Its Your Time, Wear It Well!!

So you’ve made your first million bucks. You’ve arrived. Rightly then, you want to flaunt it. You get that 3 pointed star (now each entrance announces your success). You get that perfect Brioni power-suit (now each business meeting, they know you’re the boss). You buy that bespoke pair of Bally shoes (now every step will spell out your achievements). To round off the ‘new’ you, you adorn that really expensive Breitling Chronograph (it is after all, your time now)! Its all very well. The car, the suit, the shoes; all present a powerful, sophisticated, self-assured emergence of you as the Man of the Hour. I’m afraid though, that the last part of this mix – almost its most vital ingredient (the Watch); you’ve got horribly wrong!

Our watch is the one thing a lot of us men seem to get wrong. And it is something that, save for shoes, is probably what an onlooker notices first about us. What’s wrong with a Breitling Chronograph? Nothing at all – if you are wearing it on the weekend as you go sailing with your buddies. Problem is, that’s probably not when you’re wearing it! I think you get my point..

Though its fashionable to say that there are no rules in fashion; fact is, despite the lines between Formal-Casual-Daytime-Sports having blurred, there are some basic guidelines that remain firm. To put it bluntly, it is sacrilege to wear a chunky, over sports watch like a Breitling, with your work power-suit, to a business meeting. It is just WRONG!

Work/Daytime/Power Watches

The fact is this. One’s work watch ought to be subtle. That’s key. You want people to know your ‘worth’, at the same time, you want to be a little modest about it. Then there is the practical aspect about wearing a watch that literally ‘fits’. Safely assuming that you’ll be wearing suits at work, you can’t have a chunky, intrusive watch that doesn’t fit snug under your double-cuffed formal shirt! It has to slip in, and each time you use your hands to gesture (as you explain your expansion plans to the Board), peep out of your cuff and tease the audience – subtly! Finally, go leather. You do not need garish gold bracelets to ‘prove’ or ‘impress’ (like you don’t need a V8 Muscle Car to make-up for other areas of weakness)! Restrained Power would therefore be the ideal ‘brief’ or description for your Power Work Watch

And few brands epitomize Restrained Power like the founding fathers of Swiss Watch-Making. Consider the timeless classics from Patek Phillippe & Vacheron Constantin. Unfamiliar names you think? Well, like for us Indians, Mercedes Benz & BMW signal the ultimate in driving expression, not realizing that there exists this utterly exotic creature called the Alfa Romeo; when it comes to watches too, we ‘successful Indians’ can’t look beyond our Rolex & Omega! That’s not necessarily a bad thing. My point however, is that when you have made it in life, why not indulge in the Finest that there is. And when it comes to classic watches – the aforementioned brands are the ultimate symbols of legendary Swiss watchmaking. They are subtle, sophisticated, understated, restrained; yet embody a sense of occasion that is larger than themselves. These hand crafted beauties are not watches, they are slices of history & tradition – heirlooms that you will pass down the generations. They are as much time machines, as they themselves arrest time, for eternity. Each of these ultra-exclusive time pieces is like that rarest of wines. With age, they become more valuable, more luxurious, more awesome. There is really no better alternative than one of these classics, as a Work Watch. Finest craftsmanship, ageless design, permanently in vogue (kind of like an Aston Martin if that helps you understand this concept better). When the tag line says “You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely take care of it for the next generation”, little more can be said!

Sports/Outdoors/Casual Watches

Its the weekend. You are out and about. It might be mud-plugging in your recently acquired Land Rover, sailing into the horizon in your swanky yacht, or just playing that eagerly betted round of golf with your power-buddies. Even your sports watch should make a statement, and be appropriate for the activities you are engaging in. There are many, more stylish, more sought after fish in the sea (than the obvious Omega Speedmasters & Seamasters)! If you really want to make a fashionable statement and set yourself apart from your colleagues & associates – don’t go in for the obvious.  Ditch the Omega Speedmaster/Seamaster. Now is the time to bring on the chunky, the multi-function, the complex watch. Even here though, you can do it tastefully. The key is ‘Refined Aggression’.

And the ultimate expression of Refined Aggression is Audemars Piguet. In fact, you don’t need to take my word for it since none other than Sachin Tendulkar sports one! That too for good reason. In the annals of watchmaking history, Audemars Piguet (or AP as it is ‘affectionately’ & ‘conveniently’ called) watches have been regarded – even revered as the finest Sports Watches money can buy! Pundits and critics have often unanimously concluded that AP symbolizes the very spirit of Sport. The best part, AP presents a wide selection addressing stylistic preferences of a range of buyers; at the same time, maintaining the intrinsic attributes of their brand. Their Royal Oak & Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph collections contain a plethora of watch types to choose from. Exotic leather straps (in varying colors and textures), steel and other metal bracelets, and an unimaginable variety within these collections ensures that you will find an AP that ‘fits your fashion’! So if you are still reveling in your Tag Heur or Omega, its time to grow up to an AP!

Formal/Evening/Party/Dress Watches

Its still the weekend, but more specifically, its Saturday night. Its your multi-faceted business behemoth’s annual Christmas bash and you are playing host to an eclectic mix of guests. Political associates, business friends & foes, fashion’s children and their fashionista mothers; essentially the swish set from every walk of life! In the midst of all the French Chiffon, Chinese Silk and Irish Linen, its easy to get lost. DO NOT WEAR YOUR ALL GOLD OYSTER PERPETUAL. If your better half can flaunt her Tiffany ring, your just-married daughter her Bvlgari bracelet, and your partner’s wife her Chopard necklace; you too can sport a time piece from these very ‘jewelry makers’! Yes, the way to go here is Bespoke. Its no longer just about fine watchmaking. Its about Luxury, Opulence and Grandeur. And few do Luxury Time like the finest Jewelry Makers.

The brands to consider here are fine jewelry makers like Cartier, Chopard and Bvlgari. Each of these exclusive jewelry makers has a line of bespoke men’s time-wear that represents the Ultimate expression of luxury. If you are attending that understated Bar Council Dinner, roll with the classic Cartier leather strap Santos. If you are hosting the flamboyant Racing Club do, sport the famous Chopard 1000 Miglia Grand Turismo (the chronograph that pays homage to the legendary endurance race – Mille Miglia), and if you are celebrating the record exports of your Diamond empire, choose an exclusive Bvlgari and  wear your affluence literally on your sleeves!  A slightly more modest, personal favorite Party timepiece is the Museum watch by Movado. Its a terrific choice owing to its unique yet versatile looks.

Point is, whatever the brand might be (and there are several fine jewelry brands out there), your Formal/Evening watch must go beyond telling the Time. Go beyond not in terms of ability to perform multiple functions like perpetual calendars or altitude readings;  but go beyond functionality. These time tellers must transcend form & function and become objects of art. Amazing, alluring, captivating items of desire, soliciting aspiration and envy, emanating opulence and splendor!

Its Your Time…

We as an Indian people are steadily becoming wealthier. The number of millionaires in this country is increasing at an alarming rate. Sadly, and despite a truly global exposure, our knowledge and awareness of the ‘finer things’ remains limited. Now with the onslaught of the choicest brands like Jaeger-LeCoultre making a bee line into India – it is clearly, our time. The time of the Global Indian Millionaire. And if you are a Millionaire (or a wanna be); be proud, be aware, and broaden your horizon – for It Is Your Time!

PS – For those of you (like me) who can’t afford the million buck splurge on a watch, worry not. When it comes to watches, the grapes are sweet!! Coming soon, I shall do an article on Stylish Watches that DON’T Break The Bank.

[Kartik Bajoria, a regular contributor, runs his own creative agency called BOLD & is also involved in Films & Music as a force of habit!]

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