Tag / best men’s watches to buy now

by Beau H.

Online Shopping Picks: The Best Men’s Leather Watches To Buy Now

Whereas recent online shopping picks entries have covered everything from the best men’s home goods  to smaller accessories like the best gloves to buy for winter,  we’re going back to basics today and telling you all about an everyday essential. That is, we’re shifting gears to something that should likely be a part of your daily style ensemble — a great leather watch. We’ve taken a deep dive with rugged casual watches and stylish dive watches, but a simple, sharp leather watch can — and likely should — become an easy-to-wear, everyday go-to in your rotation. Even if you don’t consider yourself a watch aficionado, adding a crisp leather watch to a simple outfit — say, a classic chambray shirt and dark denim — can add visual interest, subtle style and a sense of purpose (notice how more folks use their phone to check the time than a watch?). At any rate, we’re focused on affordability, classic looks and wearability when it comes to today’s #menswear picks. Shop away, chime in on Facebook and follow yours truly on Instagram for a look at how I wear my favorite watches.

#1. Shinola Runwell Watch — $550

A clean, simple and versatile watch worthy of an investment.

A clean, simple and versatile watch worthy of an investment.

Let’s call this “the watch that started it all” — at least for this menswear writer. It’s tough to argue with Shinola’s crisp, classic and durable approach to watch construction — even if some oppose the brand’s marketing practices — but make no mistake, you’re buying quality when you buy a Shinola timepiece.  In fact, this very watch made a past men’s style holiday wish list on this site, and it’s still a coveted timepiece. Anyone out there have any experience with Shinola?

#2. Orient Bambino Second Generation Watch — $198.98

Orient Bambino

Super-sharp, classic and easy to wear with just about anything.

Whereas the Shinola Runwell leans more casual, the Orient Bambino Second Generation  is all dressy, refined and crisp style. With a textured leather strap, a just-right 40.5mm case diameter and minimal dial markings, it’s the watch you’ll want to wear with your best tailored suit this winter, and then slim stone chinos and stylish suede Chelsea boots come spring. In fact, the refined, sharp aesthetic means it’ll class up even a T-shirt and denim — give it a shot sometime in place of a more casual rubber strap watch.

#3. Seiko Dive Watch — $319.98

Seiko

A leather watch that can pull double duty at the office and on the weekend.

Leave it to Huckberry to offer up a versatile, tough dive watch with not one, but two strap options (suede leather from Lum-Tec and a rubber strap option). In an eye-catching red-and-blue color combo, the 40mm case diameter hits the sweet spot for those of us with larger or smaller wrists. The option to switch up the straps means this timepiece will work just as stylishly at the office with the leather option as it will with high-top sneakers and a classic crewneck sweater as you swap in the rubber strap. Two for the price of one, ya dig?

NOV CAMPAIGN: Photo of brown boots with logo (no border)

#4. MVMT Watches The 40 in Blue/Brown Leather — $120

A clean watch with an eye-catching dial-and-strap combination.

A clean watch with an eye-catching dial-and-strap combination.

The folks at MVMT Watches make essential, no-frills watches fit for situations both casual and dressy — and that makes ’em a Style Guide favorite. If you saw our January 2016 MVMT Watches product review, perhaps you’re already acquainted with the brand’s classic 40 Series. If not, consider this a great introduction. The  brown leather strap and blue dial are a study in handsome contrasts, and the relatively slim case means this is a great watch to offset everything from a tailored navy suit to a classic blue Oxford this winter — and well beyond.

#5. Linjer The Minimalist — $224.98

Clean, essential and unique. Everything you could want in a nice leather watch.

Clean, essential and unique. Everything you could want in a nice leather watch.

If you’ll recall, this site reviewed a sharp Linjer Leather Goods wallet all the way back in 2015 — the brand has certainly grown quite a lot since then, including its introduction last year of crisp, sleek watches.  In particular, the brand’s Minimalist Watch solidifies its place on this list, what with its super-sharp looks and a very clean dial. This is certainly a dress watch for any and all occasions, but again, the crisp design means you can wear it casually with dressed-down ensembles. And hey, you need a watch to offset your Linjer wallet, right?

Honorable Mention: Form-Function-Form Horween Leather Timex Fairfield — $98

Timex

A recent introduction from Timex meets a classic, tough leather strap.

If you’re looking to upgrade your watch collection on a budget, you’re going to want to check out this honorable mention. It’s comin’ at ya from our pals at Form-Function-Form and Timex — in particular, the Form-Function-Form team knows how to make a sturdy, handsome leather strap to reliably complement any watch. And when that watch happens to be a clean timepiece like the Fairfield, that’s all the better. It’s been refreshing to see Timex update its designs as of late, and the result is a surefire winner that looks great and pairs well with picks like a slim cardigan and dark denim.

That’s a wrap on today’s online shopping picks, folks. Which of the above watches are you thinking of adding to your collection? If you’re looking for sharp versatility, a pick like Linjer’s The Minimalist is tough to beat. On the more rugged end of the spectrum, Seiko packs plenty of functionality and eye-catching design into its timeless Seiko Dive Watch, while perennial Style Guide favorites MVMT Watches serve up go-anywhere style with the brand’s 40 Series. Hopefully, you’ve found these picks affordable and stylish — right? Shop on, stock up and see you out there.

Thanks for reading,

-Beau

by Beau H.

Style Pick of the Week: Jack Mason Nautical 3-Hand Watch

Editor’s note: Expect these posts weekly detailing one standout item coveted by yours truly. Sometimes, these fit within budgetary restrictions and other times, they’re expensive splurges worth saving for. For more Wish List items from Beau, head here, and to see other Style Picks, head here.

Just one way to wear a stylish, dependable Jack Mason watch. White Oxford by Todd Shelton. Garment-dyed chinos by Dockers. Duvall Wingtips by Johnston & Murphy. Sunglasses by Nautica. Tote bag by JackThreads.

Just one way to wear a stylish, dependable Jack Mason watch. White Oxford by Todd Shelton. Garment-dyed chinos by Dockers. Duvall Wingtips by Johnston & Murphy. Sunglasses by Nautica. Tote bag by JackThreads.

If you’ve got a weekly style rotation down, there’s a good chance you might still be missing an item or two — particularly on your wrist. Those small finishing details can sometimes be the hardest to pin down, but once you do — there’s no going back. Now, your author absolutely loves a sharp, stylish timepiece, but sometimes, it can be tough to find a watch that does both. Particularly if you’re working on building out a watch collection, it can be hard work to find one that mixes a touch of refinement with casual style. Well, my fellow #menswear fans — those days are over, thanks to the excellent folks at Jack Mason. The Texas-based brand takes a nuanced approach to crafting stylish watches — the brand’s Texas roots add a touch of Americana to every product — and I’m very glad indeed I stumbled upon them at Liberty Fairs in Las Vegas earlier this summer. I’ve had the chance to check out the brand’s handiwork over the past few weeks — including during a very recent Labor Day weekend road trip — and that brings us here today. Specifically, we’re talking today about the Nautical 3-Hand Watch, a stunner of a timepiece that merges texture (the perlon strap), functionality (a given) and sharp style. Now, the timepiece seen at the top of the page is a sharp play on the style in a heightened blue, but the slightly more casual black version as sold by the fine folks at Huckberry would definitely be a stylish pick-up., too. Why’s that? Well, as we talked before, it nicely blends the look of a dress watch with the casual ease of your new favorite weekend watch — the woven perlon strap and the sporty dial just play well off one another, and that makes it a great option to pair with laidback-yet-sharp style staples, like a crisp white Oxford and rich garment-dyed chinos (as seen at the top of the page; in fact, head to my Instagram to get more watch-centric styling tips — will ya?).

Although an electric blue version is pictured at the top of the page, this black dial, black strap combo looks just as sharp.

Although an electric blue version is pictured at the top of the page, this black dial, black strap combo looks just as sharp.

It’s not often that you find watches that manage to look distinctive yet subtle, yet the Nautical 3-Hand Watch is that very timepiece. The 42mm case diameter is just about the right size for most of us fellas, and that makes it a bit more substantial and easier to wear than a slimmer dress watch. And for under $200, you’re essentially getting multiple watches — the easily interchangeable woven strap could be swapped out very quickly for another NATO strap or perhaps a rich Horween leather strap. That kind of versatility is important when watch shopping, and it should make it easier to wear with everything from a sharp business-casual look to a laidback outfit put together with bar-hopping in mind (seriously, you’ve gotta tell time on a bar crawl somehow).  And lest you think the woven strap and nautical dial  of the Nautical 3-Hand Watch make it a timepiece that only works in spring and summer, think again. The perlon strap adds just enough texture to make this timepiece a fall (and potentially) winter workhorse. Again, that versatility and functionality simply can’t be beat. If that’s a goal of yours when watch shopping — as it should be — your search might be over (for now, that is).

Head to Huckberry to pick up the Nautical 3-Hand Watch now.

Huckberry

by Beau H.

Style Pick of the Week: Timex x Todd Snyder Mod Watch

Editor’s note: Expect these posts weekly detailing one standout item coveted by yours truly. Sometimes, these fit within budgetary restrictions and other times, they’re expensive splurges worth saving for. For more Wish List items from Beau, head here, and to see other Style Picks, head here.

A military NATO strap and a vintage-inspired design help this timepiece stand out in the best possible way. Photo courtesy of Timex.

A military NATO strap and a vintage-inspired design help this timepiece stand out in the best possible way. Photo courtesy of Timex.

Here at The Style Guide, your humble author is a big fan of rugged, tried-and-true classics — that goes for everything from chambray shirts to rugged leather chukka boots. But every now and then, slightly unexpected-yet-modern pieces are welcomed into the fold. That’s certainly the case with the Timex x Todd Snyder Mod Watch, a one-of-a-kind timepiece available exclusively through the lauded American designer’s Web site. In fact, it’s proven such a hit that it’s only available for backorder as of the time of this post. Yet, you should still seriously consider putting your name on that list (and then waiting anxiously until September, of course). Why is it so essential to get in the game now for us #menswear fans? Well for one, the timepiece itself is a perfect stylish casual watch that updates a vintage Timex design for the modern age. For another, it signals the start of an ongoing partnership between a classic watch brand and one of America’s best menswear designers — the fact that it was shown on the runways at Snyder’s recent New York Fashion Week: Men’s show is icing on the cake. And perhaps most importantly — it means you have a great excuse to pick up a new watch that’s eye-catching, crisp, versatile and available for under $140. Todd Snyder already stocks the elusive and much-loved Timex x Red Wing watch collaboration, featuring rugged watches that utilize tough Red Wing leather in the straps themselves. The Timex x Todd Snyder Mod Watch is a little more toned-down and refined, yet still very wearable — it’s an example of hitting it right down the middle when it comes to design balance.

A closer look at the red-and-black mod bullseye design, inspired by the Timex archives. Photo courtesy of the brand.

A closer look at the red-and-black mod bullseye design, inspired by the Timex archives. Photo courtesy of the brand.

Buck Mason - Timeless Design. Made in America.
Snyder’s savvy eye, combined with the knowledge of the Timex design team, leaves us with a striking watch that’s like none on the market right now. The red-and-black dial combo is unique enough in and of itself, but when paired with the military NATO strap, you’ve got a combination that’s made for rocking with a classic blue Oxford and slim sand chinos at the office, and a slim pocket T-shirt and navy chino shorts on the weekend. The 40mm case diameter hits the sweet spot in terms of size — it’s not too small, and it’s not overly large. That’s the benefit of a watch that manages to be clean and classic yet striking at the same time — it goes with anything. Truly, a sufficiently stylish NATO strap timepiece can even work with a  suit — just steal a style tip from James Bond in Spectre. Of course, the dial designs of each of those watches are different, but the idea remains the same. There are very few casual watches that can transition from being worn with something as casual as slim blue denim and a short-sleeve henley to being worn with a blazer, and that pool is narrowed even further when you look for something under $140.  So, the design is one-of-a-kind, the styling potential is one-of-a-kind and the price is …. well, one-of-a-kind. In fact, you’re really getting multiple watches for the price of one — the easy-to-change NATO strap can be easily switched out with everything from a Horween leather watch strap  to a floral NATO watch strap (truly). If that’s not enough to convince you, just know that this watch won’t stick around for long once it’s re-stocked — so pre-ordering it could be the smartest move you make this weekend.

What’s your take on the design of the Timex x Todd Snyder Mod Watch? How would you rock this timepiece?