Watches

I sort of did that for choosing a bass guitar. Based on some research, I determined that I wanted a jazz bass for its neck dimensions and pickup configuration. I picked up a cheap passive Peavey with these features, albeit with lower quality hardware than its Fender counterpart and also a cheap active Ibanez with similar but different pickup placement and an even thinner neck. I determined that I did indeed want a j bass so I started looking at examples from Fender and a few other higher end makers and ended up getting a Sire bc it's everything I wanted in a j bass from the ash wood, the satin neck with polished fretboard with block inlays and rolled ends, good electronics, and also as a bonus, both active and passive via a switch with the active side having a 3 band eq on top of the tone knob.

So I basically did what you're talking about, but through my journey, I ended up going with a microbrand that offered everything I wanted feature and quality wise and then some for a fraction of what the big brands charge and I'm probably gonna end up doing the same with watches. Like I have an Invicta sub that has me wanting the real thing but I'm not opposed to finding something more or less of the same quality but with more things I want on it for less money. Like it looks the same but with a cooler dial that just doesn't say Rolex on it and all else being equal costs $1500 instead of $15k.

Genius idea OP

I had been looking at the Longines Dolce Vita and Oris Rectangular online. The dealers near me don’t stock those models as rectangular watches don’t sell well. If I was willing to put down a non-refundable deposit, they could order them but it would likely take many weeks. That’s a no-go for me as I am not about to commit to purchasing a watch I’ve never seen in person.

Therefore, I bought a couple of cheap “refurbished” Seikos on eBay from sellers in India. I was well aware of the “Mumbai special” terminology but I figured it would be worth a shot to see if I could pull off a rectangular or tonneau shaped dial, the size of the case and the colors of the dials. I figured these were throw away watches no matter what. The quality was appalling, as you might expect but it did help me come to the conclusion that rectangular watches aren’t my thing. Of course I might change my mind if I see the Longies or Oris in person someday.

I have yes. Kinda stopped because I felt it wasn’t what i wanted to do with my money.

That's actually a good idea.

I've just bought a Pagani Designs sub homage for around $55. It has a Seiko movement in it. But I don't actually see myself buying a Rolex. I wouldn't say that a homage watch will tell you what the original will be like as often they don't have the same dimensions. But they certainly give you an idea for the style of watch and how it will work with your attire and lifestyle. I have an extremely cheap Pagani Designs dress watch which is loosely a cocktail homage that I got to experiment with size as well as strap colours.

Trying watches on in a shop isn't enough to know if size will work for you. It also comes from previous experience. Homage watches are great for getting some experience.