Posted on April 09 2019
Traditional analog wrist watches are the fashion accessory that refuse to die. In the face of digital watches, Apple watches and smartphones that have more “watch” functions than the average watch, analog watches are as popular now as ever. And, perhaps most surprisingly of all, more attention than ever is being paid to how to style a watch.
While your grandfather may have sported the same Rolex as his everyday watch for his entire adult life, today’s man must understand how wearing a watch of different types can affect his personal style.
Types of Watch Styles
Styling a watch begins with knowing the different kinds of watches and the basic menswear styles they work best with.
- Dress Watches - The king of formal watches. Featuring a simple, clean design and black leather band, nothing adapts itself to black-tie events, and other formal events like weddings. Typically, to keep it simple and classic, a dress watch will only show hours, minutes and seconds, and perhaps the date.
- Diver Watches - Watch styles have a lot to do with practical purposes. Of the all, diver watches may be the only one that is really suitable for formal business dress. Originally designed for use in underwater diving, these watches will have a water resistance rating of up to 100 metres and often be worn with a stainless steel metal band that won’t be affected by salt water.
- Chrono Watches - Also known as sports watches, chronos can be stylish to wear with men’s suits, but aren't considered a true dress watch. Often packed with a variety of functionality, including odometers, altimeters and even GPS technology, chrono watches are considered the top of the heap for casual watches. They go well with business casual, casual and sportswear.
- Pilot Watches - With a simpler design than most chronos, pilot watches tend to have a larger diameter for easier reading in a variety of lighting conditions and to be operated while wearing gloves.
- Field Watches - It’s the watch you can hack. Filed watches got their name in World War I because they allowed infantrymen to stop the second hand to synchronize their watches. Didn’t you ever wonder how they did that so fast in the movies? That versatility extends to the variety of casual wear you can use with a field watch
If you liked this post, check out our recent article about three tips for how to wear a bowtie.
