Business Time

Heading back to work? Pick a watch that’ll make your return slightly less miserable

The modern working dress code has never been so ill-defined or confusing. Over the past decade, there’d already been a gradual shift towards a more relaxed approach to work wear with even the likes of Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan ditching the suit and tie for “business casual”. But then COVID came along. Suddenly we were plunged into the professional twilight zone of hybrid work, bedroom “offices” and chronic Zoom fatigue. For many of us, sartorial standards took another big plunge and haven’t yet recovered from their trackie-dakked nadir.

So what does that mean for your office watch? Before answering that, it is necessary to point out that different jobs do, of course, have very different requirements. If you work at a magic-circle law firm, there’s probably still an expectation that you’ll muster a suit and tie or some equally formal approximation. Work at a buzzy media agency – the sort that has an office ping-pong table to show what fun-loving mavericks they are – and there’s a fair chance that you’ll want to loosen up that blazer with a pair of designer sneakers. Yet whether you’re an underwriter or an undertaker, there are certain universal rules that will apply when considering your working timepiece.

Whatever your job, you’ll want your attire to project a few key values to make you at least appear like you’re a safe pair of hands. Being competent, trustworthy and reliable are rarely disastrous traits in any line of work – even if many estate agents often choose to forego them.  The good news is that wearing a watch is psychologically proven to help you construct this plausible veneer. 

In a British study, researchers conducted short personality tests on 112 people. At the end of the tests, the participants were asked whether or not they regularly wore a wristwatch. When the researchers crunched the numbers, they found that the watch wearers were “significantly more conscientious” when compared with controls and scored higher on “emotional stability”.  And whether you’re trying to schmooze a client, nail a presentation or talk your way out of that awkward Christmas party “incident” with your HR manager, those are qualities that most of us could benefit from. But the specific watch that you choose could further help your quest to become more professionally indispensable.

The Safe Bet

Traditionally, the wristwear of choice for the office was a dress watch. The precise definition of this style is contentious at best, but generally involves a clean dial with minimal accoutrements, a small case that slides neatly under your shirt cuff, a leather strap and, well, that’s about it. A classic dress watch consciously eschews any bells and whistles. The really curmudgeonly purists may even raise an eyebrow at the inclusion of a date window or seconds hand. A Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso or an IWC Portofino Automatic would both qualify as unimpeachable choices that will quietly affirm your savoir-faire.

Nothing Too Loud

Just as there’s been a gradual unloosening of the collective tie when it comes to office uniforms, there’s also now less pressure to stick to the dress-watch convention. Watches on bracelets are now perfectly acceptable and you might like to dabble in complications like this piece from the Longines Master Collection.

But while watch buyers can now enjoy greater freedom than ever before, the office probably isn’t the best place for bright-coloured dials or rubber straps that are still considered more the preserve of weekend wear. A subtle green dial is always fine, while navy is a colour that remains associated with authority and reliability. There are plenty of great blue dials around too, from the Cartier Santos to the IWC Portofino Chronograph. Save that fire-engine red number for when you’re off-duty.

Nothing Too Flashy

There’s an old adage when it comes to workwear: “Dress for the position you want, not the position you have”. You might interpret this as suggesting that your watch should therefore flag your thrusting ambition and wear something bold, gold and expensive to signal your intended ascension to the corner office. Personally, however, I’d suggest your work watch shouldn’t be too flashy or conspicuous. It should primarily serve as a wrist-bound presence that gently reassures people you’ll get the job done with minimal fuss. Yet that doesn’t mean your watch should be as memorable as the average Powerpoint slide.

The Panerai Luminor Marina Goldtech Sole Blu may have a luxurious gold case, but it’s calmed by that blue dial and matching alligator-leather strap.

Equally, the open-worked dial of the Piaget Polo Skeleton may offer plenty of visual pyrotechnics, but its elegantly slender cushion case that measures just 6.5mm. ensures that it’ll slide unobtrusively beneath the sleeve of your jacket. Consider such watches as a subtler, more knowing form of horological flex. After all, in this context, you really want your work to do the talking.

Article written by our content contributor Luke Benedictus.

Sign up to Kennedy news and discover our extraordinary timepiece curation