Large metal watches with tailoring.

[Beowulf Stumbles]

No need to edit your comment! I appreciate and welcome the feedback. Are Datejusts really that bad with tailoring? It seems very normal to me.

I've thought about buying another watch, but mostly to wear with workwear. So I've thought about buying a Sub. But I keep putting off the purchase. A Sub would be even larger than my Datejust and more obviously a sports watch, but I would mostly wear it with casualwear.

One of the reasons why I wear this Datejust is because it has sentimental value, but it doesn't feel right to me with my casualwear. So I keep it to tailoring.

My father bought the watch in the 1960s after he graduated from college (with an architecture degree). Shortly after he returned home to Saigon, the Tet Offensive happened. Both sides of my family -- mom and dad -- were at risk if the communists took over. One side of my family owned land and several factories; the other side was involved in organized crime. They knew things were going to be bad for them if the communists came, so they made plans to leave.

Everyone had to figure out their own way out of the country. My dad ended up buying a fake ID and posed as an international student. He then bought a cardboard box and sliced the pieces open. Between the cardboard, he slid sheets of thin gold, taped up the box again, and filled the box with books, so he could hide the weight. He then packed a small suitcase with clothes (things that would look appropriate for a student), and left with just that box of gold and the suitcase. The only thing of personal value he kept from his "old life" was the Rolex Datejust.

The first stop was Cambodia, where his brother/ my uncle, was eventually killed by the Khmer Rouge. After that, they escaped to Iran. And then the Iranian Revolution happened and they had to flee again. They eventually made it to Canada and after that the United States. Each time, he had this Rolex on him. Some decades later, my dad got robbed in a store, where someone came in, masked, and holding a shotgun. Somehow, he was calm enough to slip the Rolex off his wrist and throw it into the corner. The robber stole everything in the cash register but missed the Rolex.

When I turned a certain age, my dad gave me his Rolex, and up until that point, I had never seen it off his wrist. I don't always wear it with tailoring because sometimes I'm afraid of losing it or getting robbed, and the sentimental value is important to me. But when I do wear it, I only wear it with tailoring because most of my casualwear is very workwear-y or causal (e.g. leather jackets, trucker jackets, and the like).

Thank you for sharing that most personal story. To me, that's the beauty of an heirloom watch that will last from generation to generation. About a year ago my son graduated from Marine Officer Candidate School, just as I did over 30 years ago. It was the most meaningful day of my life. (And yes, I know I'm supposed to mention my wedding and the birth of my first child here, but...) I presented him with a Sea Dweller, engraved with his name, and "Marine" and the date of his graduation. It brings me great joy to think of him giving it to his son some day and maybe telling a story about his old man.

The Sea Dweller has justifiably taken a few knocks here. Fine. I like it better than the Sub because it's bigger on my large wrists. I also like the story, and the ridiculous over-engineering. No, I don't dive. But I do beat the hell out of it and use the dial as a timer almost every day. (How long have I been walking? How long has my wife been telling me about her day? Is the steak done?)

I'm a watch guy, and feel naked without one. I could never bring myself to wear an Apple Watch.

 

[arnuld]

Just curios what people think about this topic. Personally I think the large sport watch (speedmaster, nautilus etc) with metal band looks incredibly tasteless worn with tailored clothes. It’s a very common look though, so I might be wrong.

I never go out without a watch because I need to know the time when I want to.

As per my experience, style goes with both the education/location and the economy. If you are educated (or located in a developed country) then you know about the styles because you live in that kind of surroundings.

Where I live (INDIA), most are from lower economic backgrounds and hence people prefer simpler watches that are more reliable and cheaper to repair if broken. So questions like big brands and style rules do not arise.

I buy quartz watches, have four of them. One digital ($5.33) and three analogs, one is a fashion analog ($12.79)) which I disliked the most after a while. The other two are a TIMEX ($17.32) and a CASIO, both really good-looking. CASIO is a bit on the expensive side ($33)

Guess, which one I use the most? The cheapest one, digital. Not because it's cheap but because it's most useful, it has day and date display. When I want to look at the time or the day or all of them, I just need to look at it for less than a second to know what it is. Mobile one needs to take out from pocket and unlock to check. Way too long and complicated if you check time 20-30 times a day like me. Just flip your wrist and you get everything.

Analog watches have one big advantage: it's easier to know time. You just need to look at them indirectly and your eyes easily catch the minute and hour hands. Digital time is not so easy to catch, it takes a good angle. Also, the CASIO one has a bright blue dial with steel hands, and they kind of look like blending with each other when you look and hence it takes a second to get the time.

 

[Keith Taylor]

I only own one leather strapped dress watch, and I don't particularly like it. Other than that my collection is very Alpina heavy, with a Startimer pilot and several Seastrong dive watches, and I'll happily wear any of them with tailoring - apart from my orange Seastrong, but that's only because it has a rubber strap and the colour doesn't really go with any of my more formal clothes.

It would never cross my mind to worry about it. If I'm sweating the formality of my watch I'm overthinking things. My only consideration is whether a watch will fit comfortably beneath a shirt sleeve, and the only one in my collection that's completely off limits is my Enriva dive watch with its 19.5mm thickness. That thing is so chunky it makes me look like my parole office will be notified if I'm out of my house after curfew.

 

[Rich T]

I never go out without a watch because I need to know the time when I want to.

As per my experience, style goes with both the education/location and the economy. If you are educated (or located in a developed country) then you know about the styles because you live in that kind of surroundings.

Where I live (INDIA), most are from lower economic backgrounds and hence people prefer simpler watches that are more reliable and cheaper to repair if broken. So questions like big brands and style rules do not arise.

I buy quartz watches, have four of them. One digital ($5.33) and three analogs, one is a fashion analog ($12.79)) which I disliked the most after a while. The other two are a TIMEX ($17.32) and a CASIO, both really good-looking. CASIO is a bit on the expensive side ($33)

Guess, which one I use the most? The cheapest one, digital. Not because it's cheap but because it's most useful, it has day and date display. When I want to look at the time or the day or all of them, I just need to look at it for less than a second to know what it is. Mobile one needs to take out from pocket and unlock to check. Way too long and complicated if you check time 20-30 times a day like me. Just flip your wrist and you get everything.

Analog watches have one big advantage: it's easier to know time. You just need to look at them indirectly and your eyes easily catch the minute and hour hands. Digital time is not so easy to catch, it takes a good angle. Also, the CASIO one has a bright blue dial with steel hands, and they kind of look like blending with each other when you look and hence it takes a second to get the time.



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wholeheartedly agree - Real style should begin with what suits you. And, style without function can become meaningless window dressing.
A good friend has worn a basic Timex for as long as I’ve known him. Calling him stylish is an understatement and the Timex just works for him. It has a clean design, works flawlessly and easily fits under his shirt‘s sleeves.

 

[beautybean]

Not all metal (precious or otherwise) bracelet watches are created equal. There are some models that I think work fine with a suit depending on the occasion. The Cartier Santos (in blue) for example is an elegant watch that fits nicely under the wristy

Not all metal (precious or otherwise) bracelet watches are created equal. There are some models that I think work fine with a suit depending on the occasion. The Cartier Santos (in blue) for example is an elegant watch that fits nicely under the wrist

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Yeah, I agree this one in particular looks awful, particularly because of the rounded square shape and the tacky look, but I like most watches.

 

[RSS]

Because you need a waistcoat to wear a pocket watch.

I took this a different way. With all the talk about big watches, I assumed he meant -- playfully of course -- just strapping a pocket watch to one's wrist. I imagine we've all seen pocket watches -- from IWC to Patek -- adapted that way.

And there is always a bungee chord.

 

[RSS]

As for not all metal bracelets being equal ... back in my younger days I used to see fair number of Patek and Vacheron dress watches on mesh bracelets of precious metals. I recently visited a watch repair and when the owner saw my simple vintage piece he pushed several my way. He seemed disappointed when I did not buy. Just not my thing.

 

[Andy57]

I took this a different way. With all the talk about big watches, I assumed he meant -- playfully of course -- just strapping a pocket watch to one's wrist. I imagine we've all seen pocket watches -- from IWC to Patek -- adapted that way.

Not since around 1914.

 

[RSS]

Not since around 1914.

I takes a sense of humor.

 

[emptym]

I think it's still fairly common to use pocket watches and/or their movements for wristwatches. There's a few companies, like Vortic, that will convert a pocket watch to a wristwatch. Sometimes they'll add lugs or use a modified strap to a pocket watch, but I think more often they'll take the old movement and face and put it in a larger case. Here's a neat example of a Waltham watch (love the movement's finishing, if not the dual tone hands):

Rpaige Waltham Original Antique Dial Watch Review | aBlogtoWatch

With a restored original antique American pocket watch movement and dial, this is a review of the Rpaige Waltham Original Antique dial watch

www.ablogtowatch.com

Quite a few modern watches use movements that were made for pocket watches originally, incl Panerai, which may be most responsible for large watch trend. Lots more info here:

In-Depth - The Merging of Pocket Watches and Wristwatches

Upgrading expensive mechanical devices is a centuries-old concept that prevents premature obsolescence as times change. In the American Wild West of the 19th century, black powder revolvers were commonly converted to shoot modern cartridges, forgoing the need to replace a vital necessity...

monochrome-watches.com

Some of them have clear backs to reveal those gorgeous old movements:

Re mesh straps, I like them a lot. Edit: here's a couple I have, nowhere near as nice as the Patek though:

Have had the Skagen since college almost 30 yrs ago. It's small, like 32mm. The others are 34. The Waltham band isn't mesh. I'd wear any of these w/ a SC but prob not a suit.

 

[RSS]

I think it's still fairly common to use pocket watches and/or their movements for wristwatches. There's a few companies, like Vortic, that will convert a pocket watch to a wristwatch.

I was noticing the work of Vortic the other day. And there are still plenty of finely made pocket watch conversions out there in the used market. I've seen at least two for sale ... in the past week. But I must admit, I thought of that pocket watch comment as playful humor related to what some may perceive as oversizing.

Have had the Skagen since college almost 30 yrs ago. It's small, like 32mm. The others are 34/35. The Waltham band's not mesh. I'd wear any of these w/ a SC but prob not a suit.

Although I have some larger sports watches, most of my dress watches are sized much like yours. My wrist is not small and a 40mm JLC Ultra Thin appears like a moon pie (in my opinion). Others love that.

And while I am not a fan of metal bands (they almost all react with my skin) my significant other (coming up on 40 years) is.

 

[Andy57]

I takes a sense of humor.

❓

 

[rollerkilt]

When I suggested pocket watches, it was partly to show that even though tasteful dress wristwatches go better with suits than giant sport watches do, it isn't worth worrying about and arguing that the more traditional way (dress wrist watch) should be seen as a rule, and that hockey pucks on the wrist are totally wrong, in that someone with an older tradition (pocket watches only, which used to be called just watches) will come along and point out that wristwatches aren't dressy, because wrist straps are for sport. Also, early on, wrist watches were considered something for ladies, until military use.

I've never seen anyone wear a wristlet and I never suggested doing it. It sounds like a bad idea. The bigger the watch, the worse the idea, for looks. I can see doing it with ladies sized (pocket) watches. I don't know horologically, but I'd guess that older pocket movements get too far off with wrist movement. And people should just wear the pocket watches rather than pull them apart, or if just a movement, don't use up the movements in wrist cases. A wristlet wouldn't be as bad, since it's still a complete pocket watch that can be removed.

 

[Dino944]

As for not all metal bracelets being equal ... back in my younger days I used to see fair number of Patek and Vacheron dress watches on mesh bracelets of precious metals. I recently visited a watch repair and when the owner saw my simple vintage piece he pushed several my way. He seemed disappointed when I did not buy. Just not my thing.

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These seemed to be popular from the late 60s through the late 80s. PP, AP, and VC offered various shapes on gold mesh bracelets. Most are relatively small by today's standards 31-33mm. I was never a fan of them as the round models look a bit odd without lugs, the bracelets look very dated and flashy in gold, and I don't think the bracelets can really be sized. I think most pre-owned watch shops are fans of them because they are tough to sell based on the above.

Personally, I like a variety of watches to suit a variety of occasions and clothing choices. I have gold dress watches on straps for dressy occasions and tailored clothing. However, if they occasion isn't that dressy, I don't have an issue wearing a steel watch on a steel bracelet with tailored clothing, provided its not something really bulky (although in full disclosure, I don't own any Panerais or very large watches). Just as I have no issue wearing one of my gold dress watches, which are on straps, with more relaxed or business casual type clothing.

 

[The Dirty Pigeon]

I voted “No way, Jose” based on the descriptor “large” which makes me think oversized and chunky. However, I think an elegant metal watch is perfectly fine with elegant tailoring.