Should Men Wear a Watch?

Roco Alasdair
Jun 10, 2021
6 min read

Updated: Feb 25, 2024

Some of you might look at a price tag on a watch and think $100 is a lot and others might think it's not a lot. Well, both opinions are correct because you can buy a watch for £5 and you can buy one for the best part of $100,000. There is no right or wrong answer and it will very much come down to budget and how much you have or are willing spend on a watch.

In my opinion a watch isn't something you should cheap out on too much as it's an important addition to your style, it reflects your personality, and a good quality watch will last many many years (still plenty of watches knocking around from 100 years ago that work pretty well).

Why should a man wear a watch?

Given that all of us carry a phone now and we have the time at our fingertips, you might be wondering why you should buy a watch too. Maybe you think that watches have become obsolete in the modern world - and that's fair enough. However a watch is about more than just telling the time, although that is its main function of course.

The invention of watches goes back hundreds of years, starting out really in the 16th century. Back then and up until the late 1800s, the pocket watch was the style and timepiece that people were using. The pocket watch not only allowed people to tell the time, but it added flair to the outfit of the gentlemen at the time. The golden casing, the gold chain that hung around the waistcoat - however you picture it, it was a style piece that made some men stand above the others.

Wrist watches weren't used until the late 1800s and they were primarily for the military, as they were much more convenient that a pocket watch. But through the early 20th century, wrist watches started to become the preferred timepiece and companies took this opportunity to focus on watch design and sophistication. Swiss watch technology was plugged into the process and helped to create what we now know as the best time keeping watches. Brands like Rolex exploded into the market and became the name of names when high quality watches were the subject of conversation.

The watch is not just about time keeping, the watch is a tiny little (often round) window to your style and it says something about what kind of man you are. Much like other accessories, watches will add small hints of style to your look and point the outside observer to what you're trying to represent in yourself. And now there are watches for every type of man from the millionaire banker to the surfer to the teenager.

Choosing a watch comes down to a few basic factors (among a long list of micro-factors):

Shape - are you going to go for a round or rectangular face?
Size - do you want the watch to match your hand and wrist size or are you looking for something to stand out and make more of a statement?
Usage - is this going to be for sports, work, part of your casual wear?
Strap - will you go for a chain-link or leather strap?
Colour - silver? Black? Multicoloured?

Personally I'm not a fan of ultra flashy watches that are "blinged up" with loads of colour and diamonds - the kind of thing you see rappers wearing. No judgement, that style usually looks pretty spot on with the look they're trying to achieve, but I think a sophisticated and humble gentleman like the rest of us should go for a simple, clean style with small amounts of detail that give it a little pop.

Below are just a few examples of the kind of watch you can buy for around $200 - $300, which I think is a reasonable estimate for a watch of decent quality that will look good and should last you a long time. I'm not suggesting that one of these is definitely the watch you should buy, I'm using them as examples of the style and price range you might want to look at. See what you think and use them as a style guide to shop around.

Fossil Analog Automatic

This watch has the standard round face with a 44 mm diameter - which is about average for a traditional sized watch. This particular model has the brown leather strap and buckle with an off-white dial and silver casing, finished with black roman numbers and an awesome skeleton effect (which is being able to see the inner workings of the watch mechanisms, something I think is a pretty cool touch).

Watches like this have a nice mix of clean, sharp and simple. Nothing excessively fancy, very traditionally styled, with a hint of modern in the form of the skeleton effect. A watch like this would pair well with a brown belt and shoes and a nice polo or button-up shirt. The only downside to this particular watch is that it doesn't show the date, something that might not be an issue for some men, but certainly something I wouldn't overlook.

Emporio Armani Black

Another round face style watch from Armani, with a slightly bigger 47 mm diameter. The main difference between this style and the Fossil is the metallic/ceramic bracelet instead of the leather strap, but this particular one does come with a few options available in terms of colour and strap.

What I love about this watch it that ultra crisp, black matt look which just oozes cool - the kind of thing you'd see in one of those Armani perfume adverts on the wrist of an incredibly handsome man as he puts on his suit. A watch of this style will go really well with a black suit and white shirt or even a tux. It just screams edgy and cool, and would be a great time piece to add to your look.

Orient 2nd Gen Bambino

Orient have gone with an ultra traditional and old fashioned look with this one, the cream dial and dark brown strap giving it that vintage look. A smaller and less flashy option with a 40.5 mm diameter round face, this style is good for the old school gentleman, potentially could pair well with tweed, sweaters and corduroy trousers.

However, you can also imagine wearing this watch in a convertible sports car in the south of France in 1965. It just has that classic, old fashioned look and I love that. Would also go well with a half unbuttoned dress shirt and beige trousers with a pair of gold rimmed Ray Bans. It also has a smaller face so its good for the gent with a smaller wrist/hand.

Hugo Boss Classic Quartz

Something about the blue, silver and light brown just bring this watch together so nicely. It's clean and cool, and sharp looking but still with a classic look.

The blue face just jumps out from the silver and brown look to give it a little extra something, making it appear traditional but with some flash. The perforated edging gives it that pop, but somehow remaining understated. It might not be best matched with a black suit but pretty much anything else will be great with it - it would look good with a grey suit or a casual outfit for example.

Tissot Chronograph

Now I'll admit this one is on the slightly more expensive side (more like $700) and I'm definitely biased because I currently wear a slightly older version of this exact watch, but something about a square/rectangle shaped watch just stands out from the class round faced dials you see on most people's wrists.

Right angled watch faces are very cool, but they do tend to work better as a business watch, pairing well with smart clothes like suits and shirts. You should also be conscious that if the top to bottom length is on the larger size, it will likely dwarf your wrist and make it look a lot smaller than it actually is. So if you're someone with wrists on the thinner side, just be careful of this.

Once again, these are just a few examples and suggestions to give you an idea of what I think are classy looking watches for the modern man. Bald World is not about flash and over-the-top excessiveness, we're here to try and make bald men more stylish, sophisticated and confident in themselves. Whatever watch you decide to buy, whether it be from the list above or a completely different one, just make sure that it represents your style and personality. Show the rest of the world who you are and how you want them to see you.