Complications decoded, from moon phase to minute repeater
Calendars, moon phases, chronographs, tourbillons and repeaters: what each watch complication actually does, and why collectors value them so highly.
Tool
Watch Style Finder
Five quick questions about the way you live, and we suggest the watch style that fits it best, with stories to read next.
How the finder works
Each answer gives points to six classic watch styles: the slim dress watch, the diver’s watch, the travel or GMT watch, the chronograph, the moon phase or calendar complication and the versatile everyday sports watch. The style with the most points wins, and the runner up is shown too, because most collections end up with more than one.
The result is a suggestion about style, not about brands or prices. Use it to decide what to look at first, then read our stories on complications, etiquette and collecting to go deeper.
Questions
Do I need a mechanical watch?
No. Quartz watches are more accurate and need less care. Mechanical watches appeal because of their craft, their history and the fact that they can be serviced and passed on for generations. The finder works for both.
Read more
Stories for this tool
Dress watch etiquette: the rules worth keeping
What makes a watch a dress watch, how to wear one with a suit or black tie, why white tie traditionally means no watch at all, and which old rules you can relax.
Collecting watches: where to begin
Choose a theme, learn what drives value and buy from people who stand behind their watches: a practical guide to the first steps of a serious collection.