Choosing a watch

Gift guides

The right watch for birthdays, weddings, Christmas and every milestone.

• Watch guideWatch gifts for him: the best watches for your husband, boyfriend or dad (2026)A watch is one of the few gifts he'll wear every day for years. These are the best watches to give him at every budget, chosen for your husband, boyfriend or dad, with how to get the size right without asking and what to engrave.Updated 28 October 2026
• Watch guideWatch gifts for her: the best watches for your wife, girlfriend or mum (2026)A watch is a gift she'll wear every day and think of you each time she checks it. These are the best watches to give her at every budget, from under £100 to Cartier, chosen for your wife, girlfriend, mum or daughter, and how to choose one she'll love.Updated 23 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best watches for teenagers in 2026, from pocket money to a big birthdayReal watches for 13 to 17-year-olds at every budget, from a £35 Casio to a Swiss automatic. All are sold new in the UK, and each comes with an honest note on who it suits.Updated 20 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best wedding watches for the groom and bride (UK, 2026)A wedding watch is worn on the day and every day after, so it's worth choosing well. These are the best wedding watches for the groom and the bride that you can buy new in the UK, with his-and-hers pairs and what to engrave.Updated 20 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best retirement watch gifts for men and women (UK, 2026)A watch is the classic retirement gift: something to mark years of work, worn every day of the years ahead. These are the best retirement watches you can buy new in the UK, for every budget, including gold-tone watches and ones that never need a battery or resetting.Updated 20 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best 18th birthday watches in 2026, for him and for herAn 18th birthday watch should last well beyond the party. These are the watches we'd give, from £280 to £1,300, chosen to look right at 18 and still at 40.Updated 20 October 2026

Brands and luxury

Which brand to choose, and your first step into Swiss luxury.

• Watch guideWhich Longines HydroConquest to buy: 39mm, 41mm or 42mm, automatic, quartz or GMT (2026)The HydroConquest is Longines' dive watch, and it comes in more versions than most people realise: three men's sizes, automatic or quartz, a GMT, and smaller models for women. This is which one to buy, with the differences Longines' own pages reveal.Updated 22 October 2026
• Watch guideWhich Omega Seamaster to buy: Diver 300M vs Aqua Terra vs Planet Ocean, by budget (2026)The Seamaster isn't one watch but a family: the Diver 300M, the Aqua Terra, the Planet Ocean, the Seamaster 300 and the Railmaster. This is how they differ, which one to buy at each budget, and how each one actually wears, using Omega's own case measurements.Updated 22 October 2026
• Watch guideWhich Omega Speedmaster to buy: Moonwatch, 38mm, '57 or Racing? (2026)The Speedmaster isn't one watch but a family: the hand-wound Moonwatch, the automatic 38mm, the slim '57, the Racing, the Dark Side of the Moon and more. This is how they differ, which ones are automatic, which have a sapphire crystal, and which one to buy, using Omega's own measurements.Updated 23 October 2026
• Watch guideWhich Seiko Presage to buy: Cocktail Time, Style 60s or Classic Series? (2026)The Presage is Seiko's dressy automatic range, and it runs from the famous Cocktail Time at under £400 to the Classic Series at about £1,000. The difference is bigger than the dials: crystal, movement, power reserve and water resistance all change. This is which Presage to buy, using Seiko's own specifications.Updated 25 October 2026
• Watch guideWhich TAG Heuer Aquaracer to buy: Professional 200 vs 300, Solargraph, GMT and more (2026)The Aquaracer is TAG Heuer's dive watch, and the names don't make the choice easy: Professional 100, 200, 300 and 500, solar or automatic, 28mm to 42mm. This is what each one is, the differences that matter, and which to buy.Updated 22 October 2026
• Watch guideWhich TAG Heuer Carrera to buy: chronograph, three-hand or Day-Date? (2026)The Carrera is TAG Heuer's racing watch, and it comes as a chronograph in 39, 41, 42 and 44mm, a simple three-hand automatic, a Day-Date and a Twin-Time GMT. The calibres inside are very different, and so are the prices. This is which Carrera to buy at each budget.Updated 23 October 2026
• Watch guideWhich Tissot PRX should you buy? 35mm vs 40mm, quartz vs Powermatic 80 (2026)The PRX comes in seven sizes, two kinds of movement, steel, gold, titanium and even carbon. This is which one to buy: the size for your wrist, whether the automatic is worth the extra, and the versions worth stretching to, using Tissot's own measurements.Updated 22 October 2026
• Watch guideWhich Tissot Seastar to buy: 1000 vs 2000, and Seastar vs PRX (2026)The Seastar is Tissot's dive watch, and it comes as the everyday Seastar 1000, water resistant to 300 metres, and the heavy-duty Seastar 2000, rated to 600 metres, in quartz and automatic, from 36mm to 46mm. This is which to buy, and how it compares with Tissot's other bestseller, the PRX, using Tissot's own figures.Updated 25 October 2026
• Watch guideLongines Spirit vs Conquest: which should you buy? (2026)The Spirit and the Conquest are Longines' two best-selling everyday automatics, at similar prices, with the same 72-hour power reserve and 100 metres of water resistance. The differences are in the details: certification, thickness, sizes and style. This is which to buy, using Longines' own figures.Updated 25 October 2026
• Watch guideOmega vs Rolex: which is better? An honest comparison (2026)Omega or Rolex? We've put them side by side, model for model, with each brand's own UK prices and specs: Submariner against Seamaster, Daytona against Speedmaster, Datejust against Aqua Terra. Here's what you actually get for the money, and which we'd buy.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideOmega vs TAG Heuer: which is better? An honest comparison (2026)Omega or TAG Heuer? Both are Swiss, both give a 5-year guarantee, and both make famous divers and chronographs, but Omega usually costs more. We've compared them model for model, with their real UK prices, so you can see exactly what the extra money buys.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideTAG Heuer vs Longines: which is better? An honest comparison (2026)TAG Heuer or Longines? Both are Swiss, both give a 5-year guarantee on their automatics, and they cost similar money, but they're very different brands. We've compared them model for model, with their real UK prices, so you can choose.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideBreitling Navitimer sizes: 32, 36, 41, 43 or 46mm, which to buy? (2026)The Navitimer comes in five sizes, with three kinds of movement: Breitling's own B01 chronograph, a simpler automatic and a quartz. This is how the sizes compare, which one suits your wrist, and whether the B01 is worth the extra, using Breitling's own figures.Updated 23 October 2026
• Watch guideDOXA Sub 300 vs Sub 300T: what's the difference, and which to buy? (2026)They look almost the same, both are 42.5mm, and both come in the same colours, from the orange Professional to the black Sharkhunter. But the Sub 300 and the Sub 300T are different watches underneath, and one costs £700 more. This is what you get for the money, and which one to buy, using DOXA's own specifications.Updated 23 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best Rolex alternatives: watches like a Rolex, for less (UK, 2026)Love the look of a Rolex but not the price, or the waiting list? These are the best alternatives to the Submariner, Datejust, Explorer, GMT-Master and Oyster Perpetual, from under £300 to Omega. Every one is a real watch under its own name, sold new by a UK authorised retailer.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best Seiko watches to buy in the UK (2026), for men and womenSeiko started as a Tokyo clock and watch repair shop in 1881 and now makes some of the best-value automatic watches in the world. This is which Seiko to buy, from a £260 Seiko 5 Sports up to King Seiko, with the best Seiko dive watch, dress watch and watch for women.Updated 25 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best TAG Heuer watches to buy in the UK (2026)Formula 1, Aquaracer, Carrera, Monaco: TAG Heuer's four big collections do very different jobs. This is which TAG Heuer to buy and why, starting with the least expensive and working up to the Monaco, with the best for men and for women.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best Tissot watches to buy in the UK (2026)Tissot has made watches since 1853 and is the best-value Swiss brand there is. This is which Tissot to buy, from the least expensive quartz PRX up to the automatic chronographs, with the best Tissot for men, for women and under £500.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best watch brands for men in 2026, at every budgetThe best watch brand depends on what you want to spend. Casio is the best at £100, Tissot at £500, Longines at £2,000 and Omega at £6,000. Here's the brand to choose at every budget, and the one watch to buy from each.Updated 20 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best watch brands for women in the UK (2026), by budgetFrom affordable fashion watches to Cartier, these are the best watch brands for women at every budget, and the one watch we'd buy from each. Every brand is sold new by a UK authorised retailer, and every price is the real one today.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best Breitling watches to buy in the UK (2026)Navitimer, Superocean, Chronomat, Avenger, Top Time: Breitling has a watch for pilots, divers and everyone in between. This is which Breitling to buy, from the least expensive up to the Navitimer B01, with the best Breitling under £5,000 and the best for women.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best Cartier watches to buy in the UK (2026)Tank, Santos, Ballon Bleu, Panthère: Cartier's watches are some of the most recognisable designs in the world. This is which Cartier to buy, from the least expensive Tank Must up to solid gold, with the best Cartier for women and for men, and how the Tank and Santos compare.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best first luxury watch for men in 2026 (£1,300 to £4,500)Buying your first luxury watch? These are the ones we'd shortlist from Longines, Oris, TAG Heuer, Breitling and Omega, from £1,300 to £4,500, with what you get at each price and the honest catches.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best IWC watches to buy in the UK: Pilot, Portugieser and more (2026)IWC Schaffhausen makes some of the most recognisable luxury watches there are: the Pilot's Watches, the Portugieser, the Big Pilot. This is which IWC to buy, from the least expensive to the icons, with what each collection is for and how the prices compare.Updated 23 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best Longines watches to buy in the UK (2026)Longines is the best-value Swiss luxury brand there is: 72-hour automatics with a 5-year guarantee for under £2,000. This is which Longines to buy, from the least expensive up, with the best Longines for men and for women.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best luxury watches for men in the UK (2026), from £5,000From £5,000, you're buying from the great names: IWC, Omega, Panerai, Zenith, Cartier and Breitling, with movements they make themselves and power reserves of up to five days. These are the best luxury watches for men you can buy new in the UK, from £5,000 up, and how to choose.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best luxury watches for women in 2026, from £1,200 to £3,500A first luxury watch is a big purchase. These are the women's watches from Longines, Omega, TAG Heuer, Oris and Cartier that we think are worth it, and what each one is really like to live with.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best Omega watches to buy in the UK (2026)Seamaster, Speedmaster, Aqua Terra, Constellation, De Ville: Omega makes a lot of watches, and the names don't make the choice easy. This is which Omega to buy and why, for men and women, from the one James Bond wears to the one that went to the Moon.Updated 19 October 2026

By budget

The best watches at every price, from under £200 to £2,000.

• Watch guideThe best men's watches under £200 in the UK (2026)You don't need to spend much to get a watch that's tough, accurate and good-looking. These are the best men's watches under £200 from Casio, Timex, Accurist and Rotary, with honest notes on what you give up.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best women's watches under £500 in the UK (2026)From delicate 25mm dress watches to 37mm automatics, these are the best women's watches you can buy new for under £500, picked for quality, style and how they wear day to day.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best men's watches under £500 in the UK (2026)Under £500 buys a properly good watch: Swiss quartz, Japanese automatics, solar divers and the toughest G-Shock in steel. These are the ten we'd buy, each for a different kind of wearer.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best Swiss watches under £1,000 (2026)Swiss-made doesn't have to mean expensive. Tissot, Hamilton, Certina, Raymond Weil and Frederique Constant all make proper Swiss watches under £1,000. These are the best of them.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best men's watches under £1,000 in the UK (2026)Between £600 and £1,000 is where watches get serious: 70 to 80-hour automatic movements, sapphire crystals and dials worth staring at. Here are the twelve we'd spend our own money on.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best watches under £2,000 in the UK (2026)Under £2,000 is where Swiss luxury really starts: 72-hour movements, 5-year guarantees and names like Longines, NOMOS and TAG Heuer. These are the best watches you can buy new in the UK for under £2,000, and what you get for the money.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best watches under £5,000 in the UK (2026)Under £5,000 buys a serious Swiss watch: an Omega Master Chronometer, an IWC with five days of power reserve, or a 300-metre TAG Heuer with an 80-hour movement. These are the best watches you can buy new in the UK for under £5,000, and how to choose between them.Updated 19 October 2026

Types of watch

Divers, chronographs, GMTs, solar and automatic watches, explained.

• Watch guideThe best watches for small wrists in the UK (2026), for men and womenIf most watches hang over the edges of your wrist, the case size alone won't tell you what will fit. These are the best watches for small wrists you can buy new in the UK, chosen using the measurement that matters most: lug to lug.Updated 20 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best solar watches in the UK (2026), for men and womenA solar watch charges from any light, so you never have to change its battery. These are the best solar watches you can buy new in the UK, for men and women, from a £75 Timex to Swiss and luxury models, with how charging really works.Updated 20 October 2026
• Watch guideThe toughest watches for men (UK, 2026)For building sites, workshops, hikes, the gym and everyone who's hard on their things. These are the toughest watches you can buy new in the UK, from an £80 G-Shock to a diver rated to 1,200 metres, with what makes each one tough.Updated 20 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best affordable GMT watches: under £500 and £1,000 (UK, 2026)A GMT watch shows two time zones at once: handy if you travel, have family abroad or work with people in another country. These are the best affordable GMT watches you can buy new in the UK, from under £200 to luxury, with GMTs on leather straps, the brands that make them, and a plain-English guide to using one.Updated 23 October 2026
• Watch guideAutomatic, quartz or solar? How to choose a watch movementThe movement is the engine inside a watch. It decides how accurate the watch is, whether it needs a battery, and what looking after it involves. Here's how the three main types compare.Updated 20 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best automatic watches under £500 in the UK (2026)An automatic watch winds itself as you move, with no battery at all. These are the best you can buy new in the UK for under £500, from a £190 Timex to a 300-metre diver, with honest notes on what each is like to own.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best chronograph watches under £1,000 in the UK (2026)From a £190 Timex racing chronograph to a Hamilton for the office, these are the best chronograph watches you can buy new in the UK for under £1,000, with what the pushers and dials actually do.Updated 20 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best dive watches under £1,000 in the UK (2026)From a £129 quartz diver to a 600-metre Swiss professional, these are the best dive watches you can buy new in the UK for under £1,000, with which ones are certified for real diving and which are best kept for the beach.Updated 20 October 2026

More guides

• Watch guideWatch size guide: what size watch for my wrist? (calculator and chart)Enter your wrist measurement and we'll show you the case sizes that suit it, the lug-to-lug length to look for, and watches in stock in your size. Below: a watch size chart in cm and inches, how to measure your wrist, and why the number on the case isn't the whole story.Updated 23 October 2026
• Watch guideChopard watches: UK prices and which to buy, from the Happy Sport to the Mille Miglia (2026)Chopard is the brand behind the Happy Sport, the watch with diamonds that dance across the dial, and the Mille Miglia, named after a famous classic car race. This is what a Chopard costs in the UK, how the versions differ, and which one to buy.Updated 23 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best dress watches in the UK (2026), from £89 to CartierA dress watch is slim, simple and smart enough for a suit: the watch for weddings, interviews and dinners out. These are the best dress watches you can buy new in the UK at every budget, from under £100 to Omega and Cartier, and what to look for.Updated 19 October 2026
• Watch guideThe best field watches in the UK (2026), from £105A field watch is the simplest, toughest kind of watch there is: big numbers, a clear dial and a strap that can take a beating, born from the watches soldiers wore. These are the best field watches you can buy new in the UK, from £105 to the Hamilton Khaki Field and beyond.Updated 19 October 2026