The Car Guy Gets Watches Too...

A few weeks of the said blog- and though it's gotten a little story-oriented these last few days- lets get back to business... Let's talk watches.

Watches are big. If you're into accessorizing, if you're into mechanics, art and have a passion for design- you can't but help getting into watches.

The wristwatch business has boomed in the last five years. Every month- you can't pick-up magazine like GQ, Esquire or similar and not read at least a page on the latest horological gems and trends from around the world.

Forget men's magazines or fashions- there are dozens of watch inspired magazines published worldwide- highlighting the latest trends. It's big business.

Horology is the study of time, the study of how its measured; the art or science of how its measured. Getting into wristwatches would make you a horologist, of sorts.

Don't worry- it's not as slutty as it sounds.. (Get it, "whore-ology..., okay, okay bad joke- a girl once asked me what horology was- she didn't get it either, thought I was "getting nasty" and we never spoke again... )

So while most people wear just one wristwatch- if you're a horologist or just a person who appreciates accessories and fashion- it's hard to own just one watch.

The Car Guy Gets It has prepared a simple primer that every man/woman worth their wrists should read. Can't have just one wristwatch? Here are seven types that you must have- seven, a holy number... and one for every day of the week, if you insist.

1.) Something Quartz- while many purists are choking as they read this- yes- something quartz. While its not the sexiest of technologies or art forms- quartz has its place on the horologist's wrists.

Whether its the Victorinox Swiss Army watch you got when you were thirteen, a vintage Rolex Oysterquartz you bought because they stopped making them (everyone thinks a Rolex that tick's is a fake...) or a colorful Swatch your aunt gave you in 1987- their versatility- their ruggedness and their accuracy make them winners.

Perfect for Sundays or after work when you're playing, knocking-around- or just something to wear at bedtime- quartz wristwatches are always ready to wear and enjoy- unless, of course, they need a battery.

Quartz wristwatches keep time far better than even the best mechanical certified chronometer timepieces, they're relatively cheaper and its comforting to know- you'll always have the time spot-on, or damn-well-close-to-it if you put it down for more than a couple of days. Quartz.

2.) A Casio- whether its a retro calculator "data bank" watch or a throw-back, re-issue G-Shock, complete with solar power and atomic accuracy- or something more novel like a watch that calculates speed, distance, calories and the duration of a workout, you can't go wrong with these drugstore bought marvels.

Water resistant, shock resistant and as cold as the silicon and rubber they're made of- they're the best. If they break- just throw them away- and buy another. Because really- it's just a watch after all.

3.) A Stainless Steel Rolex- (Okay- first a quartz, then a Casio- now he's getting warmer you're thinking, right?) Yes, they're that good. Ask any horologist- anyone who knows anything about anything- a Rolex is a great watch. Ask the flake on the street- even if they don't know anything about anything- they know what a Rolex is. Or at least a copy of one.

For over a hundred years- if there was any single maker of timepieces that has become synonymous with wristwatches, their recognition, their quality and their innovation- it's Rolex.

And the models offered in stainless steel or Steelinox as Rolex calls it- either in vintage 316 or more modern 904L grades- you're getting the best watch, pound-per-pound, dollar for dollar in a stainless steel Rolex- and relax- they don't get any cheaper than stainless steel- about $5,000 new, give or take a few grand either way.

There's a huge secondary market for used Rolex timepieces. They're a commodity, they're the standard. They go well with most everything- dress or casual and arguably they can and will last a lifetime if cared for. If you need cash in a hurry- most anyone in any country around the world will gladly take one in barter. Its a universal currency if there ever was one.

They used to say "The Destinies of The World Are Shaped by Men Who Wear Rolex Watches." Or is it "Men Who Guide The Destinies of the World Wear a Rolex?" One word, one watch- Rolex. Pick one up and find out for yourself why.

4.) Something Flashy- Well, if a Rolex isn't considered flashy enough- get a flashy watch, or maybe a flashier Rolex? Something that catches the eye- if not yours, perhaps the eyes of someone else. Who know? In the right circles- it may even get you laid or picked-up...

Something in gold, either solid or plated, maybe even two-tone- in steel and gold. Maybe some diamonds too. Get something to wear when you go on a bender in Atlantic City or Vegas. Get a watch to wear while playing poker- or betting on a horse. Something to wear while doing something a little shady late at night, or early in the morning.

Get a watch that only looks good while sipping frosty beverages by a pool in a sub-tropic island- just don't wear it to work or at a setting where impressions really matter.

Unless you're "that guy..." Most others just want to wear his watch from time-t0-time.

5.) Something on a Strap- Lets tone-it-down a notch and get classy for a split second. Get a watch that's worn on a leather, or similar strap. Maybe even something thin and elegant- something conservative- something that goes with the white dinner coat.

The finest watches money can buy- most of them only come on straps and you don't know what they are. That's the point.

Go stealth- strap it... And move on with your life... Either simple and elegant, or overly complicated and ornate. Strap it down a bit.

6.) A Halo Watch- What's a halo watch? Many collectors and horologists equate it to something they've always wanted. Or something they've always aspired to. Get a watch that shows not only what you've acheived but maybe who you want to be- or where you want to go.

Do you like racing? Buy a racing-inspired chronograph, like a Rolex Daytona or an Omega Schumacher Edition Speedmaster. Does spaceflight and aviation strike your fancy? Buy a Breitling, a Rolex GMT Master- or look to the moon and spaceflight with an Omega Speedmaster Moon Watch.

Maybe you've always liked James Bond 007- or have read Clive Cussler novels- and fancy yourself a bona fide Dirk Pitt- get something bright and sporty like a Rolex Submariner, Omega Seamaster or an orange-faced Doxa diver.

Get something with some flashy color or instrumental purpose- even if it doesn't go well with what you're wearing.

And finally and most importantly...

7.) Something Inherited or Gifted- Wear a watch that was given to you by your father, your grandfather or maybe that special uncle who loved you like a son/daughter. Maybe your aunt gave you a neat watch for your high school graduation- or maybe you wear a watch that resembles ones you remember seeing men and women wearing when you were younger- but wear something older than you, something vintage, something that means, well... something more than the time.

It doesn't have to be expensive- some of the best vintage wristwatches are virtually worthless but their sentiments go beyond value- it's about memories- not the expense or the time.

Watches are personal, they live a life of their own while beating alongside your life, merely strapped to your wrist.

And never, ever, accept or wear a watch from a person you don't at least like or admire. That's my own personal rule- at any price, style, or reference.

Build on these seven basic varieties- and you can call yourself a watch enthusiast. A horologist, "if you're nasty..."