Watch time

 I'm a watch fan. I love time, respecting It, being on top of It, looking at It, gauging what I'm doing relative to It and wearing It. It's an obsession that my fiancee has accepted. We as men have little room to move around in the jewelry department, excluding hip hop artists and rock stars. It's said that men are judged by two pieces: shoes and watch. A proper timepiece says a great deal about where you are in life, what you value, how you want others to perceive you. Wristwatches are just as much status pieces as they are utilitarian for men. The functions, be they digital or automatic, are what draw men to these pieces. Just as important as what a watch is capable of providing is where to wear which watch. Say that six times fast, (three was just too easy). 

For the man on a budget, this watch should be versatile. He should be able to wear it with a suit to a meeting or fishing with his dad or son. This watch is that of the stainless steel variety. Look for something streamlined. Because this watch is worn everywhere, massive crowns and colored dials may look out of place under a tux. (Sorry Mr. President) This first watch is the Invicta Pro Diver Automatic. Its look is based on the classic Rolex Submariner (a favorite of Connery's Bond) with the main exception being the scalloped bezel (Invicta used to make this watch with the identical coin-edge bezel). I own this one and it looks great and has some heft. It's not very expensive and it's versatile. If you want versatile in stainless steel but more elegance, look to the Cartier Santos. This design has been around for around a century. You're gonna need at least $3,500 for this piece, whereas the Invicta is around $150.

 For a rugged, beefy choice, go with a chronograph. It's chunky and demands attention. It's the weekend watch, the head out with the guys watch, the laid back look watch. It would upset the flow of a well tailored suit and dress shirt. It's great for jeans, and boots, a leather jacket...your choice. I have a great one in black from Akribos, a birthday gift from my woman. This Oris model has a rubber band and several functions. You're going to pay at least $1,500 for this one.  This Akribos (not the model I own), is about $200.

The formal watch should have very little detail. It should be thin and the dial should be clean. Oh yeah, the strap really must be black leather. This Lucien Piccard is 18K gold. Obviously, it's not crucial to have real gold, especially if your budget doesn't allow. But the lines are what you should be after. Not a gold fan? Try a white dial and a stainless steel bezel, like this one from Stuhrling.

Those are really just a few basics. The men's watch world is large, intimidating, exciting, cheap and pricey all together. Read up a little bit. Figure out what kind of guy you are, what your lifestyle is and what timepieces would suit you. Some guys are a one-watch kind of guy. Other men change watches according to mood and events of the day. Just make sure it suits you and it's not a fake. Oh, one more note. If you see a diamond watch you like, hand it back to the sales clerk, turn around and walk away. Diamonds on men's watches are really a bit vulgar. They decrease the value of better watches and scream to world, "I have endless disposable income as evidenced by this timepiece that has neither a second nor minute hand, yet 47 diamonds waiting to catch the light." Men are better un-blinged. Elegance is in the precision, the metals used, the rarity, the skin used on the band. Flashy isn't manly. All a diamond watch says is, "Look at how much money this cost me," there's nothing tasteful about that. I'd rather people admire features of a watch. The feature one can point out with a diamond watch is this, it costs a small fortune.