Watches are getting bigger, gaudier and fancier and it’s getting out of hand. Not only is it not tasteful as taste is usually subtle and refined, but it’s not functional. If your shirt cuff doesn’t fit over your huge watch face, there’s something wrong. I saw this mentioned on The Sartorialist a few days ago and thought I’d write a little something about it.

Some of the coolest vintage watches are from the WW2 era, the best of which are Hamilton. They are hard to come by, and very expensive, depending on the condition the watch is in. Here are some of most interesting ones I’ve found looking around the webs (these are not necessarily Hamiltons, but they are from the same time and embody the style):

I also came across this video; it’s a promotional spot for Hamilton watches made in the 1940s and there’s some great stuff in here. I love the part where the father tells his son carrying a ‘fine watch’ is important as ‘promptness and consideration for the time of others is a mark of character and integrity,’ which is not only 100% spot on but something that seems to be getting less and less important in the era of cell phones and text messages. The bit about baking bread in the factory to absorb dust is an interesting peak into the ingenuity and simplicity of the past. Most striking is the constant harping on how tiny everything is. ‘Machines making smaller machines making smaller machines.’ What was classic then is still classic today: small, thin, refined, simple watch making. It can be found here.

A friend of mine was wearing the square version of this watch last night and I thought that it was a great example of the WW2 style but modern and much more affordable. It’s made by Emporio Armani and for $195 its a great way to add some classic style and brand name to your wardrobe.