What's a horologist, you may ask? A horologist doesn't work with plants, or read your fortune for the month in the newspaper. A horologist makes watches and clocks. Don't worry if you didn't know, it's a pretty obscure word and the entire world of watches can be a strange, esoteric affair. So we've picked some of our favourite budget watches to help you choose your first timepiece.  All of the watches we've selected come in under £1,000.

Gc Sports Class Chronograph (pictured)

Relative newcomers Gc are labelmates to fashion megabrand Guess, who are known for very contemporary and sexy clothes. If that doesn't move you, then take comfort in the fact that this watch comes with Swiss movement, a glossy black dial and a beautiful steel and rose-toned duo finish. This watch is £565.00.

Longines Le Grande Classique

This is definitely a grown-up watch amongst luxury watches. Whether you've earned your maturity, or you're just trying to look a bit more grounded and reliable, this could be the right watch for you. The dial is 'tonneau' shaped, which is French for 'barrell'. It would be an excellent watch to pair with a work outfit when you're trying to impress. £830.00.

Victorinox Swiss Army

For a rough-and-ready, outdoorsy watch, you really can't do better than this watch. The green dial and brown leather strap combination have an unbeatable vintage appeal, giving the watch a reliable but modest look. The mechanics of the watch are powered by quartz movement. It's also very affordable, coming in at £399.00.

A good watch retailer should offer you insurance and aftercare services, thus bringing down the total expense of owning a watch. Everybody knows that Swiss watches are the best, but even top of the line watches need servicing and cleaning every few years or so. Even so, choose right and your watch should continue to bring you joy for a long, long time!