping off a boat and plunging into the deep blue is not on your ‘to-do’ list with this watch. A watch with a 50-metre water-resistant rating means you could stand under the shower. It will probably stand some surface water but we’d avoid long spells in your pool and give the underwater swims a miss just to be safe.

Water Resistant — 100 metres

Snorkelers rejoice! A watch with a water resistance rating of 100 metres is still not ideal for deep diving; however, it is suitable for swimming and many water sports like snorkelling. So go ahead, pop that mask on and explore the shallow depths with some degree of confidence…for not for too long, though!

So are waterproof watches even better?

Watches with a water resistance rating greater than 100 metres or 10 atmospheres are generally classed in what is commonly referred to by the manufacturers as ‘waterproof’. This means that these watches can withstand water for extended periods.

Water Resistant — 200 metres

Safe for standard scuba diving and, of course, snorkelling for short periods. Perfect for water sports professionals who are constantly in and out of the water. Think life guards, swimming teachers, distance swimmers, surfers…you get the picture.

Water Resistant — 1000 Metres

If you’re a deep sea diver, this is your kinda watch. Manufacturers will tell you it’s a divers watch but for that you need ISO certification. However, it’s a safe bet that these watches will have no trouble handling the water as you explore the ocean floors.

Genuine ‘Divers’ watches

Any watch that boasts ‘ISO 6425’ or has ‘Divers’ written on it is the real deal. Don the wetsuit, grab the scuba gear, and be confident that this watch is a certified diving watch and completely safe to be worn underwater. It’s also likely to be shock, magnet and salt water tolerant also.

Seiko Divers men's watch

Let’s also look at Quartz watches

Now that you’re savvy with water-resistant watches, quartz watches are another big tick for watch buyers.  

Officially, a quartz watch is operated by vibrations of an electrically driven quartz crystal…usually by a battery or solar cell.

Quartz watches are popular because they’re relatively inexpensive compared to automatic watches. They’re also more accurate, require no winding, low maintenance, and have a battery life of 12 months. Watch Frontier have hundreds of quartz watches for men and women, including brands like G-shock, Casio, Citizen, Seiko, Fossil, Tommy Hilfiger, and many more.

Buy now, pay later with Afterpay or Zippay.

Regardless of what watch you’re keen on, Watch Frontier offers more ways to pay with Afterpay and ZipPay. Both are free and so easy to use! Simply select to pay with Afterpay or Zippay at the checkout instead of your standard Mastercard or Visa. It’s all taken care of, and they’ll email the payment plan to you.

If you’re still unsure which watch is the right one for you, we’ve got plenty more to choose from. Check out our full range here.