Pearls of wisdom from fashion icon Tom Ford aren’t at all hard to come by. The legendary father of sartorial men’s style has advice for us all on every facet of our lives.
Now, with the TF brand releasing their first timepiece – a classically, round day-date – British GQ saw it only fitting as to sit the man down and di-sect his approach to watch wearing. Here are the do’s a don’t from the man himself in 10 easy commandments.
1. “You have to look at yourself before you leave the house – head to toe.”
TF says it is essential to consider the watch holistically with your outfit. Every man needs a full-length mirror. If your shiny watch band is looking a bit sleazy with a casual look – take it off and try something else.
2. “Why would you wear two watches at once? It’s silly.”
If you wear two watches, you’re a loser. It’s that simple. TF says that his six-year-old son wears two watches because he can’t decide which one he likes more. But he’s six.
3. “I would say wearing your watch on top of your shirt, like Gianni Agnelli, is a big no-no.”
People did it in the 70s, even TF himself admits to it, but this isn’t the 1970’s. There was only one period in recent history when it was okay to wear your Cartier Tank outside your shirt cuff, and it’s not now.
4. “You can definitely wear a dress watch with something other than a tux.”
But it depends on your personal style. Some can pull it off, for others, it looks like they’re still wearing a watch from the night before.
5. “A diving watch with a suit, sure. With a tuxedo, no.”
The traditionalist take on the debate agrees that 99% of the time, you shouldn’t wear a diving watch with a tuxedo. The TF consensus is that a tuxedo should look like a tuxedo – and that either means an evening watch or no watch at all.
6. “Watch complications are a little silly.”
Just like you don’t need to drive a Lamborghini through Sydney rush hour, you don’t need a watch that does everything and has every dial. For most of us, we just need the time – and most men on a mission know what the day’s date is, too, so you don’t even really need that.
7. “The leather of your strap has to match your belt and shoes.”
Just like you wouldn’t wear a brown belt with black shoes, you can’t wear a leather strap on your wrist that doesn’t match the rest of the leather in your outfit.
8. “Don’t wear a NATO strap in the evening.”
Similarly, TF recommends that every type of strap has its time. White straps look really tight when peeking out of a white shirt cuff in summer.
9. “It’s not chic to show off about your watch.”
Unless you’ve got a mate who’s really into watches and you’ve just bought Steve McQueen’s 64 Submariner, then keep your wrist steeze to yourself. If you really want to flex, reach across the dinner table and hope someone asks about it.
10. “I don’t like a ‘quartz tick’.”
The ultimate no-dice for any watch wearer. When second hands tick over on a quartz watch, the “tick, tick, tick” comes off as tacky. The smoothness of a timepiece a bit more expensive is something to be desired. Anything less screams cheap and poorly designed.
