This fall our elder son turned 18, a milestone for him and for us. It felt as though it was only a week ago that we brought our baby home and suddenly he is a man, old enough in Britain to buy us a beer and to vote.

We decided to mark the occasion with his first mechanical watch. My husband received a TAG Heuer from his parents on his 18th that he still owns today. And even in this digital age, we decided it was a worthy wear-for-the-rest-of-your-life gift.

Our budget was 1,000 pounds ($1,255) and there are tens of brands producing a dizzying array of models in that price range. So I opened my contact book of watch editors and specialists for their advice.

“It’s wonderful to buy a child a first good watch for a milestone moment,” said Paul Boutros, the head of watches, Americas at the Phillips auction house. “A good, honest watch will give them a lifetime of service and hopefully open the door to a lifelong watch journey.”

The question was which one? Tatiana Kwok, the head of watch buying for the United States at the retailer Watches of Switzerland, recommended thinking carefully about his personal style and finding something versatile. “The first watch is the one people remember the most,” she said. No pressure then.

We narrowed our search to an automatic self-winding movement so this horological newbie would not be put off by the need for daily winding. Naturally it had to be excellent quality and robust enough to withstand his active lifestyle. A level of waterproof resistance also would be wise for someone who, at age 12, had dived into a swimming pool with a cellphone in his pocket. And, finally, we wanted a timeless design that would age with him.