What makes a watch casual

Casual watches are typically straightforward in design and attitude. Clean dials, subtle colors, and solid construction over fancy case designs and complications are the name of the game. This can all be quite confusing, because several different types of watches can fall under the casual umbrella.

The good news here is that, even though you might not wear a dress watch in a casual situation, you can easily dress down even the fanciest timepiece with a different strap. By changing either of those watches over to a NATO, rubber, or leather strap, the wearer can not only drastically change the appearance of their watch to a much more casual look. Many people have warmed to the idea of using a rubber strap to add a pop of color and a fun attitude to their watches, and the changeover to casual can be almost as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be.

With all of that said, there are still watches in the world that lend themselves best to casual wear. Granted, its tool watch aesthetic when paired with the Oyster Bracelet are quite casual in their own right, but the Submariner is one of the few Rolex models that works almost as well with a rubber or NATO strap as it does on the factory bracelet.

Pre-ceramic Submariner models can be had with or without drilled lug holes, and with or without a date complication. When the changeover to a ceramic bezel occurred in …, the watch also got was is known as the Super Case. This new design featured heavier lugs and a strong Oyster Case with broad shoulders and a no-nonsense tool watch appeal.

Any Submariner can be worn casually, however, and it makes our list for the best all-around watches today. Everything that made it a great strap for those going into combat makes it a good option for civilians, too. The way the strap attaches to the watch by looping through both spring bars the pieces that keep a strap attached to a watch pays immediate dividends.

First, it keeps the metal of the watch from rubbing against your skin and is designed to sit snugly on the wrist without much movement. The bund strap is a fat leather pad with loops that your watch inserts into—think of it the same way you might a case for your iPhone. The pad was designed to keep metal made uncomfortable from flying through very hot or very cold conditions from touching the skin directly. Paul Newman loved a bund strap, as did Steve McQueen and Robert Redford, making it a swaggering, super-masculine choice.

Purchasing many of the watches covered here—particularly those that can be had for a few thousand dollars and under—can be as easy as hitting Add to Cart. Hodinkee has turned itself from watch blog into watch shop, stocking new arrivals and best sellers from big and small brands alike, a grip of slick vintage options, and a reliable drip of its own coveted limited edition collaborations with the likes of John Mayer.

Tourneau and Wempe are ever-reliable options, as is Watches of Switzerland. Basically: when it comes to the most popular watches for men on earth—your Rolexes and Pateks and APs—scarcity is the name of the game. Dealers only receive so many pieces from a new release, and they have to decide which loyal customers will get the opportunity to buy one.

Which means that, if you want to work your way up to buying the big boys, you should start now: find a dealer you like, and buy with him or her as you build your watch collection.

That way, when that bonus check clears, you can stroll on down to the shop or fly to New York for pick up secure in the knowledge that a higher power a watch dealer with ready access to Submariners, say is looking over you. Maybe you just want your Royal Oak now. Our advice: find a dealer you love.

There are, of course, the classics who have helped shape modern watch tastes: the James Bonds, Paul Newmans, and Steve McQueens of the world. Each of these guys are so impactful that watches unofficially bear their name. No starring Sean Connery, left such an impression on the watch world that collectors now hunt down the exact Rolex wore. Drake is never afraid to go for it and Kevin Hart is the shining example of finding one brand that works for you Patek Philippe, in his case.

Watches are hardly immune from the realm of celebrity influence, either. Models can live or die on the wrist of a celebrity. Mayer similarly pumped up the value of a green-dial Daytona that had been available for retail prices up until the moment he showed his off to Hodinkee.

So paying attention to celebrity watches may benefit not just your style but your investment as well. Dress watches are generally more delicate than sports watches.

Naturally, dress watches are slimmer, smaller, and not built to be robust and durable in the same way sports watches are. For example, if you plan on going cycling or performing other demanding activities, it is still best to remove your watch as otherwise, these activities may damage or even break your delicate dress watch.

As mentioned, dress watches have different designs, but it is worth keeping in mind that from a fashion and style standpoint, it may not always look great if you wear it together with a t-shirt and shorts in other words, very casual clothing , but it will work best if you slightly more formal clothing such as a shirt and jeans.

The bottom line is, yes, you can wear a dress watch every day. Whilst dress watches are designed to be worn on formal occasions with formal attire, a dress watch can work for everyday wear although it is not intended for it. At the same time, you want to keep in mind that it is not as tough as a sports watch and should not come in contact with water. Therefore, if you do choose to wear a dress watch every day, you want to be mindful about how you wear it, but also which style of dress watch you wear.

Your email address will not be published. Email Address:. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Toggle navigation. And then we have the dress watch.

But can you wear a dress watch every day? What is a dress watch? There are a few defining characteristics that most dress watches have in common. The Minimalist sports a 44MM case size and is water-resistant to 30 meters. Nixon watch wearers are loyal to the brand, and rightfully so. Their timepieces are great at invoking a cool, laid-back feel to a modern wardrobe and can be worn with everything from a suit to casual wear. This Sentry timepiece features fresh leather and a waterproof rating of meters.