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What your watch says about you

watch
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A wristwatch communicates a personal sense of style perhaps more than any other accoutrement this side of a pair of well-made shoes or expensive glasses or sunglasses.

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Sure, those items might be more easily noticed, but it’s the timepiece that’s the definitive man’s style statement that has stood the test of time for over a century with greater impact, more pervasive influence.

No matter what watch you wear, you’re making a statement about who you are and what’s important to you.

The more pragmatic, lower cost brands like Timex and Casio fall too far on the side of utilitarianism and speak more to your frugality than your sense of style, while the high end brands like Richard Mille and Bvlgari step over the line of classic iconic style and into the realm of gauche — created more for pure show than for anything within the realm of serious timekeeping.

And then there are the true elite horologicals that exude timeless style, never seem to age and are recognized globally as the best in design, quality, timekeeping ability, value over time and style.

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We’ve chosen five premier brands that are respected all over the world, not just by the horological cognoscenti, but by anyone who understands the impact of a man’s wristwatch on his whole ethos.

Rolex

rolex
The Image Gate/Getty

Rolex is the world’s most recognized watch brand. The Swiss watchmaker has been around since 1905 and stands as the single largest watchmaker with production numbers of 2,000 timepieces per day. This is an astronomical number for a high-end watch brand.

Big as they are, they’ve managed to build and maintain a reputation of secrecy and mystique that few brands can match. They’ve also attained status in the forefront of most men’s minds as a strong symbol of success. 

Rolex also happens to be the most copied brand in the world, and not just in the form of cheap knockoffs that turn green in the shower.

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The Rolex Submariner design is emulated by dozens of brands. These homage watches are often well-made but not nearly to the specifications or rigors of Rolex timepieces. This is why Rolex can command higher prices. Discerning people are willing to pay for a Rolex, whether it’s a brand new $5,000 version or a $150,000 vintage timepiece.

To run down the litany of Rolex’s accomplishments reveals its ethos of sophisticated sports luxury. Rolex can boast fine achievements, like the first waterproof wristwatch in 1926, the first waterproof case to 100 meters in 1953, and the first chronometer certification all the way back in 1914.

But a man wearing a Rolex does not automatically convey success, sophistication, masculinity and style. Just like a man who buys a Ferrari and peels the tires at every intersection while wearing licensed Ferrari apparel from head-to-toe, wearing a Rolex watch to draw attention automatically disqualifies its wearer as someone to respect.

If you wear a gold and blue Rolex Presidential and enjoy four-button suits, lizard shoes and talk about yourself in the third person regularly, then you’re likely abusing all that Rolex stands for in the name of getting attention.

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If you, however, see a Rolex timepiece as a subtle but timeless style statement, like pairing a Savile Row bespoke two-button charcoal gray suit with a vintage Submariner, then you clearly understand the Rolex brand and understand what it conveys in the way of class and under-the-radar masculinity.

Rolex’s most popular and iconic example is the Submariner, which can be categorized as the gentleman’s sport watch. He sails because he’s passionate about the sport and ends the evening with a glass of Highland Park single malt.

IWC

iwc
Harold Cunningham

Timepieces from the International Watch Company might command around the same price point as Rolex, but their renown in consumer circles is wholly different.

Consider IWC the thinking man’s watch brand largely because the choice to buy one is deliberate, as opposed to picking a Rolex, which can be the logical and popular choice for those who have the necessary capital without horological knowledge.

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Select a timepiece from IWC and you’re in elite but cult status. Their designs are classic, elegant and timeless (except for the Top Gun or Aquatimer). The Portugieser is one of their most prominent and coveted watches.

One look at it and you realize you’ve graduated into another realm of wristwatches that’s subtly powerful and understatedly confident.

A man who wears an IWC is confident and has nothing to prove in the way of style. He might be a family man who has not lost himself in the shadow of responsibility. He’s passionate about comfort and security, he's typically conservative, he knows what he likes, and he's comfortable in his own skin. He cares little that his neighbors know nothing about the IWC name and doesn’t care to brag about his accomplishments.

You might see him driving a vintage BMW 8-Series or a Saab 9-3 Viggen because he appreciates obscure finery, and his suit of choice is a crisp navy blue Brooks Brothers two-button.

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Omega (Speedmaster)

omega
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Omega SA’s sporting reputation in the watchmaking world is solidified by their commitment to creating timepieces that are a draw for adventurers, athletes, sportsmen, and even astronauts. Their watches are elegant and lean toward an active aesthetic that's still firmly grounded in a premier lifestyle.

Omega is one of the few watch brands that has mastered toeing the line between active and luxurious with skilled perfection.

Omega is committed to the world of sports. They’re the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games. They have created a massive database of every athlete in the world for every major sport.

Outside of the Summer and Winter Games, Omega also handles the timekeeping for every major international sporting event. This level of commitment goes far beyond the desire to make money from their watches… it is a way of life that the Omega brand stands behind.

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The fact that the now coveted Omega Speedmaster Professional was chosen for NASA astronauts is also proof in the pudding that Omega’s timepieces are created for extremes and extreme men. The same can be said for their expansive Seamaster line.

A man who chooses the Omega isn't typically the wealthy businessman — they normally gravitate towards a Rolex — but you’ll find avid downhill skiers opting for an Omega because it communicates style with power that’s more subtle.

He drives a Land Rover Defender or a vintage Porsche 911, and he’s less likely to spend a weekend in the Hamptons, instead opting for a visit the Circuit de la Sarthe for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Cartier (Santos de Cartier)

cartier
Cartier/Men's Journal

The Parisian jeweler Cartier is all about regal sophistication. After all, they’ve provided jewelery to kings and queens and have grown to become one of the most successful watchmakers in the world.

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Cartier watches are decadent without being gaudy. They manage to be luxurious even though one of their most famous timepieces, the Santos de Cartier, is a tank-style watch. It is one of the few enduring watch icons in the world.

It was created way back in 1904 for Brazilian pilot Alberto Santos Dumont to allow him to tell time while flying airplanes. Most men back then carried pocket watches, but Santos wanted it on his wrist.

The Santos wasn’t the first wristwatch, but it’s responsible for birthing the wristwatch industry, thanks to Dumont’s fame and his flying prowess. The Santos de Cartier’s legacy continues today as a sleek, stunning timepiece, and much more than a watch for pilots or pioneers to wear.

The Cartier name is now synonymous with luxury.

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A man wearing a Cartier cares about art and sophistication, and Cartier exudes both in luxurious style. Their designs are simple and elegant with fine touches like smooth cases, detailed crowns, and exposed screw bezels.

He’s more apt to drive a car like a new Mercedes S-Class or a Bentley and wear custom made suits. He frequents the art galleries and considers a good Cabernet Sauvignon one of his best friends.

Patek Philippe (Perpetual Calendar Chronograph)

patek
Patek/Getty

Few men in this life will ever don a Patek. It’s not a watch for the common man or even the mildly successful man. Patek Philippe is the ultimate power watch. It’s widely considered to be the world's finest watch brand, creating in-house innovations that leave the rest of watchmaking in the stone ages.

Wearing one means you’ve arrived where others dare to dream. The designs are classic. The case has a smaller diameter than most, and they are some of the most coveted watches in the world.

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Patek timepieces regularly hit stratospheric prices at auction for rare vintage pieces. One Super Complication sold at auction for over $24,000,000 in 2014.

Patek’s reference 5270 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph is widely known as one of the finest watches in the world. Since its inception in 1941, it has graced the wrists of powerful men all over the world. The model boasts their first in-house chronograph movement.

A man who wears a Patek is a connoisseur of fine watches, one of the most successful in his field, and revered f0r his intellect, his business acumen or his wealth. Men hope to merely walk in his shadow. He takes brilliant risks and makes them work to his advantage.

He doesn’t shoot from the hip. He weighs his decisions carefully and is utterly relentless in seeing them through to fruition. He is more likely to buy a British estate than a mansion in Miami.

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He drives an Aston Martin DB5 when he’s not being chauffeured in a Rolls-Royce, and his wine cellar is bigger than your garage.

He wears custom made suits primarily in flat black and vacations on the French Riviera when he has a moment to step away from the empire he has built.

MORE FROM ASKMEN:

Best watches under $300

Best watches under $150

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Best watches for men

Watch cheat sheet

Top 10 luxury watches

This story was originally published by AskMen.

Read the original article on AskMen. Copyright 2015. Follow AskMen on Twitter.
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