The nine biggest watch wearing mistakes to avoid
Choose the right case size
Gone are the days of wearing huge watches with a diameter of 55 mm or more. A decade ago, even women were recommended watches in the shop with cases that extended beyond the edges of the wrist. These were heavy steel or even gold pieces with case diameters as large as 44 mm. However, current trends follow a different rule - the watch should only dominate the centre of your wrist. Women nowadays tend to wear more subtle, smaller and finer pieces, while men opt for a standard case size between 40 and 44 mm.
Decide according to your wardrobe
We choose a watch based on the clothes we feel most comfortable in and wear most often. A man who spends most of the day in a suit will appreciate an elegant model with a minimum of additional mechanisms, slim and simple. A watch that he can easily hide under the cuff of his shirt, its case peeking out only when desired. People who spend most of the day in leisure wear are more likely to choose a sportier watch with a sturdier case, chronograph and even a colourful rubber strap.
Choose the features that serve you
If you know you don't dive and you're generally not into water sports, it's pointless to get a helium valve dive watch. On the other hand, if you often sign contracts where you need to fill in the day of the week as well as the date, it's more than practical to have a watch that just offers the day & date function. Many people pay for watch complications (additional mechanisms) that they never use, and thus overpay for the watch. For the same price, they could have a simpler model but with a better quality movement.
Don't wear your watch on your sweater or T-shirt
The alternative of wearing your watch over your sleeve may be featured in some fashion magazines, but it's just stylists getting overly creative. A watch is properly worn on the skin and should fit so that it doesn't twist unnecessarily. Of course, the watch doesn't have to be an imaginary "choker", but it certainly shouldn't be unnecessarily too loose.
Do you have automatic watches? Then wind them.
If you own a mechanical watch with an automatic winding mechanism, you don't need to wind the watch with the crown. They wind themselves by movement, and it's practical to get a winder and place the watch in it overnight. It will then go on perfectly the next day. If you don't have this handy box, you have to wind the watch yourself. This is mostly done by moving the wrist, which must be active during the day. Unfortunately, activity is not working on a laptop or playing computer games in quarantine. During these activities, the watch has no chance to wind up. At the same time, they don't stretch even when you take them off and put them next to the computer so that they don't get scratched while working. At that moment, the featherweight in the movement has no chance to roll up and the movement simply does not get stretched.
Automatic watch winding. Polaris Mariner Memovox watch - the automatic movement rotor can be seen from the backPhoto: Carollinum
Watch out for magnetism
If you like your mechanical watches (few things will hurt a quartz) don't expose them to magnets. These are part of many of the devices we use every day, from computers to mobile phones, but it's also common to find classic strong magnets in the clasps of handbags and wallets. Magnetization will cause the watch to accelerate, not run accurately, and only professional watchmaker intervention will help.
Beware of scratches
While it is nice to own a watch made of gold, such models must be treated with great care. Gold is softer than ordinary steel and therefore scratches more quickly. Unlike steel, it is also not as easy to polish, or rather, polishing takes away a lot of gold, which is definitely not desirable in these days when gold is rising in value. Of course, it is important to protect the watch against drops, water, sand and other adverse environmental influences that can easily damage or permanently destroy the delicate movement.
Keep the ideal number of watches at home
What's too much and what's too little watch? The number is up to you. However, a general recommendation says you should have at least three. One for sports (the smart ones, of course), one for important occasions, a tuxedo and evening gown watch, and a third sporty-elegant one that can be paired with almost any outfit: a casual jacket and chinos, with jeans and a tracksuit. If you are a perfectionist and like to match the strap on your watch with the strap of your trousers or the colour of your shoes, it is advisable to choose a watch with an easily replaceable strap. Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Baume & Mercier and other brands offer such watches. There is a tiny hook on the leather strap, by sliding it, the mast pops out of the case and you can then easily replace it.
Do not mix metals
This is especially true for the ladies. You should choose the colour of your watch according to the jewellery you wear. If you prefer silver or white gold, a model with a steel or white gold case will be the best option. If you like the classics, i.e. yellow gold, a watch made of this metal is best, or a cheaper option made of steel with a gold PVD finish or gold plating. Women who don't want to decide what colour watch to choose in the morning will appreciate the bicolour option. These are made of two metals and can thus be combined with practically all metals.
