3 Things Every Man Needs to Know About Buying and Wearing a Watch

The argument can be made that every gentleman should wear a wristwatch on a daily basis. The problem is that most don’t know what to buy or how to wear them appropriately. Do you?

Read more after the jump in tips put together by DSCENE magazine’s Watches Editor: 

Why Watches Matter

In a world full of smartphones and ubiquitous digital clock faces, the idea of wearing a wristwatch doesn’t always strike people as an extremely practical choice. But watches do more than just tell time. Here are some practical reasons why men should still care about the classic wristwatch:

Style and fashion. For men, there are limited opportunities to make a fashion statement. A watch is one of them. For decades, watches have been a sign of wealth, style, and sophistication. The right watch communicates positive messages to those around you.

Confidence booster. There’s something powerful and reassuring about knowing that you have a luxury timepiece on your wrist. Whether it’s worth $500 or $15,000, a watch is sure to give you an extra dose of confidence when you need it most.

Less distracting. You’ll commonly hear people say, “I don’t need a watch because I have a phone.” But what these people don’t realize is that smartphones are distracting. You may intend to reach into your pocket and quickly check your phone, but then you notice email notifications and text messages. Before you know it, something that should have taken two seconds is now eating up 10 minutes of your time. With a wristwatch, there’s no risk of this.

Attention to detail. When you wear a watch, it shows that you care about the finer details of life. It’s a signal to business partners, customers, friends, family members, or associates that you care enough to focus on the specifics. This says something about your personality, drive, and focus.

When you see watches for what they are, you begin to understand that they aren’t just practical time-telling devices. In fact, they’re so much more than that. And for those willing to make the investment, a quality timepiece can make a big difference.

3 Things Men Must Know About Watches

Watches clearly matter, but not all timepieces are created equal. It’s important that you understand some of the basics. Here are a few pointers:

1. Types of Watch Movements

When it comes to watch movements, there are generally three basic types. Here’s a brief look at each:

Mechanical. A mechanical watch is one that’s powered by a spring and wound by hand. Once wound, the spring slowly unwinds and causes the watch hands to move in a consistent, steady sweeping motion. Once the spring fully uncoils, the watch must be wound again. Mechanical watches have long been considered the most luxurious – simply because of their complex craftsmanship, smooth movement, and tactile nature. However, they aren’t as accurate as the alternatives (they can gain or lose roughly one second per day.)

Quartz. A quartz watch uses electricity from a small battery. This electrical charge causes a small quartz crystal to vibrate and tick the second hand. While not as smooth as the mechanical motion, it’s considerably more accurate. Quartz watches are also more affordable and durable.

Automatic. An automatic watch is very similar to a mechanical watch in that it’s powered by a mainspring. However, it doesn’t require any hand winding. These watches contain a small weight called a “rotor,” which moves as your wrist moves throughout the day. This movement automatically winds and keeps the watching going (no battery required).

There’s nothing wrong with any one type of watch movement. They all have unique pros, cons, and differences. It’s also important to understand the difference between expensive and nice. While most expensive watches are nice, not all nice watches are expensive. In other words, it’s possible to find a good quality watch at a decent price. Vincero watches are a great example of this. You can find well-constructed watches that are both sleek and stylish for under $200.

2. Watch Styles

In addition to various watch movements, there’s an endless list of watch styles. This includes dress watches, field watches, dive watches, racing watches, pilot watches, digital watches, and smart watches (with plenty of subcategories in each of these groupings). At the very least, every man should have a dress watch and some sort of casual watch – like a field watch or digital watch.

3. Wearing a Watch

When wearing a watch, the general rule of thumb is that you wear your watch on the wrist of your non-dominant hand. (If you’re right handed, you wear your watch on your left wrist – and vice versa.) However, it’s perfectly acceptable in today’s society to wear your watch on whichever wrist makes you more comfortable. Just try to be consistent.

Let Watches Elevate Your Style

You don’t need a collection of 15 different luxury watches in your closet. You should, however, have one or two quality timepieces that you can wear with just about anything. Not only does a watch allow you to tell time, but it also impacts your confidence and communicates the right message to the people around you. Keep this in mind as you search for the perfect watch for your style.