Watches for Men: GQ Guide to Watches

Watches for Men: GQ Guide to Watches

It is easier than ever to buy great watches for men. There’s more information about watches in the form of thriving communities on the internet and Instagram. New, covetable pieces launch with alarming regularity. There is near-universal acceptance of the idea that buying a vintage men’s watch is as smart a choice—stylistically, financially, and spiritually—as buying one fresh off the assembly line. And there are simply more doors and stores and webshops and IG accounts where you can buy your next grail.

But it’s also for precisely those reasons that buying a watch can feel harder than it’s ever been. How am I supposed to choose between a Datejust and a Speedmaster? What counts as a good investment? Do I really need to know the difference between quartz and mechanical watches? For the beginner, it can often seem like there’s just too much information about years and references and movements to make a smart call.

We’re happy to say: that’s not really the case. Yes, buying a killer watch should be a little daunting—but only because you’re spending a not insignificant amount of your hard-earned money, not because it’s hard to figure out what you like, or why you like it, or whether you’re being scammed on your way to securing it.

So GQ has assembled this guide to buying watches. If you’re looking for your first, we’ve got you covered. And if you’re just looking for your next—well, we’ve got that, too.

The First Choice You Have to Make

From a 30,000 foot view, watches can be broken down into two broad categories: dress and sports watches. Or, as a brand like Rolex calls them: classic versus professional pieces. There are exceptions to each category, but dress watches are typically slim in profile, made with fine materials, and usually outfitted with a leather strap. A sports watch, meanwhile, usually comes in steel with a matching steel bracelet, rubber band, or a fabric strap. (Like the military-born NATO strap—but more on that later.)

An archetypal sports watch: Omega’s legendary Speedmaster.

The greatest variation comes within the sport watch category. There’s a reason these watches are known as “professional” in Rolex parlance: they are designed to aid specific vocations. Within sports watches, there are dive, pilots, and field watches as well as those made for racing and navigating the open sea. Richard Mille makes luxury sports watches that look like cool gadgets, cost ten times as much as their predecessors, and are light enough to be worn by Rafeal Nadal during the French Open. The idea of what constitutes a sports or dress watch is constantly changing, though. The Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso was originally designed for polo players, but is now a red carpet fixture for folks like Jay-Z. So don’t take these distinctions as rule of law—just go with the watch that appeals most to you.

Gucci Launches High Watchmaking Collection

MILAN — Alessandro Michele is channeling his whimsical creativity and distinctive design elements into Gucci’s high watchmaking collection.

Gucci launched its first timepieces in 1972 — all made in Switzerland — but in this year marking the brand’s centenary, the company is unveiling four lines under the high watchmaking umbrella: Gucci 25H; G-Timeless; Grip, and high-jewelry watches.

Gucci’s watch headquarters are based in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Quality control, assembly and diamond setting take place in the Swiss plant of La Chaux-de-Fonds, while dials and special decorative techniques are crafted in Gucci’s Fabbrica Quadranti facility in the Canton of Ticino.

Gucci‘s GG 727.25 watch calibre is developed and produced by the state-of-the art Kering movement manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Self-winding and ultra-slim at just 3.7 mm in height, the GG 727.25 calibre makes its debut in the Gucci 25H, which has a playfully symbolic name, containing a number that the brand’s creative director considers a talisman and one he often features in his collections for Gucci. According to the company, the GG 727.25 calibre references other important numerical symbols: “seven for completeness; two representing balance and cooperation, and five symbolizing curiosity and freedom.” The ultra-slim case and sleek, sporty lines can be worn by men and women alike.

A mechanical watch design, the Gucci 25H is presented in steel and pavé-set models and two dynamic tourbillon iterations in platinum and yellow gold.

The Gucci 25H watches retail at between 8,500 euros and 11,000 euros for the automatic version and between 120,000 euros and 170,000 euros for the tourbillon version.

The G-Timeless creations comprise five designs: the G-Timeless Dancing Bees, with a high-jewelry touch with bees that shimmer and move on the dial. The watch is also offered in tourbillon versions, retailing at between 95,000 and 200,000 euros.

Also presented are the G-Timeless Automatic with bee motif, jeweled hard-stone dials and precious skin straps; the mystical G-Timeless with moon phases, and the G-Timeless Pavé, a white-diamond encrusted automatic watch with alligator strap.

Five Grip high watchmaking variations are crafted in precious materials, each fitted with a Jump Hour movement module triggered to jump forward every hour, to a minutes disc that sweeps around through 60 minutes. The technology is creatively expressed on the new models in curved openings on each dial, allowing a clean numerical display.

Hardstone dials adorn three 18-karat gold Grip models — two in yellow gold, the other in white gold. “Each dial is precision-cut by a highly skilled gemstone cutter who must shape the delicate material while maintaining its strength,” said the company. The Grip design is fitted with an alligator strap in a shade that corresponds to the color of its stone dial.

The fourth design in the Grip gold series is created entirely in 18-karat yellow gold with a brushed gold dial engraved with the Gucci logo and straight, gleaming bracelet links. Each 18-karat gold Grip watch is precision-set with a continuous row of 44 baguette-cut diamonds. The Grip Gold is priced at between 150,000 euros and 250,000 euros.

Grip Sapphire, a Jump Hour watch in a case entirely crafted in sapphire crystal, is the fifth edition in the Grip line. It is presented in four color variations — clear, blue, green and pink — with a transparent rubber tone-on-tone strap embossed with the interlocking G motif and with a steel ardillon buckle. The Grip Sapphire retails at between 80,000 euros and 100,000 euros.

The high jewelry watches are inspired by the brand’s design motifs: the Dionysus, the Lion Head and Gucci Play. Each design is created around a quartz movement.

The watches will be presented by appointment at Gucci’s fine watch and jewelry boutique in Paris, in Place Vendôme.

Gucci shifts into high gear with an in-house movement and sapphire watch cases

Gucci has chosen its 100th anniversary year to launch what it calls a high watchmaking collection including pieces using an in-house developed calibre for the first time.

The GG727.25 watch calibre is produced by Gucci’s parent company Kering’s movement manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.

It is a slim automatic movement, just 3.70mm high, and makes its debut in a new Gucci 25H collection, which has models in steel or gold and, at the top of the range, pieces with a tourbillon at 6 o’clock.

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Prices range from €8,500 to €11,000 euros for the automatic version and €120,000 and €170,000 for the tourbillon pieces.

“Like all of our timepieces, the high watchmaking collection is made in Switzerland and assembled entirely in-house. Each one of these outstanding mechanical watches combines horological engineering with rare decorative arts and signature Gucci details,” says Gucci worldwide managing director for watches & jewellery, Maurizio Pisanu.

Gucci’s design and pricing pitches the watches into the heart of the luxury sports watch market where it will need to appeal to customers who might otherwise purchase an Omega, Rolex, Breitling or Grand Seiko.

Most likely, it will find a market with Gucci-obsessed female customers, although it is described as sleek and sporty and suited to both men and women.

Gucci G-Timeless

Elsewhere in the high watchmaking collection, there are five glittering G-Timeless Dancing Bees watches with diamonds used to make bees on the dials sparkle.

A G-Timeless Pavé automatic comes encrusted with diamonds, there is a tourbillon edition and a dramatic moonphase piece.

Gucci Grip

Several high watchmaking variations of Gucci’s Grip arrive this year in precious materials (three in 18ct gold, two in yellow gold and one in white gold) and, most strikingly, in four colours of sapphire.

Each 18ct gold Grip watch is set with a continuous row of 44 baguette-cut diamonds.

Grip Sapphire, which has the same jumping hour architecture as all other models in the collection, has a sapphire crystal case. They are worn on translucent rubber straps in the same clear, blue, green and pink colours.

Gucci High Jewellery watch collection

Gucci’s has a dedicated fine watch and jewellery boutique at Place Vendôme, Paris, where all the high watchmaking collections can be seen.

That is the right setting for the most ostentatious of Gucci’s 2021 watches, the high jewellery watch collection that uses precious gems and metals to create pieces inspired by the maison’s design motifs: Dionysus, Lion Head and Gucci Play.