Watch Style: Pieces of History

Victory_ss_side

This week The Man About Time takes a step into history, looking at watches designed around specific eras and historic icons from decades gone by. Finding inspiration from cars, planes and even natural catastrophes, they are a snapshot of time captured in a single piece of mechanical beauty.

We have talked a lot in this column about the importance of choosing watches to which you feel a personal attachment and which complement your sense of your own style, but what if your style includes a sense of heritage? Obviously anybody who really likes watches, particularly mechanical watches, in the digital 21st century is not entirely devoid of a connection to the past. Some manufacturers have capitalised on that by producing heritage timepieces which are reminders of past ‘golden’ days of the railways, motor racing or aviation for example, but others have gone a stage further and incorporated pieces of the past into their watches. View Post

Watch Style: Cooling Down For Christmas

download (2)

The Man About Time has generally shied away from discussing quartz watches, however since he recently came across a new Anglo-Swedish brand he has made an exception. Today he talks about Larsson & Jennings and the beautifully stylish watches they are bringing to the market.

As we arrive breathless in the last week of Christmas, it might be appropriate to think of some last minute presents for the stylish males, or females of your acquaintance, or even of having a self-indulgent moment and finding a little extra for your own stocking! Earlier in the year we commented on the rise of some inexpensive slim and elegant watches, such as Skagen, Daniel Wellington and Bering with quartz movements which provided a lot of style for very sensible money. One company we missed from that group was Larssen and Jennings, but we decided to rectify that. View Post

Watch Style: Louis Moinet & The Chronograph’s 200th Anniversary

LM-54.50.80_FRONT_WHDHere at The Male Stylist we don’t usually devote a whole article to a single item but then something quite extraordinary comes across our desk and, suddenly everything changes. Today, The Man About Time reviews a very special watch, for which it is certainly worth rewriting the rules.

Recently we looked at iconic chronographs and it is possible to argue, with a lot of recorded watch history on your side, that all chronographs owe a spiritual debt to Louis Moinet. Chronographs, literally ‘writing time’ are about showing and recording elapsed time rather than displaying the time of day. A little over 200 years ago, and before the word chronograph was coined, Louis Moinet began work on what would become the world’s first chronograph, his ‘Compteur de Tierces’. Today watches with chronograph functions are to be found in every jeweller’s window but finding something out of the ordinary, which combines a sense of heritage, craftsmanship and technology with a truly individual style, takes a little more discernment. However, if you have the necessary means, then the independent watch company which bears Louis Moinet’s name has produced a true classic with the introduction of the Memoris to its range. View Post

Leather & Lather: The Aspinal of London and Truefitt & Hill LCM Show

IMG_4651

Last week renowned leather accessory designers, Aspinal of London, held their LCM collection show at the Truefitt & Hill barbers on Saint James’s Street. The event itself celebrated the best in British design and skill, with beautiful products provided by Aspinal and expert barbers from Truefitt & Hill. By all definitions this was a gentleman’s paradise, craft beers and Prosecco provided on arrival with the option to loan a bag from Aspinal to trial and review. View Post

Watch Style: 4 Watches for The Autumn/Winter Season

As the great British summer becomes a distant memory and a gentleman’s thoughts naturally turn to autumn style, we thought we would take a look at 4 watches that fit a season where pullovers and jackets are more the norm than shirtsleeves. Happily, for those of you who are also able to dress ‘business casual’ these watches will really complement that style, particularly if you can run to a couple of straps (black and brown) for your chosen timepiece.

1) Christopher Ward – Malvern Automatic Mk. 2

c5malvern-swk-mk2_straight

Here at The Male Stylist we can’t get away from the combination of style, value for money and customer care that British company Christopher Ward delivers. Their Malvern Mk2, which is an update of the first watch that they produced (and is quietly becoming a classic in its own right)  is our first season’s choice. As usual, our choice the automatic version and it is available with both black and white faces and a variety of straps and bracelets. From £399 it will deliver a gentleman’s Autumn style for many years to come at a sensible price. View Post