After a month of deep-dive online research for my first “real” watch, I narrowed my options down to the Hamilton Khaki Field, the Tissot Gentleman, the Tissot Heritage 1938, and the Bulova Lunar. Hamilton was at the top of my list because it seemed like the perfect everyday piece, something I could wear to work but also dress up when needed.

But when I finally saw the Hamiltons in person, I was honestly pretty underwhelmed. The online photos with perfect lighting make them look way better than they did on my wrist. I’m planning to give them another look before I write them off completely, but my first impression wasn’t great.

What surprised me most were the watches I didn’t expect to like. Some Citizens looked incredible in person, a few Seikos really impressed me, and the Tissot Le Locle looked amazing.

Moral of the story: online research is only a small part of watch hunting. Photos can be super misleading. Don’t make your final decision based solely on what you see online.

If anyone has recommendations for affordable watches under 1K, I’d love to hear them. For reference, my dream watches are the Omega Aqua Terra and the Moonwatch.