How to Wear a Watch – Rules to Live By

Watch ownership is a gift that keeps on giving. From your first ever timepiece onwards, you become aware of the import that that thing on your wrist can hold – and the responsibility that comes with the wielding of such unlikely power. But as a recent convert to the world of watch ownership, what exactly is there that you need to understand about it?

Which Watch?

Your first consideration should relate to which watch might be appropriate for you to wear. Naturally, the answer to this question is heavily impacted by a number of different variables, from the formality of the occasion to the potential existence of a dress code and far, far beyond.

Let’s start, though, with your own considerations regarding dress. Black tie events are going to command a particular level of effort, from your shoes to your suit and more besides. Your watch choice should reflect the importance of the occasion, with sleek angles and a clear display at the very least. Sharper Rolex watches are a clear entrant in this regard, being instantly recognisable and also able to fit the occasion without sticking out. For more casual affairs, chronographs as made by the likes of Breitling, can make more canonical sense.

What’s in a Face?

Watch faces and the differences between them can carry a great deal of import. The busier a watch face, the less appropriate it is for certain situations; full-on black-tie dinner events would render you inconspicuous were you to wear a chronometer with multiple dials on the face! Think chic at all times – or, essentially, “Am I chic enough on the wrist for this thing?” 

Wearing It Well

Choosing the right watch for the occasion is only a small part of a much larger battle, though. Whichever watch you eventually choose to wear also needs to fit your wrist. Luckily, watch straps are modular affairs and can be amended or even outright replaced.

As a general rule, the meeting of your thumb and ring finger describes the circumference of your wrist (with a little give or take); generally speaking, a crude measurement as this can give a comfortable range for a short-notice strap or fixture. A proper measurement, though, will give you the opportunity to solve for comfort in a number of scenarios.

Taking Care

One of the more important rules for wearing the right watch is knowing when not to wear a watch at all. This is a difficult thing to intuit, as even the most solemn of occasions can welcome, or even demand, a watch. But understanding the difference between a sports watch and a timepiece with long-term value is the start of this wider journey and a key step into understanding what might and might not be appropriate at a given time.

This is a collaborative post.