Exactly how casual is your husband, boyfriend, or other man in your life? The watch you choose for him should reflect who he is as a person. If he is casual at both his job and at home, choose a watch with an informal look. If he is heavily into sports, pick a watch that suits his needs.

Sports watches are generally lower in cost than casual or formal watches. The design on this type of watch is also different. For the most part, sports watches are all about function. They need the stop watch for timing, and often have other functions such as diving depths, a compass, temperature reading, and even pitching speed readers.

Here are some of the criteria for a good sports watch.

1. Durability: This is of crucial importance. You do not want to buy a watch that fails after only using it for a year. Traits of a durable watch include a thick rubber strap or metal strap, robust design, and recognizable brand name.

2. Water resistance. This is essential to swimmers, divers, and triathletes. At a bare minimum, a good sports watch must be water resistant up to 50m.

3. Style, appeal: The watch does not necessarily have to look exquisite. A sports watch is usually of a robust, chunky shape and feel. However, the watch should appeal to you otherwise you will never really like it.

4. Features. A good sports watch must include a stop watch feature, tachymeter and a lap timer. More features are always welcome but add to the watch's price.

So, if you are looking for a sports watch, make sure it matches criteria that you have just read about: durability, water resistance, useful features and appeal. Also, remember to enjoy the watch buying experience.