Toys for Boys Watch Trends for Men

Like cars, watches have traditionally been a man's domain, from the time the first wristwatches were made, which, as the story goes, was for soldiers in World War I. Today's masculine watches are more varied than ever before, so if a man can't find a watch to suit his style, he's just not looking hard enough.

From traditional to contemporary, there are a number of trends in men’s watches that are happening now.

Big is better
Big watches are the rage right now. Although there eventually will be a stop to it all, watches have grown steadily from the normal diameter of 32mm to 35mm
to reach 40mm or more. "Our NATO Chronograph used to be large, at 35mm, now it is a little small," says Gustavo Calzadilla, president, Tutima USA. “We have other watches in our line-up that go over 40mm, and they are selling very well.”

Even if the size of watches stabilizes, the “normal” size of a man's watch is already much bigger than in the past and it most probably won't get smaller. “We can see that the tendency is still for big watches and I don't think this will change anytime soon,” says Francois Thiebaud, president, Tissot SA. “The size is 42mm to 47mm for men's watches now and I can see that with many brands. At Basel, I spoke with my colleagues and I think this trend will continue.”

A man's-man watch
Another trend is towards very masculine looking watches. Today's multifunctional watches, which go from the office to the gym and then out to dinner, are chunky, rugged and very manly. There are not many things that look better than a big, masculine hunk of shiny steel on a man's wrist.

“We are seeing more and more sports watches, and the bigger, the better,” says Patrick Zingg, president, Hamilton USA. “Man-toys, and things like chronographs and dual times are very popular. Everything must be big, the crown, the bezel… very rough and rugged.”

Don't hate the players
Sports watches fit the trend towards masculine timepieces. It's a little crazy when you think that so many men wear diver's watches, yet the closest they ever get to the open ocean is watching reruns of Baywatch.

Some men buy sports watches for the look and the knowledge that they are capable of diving down to 300 meters, withstanding great heights, finding True North or indicating the temperature. Generally, these functions are never used, but does that really matter? If a man wants something rugged and functional on his wrist, why not sell it to him?

Today's sports watches are good-looking, well designed, constructed to last for many years and often reasonably priced. “One of the reasons the sport category is getting more play now than in the past is that large watches wouldn’t fit under a cufflink shirt,” says Jimmy Olmes, president, Reactor Watches. “But today with a more casual look in the workplace, guys can wear them.”

All wound up over mechanicals
Mechanical watches are more popular than ever right now. Men are, in general, mechanically inclined, and even if they are a klutz in the tool box, they like mechanical things. They love the idea of a little engine on their wrist. It is the subject of a better story when people ask them about their watches. After all, what can you say about a quartz watch?

“The market for men's automatic watches is excellent,” says Paul Ziff, president, Zenith North America. “We are one of the emerging brands and there is a big buzz around Zenith and our particular segment is waking up to what the Europeans have aspired to for many years – to own a very fine, mechanical, hand-made watch.”

The market for men's mechanical watches will only continue to grow. “As time goes by, we expect more men to be buying mechanical watches,” says Daniel Lalonde, president and CEO, LVMH Watches and Jewelry. “The U.S. market has been slow for mechanical watches, compared to Europe and other areas. The main reason is that too few Americans wear a luxury watch. We foresee enormous growth. In the U.S., we are not only competing with watch brands but also with items at a similar price level (computers, cars, golf clubs, etc.).”

Automatic watches are the hottest mechanical watches, though several companies have brought out manual-wind timekeepers as well. “I am now seeing a huge trend in automatics for men,” says Hamilton's Zingg. “We have already had a lot of success with mechanical watches. It's part of
our heritage.”

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