Which watch? Independent first looks at
new watches, without the hype.

Start with three things: your budget, your wrist size and what you will do in it. A dive or field watch suits everyday wear and knocks, a dress watch suits a suit cuff, and a smartwatch suits training and notifications. Our five-question quiz matches you to a new watch from our first looks, and every first look says who the watch suits and who should skip it.

Look at lug-to-lug length as well as case diameter: as a rough guide, under about 46 mm lug to lug suits wrists of 15 to 16.5 cm. Every first look lists both measurements, and our small wrists edit picks new watches that wear small.

Value depends on what you need. Automatic watches from brands such as Seiko and Orient start at around £300, quartz is cheaper and more accurate, and solar or digital watches need the least looking after. Our price pages list every new watch we have covered at each price, with its specs side by side.

We write first looks at newly launched watches from established brands, built from published specs and owner feedback, with every source listed. Brands cannot pay to be included, and we earn a small Amazon commission that never changes what we pick or say.