Best Starter Watches for Men

What is a starter watch? It’s a watch gateway drug, basically. It’s what happens when a guy decides it’s time to upgrade from his Movado or Invicta to something a little heavier – he also understands that comes with a budget upgrade. No Fauxlex please and thank you. A starter watch can vary in budget, but the brands I typically see our first time serious watch buyers eyeing are TAG Heuer, Omega, Breitling, Cartier, and of course Rolex.

While the Submariner is the go-to for young guys with plenty of money to spend on their first watch, i wanted to show off some of RLJ’s more subtle Datejust models. I think they’re a little less “trendy” (and I always suggest the Milgauss as an awesome alternative for the Rolex-obsessed, though it’s a little more than most are ready to spend.)

I also included a few lesser known models from other great luxury brands, for the guys who want to stand out. I also tried to include a nice mix of price ranges. Because while the luxury watch is always an investment, that means different things to different first time luxury watch buyers!

There are great options from each brand, and here are a few of my favorites, in no particular order. I also included a few wrist shots on our male model, Raymond Lee himself.