Best of All Time - Men's Style & Fashion

A man's watch is typically his main piece of bling, an element essential to his overall style. There are so many watches to choose from, so little time -- from platinum mechanicals for black tie to steel chronographs for blacktop. We're firm believers that every man should own at least three: a dress watch, a sports watch, and an everyday watch. But start with the watch you'll wear most often for work and play: the everyday watch. For a hot time, keep reading.

WRIST SHOTS

Buy a lasting timepiece

The everyday watches pictured here each have three essential features, plus a few bonus options. Look for the same details in the watch you buy.

ESSENTIAL

Stainless-Steel Bracelet

Stainless steel is more practical than leather or rubber in a strap for everyday wear. It's classy enough to complement a business suit, casual enough to wear to the game, and waterproof, so you don't have to take it off to work out or shower. Less practical but more luxurious is white gold, as featured on the Bulgari watch shown here.

Water Resistance

"It's safe to shower every day in a watch that's water resistant to 50 meters or more," says Mark Wasserman, president of Oris USA. "For swimming, buy one water resistant to at least 100 meters." Divers' watches must be water resistant to 330 feet or more.

Classic Colors

The hottest trend in watches is colorful (blue, red, orange) dials and straps. But for an everyday watch, it's best to go with white, gray, or black -- basic shades that will look appropriate in a business setting.

OPTIONAL

Luminescent Indexes

Glow-in-the-dark guides make it easier to read the time in the dark. With a black or dark-colored dial, they'll stand out even more.

Sapphire Crystal

"It's more expensive than mineral glass, which is found on some inexpensive watches, but it's sturdier and highly scratch resistant," says Andy Gilchrist, author of The Encyclopedia of Men's Clothing. If you're spending more than a couple hundred dollars, chances are your watch will have a sapphire crystal; but it's always wise to make sure.

Steel (or Precious-Metal) Case

Check the back of the watch or the accompanying documents for the metallic content of the case, says Gilchrist. Steel is a solid option for an everyday watch. Inexpensive watches are sometimes made with plastic or a resin composite, while some expensive dress watches feature costly precious-metal cases.

Second Hand

You want one, especially on your everyday watch. It's also an excellent indicator of quality:

On mechanical watches, the second hand sweeps smoothly. On quartz watches, it stops and starts with loud ticks. When you see a supposedly high-end mechanical watch like a Rolex with a ticking second hand, guess what? It's a fake.

Chronograph

It's one of today's most popular styles, though few wearers have a clue about how to use all the functions. Frankly, the stopwatch function alone makes a chronograph worth considering.

Screw-in Crown

All diving watches, and many other watches as well, have this feature, which creates a tight seal to make the watch more water resistant. When you unscrew the crown to change the time or date, turn it toward you gently until you feel a light pop. When you screw it back in, don't overdo it. "You just need to screw north until it tightens around the gasket; that's enough to keep it water resistant," says Wasserman.

TICKER POWER

Watch aficionados prefer mechanical -- or automatic -- watches to battery-powered quartz watches, because of their superior quality, sweeping second hands, and movement powered by the motion of your arm and wrist. The one downside: If you don't wear it for a few days, you'll have to reset it. With good care, a well-made mechanical watch will last more than a lifetime.

That said, every man should have at least one battery-powered quartz watch in his wardrobe. They generally keep more precise time, and they're less expensive. Plus, they're extremely handy after a power outage.



ALWAYS BE ON TIME: Call (303) 499-7111 to synchronize your watch with the U.S. Atomic Clock.

For a watch check on your desktop, download free software from boulder.nist.gov/timefreq or tycho.usno.navy.mil to automatically set your computer clock to the correct time.

When you're traveling by air to a new time zone, reset your watch as soon as you board the plane. You'll get accustomed to the time change much more quickly.

MH Rule of Style #55

A watch should be snug enough that it doesn't slide up and down your arm, but loose enough to move slightly.