Manufacturers have a long track record of putting out photos or renders of their watches to showcase items that are going to be coming out or concepts they are teasing. This also extends to the people who talk about watches or collectors who buy these and want to share photos of them. Even though these photos can help illustrate how the watch might look, it doesn't give the full picture (pun intended) of how the watch might actually look and feel in person. Photos are great, don't get me wrong, they are wonderful illustrators of how the watch is and can help determine if it’s something you even want to see in person let alone buy.
But there will have to be other things to take into consideration such as how the watch is going to fit on your wrist as opposed to the wrist of the person who's wearing it. Or even how the watch actually plays with the light even though the renders make the watch look magnificent, perhaps there's a bevel on the case that you might not see until you actually get in hand or maybe the crystal isn't AR coated. I could go on but I will spare you for now. These are just some elements that can be missed with photos and won’t allow you to know until you see it in person. Let’s go into a bit more of what you might miss with just seeing some photos, shall we?
Shifting Colors
One thing a photo can't tell you about a watch that you'll know only by actually handling it are its true colors. I mean this literally as renders and photos can be doctored to enhance certain aspects, most often changed are the colors on the dial or bezel. Usually those parts are enhanced to show a potential spectrum of colors that you may see in real life. While other times they look awful and in person the colors are far more incredible than what a quick snap or edited photo can capture. I am sure that you have experienced this before, seeing a new release come out and thinking to yourself “that looks pretty good” but when encountering it you are then blown away.
Having it in hand allows you to view it in different lighting conditions, seeing how dynamic the dial is cannot be captured by a photo no matter how well it is edited. This is especially true for natural materials (like stone) and sunburst dials. Even the depth of a dial can be difficult to get, ever see a skeletonized dial in photos and then see it in person? That’s the kind of depth I’m referring to.
Natural materials with organic textures are hard to capture their dynamism
Angled Elements
Another aspect that is hard to showcase in a photo are the various types of polishing and angles on the case. Take for example a subtle beveling on a case side, a photo might allow you to see that it is going to be high polish or a contrast matte finish but you won't really know the extent of that particular aspect by a few still shots or video.
The only way to really know how that's going to look and how the case is going to reflect light is by having it in hand and wearing it on your wrist. And this goes both ways, I have experienced a few watches with certain high polish corners that, while driving, catch the light just right to flashbang my retinas for just a moment. Something like that cannot be known until you get real world time with the watch and use it. Things like this should be experienced first hand and, if possible, seeing the watch in person and handling it is the best recommendation.
Wearing Comfort
A critical aspect that a photo or video cannot capture is the overall wearing comfort of the watch. Sure, there are some really great in-depth reviewers and manufacturers who can provide all the important on-paper information but many of those facts are hard to wrap your head around. For example, the difference of weight from a stainless steel case to a titanium one can be quantified but is difficult to understand until you get both in hand and realize their weights. This applies to other materials obviously but more importantly the wearing comfort extends to the case size. A 40mm stainless steel case will not wear the same across the board, aspects such as its overall shape, lug length or case thickness will determine the comfort of said watch.
It is a good rule of thumb to know where some of your sizing limits are and use that as a basis to determine if a watch may be right for you. I mention this because I had a chance to spend some time with a Nomos Tangente 38, on paper everything seemed perfect for my personal tastes but in trying it on I could not wear it for more than 5 minutes as it quickly became the single most uncomfortable watch I’ve encountered so far. But I stress the point to try and step outside of your usual comfort zone, to put on something that you may have thought would be too large/small and make the judgement call afterwards.
With a 47mm lug-to-lug length this could wear too large for some wrists
Articulation
One other aspect that you can't get from a photo is how the watch flexes on the wrist. No, I don’t mean how others horologically size you up and judge your wrist game but instead how the watch will wear. Certain watches will have their designs conform to you while others demand you conform to it, this is most seen with integrated bracelet designs. Take for example the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, even if you have never seen one in person, pull up a photo and take a look at how the watch sits when it’s not worn. It stands up on its own bracelet, which is really cool to see but what that means is the watch will wear rigidly on your wrist. This is a bit more of an extreme example as many other bracelet designs are more fluid and won’t demand the wearer to conform to it.
Another issue that can’t be conveyed in photos is ,“will the bracelet pull off all the hair on my wrist?” My immediate thought goes to the Timex Q mesh bracelets and their ability to pull more hair than waxing tape. Aspects like these should be considered but can only really be known when you spend time with the watch. 
The seven-link design is super fluid in hand and on wrist
Jingle Jangle
What a photo can't tell you about a watch is the sound of it. Now I don't necessarily mean the loudness of a tick or the noiseiness of a movement rotor but that matters too. I am mainly talking about how the case and bracelet interacting might sound. You may get an idea of the overall build quality by just picking up the watch but do not let the initial pick up determine the watch outright.
Once you handle it for a few moments you will understand quickly that the watch may have a loose feeling or noisy bracelet. You will find more “airy” or worn bracelets on older watches and there is admittedly a certain charm to those but not everyone is a fan of this trait.
Closing Thoughts
All of this ultimately leads me to my main point in this entire topic in that if you want to know how a watch really is, you have to go out and physically find the watch. Some watches you may never get to see in person or spend time with and that is a fact that all of us watch lovers have to contend with. Though going to watch meetups or storefronts are great ways to get hands on with different eras and price points to get a grounded general idea of how a watch may feel when seeing a photo or video of it. Depending on where you live, there may be some pretty serious watch meetups or events that you can attend and see some watches that you probably only see through a screen.
This is also why places like ClickyBezel are hyper important in the watch space because there are so many fantastic micro and indie brands that don’t have a physical space to see their stuff outside of their HQ. Sure you can order them and see how it is, I know I have had to do this quite a few times, but seeing it in person can eliminate a potential headache and feeling of time wasted. Ultimately, if you only look at photos and videos of a watch you can make an educated judgment call at best. For the most part you might be correct but it is hard to tell the full story of a watch without actually having the time spent with it. A picture might be worth a thousand words but nothing really beats holding the watch in your hands.
