How to Choose a Child's First Watch: A UK Parent's Guide

A first watch is one of the few presents that is both a toy and a tool. Get it right and a child wears it every day, checks it before school and starts asking how many minutes until tea. Get it wrong and it sits in a drawer because the strap pinches, the face is unreadable or it stopped working the first time it went in the bath. This guide covers the decisions that matter, in the order parents usually face them.

What age is right for a first watch?

Readiness has more to do with school than with a birthday. In England, the national curriculum expects children in Year 2 (age 6 to 7) to tell the time to five minutes on an analogue clock, and Year 3 (age 7 to 8) moves on to Roman numerals and the 12 and 24-hour clock. A watch bought just before or during Year 2 gets used to practise exactly what is being taught in class.

Younger children, from around 4, enjoy wearing a watch long before they can read one. For them, the watch is about owning something grown-up, so comfort and durability matter more than features.

Analogue or digital?

Analogue is the better choice for learning. Seeing the hands move round the dial builds the idea of quarter past and half past in a way a number display cannot. Look for a clear face with all twelve numbers printed, distinct hour and minute hands, and ideally minute markings around the edge.

Digital suits children who already tell the time and want the extras: a stopwatch for sports day, an alarm, a backlight. Digital watches are also easier for younger children to read without help, which some parents prefer for walking home or after-school clubs.

A good compromise for ages 7 to 10 is a watch with an analogue face that also shows a 24-hour scale, which supports the Year 3 curriculum directly.

Water resistance ratings, explained

Children wash their hands, play in puddles and forget to take a watch off before the bath. The rating on the back of the case tells you what it can survive:

• Splash resistant or 3ATM (30m): rain and hand washing only. Not for swimming or showers.
• 5ATM (50m): swimming at the surface and showers. The practical minimum for an active child.
• 10ATM (100m) and above: swimming, snorkelling and water sports.

The metre figure is a pressure rating, not a diving depth, so a 30m watch should never go underwater. Hot water and soap also wear seals faster, so rinse a watch in cool fresh water after a swimming lesson.

Getting the strap size right

Most children's watch problems are strap problems. Measure your child's wrist with a strip of paper just above the wrist bone and compare it with the strap length on the product page, allowing room for two fingers underneath.

• Silicone straps are soft, washable and comfortable in hot weather. They suit younger children and sporty ones.
• Canvas and fabric straps are light and easy to adjust but hold on to dirt, so they need washing.
• Hook-and-loop fastenings are the easiest for small hands to do up alone. Buckles are more secure for older children.

Features worth paying for, and ones that are not

Worth having: luminous hands or a backlight for dark winter mornings, a scratch-resistant face, and a case that does not catch on jumper sleeves. A stopwatch is a genuine favourite with children who do sport.

Fitness trackers for children count steps and show activity, which can be motivating, but treat the numbers as encouragement rather than measurement. Step counts on any wrist device are estimates.

Watches with cameras, apps and messaging are a different product altogether: a small phone. If you are not ready for your child to have a phone, a simple watch keeps the focus on time.

Helping a watch survive childhood

• Agree on when it comes off: swimming (unless rated 5ATM or above), PE if the school asks, and bedtime.
• Keep a set place for it at home, such as a dish by the bed, so it does not get lost in a school bag.
• Wipe silicone straps with warm soapy water once a week.
• Replace the battery promptly when it runs down, as leaking batteries can damage the movement.

Common questions

Can a 5-year-old learn to tell the time from a watch?

Many can start with o'clock and half past at that age, especially with a clear analogue face. Pair the watch with daily routines, such as "we leave at half past eight", rather than formal lessons.

Should a first watch be cheap?

It should be affordable enough that a lost or broken one is not a crisis, but well made enough to be worn every day. A modest price with a decent water rating and a comfortable strap is the sweet spot.

Does it matter if it is a girls' or boys' watch?

Only in colour and style. The features that matter, a readable face, a sensible water rating and a strap that fits, are the same for every child.

Browse girls' watches and boys' watches, each with strap and water resistance details on the product page.