Though picking a timepiece is subjective, there are a few general rules of thumb to keep in mind when purchasing a luxury watch such as cartiers, no matter your budget. If you want to know the basic components of a luxury watch, click here. Now, let’s move to the most important part of selecting a luxury watch.

The best watches look like

What makes a great watch? The answer is not as complicated as you may think. Across the board, there are specific characteristics that you need to pay attention to when selecting a timepiece. But at its core, there’s only one question you should keep in mind — how much time, effort, and money has gone into producing the watch? If you are looking at a watch and feel as if you could buy the case, movement, and strap from a sketchy third party, you’re going to have a bad time.

Defining what makes a great watch will help you better understand if the watch will last for years to come or if the watch will retain its value. Here are some things to know.