High Gravity_IHB
New member
Women have virtually unlimited possibilities in terms of jewelry such as earrings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, pendants, rings, etc., but the only jewelry most men wear (and should wear) is a watch and wedding band. Accordingly, a proper wrist watch is critical to the male image.
In my opinion, it should be obvious that a man?s watch must be masculine but this concept seems to be lost on many watch makers. First and foremost, a man?s watch should have a strong masculine presence, like a Rolex Submariner or an Omega Speedmaster. Leave the delightfully thin and dainty watches to the ladies.
As some of you may know, a very typical Chinese wedding gift is the matching set of fine watches, the stereotypical being the matching set of gold Rolex Oysters. I disapprove of this concept because there is no such thing as a proper ?matching set? of watches. In my case, all of the matching sets Mrs. HG wanted included a proper ladies watch and an enlarged version purported to be a man?s watch and all of the matching sets I wanted included a proper man?s watch and a smaller version purported to be a ladies? watch. Mrs. HG won that battle.
Also, a man?s watch should be functional rather than decorative: mechanical chronographs, tachymeters, screw down crowns, etc. are good, jewel encrustations and mother of pearl are bad. I don?t think this even needs to be said but electronics do not belong in a wrist watch, they should always be mechanical, preferably manually wound.
Judging by what?s in jewelers display cases, most people prefer automatic wrist watches, but the true watch enthusiast will appreciate the manual wind. Moreover, winding a fine watch is a labor of love, not a chore. Automatics are more complex and more susceptible to damage from activities that generate large amounts of torque on the self winding rotor. Don't play golf or tennis with your fine automatic watch.
I own many watches; I currently have a Rolex Professional on my wrist. However, my first ?real? watch is still my favorite: the Omega Speedmaster Professional, or ?the Speedy? as we enthusiasts call it.
Picture of Speedy:
<img src="http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/omega.jpg" alt="" />
The Omega Speedmaster Professional has the most impressive pedigree of any watch in the world. NASA issued the Speedy to its Gemini and Apollo flight crews because of its bulletproof reliability demonstrated through exhaustive testing.
Speedy on Gemini astronaut's left wrist:
<img src="http://chronomaddox.com/edwhiteII.jpg" alt="" />
Before the Speedy became the official NASA watch, some Mercury astronauts brought their own Speedys with them into space, the first being Wally Schirra in 1962.
<img src="http://omega.watchprosite.com/img/watchprosite/omega/87/scaled/omega_image.318187.jpg" alt="" />
The only other watch worn by Mercury astronauts in space was Scott Carpenter who wore a Breitling cosmonaut, also in 1962. Incidentally, Breitling makes some great men?s watches, no remodeled ladies watches pretending to be men?s watches at Breitling.
The Speedys worn by Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins on the moon are on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the only watches displayed there.
<img src="http://home.xnet.com/~cmaddox/postcard600.jpg" alt="" />
<img src="http://omega.watchprosite.com/img/watchprosite/omega/22/scaled/omega_image.318222.jpg" alt="" />
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/rjbroer/Fratello/aldrin.jpg" alt="" />
So what are you wearing?
In my opinion, it should be obvious that a man?s watch must be masculine but this concept seems to be lost on many watch makers. First and foremost, a man?s watch should have a strong masculine presence, like a Rolex Submariner or an Omega Speedmaster. Leave the delightfully thin and dainty watches to the ladies.
As some of you may know, a very typical Chinese wedding gift is the matching set of fine watches, the stereotypical being the matching set of gold Rolex Oysters. I disapprove of this concept because there is no such thing as a proper ?matching set? of watches. In my case, all of the matching sets Mrs. HG wanted included a proper ladies watch and an enlarged version purported to be a man?s watch and all of the matching sets I wanted included a proper man?s watch and a smaller version purported to be a ladies? watch. Mrs. HG won that battle.
Also, a man?s watch should be functional rather than decorative: mechanical chronographs, tachymeters, screw down crowns, etc. are good, jewel encrustations and mother of pearl are bad. I don?t think this even needs to be said but electronics do not belong in a wrist watch, they should always be mechanical, preferably manually wound.
Judging by what?s in jewelers display cases, most people prefer automatic wrist watches, but the true watch enthusiast will appreciate the manual wind. Moreover, winding a fine watch is a labor of love, not a chore. Automatics are more complex and more susceptible to damage from activities that generate large amounts of torque on the self winding rotor. Don't play golf or tennis with your fine automatic watch.
I own many watches; I currently have a Rolex Professional on my wrist. However, my first ?real? watch is still my favorite: the Omega Speedmaster Professional, or ?the Speedy? as we enthusiasts call it.
Picture of Speedy:
<img src="http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/omega.jpg" alt="" />
The Omega Speedmaster Professional has the most impressive pedigree of any watch in the world. NASA issued the Speedy to its Gemini and Apollo flight crews because of its bulletproof reliability demonstrated through exhaustive testing.
Speedy on Gemini astronaut's left wrist:
<img src="http://chronomaddox.com/edwhiteII.jpg" alt="" />
Before the Speedy became the official NASA watch, some Mercury astronauts brought their own Speedys with them into space, the first being Wally Schirra in 1962.
<img src="http://omega.watchprosite.com/img/watchprosite/omega/87/scaled/omega_image.318187.jpg" alt="" />
The only other watch worn by Mercury astronauts in space was Scott Carpenter who wore a Breitling cosmonaut, also in 1962. Incidentally, Breitling makes some great men?s watches, no remodeled ladies watches pretending to be men?s watches at Breitling.
The Speedys worn by Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins on the moon are on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the only watches displayed there.
<img src="http://home.xnet.com/~cmaddox/postcard600.jpg" alt="" />
<img src="http://omega.watchprosite.com/img/watchprosite/omega/22/scaled/omega_image.318222.jpg" alt="" />
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/rjbroer/Fratello/aldrin.jpg" alt="" />
So what are you wearing?
