Guest Manifesto: Time Is Of The Essence
Guest Manifesto: Time Is Of The Essence
Click Here for Wristwatches: History Of A Century’s Development
Cartier Ballon Bleu Mens Yellow Gold Automatic Chronograph Watch
G’s know that “Time is of the Essence”, and therefore the display and measurement thereof is crucial to the life, and lifestyle, of a G. There are many (too many in fact) brands of wristwatches for men, and there are too many men who just don’t care what goes on their wrist. This discussion is not for those men.
So you’re a G, or a wannabe G. You’ve got the Kiton / Henry Poole / Brioni / Borrelli / Turnbull & Asser thing down. You’ve got the Cleverly/E. Greene/Gucci/Lobb thing down. You’ve even got the Zimmerli/Hanro/Calida/Sunspel thing down (if you don’t have this down the fly girls will be laughing at just the wrong moment of intimacy). We’ll assume you’ve learned the difference between a .45 and a 9mm, as well as between Benson & Hedges and Nat Shermans or A. Fuente and Romeo y Julieta. Be that as it may, you’re probably still working on how a G puts the time on his wrist. This primer should get you where you need to be.
You’re ready to leave your abode, suited up, and the penultimate accoutrement, after the steel-and-lead, is the wristwatch. Depending on the task, or tasks, at hand, you may be wearing one, perhaps one of many, timepieces. What separates a G from a Joe the Plumber? Exclusivity, Precision, Refinement, and Comfort in All Environments. The same should stand for the wristwatch of a G. While a $40 Swatch can tell time with the same accuracy as a quartz Patek Phillipe (and the only quartz Patek is for women), I wouldn’t suggest a quartz at all. Quartz is accurate, but cheap. Quartz is accurate but battery powered. Quartz is accurate but mass-market. Batteries die. Quartz is disposable. An haute-horlogerie mechanical movement will last forever with proper servicing. Quartz-powered timepieces are simply very expensive, or very cheap, adornment that should be shunned. No further discussion need ensue.
Jadakiss – Happy 2 Be Here
Now, to the matter of which timepiece should, or should not, grace the wrist of a G:
G-Shock – Despite the name, this is a plastic piece of mass-merchandise, albeit a durable and accurate piece of mass merchandise. Thor Hyerdal wore an Eterna mechanical timepiece on the Kon Tiki (quartz didn’t exist back in 1947). NASA’s watch of choice since 1964 through today, is the mechanical Omega Speedmaster chronograph. Paul Newman’s watch of choice – Rolex Daytona Cosmograph automatic Chronograph Chronometer. Enough said.
Click Here for Wristwatches: History Of A Century’s Development
There are certain manufactures of watches that have stood the test of time. They literally manufacture the entire watch, and are known for designing and manufacturing the movement, or the guts that keep the time. Swatch Group is, believe it or not, home to a number of highly respected Swiss manufactures. Richemont Group, another Swiss conglomerate, owns several well-respected manufactures, as does LVMH (owner of Louis Vuitton and Moet). The independent manufactures are perhaps the most exclusive.
Cartier Ballon Bleu Mens Yellow Gold Automatic Chronograph Watch
A note about chronometers: They are often confused with chronographs, timepieces that measure fractions of a second and other time segments (hours, 10-minutes etc.). Chronometers are certified by official agencies in Switzerland and always come with certificates. Typically a chronometer will imply a higher quality movement and higher accuracy, but I’d stack a Patek, Girard-Perregaux, JLC, Grand Seiko, or other haute horlogerie piece against an “official” chronometer any time at all.
A note about case material: Yellow gold, while suitably expensive and flash, is no material for a G’s watch. White gold is subtle, platinum is rare, both are easily mistaken for steel except by those who truly know. I recommend steel as it is durable and subtle. Yellow or pink gold should be worn only with a band of alligator, crocodile, or other rare skin.
Here are the brands that merit our attention:
Audemars Piguet – Royal Oak
Breguet – Type XX chronograph
Girard Perregaux – Laureato
IWC – Ingenieur
Jaeger-LeCoultre –Master Control, Master Ultra Thin, Reverso Duo
Omega – Speedmaster Chrono, DeVille Chrono, Aqua Terra, Railmaster
Patek Philppe – Nautilus. Their other pieces are too delicate for a G’s day-to-day mission.
Rolex – Rolex, while being known on every street corner from Washington Heights to East LA, and everywhere else called earth, is in fact a well-made and solid timepiece. They are, however, overvalued in the market due to self-aggrandizing advertising. Their movements are solid, but I would put Omega’s George Daniels movement head-to-head, with the price/quality ratio favoring the Omega. Nevertheless, Rolex makes a durable watch (600,000 per year, and no, they are not handmade). Get a Sea-Dweller, Explorer II, or GMT.
Seiko – Do not confuse their Grand Seiko and Phoenix lines with the department store quartz varieties. Their high-end pieces are brilliant, but unavailable in the States. Swoop the Phoenix automatic chronograph if you can find it.
Zenith – Chronomaster. This same movement powered the Rolex Daytona for years.
There are many other high quality watchmakers in Switzerland, Germany, and even the States, but these are the names I’d suggest at the outset. So with these watchmakers a G can find (not always easily) the right watch for the right circumstances. Remember, we are focusing on Exclusivity, Precision, Refinement, and Comfort in All Environments.
Any of the above are well made classic machines that will get you everywhere you want to go, but should I choose to rank the above it would be difficult. Yet here are my top 5 G timepieces:
#1 Thee A-P Royal Oak
#2 The JLC Master Control
#3 The IWC Ingenieur
#4 The Omega Railmaster
#5 The Rolex Explorer II
A G does his homework, and I would suggest that you supplement your watch knowledge with information from none other than the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry at
http://www.fhs.ch/en/
Click Here for Wristwatches: History Of A Century’s Development
Cartier Ballon Bleu Mens Yellow Gold Automatic Chronograph Watch
Cheers,
Steve Lazarus
aka The Greatest
aka The Professor
aka Laz
aka The Laz
Papoose- Computer Love
23/04/2009 at 10:41 pm Permalink
Great piece! The thing I appreciate most about some timepieces is the craftsmanship. Exclusivity comes from high craftsmanship and should not be considered as a selling point by itself. Craftsmanship should.
24/04/2009 at 6:31 am Permalink
Cosmo,
Thanks for the kind words. A very insightful point Take a loupe and compare the movements of a Citizen auto (Miyota movement), Rolex, Omega G. Daniels, and say, a Patek, and you’ll notice the refinements as you go. Not just the movements but the case, dial, etc. It’s the craftsmanship of a fine timepiece that lends itself to the longevity.
Cheers,
25/04/2009 at 7:17 am Permalink
Great article. I was hoping for more horology-inclined posts. MPM has always kept quiet when it came to timepieces and I’m glad to see he knows someone with some opinionated expertise.
http://leparvenue.blogspot.com/2009/04/gentleman-and-his-watch.html
27/04/2009 at 5:19 am Permalink
My wrist watch collection should have it’s own walk in safe. But even with this huge selection of priceless accoutrements, there’s something about the lightweight simplicity of the Movado time pieces that I find magic in swooping girls with. Maybe it’s the fact that you can’t even really read the time at a glance. Nonchalant. When some fly girl inquires about the time, and as you raise your wrist, the band catches a myriad relfection of black bursts of light as tungsten carbide band shimmers like a black-emerald in low light, and a glimmering band of black gold in the waning rays of the day. Not being able to read the time easily leaves the response open to various closes, my personal favourite being the champagne close “It looks like it’s time for a glass of champagne back at my crib”. Smooth.
27/04/2009 at 5:22 am Permalink
My wrist watch collection should have it’s own walk in safe. But even with this huge selection of priceless accoutrements, there’s something about the lightweight simplicity of the Movado time pieces that I find magic in swooping girls with. Maybe it’s the fact that you can’t even really read the time at a glance. Nonchalant. When some fly girl inquires about the time, and as you raise your wrist, the band catches a myriad relfection of black bursts of light as tungsten carbide band shimmers like a black-emerald in low light, and a glimmering band of black gold in the waning rays of the day. Not being able to read the time easily leaves the response open to various closes, my personal favourite being the champagne close “It looks like it’s time for a glass of champagne back at my crib”. Smooth.
27/04/2009 at 8:44 am Permalink
This is my first comment on the site because I think your article is way off-base. The watches you named are the Ford, Toyota and Chevy of the watch world. You’re trying to drive a Corolla when you can get an Aston Martin for the same price.
Consider these:
http://www.debethune.ch (Check out the Collection / DB 15 link). The watch costs $185,000, but it’s beautiful in person. Proper wear for a prince.
http://www.voutilainen.ch/masterpiece7-1.html Beautiful style — this watch is the Aston Martin.
Here’s a secret to watch buying: buy something that no one else has. Brand names are boring and your Rolex is never going to match a much cheaper but more unique and beautiful watch crafted by a small company.
Consider these options for less-expensive watches:
http://www.wempe.at/bereich-wempe_zeitmeisterexsub-st-setlang-en.htm
(about $2300)
http://www.meistersinger.net/index403.htm
(about $1300)
You can start a conversation if you wear this watch… with a Rolex, what are you gonna say?
27/04/2009 at 3:45 pm Permalink
@ Le Parvenue – merci bien.
@ Yakov – Looks like a Chrnonswiss to me? I’d rather have a DB9 for that money, but I won’t tell anyone how to spend it. While money may be no object, Comfort in All Environments demands that a $185,000 timepiece be consigned to a museum, not an active G’s wrist. I like Wempe: Ruediger and I enjoy an glass of claret together whenever I’m in New York. Insofar as conversations are concerned, do you really need a watch to get you started? Any G could start and reach the optimal outcome of a conversation with nothing more than a few choice words and a smile.
29/04/2009 at 3:30 pm Permalink
Tafari,
You are so badass, so very badass my friend. Not able to read a watch without #’s on it? I gotta say, I’m very impressed.
30/04/2009 at 11:10 am Permalink
damn – who is the girl in the picture?
30/04/2009 at 2:37 pm Permalink
Easy now, no hatin’ on the man with the multifarious chrono collection. My question is “Why would a G, or someone purporting to be a G, claim they have a watch collection “…should have it’s own walk in safe…” and yet claim the Movado is the ne plus ultra? What’s in the collection? Could be more Movados, or maybe a few Citizens, some Swiss Armys, a Tag Heuer, or even a Tissot, but I dare say that the ratio of quartz to mechanical is probably many to none. I’d enjoy hearing otherwise though. Education is a dangerous thing in the mind of one who knows it all…
Cheers,
01/05/2009 at 12:54 pm Permalink
What happened to Breitling, especially the not so common ones like a twin sixty? whats wrong with the racing themed, mechanical tag heuers? I loved my Targa Florio in classic black when driving the porsche.
You want something steel you can blow money on? check the A. Lange & soehne…. they make fewer in steel than gold, and its more expensive, if you can find one.
I agree tho that Rolex is horribly overrated. The daytona is alright however… if you’re going to a polo meet…
There are many more fine watches out there than I can mention… and I’m not sure I agree with your choice of starters….
05/05/2009 at 9:20 am Permalink
one I forgot is the chopard mille miglia series of watches….
05/05/2009 at 8:42 pm Permalink
Late reply. Been busy swooping girls & recovering from Pac Man smack-down celebrations.
@ George: Thanks. But I’m not trying to impress guys…
@ La Paz:
Great Guest Manifesto, good to get some insightful posts on wrist watches.
Good question, I’d venture that it would be a 70/30 ratio automatic to quartz. If I make it longer than the batteries on this bubble with this lifestyle, I’ll be happy.
Personally, I love to switch it up with one of my Big Square, mother-of-pearl inlay, Frank Muller wrist watches — the “Master of Complications”. Perpetual, technically advanced, double retrograde hour keeps me on time when jetsetting. Great for travel & style points.
There’s something about the steel chain-like band of the Mont Blanc Timewalker chronograph that compliments riding my Honda 1300cc street bike perfectly. Rugged, bold face for quick viewing when racing between cars besting my time from mad villa to private beach party. The kind of watch I’d feel comfortable wrapping around my knuckles to throw down when it comes to it. Big bike styz. (there’s a few other steel watches I’d recommend for riding big bikes)
For those formal high-society occasions, I frequently find myself slipping into a Cartier — not because I necessarily like the design (not a big fan of leather bands & posh face of it), but simply b/c it seems to suit the occasion. And that’s what watches are for, right?
Which, coming back to the Movado, surprised me. Maybe it was the alignment of the stars on the new moon, or maybe it was b/c I was bouncing to these girls 5 star resorts instead of pulling to them crib & not being able to switch up chronos, but whatever it was, I was pulling mad diverse girls on it recently. Fluke? Astrology? Who knows? Try it out and let me know if you get the same results…
05/05/2009 at 8:48 pm Permalink
Late reply. Been busy swooping girls & recovering from Pac Man smack-down celebrations.
@ George: Thanks. But I’m not trying to impress guys…
@ Laz:
Great Guest Manifesto, good to get some insightful posts on wrist watches.
Good question, I’d venture that it would be a 70/30 ratio automatic to quartz. If I make it longer than the batteries on this bubble with this lifestyle, I’ll be happy.
Personally, I love to switch it up with one of my Big Square, mother-of-pearl inlay, Frank Muller wrist watches — the “Master of Complications”. Perpetual, technically advanced, double retrograde hour keeps me on time when jetsetting. Great for travel & style points.
There’s something about the steel chain-like band of the Mont Blanc Timewalker chronograph that compliments riding my Honda 1300cc street bike perfectly. Rugged, bold face for quick viewing when racing between cars besting my time from mad villa to private beach party. The kind of watch I’d feel comfortable wrapping around my knuckles to throw down when it comes to it. Big bike styz. (there’s a few other steel watches I’d recommend for riding big bikes)
For those formal high-society occasions, I frequently find myself slipping into a Cartier — not because I necessarily like the design (not a big fan of leather bands & posh face of it), but simply b/c it seems to suit the occasion. And that’s what watches are for, right?
Which, coming back to the Movado, surprised me. Maybe it was the alignment of the stars on the new moon, or maybe it was b/c I was bouncing to these girls 5 star resorts instead of pulling to them crib & not being able to switch up chronos, but whatever it was, I was pulling mad diverse girls on it recently. Fluke? Astrology? Who knows? Try it out and let me know if you get the same results…
30/07/2009 at 7:15 pm Permalink
Wow.
29/11/2009 at 9:27 am Permalink
I posted some comments before anyway, because lots of your stuff is really informative.Absolutely amazing man!
20/12/2009 at 5:51 pm Permalink
I’ve been visiting your blog for a little while now and wanted to comment on how much I enjoy your work.
I hope you keep posting on this subject.
14/01/2010 at 2:53 pm Permalink
Seriously???? No way!!
25/01/2010 at 9:43 pm Permalink
Really useful post, thanks man