Don't listen to case width when considering a watch. It goes like this, 75% lug to lug, 20% case width and 5% thickness. I'm 6.25" wrist and I have found recently that I can wear a 44mm Citizen Promaster Diver and not a 39mm Visitor, no telling how many watches I've missed out on because of that.

I think the single most salient point here is "don't buy what you can't afford". We all love watches, but there are many, many other things that are way more important.

Marc, it’s reaffirming to see a businessman with integrity. It is everything.

To add: Don't get swept away by the hype of limited editions. There will always be something new or limited that will come all the time.

Here is a funny one. Don’t let your spouse or significant other get a watch for you without knowing exactly what you want. That is actually not from my experience.

Good advice, Marc. As an adjunct to number 5, don’t buy a watch late at night; sleep on it, if you still want it after coffee in the morning, go for it! Thanks

Sound and honest advice from a watch enthusiast and salesperson. It's appreciated sir!

#6: don't buy from brands that severely overcharge (especially fashion brands).

Don't belittle people with cheaper watches. A really bad look.

Don't put down Microbrands. Some are exceptionally good (not just good value, but simply Good!).

I had no idea that, frequent manual winding of automatic watches is not a good idea! Thanks for this important information.

Honesty is really rare nowadays in watch related youtubers, so thank you Mark for your YT channel!

I've been sitting and winding my Automatic watch while watching this...

LOVE the idea about a segment on changing out straps/bands!

Great advice. You're a true class act. The world needs more people like you.

Thanks Marc. This video was like "watch therapy" for me.

Thank you Marc! You really a treasure to watch collectors all over the world. I am still relatively new to watch collecting and you give the best advice on the internet. You probably saved me several times from doing something horribly wrong. And you're a great and trusted watch dealer to boot!

#3 is a really important one for people who are new to the hobby. It's so easy to get brainwashed (for lack of a better word) into buying what the hivemind says you should. But often the watches that are the most satisfying to own are the ones that speak to you personally without any preconceived notions fed to you by someone else.

Number 1, Do not watch Marc's channel or TVGs or you will have way too many watches all the time! great points Marc 👍

This is why whenever I can I tell people to buy from you, and your brand. It's why I have 5 Islanders and have bought so many other watches from you. Because you are a man with integrity and values. I appreciate it that. You have a life long Customer in me.

Seeing this vdo...one word that popped in my head..."Respect".

That Daytona is gorgeous! 😍

You honestly are a straight up dude! You telling the truth to your customers and viewers put your business at risk but also makes us want to support you and your business more!! Props to you marc and much respect!!! bravo sir!!!

Thank you for the tip about not going crazy with winding your automatic watches! I'm less than a year into getting into watches and had no idea about this as it's generally not talked about from what I can tell. I'm for sure done hand-winding the watch I'm wearing in the morning.

Don’t wear a mineral crystal watch to a pub because you are bound to scratch it after a few pints!!

Thank you for the honesty! Great company and better person!

100% for being honest, plus extra points for being an honest New Yorker.....

I'd add a few things to your points: You can obviously use whatever strap you want, but don't be shocked if your watch is unwearably thick on a NATO or the leather of your strap falls apart because it gets soaked all the time. If you ever regulate a watch yourself, don't stab the balance. And practice it on a 15$ Chinese watch first. Multiple sources are basically required if you buy anything even moderately expensive. The handwinding-capabilities depend on the specific movement. Most modern Seikos and ETAs are autos first and foremost, but some older designs were built with more hand-winding in mind. If you don't literally have the cash on hand, avoid buying vanity items in general.

Thanks for the tip of not winding. I'll stop now thanks to this video.

Good advice from these last two videos I recommend shop around and don't impulse buy. Watches frequently end up in sales, the watch that costs 800 today could be selling for 600 next month.

don't buy a watch to impress other people. The majority of people don't care about watches and wouldn't even be able to tell if a watch is worth a lot of money or not. You gotta remember that the only person who really gets to see your watch up close is you. (especially now with COVID)

Rule 6: "If it costs more than 10k new, buy second-hand 5 years old"

Really refreshing to hear that Mark. You have integrity and are comfortable with who you are, well said ! Definitely someone to do business with. Regards from South Africa.

Man ur honesty is amazing

Thank you for the winding, or maybe don't wind, tip. As I was watching the video I was winding my ISL-19. I stopped and put it on. Keep them coming Marc.

A video on common counterfeits and how to spot some of them would be interesting . Thanks

Great list! I always wanted a nice watch so when I was finally able to afford one, I bought one. My tip would be to learn everything you can about a watch before buying it. Thanks Marc! 👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for your number one! I keep having this discussion but some people insist.

Very good and wise advices Marc. In line with last advice : if you get the urge to buy it, don't, and sleep on it. While owning a watch is an act of passion, it's not mandatory to exclude reason from the buying process. Also, I guarantee you there's a watch you're neglecting, that will wear much better ar this time of the year than last time you wore it, or with a different strap ! Give it a chance.

Marc....LOVE the "live within your means" advice..... Been trying to instill this in my two boys their entire life... Fortunately, them both being mechanical engineers has let them both acquire nicer watches than dad ever would have.

This man personifies the "right way" of doing business. There's a right way and a wrong way of making money. I love parting with my money, when I know I'm getting a fair shake and feel like I've bartered rather than hoping I didn't overpay.

Mark you are truly a decent chap! You deserve the success you enjoy..

Really like dont#3 and don't #5. Thanks Marc. I would add don't impulse buy after watching a youtube video. I find alot of times I don't really like the watch as much as I did at that moment.

thank you for your blunt honesty.

Point 5 is the one that is the biggest don't in my mind. In the age of social media people "stretch" their budget to buy a watch that is too expensive because the common wisdom online is "buy what you really want" not "buy what you can really afford".

I had no idea about the winding! Thx! 👍

Great advice -- all of it. You are a mensch. Thanks, Marc! My biggest "Don't": "Don't buy watches to impress other people. In fact, don't do ANYTHING in life to impress other people."

Second that on working on a watch, yourself. Most are much better off leaving that to a pro.

Great stuff as always. Love your help and honesty

Excellent advice. I wear some expensive watches. I would not dare to open any watch I have. When my watches need maintenance, I sent them to the authorized service center for them. The only think I have done myself was change the watch band for a NATO one. Metal watch bands cause me to have a skin acid issue. I have to wear a cloth, or silicon band.

Never buy for the occasion. Instead, wear what makes you happy and confident, not what you want others to see. The watch does not make the man or woman!

I really appreciate that you mentioned watches are not investments. I guess some swatch models are. But they’re not guaranteed to and could take too long.

Best advice ever ... BUY WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD!

Your technical expertise is why I watch this channel. This advice is spot on too. Thanks.

Great advice Marc. I am loving my Squale 50 atmos I can see why TGV and you love it so much it is so comfortable.. 😁

This is why I love your videos. Giving good advise even when it pretty much goes against sales at times. The Islander brand has become a staple of my wife's and my collection. Please keep up the great products, advise and all around supply of information. Thank you.

I started buying from Long Island Watch in the mid 2000's I remember I bought an Orient World timer (I don't remember the full name) I loved it an wore it till the arms fell off literally. I can back again recently after a long stent wearing an apple watch. I have bought 2 Islanders in the last 2 months and all I can say is wow what a great value and great watch. Thank you Mark.

Some great advice here. Taking the time to do this kind of thing is very much appreciated. Thank you.

Do what YOU want to do. If you like it, buy it. Great advice. So, my Citizen Titanium Promaster Tough Eco-Drive available only in the UK is on the way. Looking forward to it.

buy what you like and like what you buy. if you like an invicta, a movado, a hublot, etc and you can afford it, then buy it. its your item, not someone elses. if they dont like it, they dont have to look at it

Modding your own watches is a great hobby but start on something cheap and disposable first. Vostok or a cheapo invicta prodivers are good starters. Believe me, you will mess something up eventually.

It does affect you as a watch dealer. If someone gets into financial distress and they bought a watch they may not have the stomach to buy another watch anytime soon. So it does affect you long term

My late dad was a master watchmaker , for my 12th birthday he gave me a Mido Multifort automatic then he saw me winding up the watch and his question was : What part of the word automatic you don't understand , son ?

Thanks for your honest opinion

Point 1 is so true. Hate people who say don't buy that brand, as it will lose value. I don't buy my watches to make money, am not a dealer, am buying it to wear. And I know it will be worth nothing in the future.

What a guy!!! A man among men. Honestly and integrity above greed, selfishness. It may sound cheesy that I am saying all this but in this day and age this kind of quality is hard to find. Stay true Marc, hence all the success.

I just regulated my King Turtle, so that (don't) resonated. I was scared the whole time but it worked out. It was a brand new watch but I stupidly dropped it and it was running 2 minutes fast, now it is 14 seconds slow and I'm fine with it. No visible damage from the fall thankfully.

Awesome tips... again. That is a businessman who is into forming relationships on comeback, which last long. You are one of the best, Mark. My "Don't" will be: Don't buy on impulse. If the watch you really want at that moment, wait, sleep over it and if it is still the one: Do it! When I was in Japan in 2019 I fell in love with the Orient Kano on our 2nd day of vacation. I could have bought it then and there (Yodobashi Kamera Kyoto), but it may have been unwise at the beginning of our family vacation. 2.5 weeks later in Tokyo, I saw the watch again in the Yodobashi Kamera Ueno Store and still liked it. We only had two days left and enough money so I went for it (after having bought the newly released Seiko 5 SBSA001, which mas planned). Mark: I bought the Kano and did not do any research on it. The first video I saw was your video presenting the new Orient models. Keep up the good work, you are... awesome.

These tips might seem obvious, but they are absolutely the truth. In my last 25 years of being a hobbyist, I’ve made ALL of these mistakes. Good vid Marc!

Wow, that's a nice Daytona!

Thanks for your business ethics with appears to be honest. I have been looking at a few watches recently actually some on your site. Just window browsing. I'm a watch nut since I was 6 or 7 and now I'm 65. During my lifetime I had my share of mid tier pieces, in Omega , Breitling, Seiko, etc etc. I usually shop for specific pieces, like now I'm thinking of soon buying a German made Flieger Type B. The issue that a few of us face or maybe just me , is if I wait to "Afford a watch " with risk to my old man budget , I miss sale specials,that I never see again or the piece goes out of stock or discontinued. Yes there may be similar pieces, but I usually know what I "Exactly" want. So I wish there were layaway options sometimes that where tailored to remove the risk from you the seller and set up on a time frame so you can flip your inventory still at a reasonable rate. This is all assuming a credit card purchase is not an option. Thanks for your sound advise !

Excellent, honest video Mark. Exactly what we've come to expect from you. Great advice.

You really are a guy with integrity Marc 🙂

Your 007 vs islander video showed me you're an honest salesman. That's good for business. Kudos.

Integrity. Respect.

I like the honesty on show here

I agree about having multiple straps. More economical and a better experience to have a good quality watch with several straps than several cheap watches

I have a 50+ watch collection. I have been collecting for 25 years. My oldest is a 1952 Omega Geneva gold in really nice shape it has 3 interchangeable bands. I inherited it from my grandfather. It’s a solid gold watch worth a good bit I still assume about 10 years ago I had it appraised for insurance purposes and it appraised for $6,975 10 years ago so surely it has gone up but it’s not for sale it is an heirloom.

I ordered my first mechanical watch, a Seiko Recraft SNKP23, from you and am eagerly awaiting the delivery. I have a couple of Kinetics that i bought decades ago, and I am excited to try a mechanical watch. Watching your do's and don'ts made me happy I bought from you! Thanks for the helpful and honest information.

Great points. Glad to see you, as a merchant, being responsible and actually looking out for the best interests of your customers!

Bravo, Sir! One can always count on the straight dope from Mark at LIW.

Good points of view, watches might not be an investment but another way to wealth transfer. If you buy used and well you can buy a watch for X and get X back in a year if you getting the watch close to the bottom value because many watches dont go to $0

I'd love a video on changing straps and the look of a watch!

Good advice! Ive modded quite a number of my Vostok watches successfully but to be honest i would not dare to try it on more expensive watches.

Wise words 👍 thanks Marc I love the Rolex

I always buy what I can afford. Of course. But, man, it hurts when you miss a great deal and you know the chances for that deal to come up again are slim to none. I can still remember most of the great deals I missed and they never showed up again. And I am in the same situation right now (it seems I am always in similar situation). The watch I like is being sold by only one seller on the Internet for the price I have reasonable chances to afford it and if that one sells I know it will hurt.

Don't knock quartz. There's something to be said for the grab and go watch!

Such a great video. Thanks, Marc, for summing up the basis for my enthusiasm for watches and my philosophy about collecting and loving a bunch of them. I have a couple of high end pieces: a Rolex Submariner and and Omega Speedmaster. I love them and use them in the ways they were intended to be used, which is for diving and for navigational problems (yes, some of us still do that, GPS notwithstanding). The greatest joy I have had with watches, however, has been amassing a collection of quality watches for everyday wear. Each is slightly different, each is affordable, and each gets regular wear. I have a maximum budget of $500 and only buy a watch or two a year. I love the value of these microbrands and lesser known Swiss brands (Certina is my go-to). I also feel free to experiment after doing my research. This budget is an indulgence for me and by staying in a realistic price range, I feel that I have little to lose and much to gain. Each winter, I spend a few happy nights pawing through the collection, identifying watches that have dropped out of the regular rotation and, as Marc remarks here, changing a few straps, usually transforming the watch and making it new again. As I type this, I can't stop looking at a 15 year old Citizen GMT watch miraculously transformed tonight by a strap that I already had in the drawer. Island Watches is a great resource because of its focus on this price point, its commitment to quality, and because Marc shares and supports my approach to this wonderful obsession.

I keep running into advice online saying an automatic should be fully hand wound occasionally. I'm not sure why some say this, but I like your advice about it better.

I think the best advice is just buy what you like . A watch doesn't change you .You could buy the most expensive trowell there is but that doesn't make you a good bricklayer ?Good video.

Marc, thanks for the great tips. I will now stop hand winding my automatics not in winders. I made an exception to the rule on sleeping on a purchase when I got the second notice for the Red October Islander. Ordered it as soon as I saw the email and got one of the last numbers. Beautiful watch!

Thank ou Marc this was very helpful and appreciated I'm so glad you posted this I'm sure your a nice fellow and a great business man who cares about his customers thankyou for this it's very helpful it's rare to hear someone be as open an honest as you again thank you

Terrific. Marc, you are a level-headed guy!🙂👍🏼

Laughed out loud at #2: I just did it to my own Seiko 5 😂

The naked wrist caught me by surprise. Great tips, thanks for all your knowledge and videos.

I literally want to buy an islander in large part because Mark is such a stand-up guy. Also those new field watches are dope.

Excellent tips, Mark.

Thanks for strait advice.. I am saving up for an islander diver, love them.

GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT video! thank you very much for sharing this.

Hi Mark, that was a brilliant video showing an amazing amount of honesty and integrity for a watch seller! Well done my friend you are a credit to the watch sales industry!