Understanding Watch Styles

Whether you’re dressing up for the office or completing a casual look, there’s a watch out there that fits your lifestyle and personality. And a watch’s defining characteristics—from design to movement to size and more—are what give it its distinct identity, whether you’re wearing the Rolex Submariner or the Panerai Luminor.

Understanding Watch Styles watch styles include dress watches and casual watches, both of which can be worn with everything from jeans to a sports coat and khakis. Dress watches feature a clean, classic design and are made of precious metals with leather bands or straps. Casual watches have a more relaxed look and come in all sorts of colors, materials and sizes, and may be fitted with a rubber or nylon band.

More specialized types of watches include chronographs and tachymeters. A chronograph is a stopwatch built into the watch, while a tachymeter is a scale inscribed around a watch’s case that can be used to measure speed and distance. These types of watches usually have one button to start, stop and reset the chronograph or tachymeter and feature smaller dials within the main watch face.

Timeless Elegance: Understanding Different Watch Styles

Another specialty category is the field watch, which traces its lineage back to WWI-era trench watches designed for officers who needed to coordinate attacks, tell time at night and sport a rugged wristwatch that could withstand the rigors of war. Typically small and medium, because large watches would get in the way, these rugged, functional pieces still exude a military-esque vibe, with oversized hands for easy readability and a case designed to be tough enough for any adventure. Some of the most notable examples are the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, the Rolex Submariner and the Panerai Luminor.