Your watch your style

Military Watches for Men as A Gift?

2/10/2016

Are military watches for men suitable as gifts for special occasions? Many might be thinking, “Nah these watches are just for guys who enlist in the army”. If it was 20 years ago, I would tend to agree with you. But now, I wouldn’t be so sure.

Military watches were designed to be tough and durable. When people think of tough and durable, most might be inclined to think “clumsy looking, boring black colour watch”. However, if you look at any one of our military watches reviews, it is evident that the design of military timepieces definitely differs from a clumsy or boring look. In fact, it is the direct opposite; military watches are actually stylish and cool.

Taking that into consideration, it is not difficult to realise that military timepieces are not only suitable for military purposes, but also for casual consumers like you and me, looking for a cool and sporty look.

It is obvious that military wrist watches are phasing out from the dull, big and boring single function type of watch. More and more military watches already have a multitude of functions such as chronograph features, barometer, compass and etc. Are the functions of these type of watches only needed by military men? Absolutely not. Anyone can benefit from these functions and that is why military timepieces are beginning to become a hot-seller among casual consumers, especially outdoor enthusiasts. The term military watches is nothing more than a nomenclature of classification of watches, rather than a reflection of its actual consumer market.

As the old adage says, “A man is judged upon the watch that he wears”, it is therefore important for a guy to own a decent watch. It represents a man’s status. It speaks volumes about the person wearing it. It can aid a person in leaving a good first impression. Any normal man would be proud to own a decent, rugged-looking watch. As such, a military watch can be a great Christmas gift, Birthday gift, Wedding anniversary gift, or Valentine’s gift for any male in the household. It can even be a gift for your boyfriend to show your appreciation towards him. The bottom line is that military watches for men can be a great gift for any guy on any occasion. They are not nicknamed the best watches for men for nothing.

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Are vintage timepieces a good investment for watch enthusiasts?

7/11/2015

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If you are among watch enthusiasts, chances are you also get obsessed with vintage pieces. With their roots dating back to a few decades ago, it’s the rarity that makes these wristwatches be sought-after with such high prices in the market.

Whether your taste runs into diving watches, pilot watches, chronograph watches or elegant dress watches, there’re always lots of vintage models out there in the market for you to pick up now. In terms of technical properties and crafting materials, these watches are definitely cannot be on a par with modern heritage models, but wristwatches are not hi-tech gadgets, their true value does not just lies in technology. That’s why Japanese watches with a lot of new and interesting features still cannot beat the traditional Swiss mechanical timepieces. It’s the product’s history & design that make an old watch become much more valuable in the eyes of watch enthusiasts.

You will notice that lots of modern dress watches today have a pseudoclassic appearance. Why watchmakers have to do like that? Because they know that customers are always prone to classic style, a watch would looks much more classy if it’s reminiscent of an already-famous watches from decades ago. Let’s take a look at Invicta diving watches, they are homage models to the most imitated watch in the world – the Rolex Submariner. And with the design taken from Rolex, Invicta watches have become bestselling products now. Purchasing a stroke to stroke remake is a safe way to own a vintage-looking watch without risking your hard earned money on an old watch. However, your feeling towards the watch would be absolutely different in 2 situations. You will hardly feel fully satisfied with a homage watch, you know what you’re wearing is just a remake, you cannot help ranking it below a true vintage watch. Unless you just intend to use the homage watch once in a while, don’t opt for it as a replacement of a vintage piece.

Things from the days of old are always dignified, the same rule applies for wristwatches. Why are Swiss mechanical timepieces considered luxury watches? It’s the history of Swiss horology that pushes the value of their products to an extremely high level. Don’t mistake me, Swiss watches are the best, no competitors can be them now in the field of traditional mechanical timekeepers. However, do you think just high-quality is enough for Swiss companies to charge their customers thousands of dollars for each item? In my worldview, NO, most of a Swiss watch’s value comes from the brand’s history, it is the watch’s iconic value. Back to vintage watches in general, when you wear a watch like that, you are actually owning a piece of history, and if people know that, they would definitely value your wristwatches much higher than a modern piece. Another misconception that makes vintage watches even look more valuable: most people think of vintage watches as luxurious and expensive items that only monied watch enthusiasts with delicate aesthetics can afford. In fact, there is a multitude of affordable vintage timepieces in the market for you to pick up.

Since vintage watches have been lasting for such a long time, their parts may be worn out or damaged to some level . This inconvenience is inevitable in buying an old watch, you’re risking your hard earned money on a thing that could be physically abused for years. Thus before buying a vintage watch, you have to find out a trustworthy source of info from which you can get reliable instructions. There are so many “Frankenwatches” out there, which are the mixtures of authentic watch parts and aftermarket components. Since the main reason you opt for a vintage watch is its origin, a Frankenwatch like that is nothing but a lemon. It would be useful for you to search for reviews about the vintage model that you intend to buy, to see whether it’s a durable watch or not. If it’s too fragile, chances are most of its components have been changed before it is sold.

As the horology has been improving over time, the vintage watches certainly require more of your care than the modern pieces. They are more fragile, easy to get scratched, their movements may not be as precise as the calibers of today…In terms of accommodation, the vintage watches cannot be better than the modern pieces, but they are valuable wristwatches that you can wear with pride.

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Why do you need a nice looking watch on your wrist?

7/11/2015

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“Don’t judge a book through its cover”

Yeah, that’s right, but you should keep this saying to yourself, as most people tend to evaluate you through visual indicators: your apparel, your gestures, your phone, your car, your accessories… your anything they can see with eyes. These indicators are much more important than you think. 80% of a person’s feeling about you is created by the first impression. Thus if you want to be taken seriously, you must look serious. Besides dressing up well, stand up straight… or whatever that makes you look more handsome and confident, having a nice-looking watch clinging on your wrist is also a good way to draw attention from other people. (Take a look at some eye-catching diver-style watches here!)

A nice-looking watch is extremely important in formal social situations, especially the face-to-face conversations. Besides looking at your eyes, people tend to focus on your hands when talking, and near one of your hands is possibly your wristwatch. Don’t believe me? Next time you talk to someone, pay a little attention and you will easily catch their eyes tracking your hands’ movements. Having an appealing watch sparkling on your wrist can push your image in the eyes of partners to a new level. If you are a man, you should be aware that many people consider wristwatch as a success-indicator. Women already have a lot of things to show their individuality and financial success: handbag, high heels, earrings, bracelet, even their make-up can tell us some things about them. But a man, on the other hand, has nothing but handsome clothing and a nice-looking watch, so you have to make the most out of them. Your attire impacts people’s overall impression of you, and your wristwatch is a focal point to show them more about your individuality.

Getting a nice-looking watch doesn’t mean that you go to a local store and take a quick look, then pick up a watch that you feel alright on your wrist. It’s a big NO NO! You can do like that when buying new T-shirts, but for watch purchasing, you have to do more research as it tells people so much about your individuality. Moreover, a good-looking watch is rarely cheap, so make sure you do not waste your hard-earned money ad regret after that.

Depending on your working environment and routine, you can choose the most suitable watch for yourself. If you are an office guy or a businessman, an elegant dress watch is the best choice. A versatile sport watch is ideal in case your job relates to creativeness (check out some Seiko pieces here!). It’s worth noting that people tend to feel more attractive about your watch if they know that it’s a vintage timepiece, because they think:”Well, it’s a unique timepiece, this guy has such an interesting taste!”. However, it is quite difficult to choose a right vintage watch that is in fully functional state and doesn’t seem to be worn-out too much.

Besides helping you impress other people, a nice timepiece can also push your confidence. Some people even see their watch as a lucky-item. There’s no item on your body that you can observe anything but your watch. Our subconscious mind has the ability of linking emotions to specific things. That’s why our mementos always have special meanings to us, because they can help us recall memories. The same rule applies to your beloved watch, as we tend to feel comfortable when we see what we love. I don’t know whether it’s the natural instinct that I feel more energized when wearing a right pair of shoes, and feel more confident when my beloved watch clinging on my wrist. Our outfits have an impact on our behaviors. Having something on the wrist can make us feel more confident.

Nowadays, wristwatches can’t be considered as mere time telling tools anymore. In fact, a wristwatch’s true value now lies in its aesthetics and spiritual meanings. Either it is for your own feeling or for people’s impression about you, a good looking watch is of so much use in your daily life as well as your occupation. Since your watch tells much about your individuality, be sure the watch is suitable with your style and appearance. A watch which looks good on someone’s wrist, might be inappropriate for you.

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What you should consider before buying a new watch?

7/11/2015

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As online retailers like Amazon partly replace traditional stores by and by, purchasing watches online is getting more common than ever. However, choosing a right watch through images and specifications can be a challenge. To avoid buying a wrong timepiece, you should pay attention to the following issues:

Size

Choosing a watch that is not your size is really a disaster. Instead of making you look better or more stylish, the watch now becomes a deterioration of your individuality. Your watch by all means shouldn’t be larger than your wrist. The lug-to-lug width cannot exceed your wrist’s width. Despite the “oversize” trend is the watch market, a watch that really much bigger than your wrist would absolutely look ridiculous and enchain attention is a negative way. Don’t mistake me, some sport watches such as G-Shock or Citizen EcoZilla are designed to be giant timepieces from the start, but they are just among the few exceptions. Your wrist size is the limit for your watch, despite the “oversize” fancy. For men, a tiny watch can make you look feminine. The lugs should be near the edges of your wrist, or else your watch might be too small for you. Standard size for men’s watches is within 40mm-44mm, a square dial watch can be a little smaller because its dial design is masculine enough. For example, the Police Skyline watches are just sized at 38mm, but they still look good on men’s wrists. Don’t compare the size of modern watches with timepieces from decades ago! Watch is fashion, and fashion keeps changing all the time!

Band material

Buyers tend to focus more on design and neglect the watch’s material, especially the band. Most of watch cases are made of stainless steel, but band’s material varies from watch to watch. I didn’t mean that most people don’t notice what kind of band their target watch features, but they don’t know exactly what it feel hands-on. Lots of people opt for an aftermarket leather strap because they feel the stainless steel bracelet on their watch is too heavy and hurts their hairy wrist. Some others are not satisfied with their watch’s alligator strap because it’s stiff like carton. Textile NATO straps are widely used for sport watches, they looks cool and military-inspired, but the problem here is that they absorb your sweat day by day…and you know what will happen, right? Besides considering the watch’s design, you also had better think about your routine and using purpose, each band material suits a specific demand.

Water resistance

Basically, all wristwatches today are water resistant up to 50 meters, but don’t assume that you can down your watch into a pool for 3 days and it’s still in fully functional state. Some watches are more vulnerable to water than others. The water resistance rating depends upon the crown designing, watches with screw-down crown are better protected from water. Moisture is another thing to avoid, it’s easy to get inside your watch and damage the movement inside.

Colors

As I said, judging a watch through its online pictures is a challenge. The colors may not look like in the product description. Before buying a watch, you had better search for some real reviewing images of the watch, because this is what it looks like in reality, the descriptive pictures on retailing websites are just for you to know if the watch is of your taste. In case there’re no hands on pictures of the watch online, you can go to local watch stores to take a look at the watch.

Your skin

Yeah, sometimes the watch is handsome, but when it clings to your wrist, it becomes inapposite. For example, a gold plated watch band is very appealing when it is on a light-skin wrist, but it may not look good on a dark-skin wrist. If you are dark-skin, a watch band with silver or brown tone is more suitable.

Above are some things you should consider before buying a new watch. As choosing a wrong timepiece can cost you much money, it’s best to deeply know about your targeted watch before buying it. There’re some experiences that only previous customers can tell us, thus reading comments on retailing websites is very important, especially the critical comments.

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Fashion watches - Are they worth your money?

7/11/2015

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Frankly speaking, every timepiece is a fashion watch, because it demonstrates your style & individuality to some extent. As soon as cell phones became popular, people no longer need a wrist watch for time-telling, they treat it as a fashion item instead, except for some heavy-duty sport watches that are designed to be used in special circumstances.

There’re basically 2 main kinds of wristwatch in the watch industry now. The first is timepieces which are made by true watch companies, such as Rolex, Omega, Seiko, Citizen, Orient, Casio… And the second, what we call “fashion watches”, are products of famous fashion brands, such as Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Just Cavalli, Versace, Gucci, Rudiger, Police…So what are the differences between the two kinds?

Well, firstly, it is their role with the producing company. Rolex or Seiko definitely earn their money from their watches, watches are their main products and ultimate source of income. Therefore, these companies always try to improve their watches’ quality as much as possible. They invest much in researching materials, improve their watches’ technical properties. Needles to say about Rolex luxury pieces, but even the cheap watches from Seiko also exude a high-level craftmanship. The same rules can be applied for most prestigious watchmakers in the market.

Fashion watches, on the other hand, are offered by famous fashion brands who usually have a well-rounded portfolio of products. They don’t rely solely on wristwatches to make profits. Thus their level of commitment to wristwatches may be limited. It doesn’t mean that all fashion watches are worthless, some brands like Police are Michael Kors can offer you valuable timepieces with striking designs. However, if you just make your decision based on the brand’s reputation, you would get a bad deal sooner or later. Remember, in the watch industry, sometimes the price has nothing to do with the quality. A good sunglasses maker can offer you a worthless wristwatch. Sad but true! It’s normal in business, one day Rolex tries to sell ladies bags, I wouldn’t be surprised if their bags’ quality are far less than that of their watches.

As most of the fashion watches are made by a third-party, not by the brand’s owner, it’s very important to search out who is the real manufacturer. For examples, Fossil designs and manufactures fashion watches for lots of prestigious brands: Emporio Armani, Burberry, Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Adidas… Since Fossil is reputable in the watch industry, you could partly make sure that the watches they make are acceptably reliable and durable. So next time you want to buy a fashion watch, the first and foremost thing to do is try to know who actually manufactures the watch. Big brands do not mean high-quality watches.

One more thing for you to expect from a fashion watch: most of the watch’s value comes from the brand name and the logo on its face. Believe it or not, a 200USD fashion watch might cost only over 20USD to produce. This seems to be unreasonable, but prestigious fashion brands apply that rule for all of their products. A 100USD Nike pair of sneakers also costs a few bucks to manufacture. If you want a more reasonable cost/price ratio, opt for a Japanese watch from Orient or Seiko, Citizen, etc…But chances are that you might find these Japanese timepieces just don’t suit your style. Their designs are a little conservative and not as trendy as fashion watches. I’m not talking about Japanese sport watches, but dress watches which are prone to classic styles. Fashion watches possess the unique freshness & stylishness that you may not see on the products made by established watchmakers. Each fashion brand always imprints their unique style on their watches, that’s why these timepieces keep being sought-after.

In conclusion, if you look at a wristwatch as a mere fashion item, fashion watches are also good choices besides “true watch”. The timekeeping function of fashion watches is usually basic, but reliable, as their components are mainly provided by Japanese or Swiss producers. Make it clear from the start that you buy a fashion watch due to its appealing design and brand recognition, or else you would feel disappointed when you open the case and see what is inside the watch. Fashion timepieces are not for watch enthusiasts.

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Military Watches for Men as A Gift?

Are vintage timepieces a good investment for watch enthusiasts?

Why do you need a nice looking watch on your wrist?

What you should consider before buying a new watch?

Fashion watches - Are they worth your money?

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