Wristwatches

[JonathonWally]

I wore a pocket watch on my waistcoat today. It's a great little prop for using in boring meetings because no-one can miss your distaste at the slow progress.

How... delightfully evil on your part.

It's my schtick.


PS. JW - there's a huge variety of options on a suit or jacket - far more than just number of buttons and lapel type. But I do definitely agree with your broader point of a watch choice being another outlet for self-expression.

True, as of course you know But I just wanted to stay general and state things that stand out as opposed to going into buttons on the cuffs, rear vent, side vent, no vent....etc.

 

[iguana_tonante]

It's not just the amount of money you spend on it. It's the design, is it flashy? is it subdued elegance? Is it in your face blingy and tacky?

When dressed up, guys have fewer options than women to express themselves. You're choices are pretty much how many buttons your suit has, the shape of your lapel, tie tack or none, your tie, style of shoes. That's it really. So a watch is your chance to express yourself.

I see your point. Maybe my attitude is driven mostly by the fact that I don't like having one around my wrist, so I don't care much about them.

Part of it may also rise from the fact that my suits are quite... unusual even without adding a watch to the whole.

 

[SeerSGB]

I've heard that more than once, but I never understood it. It just says how more are you willing to spend on a watch. A status symbol, if you wish, but nothing more. I understand a nice watch with a nice suit, but I don't attach any special meaning to it.

To me, it means you're willing to take time with the smaller things. And if you do that, it might be you are of a similar mindset in other parts of your life too.

To begin with, it probably means you're not wearing old rags for underwear, which you can't be bothered to change... and if I were too tired to make dinner, you probably wouldn't buy ingredients for a sandwich, instead of delicate little bites of interesting things to make me smile...

Every single thing you do and say, says something about you...

Yeah, to many men don't take care to actaully look professional or look, not metro, but as if they've put some thought into their appearance beyond "Okay, this smells clean."

As a rule, I always go to a first meeting with someone in black dress shoes or polished steel-toes (depends on the enviroment), have one of my nice looking ballpoint pens, a silver wristwatch or a gold pocketwatch, and clothes in line with what is expected of the enviroment I'll be in.

Three things I in generally when I'm making a quick "guess" about someone who's a man and I'm having a meeting with.

1. Shoes -- Are they clean, in good shape? Tells me a lot of about whether a person is took the idea that their coming for a meeting or a job interview seriously. If they took the time to take care of something most people couldn't give a toss about, then I see that as detail oriented. Exception made if we're meeting at a construction site or a factory.

2. Watch -- A good watch lets me know that keeping track of time is important to them, but not to they're not so worried about busting up a $300 watch cleaning counters or doing actual work.

3. Ink pen -- as in having one, regardless of the type. Just something I used to work for in a employee. I always thought having a ink pen (or a pencil) was one of those things that says "okay, this person thinks ahead."


With women: 2 and 3 stay the same, but with 1 I look for shoes that are appropriate to the job setting. I lost track of the times that I interviewed people for jobs that meant climbing ladders or dealing with slick floors, only to have women show up in high-heels or open-toes; not good when you're talking hot popcorn oil, puke, or leaking bags of trash. More the annoying when you tell them on the phone "Show up as you would for a normal work day, cause if you're hired you'll start training tonight."

 

[Cali]

This is my current watch, it was a 21st birthday present from my parents last year (although I did pick it out myself). It looks a little (lot) dressy when worn at work with the stupid promotional t-shirt I have to wear but I've had several customers compliment me on it. I like it being a bit chunkier than most ladies watches seem to be. The delicate ones just don't look right on me.

 

[SeerSGB]

Cute watch.

 

[arch101]

I like an analog watch because it's easy to read at a glance, but I also like to have an alarm in case I need it. I am on my second Armitron stainless steel divers watch in 25 years. Very reliable and not very expensive. You can get them with an analog face that has a small digital 'window' for the alarm/stopwatch feature.
Of course, if money were no object, I would buy an Omega Seamaster divers watch (new or used) but that ain't happenin' on my income.

 

[TheGodBen]

I almost always wear a wristwatch. I have this compulsion to always know what time it is, even if I have no reason to.

It's the same with me.

Actually, I do have one other reason for wearing a watch; I use it to tell the difference between left and right. Left is is the side where my watch is, and even when I'm not wearing a watch I can still feel where it should be so that I can tell the difference. If I had to stop wearing a watch then after a month I would lose sense of directions.

 

[JNG]

I have to occasionly ask for the time because a) I don't wear a wristwatch because there is something about me that makes wristwatches stop b) I do not have a mobile phone.

I was in the same situation, and now wear either a pocket watch chained to my belt loop, or a carabiner watch clipped to my belt loop. Worked out well.

 

[K'riq Sa]

here is the phone i currently wear, and have had it for about 6 months and love it, it only became available in the US about 2-3 months. it's a phone, mp3 player, video and still camera, bluetooth, and it's a watch. my friend from China, who i met at CES about two years ago, works at the company, says he may have the newest one in about a month for me to try. it's an all in one sportsman's model with added temp, bar, altimitar, blood pressure gage, and about 12 other really cool things. and it will do real-time video conferencing between watches....


you should see people's faces when i answer my watch, and with the phone "in" the watch, i'm never with out my phone....

http://www.tomtop.com/product_1460.html









k'riq the unsurmountable

 

[jkladis]

A watch says something about a guy, so I spend decent money on them but not crazy. I have 6. None digital.

Exactly. A gentleman generally should limit jewelry to one hand. Everything else is bling. I have no trouble with nice watches. But the fear of wearing these gems is understandable. One swipe across a brick wall and...

 

[Maestro]

I've worn watches since third grade. There were some Timexes that I really liked ... there was one model that had an analog face with an LCD screen at the bottom that I thought combined function and class... the green face came with a brown strap, the blue face with a metal band. I kept having to return mine to get a new one becaue the XII kept falling loose, but I enjoyed both models.

During college I bought myself a nice Eddie Bauer with all kinds of functions on the face.

Then, Christmas of my second year of teaching, my mother-in-law gave me a very simple, classy, men's Coach watch with a metal band. I am told it was quite expensive, but I don't know how much it cost, and I don't much care (for those who might, my sister-in-law thought it was $500). My MIL thought it would look nice for interviews as I was looking for a new teaching job. I've replaced the battery once, and the spring that locks the crown immoble has broken, but I've worn it faithfully every since -- I feel naked with out.

I do take my watch off and set it on the stand for rehearsal, but that's more so the kids don't see me checking the time.

Great watch, and I'll wear it until one of us dies.

 

[Venardhi]

I found one of These a while back when trying to use up a gift card to Macy's. I'm not normally a watch person but it suits a lot of my "dress-casual" wardrobe and is nice to have for the occasional outing where I don't want to bring my phone.

I may in the near future get one that is a bit more 'classy' for when I want to look more professional, but that is for another day. . . when I have a modicum of need to look professional.

 

[Tim]

I wore a pocket watch on my waistcoat today. It's a great little prop for using in boring meetings because no-one can miss your distaste at the slow progress.

Indeed, though it must be matched with a languidly disinterested facial expression. Alec Guinness does a superb job in a scene from Lawrence of Arabia.

I'm thinking about adding an automatic Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Co-Axial with a white face & brown leather strap as I kind of feel I need a watch with a brown strap sometimes and I like the contrast of the blue hands against the white dial.

Ah...good choice of a co-axial escapement. On my wrist is a c. 1967 Omega Constellation housing the calibre 751 movement. I can't stand the Swatchified modern Constellation. I actually find myself using my vintage Connie to check the day/date more often than the time. As I can't resist the watch pr0n, here are some pictures (again).

Personally, if I'm going to wear a watch, I'm going to wear a good one. Much of this is my bias from collecting pocket and wrist watches, of course, but I've never been able to take seriously someone who dresses up in nice clothing but wears a cheap digital watch on a rubber band. The watch is one of the first things I notice on a person.

 

[hellsgate]

I've got an old Casio wristwatch I purchased for $15.00 & change, I use it for work during breaks & making sure I get into work on-time. Especially as I'm waiting on Georgia Street near Stanley Park for a bus or to help me decide if I should start walking as its going to be late or full & pass me by.

 

[BigFoot]

I wear an Omega Seamaster 300M. I got it last March for when it cost about 1400 euros ($1850). Before that I just used my cell phone to tell the time. I don't really care much for wearing a cheap $10 watch.

 

[WillsBabe]

I always wear a wrist watch during the working week. I rarely wear one on the weekends or holidays. I just don't want to know the time on those days. Given the option I wouldn't wear a watch, but they are pretty necessary I think during the week. I only have one watch at a time. My current on is a Kahuna surfer watch. It''s white and lime green. I love it. I found it on the internet, priced at £39,t hen I found it in a local shop for £29, so I was pleased. Often women have a day watch and an evening watch, but I don't have n evening watch, I just don't wear one if I'm dressed up.

I've been quite interested in getting a Skagan watch next. They are a new brand to me, but I like their balance of elegance and functionality.

 

[captcalhoun]

i wear an el cheapo casio that's somewhere around twenty years old. i recently went back to wearing it after getting a new strap, because the strap on my other one was damaged. and it was cheaper to buy a new strap for this old war-horse than to buy a new one. and yes, digital.

 

[Nardpuncher]

No watch = animal.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I wore a pocket watch on my waistcoat today. It's a great little prop for using in boring meetings because no-one can miss your distaste at the slow progress.

You really need to get yourself a monocle as well if you truly want to convey scorn worthy of a bygone era. Nothing says "I'm halfway paying attention to your presentation" like a single eyepiece, especially if you only take it out of your pocket when the speaker is looking directly at you.


In answer to the OP, I can't stand being without my watch when I'm out and about. I described my day to day work and play watch in this thread previously.

No watch = animal.

I don't know. He's got those little indentations on his wrists like he was wearing a watch (or two). Maybe he just couldn't wear them while he was on stage - it might interfere with his drumming?

 

[trekkerguy]

If they ever make a watch that works and displays time like this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCqGtvTA36k

... I'd love one.

But someone mentioned pocketwatches? I love those.

Maybe they could make a pocketwatch like the above.