Similar to quartz, the dawn of the smartwatch was also supposed to deliver the final blow to the mechanical watch industry. But while the Apple Watch is actually the most popular wrist watch in the entire world, thanks mostly to its fitness capabilities including a heart rate monitor, it hasn’t done much to kill its mechanical counterparts. Yes, you can choose some nice, quite expensive bands and materials for your Apple Watch, but the device itself remains fundamentally the same. Like quartz before them.

the explosion of smartwatches have confirmed what many collectors already knew: the point of a watch is no longer to get the most accurate time or count steps, but to appreciate the craftsmanship and beauty of a piece. That’s not to say that people can’t appreciate both: Super collector and Golden State Warriors Krazy Glue Draymond Green, for instance, loves a ceramic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak for tunnel walks and his Apple Watch for workouts.

You created a budget, sorted through countless brands, landed on a model you like, cleared the Sophie’s Choice of vintage and modern, chose a color that suits you, and in some cases went so far as to decide the exact size down to the millimeter that would fit best—you didn’t think we were done here yet, did you?

Of potentially equal importance to everything else is the watch band keeping that watch on your wrist. The bracelet/strap will have an effect on the look and comfort of a watch, and like nearly everything else in the watch world, is freighted with a labyrinth of information and decisions to make.A bracelet specifically refers to any metal band on a watch (as opposed to a rubber or fabric strap). Every major brand has its own distinct take on bracelets.

Rolex, which uses four different designs, is the most precious about its bracelets. Let’s set aside the Pearlmaster, which accompanies only the most high-end Rolex watches, and focus on the most commonly used trio: the Oyster, the Jubilee, and the President. The Oyster is the original Rolex bracelet and the one most people are likely familiar with. The three-link bracelet is designed to be super durable and comes on most of the brand’s sport models, i.e. the Submariner, Daytona, and Explorer. The Jubilee, a five-link style that forms a cross-crossing X-pattern, was introduced in 1945 as a more elegant option. The President appears only on the Day-Date model (which is why the piece is known as the President watch) and the ladies’ Datejust. While other brands, like Omega, offer some bracelet flexibility, Rolex is steadfast about keeping the bracelet it designates for a piece only on that specific piece.

Rolex isn’t the only brand with signature, recognizable bracelets, though. Patek Philippe’s Nautilus and Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak both come with distinctly designed integrated metal bracelets—as in, they can’t be swapped with any old bracelet. That these are some of the most popular and desirable watches in the world is no coincidence: in recent years, as wardrobes have taken on permanent Casual-Friday status, sportier watches with metal bracelets have floated to the top of most collectors’ wishlists.

Maybe you just want your Royal Oak now. Or maybe you want a LeCoultre Reverso that’s picked up a few character-adding dings on its reversible face. Or maybe you want a Rolex, but don’t quite have new-Rolex money. Lucky you: the vintage watch market is frothier than it’s ever been. And if you’re the kind of person who loves raw denim for the way it breaks in, or doesn’t trust a wallet until it’s good and broken in, you’re going to want to go vintage.

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