I freely admit to not being a huge watch enthusiast.
I've been interested in clothing and style for 10 years, but it's barely been a year since watchmaking caught my attention. And during this year, I was able to understand my tastes and acquire watches that suit me.
Retrospective.
Before 2014: nothing to report
I don't have any particular memory of watches that I wore during my younger years.
Having become interested in clothing in 2011, I was focused on clothing more than accessories.
At that time, I was more interested in wearing a blazer , jeans , sneakers , etc. well.
2014: I think I'm a night driver
In 2014, I discovered the film Drive which fascinated me with its atmosphere and intensity.
I notice the watch that Ryan Gosling is wearing on his wrist. I'm looking for the reference: it's a Patek Philippe provided especially for the film, not available for sale.
Source
Given the price of the brand's watches (at four or even five figures), I rule out the idea of getting one.
I'm looking for a cheaper alternative and I come across a model from the Danish brand Skagen which I like and costs around a hundred euros:
The resemblance is striking. What do you mean, “not at all”?
This quartz watch really doesn't break three legs of a duck, but I liked it.
Worn regularly over the last few years, I eventually got tired of it.
2017-2020: a connected bracelet, but is it a watch?
I had been interested in the Chinese brand Xiaomi for some time, which at the time had not yet arrived in France.
It turns out that at the moment I'm in Beijing on a university exchange and the brand has a store there.
I went there and purchased my first connected bracelet, the Mi Band 2 . The price is very affordable: around fifteen euros.
In vogue today, this accessory was still very new in 2017. The black and white screen of the Mi Band 2 attests to this.
Although it is not a superb fashion accessory, I find its aesthetic sober and discreet.
The bracelet does not stand out , unlike connected watches which I often find too bulky. It blends easily into an outfit.
I find it has very useful functions (sleep tracking and notifications in particular), so much so that I wear it very often.
In 2020, my bracelet began to show signs of end of life and I decided to replace it with a superior version: the Mi Band 5.
The aesthetics are the same and the device has gained a lot in functionality.
I still find it interesting, I continue to wear it very regularly and I have even convinced several people around me to add this little object to their daily lives.
Can we talk about a watch for a connected bracelet? Everyone has their own opinion, but I would tend to say yes, given that the accessory is worn on the wrist and tells the time. 🙂
2020: my first automatic watch
I'm starting to delve into the topics of our watch editor, Don . His expertise fascinates me and he manages to make me see the beauty of watches. He passed on a piece of his passion to me.
Even if I don't deny my trusty connected bracelet, which is so practical, I tell myself that it would be interesting for me to acquire a nice first watch.
This opportunity presented itself by chance when I went to my friend Paul's house one day. . He shows me a small box with watches he plans to part with and I see one that catches my eye.
This is a small vintage automatic Himalayan LIP :
First of all, I appreciate the association between the yellowed glass which gives a vintage appearance, the gold case and the burgundy strap , the leather of which is of good quality by the way.
This watch is also the starting point for the search for an associated belt, burgundy and with a gold buckle. I tell it in this article .
Next, I like the domed case . I'm used to seeing flat cases, I find that this detail adds character to the watch.
Finally, I note its very measured diameter of approximately 32mm . This small diameter gives a discreet side which makes me breathe a sigh of relief.
Indeed, I find that we see too many big watches on the market currently.
On this subject, I read a term that made me smile to describe this trend: pizza watches. 🍕
Apart from the ostentatious side or if you are visually impaired, I have difficulty understanding the point of such a large watch. Source
A small watch has another very practical benefit: it fits easily under the long sleeves of a shirt or sweater.
My friend Paul was kind enough to gift me this Lip watch. I regularly wear it in slightly more chic outfits like, with dress pants or a blazer.
Benevento pants, De Bonne Facture jacket, Uniqlo sweater
2021: never one without two
So I spent a few months alternating between my connected bracelet and my LIP watch.
Then I thought it would be nice if I had a military style watch, to complement my dressier Lip watch.
This idea came about when I saw the Hamilton Aviation Pilot Pioneer Mechanical that Don had featured in this article :
I found that she exuded a lot of charm. However, its price of around €800 calmed my enthusiasm. I wasn't ready to invest that amount of money for a watch.
So I started looking for an alternative.
I turned again to my friend Paul who recommended the military watch he owns, a Seiko 5 Military , model SNK805K2. It's an efficient, automatic design watch, made in Japan, which costs around a hundred euros.
I found it to my liking and began to inquire about it. I discovered that this reference existed in four colors:
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It was on the sand model that my eye stopped.
I found the rendering original and quite pleasant. Sand is also a good alternative to olive green to stay in a military register.
While the strap is sand colored, I find the case to have more of a cream color which I find soft and appropriate.
Found new on the Chrono24 website, I am satisfied with my acquisition.
This is the first time I've worn a watch with a Nato strap . I'm pretty convinced at the moment.
The diameter of 37mm remains quite reasonable.
I enjoy wearing this watch in my more casual outfits, where the Lip does not always have its place.
Learn more about watches
Our selection of dress watches (3/3)
