5 Watches Every Man Should Own (At Least Once)
It’s often said that a watch is the only piece of jewellery a man should wear (besides his wedding ring of course.) If chosen correctly a luxury mechanical watch can serve as the ultimate complement to an outfit, giving the people you meet a subtle – or not so subtle depending on your tastes – insight into what kind of man you are. When it comes to first impressions, image is everything, especially when negotiating important business deals and as the old watch salesman joke goes; “you can’t park the Ferrari in the boardroom.”
There are numerous brands and models to choose from and each says something a little different about the wearer. Given that you’re already a Roderer customer – i.e. a man of impeccable tastes – it’s highly likely you have a few luxury watches in your collection already. If not, or in case you’re looking to add something new to your rotation, here’s our selection of 5 luxury mechanical watches that every man should own at least once in his life (or preferably simultaneously.)
ROLEX DAYTONA WITH BLACK CERACHROM BEZEL
The new Rolex Daytona with Black Cerachrom bezel made its debut in March 2016 and immediately became the hottest watch of the year. This is particularly impressive given that the new Daytona is basically the exact same watch that was launched in 2015 (with some minor tweaks to the colors on the dial) plus of course the addition of a cerachrom bezel. Just looking at the watch though it’s not hard to see why. An icon of the watch world, the Daytona has been worn by politicians, sports stars and movie stars alike, and was heavily popularised thanks to a Mr. Paul Newman who had a penchant for wearing his while racing fast cars.
IWC PORTUGIESER CHRONOGRAPH
The Portugieser Chronograph is a classic dress watch from IWC that has just enough sportiness to make it a versatile all-rounder. Wear it with a suit to important meetings, a sports coat to dinner and a polo at the golf club. Perfectly sized at 42mm in diameter it comes in a number of variations and is one of those watches that you’ll buy and never want to part with. Best of all it has the pedigree of an in-house manufacture automatic movement with a 68-hour power reserve when fully wound and an Alligator leather strap by Santoni to keep it sitting nice and tight on your wrist.
PANERAI LUMINOR 8 DAYS
The name Panerai is synonymous with two things; oversized watches and the sea. The company, which got its start several decades ago making diving equipment for the Italian Navy is renowned for making big, good looking watches that are hard-wearing but also quite stylish in their own way. The Luminor 8 Days is a great example of this tool-watch approach. Featuring a 44mm stainless steel case, the watch makes a statement on the wrist whilst the clean dial ensures its always easy to read and surprisingly subtle in more formal situations.
MB&F HOROLOGICAL MACHINE NO. 5
Part creative lab, part watch manufacturer, Geneva-based MB&F has been creating exceptional horological machines for more than a decade. Thanks to a combination of unique style and extremely complex mechanics, collectors the world over fight to get their hands on one or two pieces of the brand’s very limited production each year. The HM5 is no exception. Imagined as a driver’s watch, its unusual design and heads up display was inspired by the bold lines of the insanely cool Lamborghini Miura from the 1970’s.
AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK PERPETUAL CALENDAR
To call the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak iconic is an understatement to say the very least. Conceived by famed watch designer Gerald Genta in the 1970’s, production of the Royal Oak continues today – little changed from the original – and is still Audemars Piguet’s best-selling collection by far. As the name suggests, the Perpetual Calendar version features full calendar indications, including the day, date, week, month, leap year and moon phase. Presented in a 41mm case, this watch is instantly recognisable on the wrist no matter where you go.