Basics Of Watch-Wearing Or, Is There Anything As Such?

There’s the lot that loves to live by the rules and there are some who are absolute mavericks, defying conventional wisdom, guidelines and taboos and riding bareback. It’s up to you who you want to follow but let’s face the fact: Mavericks are born and not made! Even if you bring in the question of transformation, you must know that the element must stay present; you can’t turn an absolute homebody into an avid rider moving ahead full throttle, disappearing into the horizon. Watch wearing is kinda same. So, when questions like “…below the wristbone or above it?” or …”above the wrist or under it?” pour in, a lot of factors need to be considered before nailing the answer.

Firstly, questions arise around the type of material. If steel, below the wrist bone is fine with the watch face up; with leather or rubber, it’s not so. People in old photographs are often seen wearing their watches on the underside of the wrist; these are the smaller, thinner varieties that sit well there. But with watches over 40mm? You are surely to be mocked by the fashion conscious crowd.

Then where does the point of being a Maverick apply? Isn’t it they set their own rules? Sure, but oh, even mavericks need to follow some basic rules; like, you can’t ride a bike backwards; neither can you start from zero on an override. It’s like the machine code; you simply can’t override them. Similarly, you can’t wear a gold-toned bracelet with a steel watch in the name of personal style or personal comfort or maybe, a G-Shock with a tux. There are some rules you’ll need to abide by, starting with the size, the colour and the strap type.

Next comes positioning. Ultra tight above the wrist bone near to the forearm or on the underside of the wrist is considered an absolute heresy; neither should it fall off the wrist on the backside of your palm. A good dressing sense (defeating the purpose of allowing people to see it) is not so much a criteria here as much as the safety and security of the watch; that way, it is more prone to get bumped and get scratched. Just an inch above or below the wrist bone – that’s the sweet spot.

The other point you must stress upon is the colour of the band or the strap. Stainless steel goes with anything, but for leather and rubber, the colour must match your belt and your shoes.

And lastly, no digital affair when you are in a suit; neither the all black watch unless you’re in smart casuals; also that a quartz watch with a dead battery is an absolute no-no.