What are the different types of watches you can choose from?
- Dress Watches
- Field Watches
- Aviator Watches
- Dive Watches
Do you desire to buy a watch but have no idea where to start? Do you need to know the different types of watches for the best occasions? There’s a lot of information out there, and it’s important to make the right decision before finalizing that purchase. Follow this simple guide to find out which watch best fits your needs.
Dress Watches
Dress watches are an important part of your ensemble if you want to look your best and impress others with your unique sense of style. Wear this watch if you want to compliment your formal outfit or that business suit. Most watch designs for dress watches tend to lean towards simplicity and a timeless aesthetic. The casing will be thinner than other watches but will still make use of high-grade precious metals. It’s usually secured around your wrist worth a leather band, but it may vary.
The important feature you need to look for with dress watches is simplicity. It should be able to properly fit your wrist in terms of proportion. A dress watch never draws attention to itself. It blends in with the wearer, similar to how certain colors compliment each other. If the design is too complicated, it’s not a dress watch. It should be the bare minimum without a second hand or date window. The presentation of the watch face should be simplified as well. Hour indexes and Roman numerals are quite common for dress watches. Some dress watches also make use of Arabic numerals but with a much smaller scale to emphasize simplicity. Lastly, it must be unornamented. At most, the pattern is subtle. Stick to simple colors and textures such as black, white, and metal.
Field Watches
Field watches were made for warfare purposes, but more designers are making field watches accessible to common folk. What you need to watch out for when it comes to field watches is that they should look and feel rugged. A good quality field watch should use the highest quality stainless steel casing. Alternatively, PVD coatings and the use of titanium are also other alternatives. Field watches are meant for harsh conditions. This means that the watch must be readable in different lighting conditions. Thus, the field watch uses a high-contrast black dial with white numbering for easy reading.
For bands, canvas or leather is preferred for its affordability when replacing them. The most durable option would be metal bands but these can easily wear down and have a heftier price tag for replacement. For hobbyists and professionals that need something durable, this is the choice for you.
Aviator Watches
Aviator watches are repurposed field watches worn by pilots. In the modern market, aviator watches are made to be accurate and readable in low-light conditions. The aviator watch features field watches with additional specific aviation functions that are useful for pilots. Aside from your typical clock face, additional dials with simplified numerals and delta indexes are also available. These aviation watches might also include a large minute outer dial and hour inner dial for aviation purposes.
This type of watch is not limited to pilots. Even the average joe can certainly enjoy the functionality and style of an aviator watch. This is great for every day and not so much for business attire and formal suits.
Dive Watches
Dive watches have helped many scuba divers when it comes to accurate timekeeping under the sea. For quality, dive watches are the way to go. It’s a watch style that’s made famous by Ian Fleming. As he wrote his novels at his home in Jamaica, to unwind, he’d go diving. Rolex introduced the submariner during the time these novels were written and has been linked to the iconic character James Bond. Any James Bond fan needs to have this watch.
To look for the best dive watch, it must have this most important feature. It should have at least 100 meters of water resistance. The quality of the case and the band must resist corrosion. Materials like stainless steel, titanium, silicone, and rubber are suitable for this purpose. The bands have a longer length compared to normal watches so they can easily fit over dive equipment. For the glass, sapphire or hardened mineral glass is preferred. Hardened mineral glass is shatter-resistant and this feature makes it suitable for deepwater usage.
Key Takeaway
These are the different types of watches you’ll encounter in the market. There are many different types, but these are considered the most popular when it comes to style and function. Even if there are specific functions for each watch, don’t feel limited to how you style it and let your imagination go free. With the right styling, you can make any watch work for you.