Definitive : For Timepiece Watchdogs, It’s All in the Wrist

Watches are sometimes the only accessory a man will wear. These little tickers, then, must work overtime to define the wearer.

The techno-sports watch--with a chronograph that serves as a stopwatch or an alarm--is the timepiece of choice for the man on the go. The ever-hot Rolex’s Submariner flashes on the man who has arrived. Tag Heuer’s Sport’s Elegance and Baume and Mercier’s Formula are other high-performance timekeepers that easily translate from a three-piece suit to a wet suit for the man who insists on it all.

And the Dali-inspired Softwatch by Exaequo with the melting-face effect?

Your guess.

But it’s what Euro-influenced men are strapping on here.

The measurement of time has long been a curious obsession. Portable timepieces date back to the Renaissance when tiny clocks were hidden inside elaborate rings and beautifully jeweled cases shaped like crosses and skulls.

In the late 18th Century, the cheaper fob, which hung on a chain over the trouser below the waistcoat, made keeping track of time affordable. A stroke of genius: breeches and pantaloons sported “fob pockets.”

Time marched on and the fob gave way to a flat and round hunter or pocket watch with a metal cover that concealed its face. The pocket watch remains popular among watch buffs and collectors today, but the wristwatch--with its round, oval, rectangular or square face--stands as the most important evolutionary device of this century.

Swatch leads the pack with trendy styles, and Guess and Fossil play off history with the use of antique-like effects on modern watches. Men who want authentic antiques seek them out at flea markets and antique shops.

What to watch out for when considering a timepiece?

Quality control: Watchmakers at Patek Philippe of Switzerland take at least eight months to hand-make just one watch, which can be priced anywhere from $8,000 to more than $1 million. Then, of course, there is Timex, for a price that’s hard to beat. Bridging the gap between the trendy and the more elite are makers such as Bulova, Omega, Pulsar, Seiko and Citizen.

Two types: Decide between the analog, which points to numbers or stick figures with hour, minute and sometimes second hands, and the digital, with liquid crystal display.

The wind-up: It’s no longer necessary to manually wind a new watch. Quartz watches operate off a battery, and the automatic wind kind are charged by wrist movements.

Crystal clear: Synthetic sapphire crystals are used in finer watches to prevent scratching and scuffing in even the worst conditions. Other crystal materials include mineral, acrylic and a Cyclops lens for magnifying the date.

Band stands: Watchbands come in nylon, plastic, Velcro and leather, and bracelet-style bands are available in aluminum, plated brass, stainless steel, two-tone, gold-filled, gold-plate, and 14k or 18k gold. Piaget’s Tanagra in a 18k gold bracelet is one of the dressier choices this season.

Watchword on price: Widespread. Expect to pay anywhere from $1.95 to more than $6,800 for a watchband.