If you’re like most people, you stopped wearing a watch at about the same time you traded in your Motorola flip.
But just because you’re suddenly with T-Mobile doesn’t mean you ditch your timepiece. Nobody wants to be around a guy who’s in constant phone-check mode. Maybe you are just checking the time, but you’re also glancing at your texts and really want to check your email . . . and that’s not lost on anyone.
So, really, you need a watch. It shows off your personality when your work clothes don’t. Plus, anything style-related helps you in the ladies department: she’ll only have to glance once at your Oreo-sized Seiko and totally believe you climb mountains in your spare time. Yes, watches have that power.
And, wearing a watch makes you look prepared. It sends out the signal that you’ve got things going on. So much so, you don’t even have three seconds to fetch your phone for the time. You’re soooo busy . . . you absolutely need the time on your wrist. Right?
This past Christmas, DeMarco Murray of the Dallas Cowboys decided to spend $900 on each of his teammates. He could have gone for the super-cool-ultimate-luxury-novelty-gift and made his buddies love him for a lifetime, but opted for the mature, sensible choice and purchased 22 Orefici watches for the lucky bastards. (Nope, not digital.) If a timepiece can make a football player look sophisticated, just imagine what it can do for you.
But you have to promise to leave the gold and diamond combinations to Lil Jon. Nothing says I-grew-up-dirt-poor-and-now-clean-up-in-the-money-department like a diamond-encrusted, platinum Chopard. It might be polished, but the wearer ain’t. True dat.
And you don’t want to skimp, either. Watches are like denim. If you go cheap, it’ll to cost you . . . in all areas of your life.
So here’s the roundup for 2015 according to your style and needs.
Athletic and fitness: Never spend more on your watch than you do on a gym membership. Make REI’s Polar M400 Fitness Monitor your new training buddy or rely on the Adidas MiCoach SMART RUN to get you through your cardio workouts. This watch is as serious as a heart attack – it’ll tell you stride rate and route information in addition to a whole host of other things you probably don’t need.
Classic and conservative: If wearing that suit to work really is your authentic style, then go with a classic watch. Skagen makes quality timepieces that are functional and impressive to the eye. The Anchor Men’s Leather Watch features a minimalistic, navy perforated leather strap that’s highly stylish. Or feast your eyes on Seiko’s ReCraft Series. Polished, understated and sophisticated. What more do you need, really? OK, so maybe a raise. You have a better shot at getting one with these watches.
Rugged: You gotta go big if you want people to think you’re all about the outdoors. If you’re wondering how big is too big, let us ask you this: can a steak ever be too big? Right. Neither can your watch (that is if you really do need a three-axis compass and information on distance and elevation). Try L.L. Bean’s Garmin Fenix 2 GPS Watch or Casio’s Pro Trek. Warning: if you’re all pretty-boy with your hair, this look is never going to work.
Surf and skate: Can’t catch those waves without first knowing the tide conditions. Check out Rip Curl’s Search GPS Watch for the 411 on your favorite surf spot. When you’re not bailing on the ankle-biting waves, take pics of the epic ones and share them with friends. G-Shock’s shock-resistant and waterproof watches are pretty much all you need as long as you aren’t a beach leech.
