A stylist has revealed the signs which make your watches appear overpriced and ‘tacky’ rather than timeless and classy.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, fashion expert Lisa Talbot explained the details that make particular timepieces worth investing in – and the ones causing middle-class regret.
‘Watches are one of those accessories people assume are a safe buy. They’re practical, they feel grown-up, and they often mark a “treat yourself” moment,’ she explained.
‘But I actually think they’re one of the easiest things to get wrong.’
The ‘danger zone’, she revealed, is the mid-range £50-£300 bracket.
‘You’ve spent enough for it to feel like a considered purchase, but not enough for it to be truly timeless or well made,’ she explained.
‘And that’s where a lot of what I call middle-class regret comes in,’ Lisa added. ‘Because it’s not always about the price, it’s about whether it still feels right six months later.’
‘When people ask me what makes a watch “good”, I always bring it back to this: Does it enhance what you already wear, or does it try to become the focus?
‘The best watches are the ones that quietly work with your wardrobe, not against it. They don’t need explaining, and they don’t rely on trends to feel relevant.
‘If a watch feels like it’s trying to impress people, it usually ends up doing the opposite.
‘And that’s often where regret starts not in the price tag, but in the intention behind the purchase.’
WHAT TO AVOID
HEAVILY BRANDED WATCHES LIKE ROLEXES
Lisa says to avoid anything ‘heavily branded’. Tommy Fury pictured wearing a Rolex on day four of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival
‘There are a few styles I see repeatedly that tend to create that “why did I buy this?” feeling later on,’ the stylist advised.
‘The first is anything heavily branded. If the watch is doing more about the logo than the design, it almost always loses its appeal quickly.
‘It might feel like a status purchase at the time, but it rarely stands the test of time in a wardrobe.’
And this could even include famous brands like Rolex – which appears to be losing its shine despite once being the ultimate status symbol.
In the past, with demand outstripping supply, Rolex has reportedly required customers to build a relationship with the brand by spending up to £100,000 on certain timepieces in order to get their hands on the latest models.
However, the Swiss watchmaker’s desperate bid to maintain exclusivity appears to be failing, with HSTikkyTokky, the controversial streamer at the heart of Louis Theroux’s Inside The Manosphere documentary, regularly seen parading his £40,100 Day-Date 40.
Rolexes have also been seen on the wrists of boxer Tyson Fury and his former Love Island star half-brother Tommy Fury, reality TV star Kerry Katona (after she was gifted one from a vintage watch retailer), as well as Geordie Shore’s Chloe Ferry.
The current fashion is for ‘quiet luxury’ and ‘stealth wealth’, but there is nothing subtle about owning a Rolex – which is why it’s the watch of choice for crypto bros to show off their wealth on Instagram.
The apparent shift in clientele has been noticed by other luxury brands, and a recent investigation by French fashion publication Glitz claimed that Hermes employees now note a customer wearing a Rolex as a red flag.
OVER-THE-TOP DIALS
Next, to watch out for, Lisa shared, are ‘overly complicated dials, chronograph styles with too many sub-faces that don’t actually get used’.
This is because they ‘often look like they’re trying to mimic luxury watches, but without the craftsmanship behind them’.
However, the expert warned that eventually the mismatch will be noticed.
One example could be Seizmont’s ‘skeleton watches’ which feature a see-through design that lets you see all the gears behind the dial. However, the at times crowded aesthetic may make it a touch difficult to tell the time.
LUXURY ‘DUPES’
‘Another big one is the “lookalike luxury” watch,’ Lisa added. Olivia Attwood pictured wearing a Cartier–inspired watch from her Abbott Lyon collection
‘Most people don’t buy them intentionally to copy, but that’s how they read and that’s where regret creeps in, because they don’t feel authentic long-term,’ Lisa added
‘Another big one is the “lookalike luxury” watch,’ Lisa added. ‘Anything that’s clearly referencing a far more expensive design.
‘Most people don’t buy them intentionally to copy, but that’s how they read and that’s where regret creeps in, because they don’t feel authentic long-term.’
ORNATE ‘STATEMENT’ PIECES
Lisa advised against ‘overly complicated dials, chronograph styles with too many sub-faces that don’t actually get used’. Adele pictured wearing a Bvlgari watch in 2023
Lisa says statement pieces ‘tend to feel exciting at first, especially if someone wants their accessories to be noticed, but they quickly become difficult to wear with everything’
‘And then there are the statement pieces oversized faces, heavy metal finishes, or anything overly embellished.
‘These tend to feel exciting at first, especially if someone wants their accessories to be noticed, but they quickly become difficult to wear with everything.’
VERY CHEAP SMARTWATCHES
Very cheap smartwatches are also to avoided, she advised. ‘If the build feels flimsy or the interface doesn’t last. They end up being replaced quickly anyway which makes them a false economy.’
WATCHES THAT ALWAYS FEEL CLASSY
Lisa really likes ‘a simple stainless steel bracelet watch or a clean sports-inspired design’. Idris Elba pictured wearing a Audemars Piguet watch
Lisa said that there are certain styles that consistently feel considered, even when they’re not expensive. Mark Wahlberg pictured wearing a Timex watch
Lisa also really likes ‘a simple stainless steel bracelet watch or a clean sports-inspired design’. Ed Sheeran is a big fan of colourful, sporty Swatches
Do YOU care more about design or brand when choosing a watch?
Lisa said that there are certain styles that consistently feel considered, even when they’re not expensive.
The first is the really simple, minimal watch.
‘Clean face, uncluttered dial, slim strap. Brands like Timex or Citizen do this well. They don’t try to overcomplicate things, and that’s exactly why they work,’ she shared. ‘They feel classic rather than trend-led.
‘Then you’ve got solar or automatic styles. These are the watches that don’t rely on a battery or flashy gimmicks, and even at entry level, they tend to feel more “grown up”.
‘There’s something about a watch that doesn’t need constant attention that makes it feel more refined.’
Lisa also really likes ‘a simple stainless steel bracelet watch or a clean sports-inspired design’.
‘Nothing oversized, nothing shouting for attention. Just something that works with everything, from a blazer to a weekend jumper,’ she added.
‘And interestingly, some of the more pared-back smartwatches now sit in this category too, as long as they’re kept minimal,’ she added. ‘The issue isn’t tech anymore, it’s design.
‘The common thread here is restraint. These watches don’t try too hard. They just quietly sit well on the wrist.’
