What once used to be women’s domain has now extended an extra leg for the men. Together with beauty products, fashion has taken its reigns in the boys’ world. Along these lines, with the gain of smoother skin and a sharper outlook, men are no longer safe from judgments on their appearances. In fact, the world has gone past just the surface and down to the minutest detail. Besides expenditure on extravagant Hugo Boss shirts and Pierre Cardin ties, the alpha-male has, will and must take into account the accessories they employ.

And since men donning fancy, colorful jewelery everywhere on their bodies is still a no-no (if they want to ensure a neutral stance on their sexuality) in most countries, universal is the judgment made on the man by the brand, type and look of the strip on their wrists: the watch.

Fashion article: “The sad thing is that many men are judged by how they look, and what kind of watch they wear.”

Look at it this way—at least the men are no longer neglected in lieu of their female counterparts, and now they can count on a standard, safe measure to what exactly attracts, and what repels. The Robb Report, a luxury portal and the alleged socially accepted manual for the nouveau riche says this: “how you look, dress and live represents how you look and how you act”. Accessories help put an outfit together—“everything from your watch to your belt completes the outfit”. Looking at this from a woman’s point of view, I say: “hear, hear.”

Daniel Billett: “A watch is the single most important accessory a man can own—it is an essential style element.”

Watches serve two purposes: time and style. The need for an accessory to tell the time conveniently is the logical reason to purchase a watch; style, on the other hand, is a louder cry to purchase the right watch. Here is some food for thought: Watches may have served as a time-telling device up to the 19th century, but now they also portray the character of the person donning it…or not? Does the watch one wear tell the identity of that person, or is it safe to assume that it is merely an accessory of convenience to the wearer? Regardless of the answer, society looks at the appearance before the internal—how your outlook ranges on the scale of “fashionably acceptable” invariably affects all other interactions that follow. If not, the need for fashion designers will ebb, and the world will recede into an ugly, drab slab of gray…

But that’s taking it too far.

Reality hits: watches are more than convenience now, and it is crucial—especially for the M gender—to pay more attention to the watches they wear. A dating-column states that “single-women are so interested in jewelry, they tend to judge men by the watch they wear”. It doesn't matter if you are not a miser—if you put on a cheap (state a brand) watch with your office suit, you will be regarded as one. Welcome to the cruel world.

If you want to play it safe, equip yourself with the necessary: invest in a quality silver or gold watch for the formal occasions, a smart casual watch for the informal, and make sure your watch complements your wardrobe in general. Let the watch tell your story—you are bound to be observed, so why not let it be a portrayal of the good-charms that you are?

Surface as it is, this is life. In the 21st century, women aren’t the only ones with multiple accessories. We are extending our arms to bring you a very warm welcome, boys, to the world of beauty.

Cheryl Chan

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