How Do You Properly Wear a Watch

How Do You Properly Wear a Watch

It seems like a simple thing; to properly wear a watch, you simply place it on your wrist.  The most style conscious among us, however, know that to truly wear a watch “properly,” there is much more involved than just slipping it on.  You must first consider your apparel, select a watch that coordinates along with your style, consider where you’ll be going and the dress code to which you’ll need to adhere.  You’ll need to consider any other accessories you plan to wear, and also what specific watch functions you may need your watch to perform while you wear it.  All these factors play into how to properly wear a men’s watch.  Let’s look at each consideration in detail.  

What Are You Wearing?

Your outfit almost always dictates the style of watch you’ll wear.  If you’re a one watch type of guy, you’ll want a timepiece that pairs easily with casual and business attire, and can easily accompany you to a sporting event or a dinner with your significant other.  If you’re watch quiver is a little more well stocked, you can decide on which watch to wear based on your outfit.  For instance, you likely would not want to pair a rugged diving watch or surplus style field watch with a suit and tie.  Alternatively you will not want to pair an heirloom watch with a pair of dock shorts and boat shoes.  Eliminating some of your options by determining if they work well with your outfit is the first step in properly wearing a watch. 

Where Are You Going?

Your destination is a good indicator of which watch you should wear.  In addition to being dressed for the occasion, your watch must match the occasion and expected dress code as well.  Headed to a business meeting?  You’ll likely not pair a field watch or rubberized diving watch with your outfit.  Taking a night out on the town?  Why not opt for the loudest, largest, and flashiest watch in your arsenal?  Taking a casual Sunday drive that could lead anywhere ? Select something like a field watch with simplistic, minimalistic design.  Wherever you are going, you can determine whether your watch will be appropriate by considering the expected dress code.  

What Other Accessories Are You Wearing?

If you’re headed to an outdoor festival and plan to wear every bit of beaded jewelry you own, you will want to wear a paired down watch so that your creative style isn’t overpowered by a watch that says your day job is in a suit behind a desk!  Being conscious of what other accessories you’ll be wearing is important in deciding what watch you’ll wear.  As a general rule, the larger the watch case, the more downplayed your other accessories should be.  If your event calls for more accessories, it calls for a smaller watch.  A larger watch pairs nicely with a simple ring, bracelet, or cuff.  

What Do You Need Your Watch to Do?

Nowadays we rarely use our watches to tell the time.  More and more watches are worn as a stylistic accessory and status symbol rather than a method of time-telling.  However, there are certain times when you may need another watch function.  For instance, some watches, like racing chronographs, can measure time, distance, and speed.  Other watches come with different complications, and you can select the watch that has the desired complication you need for the activity in which you plan to partake.  

Wearing a watch properly is easy once you consider all the factors that go into proper watch wearing.  It’s really a matter of being considerate and aware of yourself, your surroundings, and activities.  Select the watch you will wear based on your attire, where you are going, what you’ll be doing, and what you need your watch to do.