A Matter of Time Episode 01 is now live! What is the best first luxury watch for newcomers?

Zach Blass

The inaugural episode of our new show A Matter of Time is now live! The question of the episode: what is the best first luxury watch? Eléonor, Kristian, and Andrew recount their first luxury watch experience, reflecting on how these watches sparked their careers and passion. They also discuss current trends in collecting, such as the rise of microbrands, the impact of the pandemic on the industry, and how market speculation contrasts with their own emotional approach to watch ownership. Sure, I could spoil what watches they nominated, but I won’t. No way, José. To find out their choices, you’ll have to watch the episode below, and be sure to leave a comment with your personal picks.

Now, instead of leaking what the A Matter of Time trio chose, I thought I’d suggest a piece myself.

If I was in the room, I’d have suggested the Grand Seiko SBGA211 Snowflake as an excellent first luxury watch. At first glance, this nomination could seem basic, but I believe I have some strong, thoughtful points up my sleeve. The Snowflake has various alluring characteristics, offering a taste of what’s to come before someone is completely swallowed by the sickness. First of all, it delivers across the board on my “robust elegance” criteria, with a lightweight, titanium build that makes it comfortable and very practical to wear.

Second, with its crisp white dial, it goes with any outfit, and its renowned snow-covered texture offers an elevated sense of artistry. The case finishing is impeccable, too, the Zaratsu-finished surfaces offering aesthetics leagues beyond its price point. And with 100 metres of water-resistance, you can pretty much wear it during all recreational activities above and below water.

Last, but not least, it is as smooth to operate as its gliding central seconds hand. Experientially, it is a mechanical watch. You wind it and set it like a mechanical watch. However, as it’s powered by a Spring Drive movement, the timekeeping accuracy far surpasses any traditional mechanical movement due to Spring Drive’s quartz seasoning, shall we say. This hybrid, though largely mechanical, eases people into the mechanical watch-wearing experience. So long as it is wound, or worn at least once every three days, the only time a novice watch owner would need to fiddle with the crown is to recalibrate the date for shorter months, when travelling and changing time zones, or when the inevitable chore of daylight saving comes back around.

Highly accurate, highly handsome, and highly serene with a snowy backdrop and its gliding seconds, I think the Snowflake is a hard-to-beat nomination for the best first luxury watch for newcomers. But perhaps the A Matter of Time gang has bested me, guess you won’t know before you watch the video.