It’s a universally-acknowledged modern-day fashion truth that a woman has her diamonds and a man has his watch (or watches), yet a lesser-known fact is that wristwatches were almost exclusively worn by women from the 1500s through to 1900s. In fact, it was pocket watches and not wristwatches that were the style du jour for men up until the First World War.
Athletes and those working in military, aviation and automobile industries were originally drawn to the wristwatch in the early 20th century due to its functionality, and it wasn’t long before the wristwatch crossed over into the category of general menswear. An article in British publication Horological Journal is testament to this. In 1917, it reportedly printed that “...the wristlet watch was little used by the sterner sex before the war but now is seen on the wrist of nearly every man in uniform and of many men in civilian attire.”
Fast-forward almost 100 years and there’s no denying that the watch is the single most widely purchased fashion accessory for a male.
According to John Wohler, owner of John Wohlers Jewellers in Victoria and a self-confessed “watch junkie”, the appetite for watches among men is greater than ever.
“Watch companies are investing huge amounts of money in advertising, brand ambassadors and sponsorship,” Wohler says of reasons for the piqued interest.
He adds that male consumers are often drawn to a watch for a specific feature rather than for its timekeeping ability, and that it is this feature that helps to project a statement about the wearer.
“Men have come into the shop asking for the particular watch that their favourite sports person wears,” he explains. “A pilot watch, for example, not because they are pilots but because they want to be associated with aviation, or a diving watch that will never make it to a pool just because [they] love the idea of the waterproof/styling and a turntable bezel.”
Ken Abbott, managing director of watch supplier Timesupply agrees: “A watch is a very emotive object for a man. A watch tells you something about him – his DNA; the way he thinks; his passions; whether he is a sports person, an explorer, a pilot, a leader.”
Certainly there are few watch wearers who require 20 time zones, altimeters and compasses but these features provide talking points and satisfy a deeply-male need for the latest technology.
Ian Brookes of Adelaide’s EverettBrookes jewellery store believes watch choices vary considerably from generation to generation.
“I think it depends on which demographic they [the consumers] sit in,” Brookes says. “Mature males are seeking quality; they want something that feels well made, is clearly legible and will probably read that it should have a quality Swiss movement because they like to do a little online research. Younger males tend to be looking for a watch that gets them noticed – a conversation starter. Whether it’s bold styling, oversized or has strong colours, it doesn’t really matter because when they change their wardrobe next season they’ll probably be wondering what new watch will go with their new jeans.”
It seems men can be a demanding bunch and one could be excused for viewing the sector as a bit of a minefield; however, fear not. Jeweller spoke with suppliers specialising in a broad range of watch categories to find there are plenty of options to keep male consumers satisfied in the later part of 2014.
Tech whiz
For the technologically inclined, Citizen Australia brand manager Elise Mah Chut says that the brand is determined to be at the forefront of modern advancements.
“We know we make great watches but we don’t just stop there,” Mah Chut explains. “It’s about technology and innovation and pushing those boundaries.”
Mah Chut says that the brand’s Super Titanium range is particularly popular right now. Described as five-times harder and 40 per cent lighter than stainless steel watches, Super Titanium timepieces launched in 2010 and sales have risen steadily since.
“A Super Titanium watch looks like stainless steel but is lighter and stronger,” she explains. “It’s also maintenance free because it has the added benefit of Eco-Drive technology, meaning it’s powered by any light source, not just sunlight.”
Citizen will also reportedly be placing a strong focus on its Promaster range in the later part of 2014, which includes sports watches for land, air and sea purposes, along with a refresh of some “much loved” models, such as the Aqualand and Altichron-Cirrus that measures altitude from -300 metres to 10,000 metres.
On the topic of Japanese timepieces, Seiko is also striving to stay ahead of the technological curve.
“The Astron is our hero product for 2014, a solar GPS watch that delivers timing accuracy to one second every 100,000 years, is able to connect to satellites, has atomic accuracy, is solar-powered and adjusts to every time zone on earth,” Seiko Australia group marketing manager Stuart Smith explains. Smith proudly calls the Astron the “most advanced timepiece on the market” and adds that it is now also available in a chronograph version.
Vostok-Europe is another watch company with a strong focus on pushing the technology innovation envelope. Timesupply is the local distributor for the Lithuanian-based brand and Abbott notes that Vostok-Europe’s Lunokhod 2 model, inspired by the Russian Moon Rover, is one watch that holds great appeal among Australian and New Zealand men.
“It is unlike any other watch ever produced, featuring vertical tritium tubes on the outer chapter ring to give a 360-degree illumination,” Abbott claims. Tritium illumination is a laser-sealed gas-filled tube with radio luminescent material that can glow for up to 25 years, which seems perfect for a space watch that “has been tested in the outer stratosphere, arriving back on Earth in perfect working order!”
Catwalk ready
Moving to the fashion-end of the spectrum, there is no shortage of timepieces wooing trendsetters.
Ice-Watch – a brand renowned for inspiring multiple watch purchases – is set to launch a series of new releases in the second half of 2014.
According to Larry Porter of Ice-Watch distributor Bolt International, “We expect these [new releases] to all be very popular as they are based on tweaks to existing models that customers across the globe have been asking for. The new ranges incorporate new materials such as stainless steel, leather and canvas.”
Porter also believes that the brand’s Ice-Chrono Electrik range – comprising oversize chronograph watches featuring a “typical” Ice-Watch colour twist and 100 metres of water resistance – will remain a key collection in the men’s market as will its BMW Motorsport watches.
Moda Group managing director Trent McKean predicts that Police’s new Boa series will be a “winner” in the later part of this year.
“[Its] multi-function movement and oversized oil-slick-plated case really suits the male fashion consumer,” he says, adding that while Police does offer women’s watches, the local offering is heavily male-orientated.
Moda also distributes Superdry watches – an extension of the apparel brand of the same name – with McKean expecting that its Scuba range will be popular leading into summer due to its use of vibrant colours.
In addition to pops of colour, he says that the brand’s latest offerings also incorporate vintage-inspired leather pieces, robust steel bracelet watches and clean and delicate preppy-style pieces.
A brand that seems to have found success in presenting a ”preppy” aesthetic both in the Australian and New Zealand market as well as internationally is Daniel Wellington.
“The preppy design has been embraced by fashion bloggers worldwide, seeing Daniel Wellington receive huge amounts of online press on blog sites, Instagram, Facebook and the like,” John Rose of local supplier West End Collection explains.
Targeted at an 18 to 35-year-old audience, Rose says that one of the benefits enjoyed by male consumers is the ability to quickly and easily change the strap of the watch to create a new look.
Interest in men’s watches shows no signs of slowing, and a technologically advanced and fashion-forward product offering in 2014 will undoubtedly see satisfied men walking out of stores embracing the persona that their new watches help them to create, be it a pilot, racing car driver or just a ”typical” Aussie bloke.
Citizen will also reportedly be placing a strong focus on its Promaster range in the later part of 2014, which includes sports watches for land, air and sea purposes, along with a refresh of some “much loved” models, such as the Aqualand and Altichron-Cirrus that measures altitude from -300 metres to 10,000 metres.
On the topic of Japanese timepieces, Seiko is also striving to stay ahead of the technological curve.
“The Astron is our hero product for 2014, a solar GPS watch that delivers timing accuracy to one second every 100,000 years, is able to connect to satellites, has atomic accuracy, is solar-powered and adjusts to every time zone on earth,” Seiko Australia group marketing manager Stuart Smith explains. Smith proudly calls the Astron the “most advanced timepiece on the market” and adds that it is now also available in a chronograph version.
Vostok-Europe is another watch company with a strong focus on pushing the technology innovation envelope. Timesupply is the local distributor for the Lithuanian-based brand and Abbott notes that Vostok-Europe’s Lunokhod 2 model, inspired by the Russian Moon Rover, is one watch that holds great appeal among Australian and New Zealand men.
“It is unlike any other watch ever produced, featuring vertical tritium tubes on the outer chapter ring to give a 360-degree illumination,” Abbott claims. Tritium illumination is a laser-sealed gas-filled tube with radio luminescent material that can glow for up to 25 years, which seems perfect for a space watch that “has been tested in the outer stratosphere, arriving back on Earth in perfect working order!”
Catwalk ready
Moving to the fashion-end of the spectrum, there is no shortage of timepieces wooing trendsetters.
Ice-Watch – a brand renowned for inspiring multiple watch purchases – is set to launch a series of new releases in the second half of 2014.
According to Larry Porter of Ice-Watch distributor Bolt International, “We expect these [new releases] to all be very popular as they are based on tweaks to existing models that customers across the globe have been asking for. The new ranges incorporate new materials such as stainless steel, leather and canvas.”
Porter also believes that the brand’s Ice-Chrono Electrik range – comprising oversize chronograph watches featuring a “typical” Ice-Watch colour twist and 100 metres of water resistance – will remain a key collection in the men’s market as will its BMW Motorsport watches.
Moda Group managing director Trent McKean predicts that Police’s new Boa series will be a “winner” in the later part of this year.
“[Its] multi-function movement and oversized oil-slick-plated case really suits the male fashion consumer,” he says, adding that while Police does offer women’s watches, the local offering is heavily male-orientated.
Moda also distributes Superdry watches – an extension of the apparel brand of the same name – with McKean expecting that its Scuba range will be popular leading into summer due to its use of vibrant colours.
In addition to pops of colour, he says that the brand’s latest offerings also incorporate vintage-inspired leather pieces, robust steel bracelet watches and clean and delicate preppy-style pieces.
A brand that seems to have found success in presenting a ”preppy” aesthetic both in the Australian and New Zealand market as well as internationally is Daniel Wellington.
“The preppy design has been embraced by fashion bloggers worldwide, seeing Daniel Wellington receive huge amounts of online press on blog sites, Instagram, Facebook and the like,” John Rose of local supplier West End Collection explains.
Targeted at an 18 to 35-year-old audience, Rose says that one of the benefits enjoyed by male consumers is