Arts & Culture

Photo courtesy DJ Scammell

In a World Dominated by Digital Screens, Consider Traditional Craftsmanship

By Douglas James Scammell

Published 10:34 PDT, Wed August 12, 2026

Fashion for Men

When it comes to men’s accessories, the one piece that is the most important is a great watch. Everyone’s taste and needs are different whether it’s a sports watch, a health watch or a classic, all of which provides time of day. Equally important is, a nice watch is a symbol of personal discipline, and a subtle non-verbal signal to others that you value structure, punctuality, reliability. It shows that you respect your own time and that of others as well as keeping you well informed through the modern day watch that provides Apps for just about everything. Men for the most part generally wear very little jewelry and a timepiece serves as the ultimate functional accessory.

In today’s modern world a man should have over time essentially 3 different types of watches in his watch collection.

1. The Everyday Watch: Often called a go anywhere, do anything watch. It bridges the gap between sporty and smart. It typically features a metal bracelet a dark or blue dial, moderate water resistance (100m), and can be worn to the office, the grocery store, or a casual dinner.

2. The Sport/Dive Watch: An ultra-durable timepiece built to take a beating. It handles sweat, water, and drops with ease, typically featuring a rubber or stainless steel strap, high water resistance (200m+), and a rotating bezel to track elapsed time. (This style is my personal favorite to wear).

3. The Dress Watch: Designed strictly for formal settings, business meetings, or black tie events. It is defined by a thin profile, a clean minimal dial, and a leather strap. It is meant to slide easily underneath a suit cuff.

There are some categories I like to point out to help you decide your budget to help you decide what type of watch will work best for you.

Budget: ($0-$250) Focuses on reliable Japanese quartz movements, digital utility, and durable everyday materials.

Entry Level: ($250-$1,000) Offers entry level automatic movements, sapphire crystals, and solid stainless steel construction.

Mid-Range: ($1,000-$5,000) Features entry to mid luxury Swiss automatics, heritage brands, and excellent finishing.

Luxury: ($5,000+) Focuses on in-house mechanical movements, precious metals, high complications, and premium brand prestige.

It is also very important to know what not to do with your beautiful watches. The building I live at has a beautiful pool, hot tub, sauna and steam room and unfortunately I see all the time people making this terrible mistake of wearing their beautiful Rolex diving and sport watches in these amenities. These watches are never to be used in these types of places even though these watches are highly waterproof against cold ocean depths, but extreme heat from a hot tub, sauna, or steam room will expand the rubber gaskets. The hot steam will penetrate the seals and leave condensation under the crystal. Soap and shampoo can also degrade the waterproof seals over time.

Purchasing a high-quality luxury watch is widely considered a great investment primarily because certain prestigious timepieces reliably retain their value or appreciate over time, defying the immediate depreciation that plagues most other consumer luxury products.

Unlike buying a luxury car or a designer clothing which usually drops in value the moment it’s used. The iconic luxury timepieces benefit from global market stability, strict, production caps, and a booming secondary market ecosystem.

The luxury watches are built from ultra-premium materials like surgical-grade stainless steel, 18K gold, titanium, and scratch resistant sapphire crystal, these mechanical pieces are designed to survive for generations. They double as a high value family heirloom that carries deep sentimental and financial weight.

A wristwatch is far more than a tool for keeping time, it is the ultimate statement piece for the modern gentlemen. In a world dominated by digital screens a mechanical or well-crafted timepiece represents a deliberate choice to value tradition, craftsmanship, and mindfulness. It serves as an anchor of personal style, seamlessly tying your outfit together. Ultimately watch fashion matters like I have mentioned before it speaks before you do. It reflects your personality, marks your milestones, and communicates respect for both your time and time of others.