Bravado Living

A lot has happened in the past 5 years. We’ve gone through a housing bubble and recession, we’ve changed presidents, we’ve changed clothes (hopefully), and we’ve got a new outlook on life. One thing that hasn’t changed has been out preference for quality, yet understated watches.

Rolex Submariner

One watch that reignited out passion for horology this week is the Rolex Submariner. Five years ago it was considered too simple by many. It looked shy and meek next to those ubiquitous 50mm Breitlings, yet a few years later, the submariner remains king. It’s confident elegance and charming charisma has withstood the test of time, remaining relatively unchanged since the 1960′s (Don’t kill us Ben), this iconic classic will be just as gorgeous 10 years from now, as it is today.

If you’re going to invest in a time piece, or get one as a gift, you could do a lot worse than this.

BUY IT Rolex Oyster Precision Submariner Chronometer Stainless Steel Watch $5,000

There are three things I demand when searching a watch suited for formal affairs.

1.) It must be black and silver.

2.) It must have a leather band (leave the Rolex at home).

3.) It must be subtle.

I saw this beautiful Audemars Piguet Millenary Piano Forte, I was willing to break the third rule. This watch is anything but subtle. Like other Millenary Watches, the Piano Forte has an offset watch face adorned with a mother of pearl piano embellishment. This automatic masterpiece features an oval case modeled after the ancient Roman Colosseum, and a case size (40x45mm) that is much more modern.

Audemars Piguet Millenary Piano Forte

Unforunately, this white gold masterpiece was only released once in 2007, and limited to 500 models. Fortunately, one is going up for auction here. They come with a matching burl wood model piano case to help show off this work of art.

Piano Forte and Case

But after seeing how good this watch looks on the wrist, and how perfect it works for Black Tie affairs, I’m almost considering pulling the trigger and getting one.

The Perfect Dress Watch

Almost. [Hat Tip]

BUY IT Audemars Piguet Millenary Paino Forte $3,000-$5,000 Estimated

Now we love Patek Phillipe as much as the next guy, but sometimes you need an everyday beater. A watch that can (sorry Timex) take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’. Normally for this genre we go to the standard issue dive watch. Waterproof, shockproof, and scratch resistant- exactly what we need. We never thought we would be looking at the sky for our next time piece. Well that’s exactly where we found this beauty. The Citizen Eco-Drive Nighthawk. Designed for pilots this beast boasts a stainless steel casing and band, a japaneze-quarts movement, screw-down crown, and perpetual calendar.

Although this watch comes in a titanium version as well, we like the hefty weight (and price difference) of the stainless steel version. Both versions come with a scratch resistant mineral glass (would prefer sapphire but what do you expect for the price), and a very useful slide rule that is easier to use than a calculator.

With the slide rule you can calculate your car’s fuel consumption, average speed/velocity and the time you will arrive at your destination, you can also multiply and divide numbers, calculate ratio’s into percentages, integers and decimals, covert liters to gallons, pounds to kilograms as well as other metric conversions, all with a simple twist of the bezel. The slide rule also performs a few more complicated calculations that involve airplanes and nautical vessels that are beyond our understanding.

But the real gem of this watch is the Eco-Drive function. Citizen has determined how to harness the power of sunlight to power this watch. It can even use the artificial light from indoor bulbs to keep the battery charged. It can go over 6 months without light and still maintain a charge and never needs to replace the battery. This can help keep the seal on the casing and keep this puppy waterproof and ocean-safe for years to come.

For the price and value of the watch, there’s no reason not to get it.

BUY IT Citizen Eco-Drive Nighthawk $237

EDIT: We found the Titanium Version for only $257 – BUY IT

The World Traveller Clock from Dalvey is a great little gadget for the gentleman on the go. It is like the bastard child of a pocket watch and a wallet and raised in a monastery of alarm clocks. t folds neatly into a pocket and features a quality Japanese quartz movement, 12 hour repeat alarm with a single two minute snooze, second time zone hand, a power reserve indication, day and date display and hours and a separate second hand, which is revealed by simply preessing down a button on the side of the watch. It has a satin metallic face and fine Italian leather casing. It’s pretty compact too, which really facilitates the easiness of the clock’s transport; you could literally carry it in your pocket everywhere. When closed, the World Traveller Clock measures 2 inches (5.3 cm) wide, 2 1/2 inches (6.3 cm) tall, 7.8 inch (2 cm) thick, and weighs just 3.8 ounces (107 grams). The diameter of the face measures 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm).

I just love that it has a second time zone hand, that way you can always know what time it is back home when you are calling. That is so perfect for calling at irregular hours and then pretending it was an honest mistake, genius. The power reserve indicator is pretty neat too, since a dead clock can ruin a carefully planned itinerary. This is the type of clock that is equally at home on a series of extended business trips or for just touring around some nation’s countryside. The satin metallic face and beautiful leather casing are elegant, but not too showy. This make a great gift for father’s day, birthdays, or for yourself. They go for about $222.

Get one here.

Well known for his love of fine timepieces, John Varvatos has partnered with watchmaker Leonid Khankin of Swiss watch brand Ernst Benz to create two standout new watches. Limited to just 250 each and individually numbered, The Ernst Benz by John Varvatos Limited Edition ChronoScope ($6,800) features contrast finishing with brushed and polished stainless steel, unique hands based on a timing gauge Varvatos was fond of, exotic skin straps including crocodile and bison, a custom leather watchcase, and more. Available exclusively at John Varvatos stores nationwide. -Uncrate

BUY IT Ernst Benz Chronoscope $6,800