The first rule of watch club is you always talk about watch club. Misleading Brad Pitt lines aside, today we are talking about something rather important: watch etiquette. So you’ve finally scored that elusive timepiece you’ve been banking on for years. Or perhaps it’s your very first encounter with a luxury watch (every man’s been there). Whichever your reason it’s important for any man to know how to properly wear a watch once he’s attained it.
A Rolex Submariner, an IWC Pilot’s Watch, an OMEGA Speedmaster, a TAG Heuer Monaco, whatever your choice of wrist candy, there are ideal ways to wear it. Today we’re running you through the drills on how to wear a watch and how to avoid the most common oversights.
Ah, one of the oldest watch debates in the world. If someone ever tells you that you’re wearing your watch on the wrong hand, back slap them with your leather glove and tell them you challenge them to a duel. Alternatively, just explain to them that the rule is to wear a watch on the non-dominant wrist. That is, if you’re right handed you wear it on your left wrist. If you’re left handed, the watch goes on your right wrist. That’s the traditional rule anyway. These days it’s perfectly acceptable to wear a watch on whichever wrist you’d prefer.
Ever seen a grown man wear a G-Shock with a dinner suit to a wedding? On a charm scale of 1 to 10, it’s an Adam Sandler. So here’s how it goes for picking the right watch for the right occasion.
The line’s a bit blurry these days with many watchmakers incorporating ‘diving/sports/adventure heritage’ into their more refined pieces for formal use, but we’re talking about serious sports watches which are designed to do just that. Think bulkier Breitling Superoceans, Bremont’s Endurance GMT or OMEGA Seamasters paired with rubber straps for dedicated active duty. These are in no way bad watches, they’re just not designed to bode well with a suit because they can’t sit snug under a sleeve and tend to feature hits of bright colours. Dedicated outdoor watches like these are more sports watches, so wear them with your casual wear instead. Think along the lines of cool active outerwear.
At the other end of the spectrum we have the dress watch. Whilst some may bear names that take inspiration from their sporting heritage, they are essentially heavily refined versions which still fall under the dress watch category. Dress watches often exhibit a much cleaner dial design and more humbling functions (hours, minutes, seconds, date) which hark back to tradition rather than all out versatility. Size-wise they also tend to be slimmer and feature more traditionally shaped cases paired to leather straps or a classy steel bracelet. Its design is solely dedicated to seeing you through formal affairs whether that be in a business suit, a wedding suit or a fancy tuxedo.
This one’s another murky area as both driving and aviation-style watches are these days acceptable as dress watches. As a style guide, we’d recommend sticking to traditional dress watches with suits and tuxedos if you’re the conservative type. Pairing driving and aviation watches to suits are for those who want to add a bit more character, conversation and ‘pop’ to their overall look. These types of watches can do that because they often come with cool design elements and distinct functions lifted from their respective fields (motorsports and flying). The best way to describe these watches is somewhere between a dress watch and a sports watch. They have the refinement of a dress watch but with the added flair of a sports watch. As such, we’d recommend pairing them with a smart casual look; a blazer with jeans, a denim shirt with chinos, button-up linen shirts with fitted shorts, leather jackets with jeans. The idea is that the watch should match your day’s activity.
Besides playing around with the plethora of straps available on the market, there’s no other way to accessorise a nice luxury watch – and that’s a good thing. Simply switching out a black leather strap with a brown leather strap can take a dress watch from formal to smart casual. The same also goes for changing it up to a NATO strap for casual weekend duties. Each strap material has its place and purpose so again, know what the occasion is and then style your watch accordingly.
A formal affair calls for a formal look. From weddings, to swanky bars to job interviews, there’s an art to pairing a watch to any formal dress shirt.
We’re no longer talking about suits and dress shirts here. Watches are also perfect for pairing with your casual short sleeve button-up shirts and long sleeve button-up shirts. There’s no rules on which sleeve style one is right or wrong for watches – so long as the fit is right.
Some proven winning looks for the casual shirt-watch combo includes the long sleeve button up shirt with rolled sleeves. It’s a good way to show off the timepiece and we’d recommend opting for sports watches or driving and aviation timepieces. The same can also be applied to short sleeve shirts.
If you’re a casual t-shirt kind of guy, definitely don’t choose a dress watch as this will look a bit out of place. Again, sports watches or driving and aviation timepieces work best here irrespective of long or short sleeve.
Wear a watch appropriate for the occasion – outdoor and aviation watches for casual and smart casual setting, while dress watches should be reserved for formal affairs.
A dress watch is generally modest in size, thin, mechanical and may or may not feature a date. While the case may be steel or titanium, the strap attached is usually leather.
Both are good, but if you tend to dress more formal than not, leather straps are better. They are more comfortable to wear and adapt with time to fit you more perfectly.
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We know that taking the plunge on that first watch takes a lot of research and thought. There’s always price to consider and, of course, style. However, the most important thing is that you know how to wear a watch properly. Maybe you’re in the market for a new watch or maybe you just bought your first one. Here, we’ll address some of the common questions from prospective and new watch owners.
When it comes to watches, size matters, and you want to make sure your watch is the proper fit. This includes not only the watch case but also the bracelet or strap. Your watch wears too tight if it’s leaving imprints on your skin, and it’s too loose if you can fit several fingers under the band and it slides around on your wrist. Instead, your watch should be tight enough that it stays in place, with just a bit of room to move so that your wrist can breathe. If you find that your watch bracelet is either too big or too small, you can take it to a local watchmaker where they can remove or add links to give your watch the proper fit.
As far as placement on the wrist, you don’t want to wear your watch too low. Typically, you should wear it at the tip of the ulna (the bone on your wrist that sticks out). If you try keeping your watch on top of or above that bone, you’ll likely experience a bit of discomfort. Still not sure what size watch/bracelet/strap you need before you buy? Check out our handy watch sizing guide and watch our video on how to choose a case size for you.
Most people typically wear their watch on the hand opposite their dominant hand. This means if you’re right-handed, you wear your watch on your left wrist. Most watchmakers design watches for the left wrist since a majority of people are right-handed. Notice that watch crowns are generally on the right side of the case. For right-handed folks, this makes it easier to wind the crown or use the chronograph pushers on the go. However, if you’re a lefty, you’re not completely out of luck. You can look at some watches that cater to southpaws.
When standing with your arms down by your side, your sleeve or cuff should mostly cover your watch. However, when your arm is bent, your watch should peek out of your shirt cuff. Most importantly, don’t wear your watch on top of your cuff – don’t be that guy!
The answer to this question depends on what kind of watch you own. For instance, dress watches lend themselves to formal occasions, as the name suggests. Traditionally, a dress watch has a white dial, gold case, and a leather strap. It’s also more modestly sized and minimally styled – the Patek Philippe Calatrava is a perfect example. However, the versatility of sport models has increased and the definition of a “dress watch” has expanded. As a result, dress watches are no longer de rigueur for nicer occasions.
A nice watch really pulls together a formal outfit. Pictured: IWC PortugueseMost watches fall into the “everyday” category. Dive watches, pilot watches – you name it. Most watch styles are fitting for the office or a night on the town. When it comes to sport watches, the bracelet or strap will often determine exactly how casual your watch looks (i.e. a rubber strap is going to be a lot more casual that a metal bracelet).
Obviously, there are no written rules on how to wear a watch. However, there are definitely those that are “understood”. Hopefully, this answers all of your questions on how to wear a watch. However, if you still feel unsure, shoot us a line in the comments!
Editor’s Note: This article was updated in June of 2019 to offer more advice.