Dress watches vs Sports watches, when should you wear them and what defines each type to its category. What I have seen and learnt in my short time of interest in watches, the simpler the face the dressier the watch is considered. Also the strap tends to be crocodile for a dress watch and rubber or metal for a sports watch.
Additionally size matters too and the smaller more delicate watch housings and faces are those considered again to be the dressier side of the scale. That said I wear a Baume & Mercier, black face, chronograph with stainless casing and brown croco strap. I consider it to be an everyday watch, or sports watch, while most consider it to be dressy, even with the chronograph.
I am a firm believer that men should have at least four watches, a dress watch, a sports watch, a fantasy watch and a second option for either the dress or sports watch to accommodate different cufflinks and styles of dress or times of day. Concentrating on sports watches for now, I want to look at the watches that make me tick.
You should certainly have several watches and one in particular that you consider to be your sports watch. Something you might wear for an early morning tennis match, or for an evening hike in the rockies. A watch you could wear for lunch at the club or shopping in Barcelona. It's a watch that you consider casual enough to wear for almost all occasions but for the slightly more important ones you have your dress watch. The reason you need to have a sports watch is, much like shoes, so you don't wear out your other watches. It helps to maintain the longevity of the strap and the casing You would never want to wear your dress watch for a sporting event or fixture. You can, although get away with wearing your sports watch for a more dressy affair.
So what watches are good examples of sports watches? Take a look at these.
IWC,a favorite always, has recreated the ever popular 1955 Ingenieur in the guise of the Big Ingenieur Chronograph. Its sleek and sexy and contrary to popular opinion can come with a croco strap. It has a slightly slimmer but wider case which has been allowed because the old anti-magnetic soft-iron inner case is no longer present. The chronograph is powered by an automatic calibre complication which is manufactured in house, with side guards to protect the screw-in crown. The face shows two dials within the face stacked vertically in the centre of the dial. Its a very masculine watch and bodes well for summer wear all day any day. Being seen with this watch not only signifies your knowledge but also your savvy. Wear it with jeans and a polo shirt, or shorts and a tank top. It speaks for itself.
For all you space travel enthusiasts, the Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch Apollo 11 is a great option if you wish to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first watch to land on the moon. The face has a carving of the patch worn by the crew of Apollo 11 and marked in red at the center beneath the Omega name is the exact time the landing took place. This watch has a metal strap so might be considered a more sporting watch, and Omega has a great history of involvement with the Olympics so not much more sporty you can get than that! The look of the watch is classic though, and no matter what the style of clothing you have donned you will not go wrong having this strapped to your wrist.
If you are worried about durability, there is one watch to go for. Built to stand the test of time, and yes that is a cheesy line, The Tag Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 36 RS Caliper Chronograph is the watch to outlast all others. Constructed in a titanium carbide, this ultra-strong watch makes what was already one of my favorite sports watches available even more remarkable. The watch is the first mechanical movement engineered with rotating system indicators and is inspired by GT cars. It also features 1/10th timing precision and a dark knight casing which speaks volumes about the kind of person you are if you wear this watch. Strong, powerful and a wild side are the traits of the man who wears this watch whether while racing your speedster down a hillside in the South of France, or watching the Grand Prix in Interlagos.
A final watch you might want to consider if you are just looking for some good times and watch to get the conversation going, you should try a G Shock. Durable and built exclusively for sports and outward-bound activities, these watches have everything you need in a sports watch. Stopwatch, count-down timer, a light and are water resistant. They come in an array of colors so you can create a mini collection to go with every color of the rainbow and no matter what you wear there will be one to match. Indeed many people that wear G Shock watches become addicted to the collecting game and end up having more G shock watches than all their other watches combined. They are recognized the world over as a stylistic choice and weather you are going for Japanese street style or pairing this watch with a suit you will look too cool for school but also just left of center. I think it shows a great amount of style prowess to be able to wear a watch like this in all sorts of occasions and not just in the playground on the wrist of a 14 year old. I see plenty of adults wearing them as well and I always make a mental check that I really like what I am seeing.