Minimalistic watches for men

Minimalistic watches for men

A minimalist watch is an excellent choice, which ensures maximum versatility. This is a timeless option that protects you from being able to stay out of fashion trends, so it's definitely worth investing your time (and money) in quality minimalistic watches. We want to reveal to you the world of mechanisms and dials, leather and metal straps, color options and everything that lies between them to help you find the best minimalist watches.

What do we know about minimalism?

In 1947, architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe sounded the phrase "less is more" - its origins are based on the poem by Robert Browning in 1855 "Andrea del Sarto" (called "Impeccable Artist") - as a way of describing minimalist design and architecture. This idea is that simpler shapes, colors, designs are more eloquent than frankly complex ones. The idea of ​​a minimalist style in recent decades has come into fashion and was out of fashion. At present, minimalism has taken such a firm position that it is considered boldly timeless. And such an artistic approach is increasingly found in art.

How to describe minimalism as a style? The fashion journalist Gracia Ventus describes minimalism as a way to "challenge the perception of space and matter, to ensure the purity of design and to shape the form to its convincing, accessible essence." In fact, minimalism is a challenge to the need for constant rethinking and additional excesses, encompassing a clean and understandable aesthetic that is timeless.

The statement of a minimalist style demonstrates how modest and pure aesthetics can be more luxurious and sophisticated than traditional.

Minimalistic hours: history and modernity

Let's focus on the eternal minimum hours, which took an honorable place in the history of the watch industry.

The first wristwatches were created by Abraham-Louis Breguet for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810. From the very beginning, wrist watches were almost exclusively worn by women, and men used pocket watches until the beginning of the 20th century.

The end of the First World War led to a change in the opinions of men who had previously adopted a wristwatch, as exclusively a female accessory. The postwar era was a time of decadence and prosperity - think about the Great Gatsby, jazz, booze, parties. Therefore, the design of men's watches became less practical, but more attention was paid to design. The square Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso was released in 1951 and is an icon of that era. Classic minimalist dial design combined with a simple black leather strap.

The minimal design of the watch was very popular in the 1950s. It was a time when new technologies appeared in the field of machine-tool construction and the quality and speed of production of parts for watches improved. Due to this, wristwatches had better mechanisms than ever before. Some of the most exceptional mechanical watches, in the whole history, were made in this golden age. For example, In 1952, the model of the Tudor Oyster Prince watch was released. The focus is on quality, strength, reliability and design. The model had noticeable minimalistic features.

Now, in the era of smartphones, there is no need to use the clock. However, wrist watches should evoke the desire to wear them, and simple watches for men have become extremely popular in modern fashion. They consist of a free, not cluttered dial, minimal detail and no frills.

Smooth. Simple. Uncomplicated. All these words can be used to describe the style that the watch world is storming for decades. Following this trend, many watch manufacturers are abandoning complex and intricate designs in favor of simple and elegant designs.

The concept of minimalism seems very relevant for today's watch industry, as traditional watchmakers face the challenge of competing with high-tech devices that provide us with time along with a number of other applications and functions. In this case, many of the manufacturers returned to the roots of simple design - abandoning the previous trend of luxurious, very complicated watches. This shift in design was very noticeable at major watch exhibitions this year. All the famous brands demonstrate the relevance of the minimalist trend in the wristwatch market.

How to choose a watch in the style of minimalism?

Strap

When it comes to the strap, you have several options: leather, stainless steel, silicone and even textiles.

Leather belts come in different styles, and the cost will depend on the quality of the leather. There are various models with leather straps from crocodile, lizard or snake, but more popular, of course, are traditional types of cattle skin.

The skin, however, is not waterproof and wears out over time. But it is the leather strap that looks as classically, stylishly and at the same time neutral.

Stainless steel strap is considered less formal than leather, and its durability makes this option the best for everyday wear. Daily sweat and moisture do not penetrate into stainless steel, as in the skin. However, with durability, we also gain additional weight. Not everyone likes to feel on his hand, albeit insignificant, but heavy.

Silicone straps, for example, for sports watches, are durable and lightweight. They are scratch resistant and rarely break. Silicone strap immediately implies that the watch is everyday, without claiming to be official and business-like.

As for color, choose simple watch straps, such as silver metal or black and brown leather.

Glass

Ideally, your watch's glass should be made of mineral or sapphire crystal. It is much stronger and more resistant to scratches, and also reduces glare in bright lighting. These types of enclosures undergo heat treatment to create a unique rigid body. However, the cost they have is not the most budgetary.

A cheaper option is acrylic glass, sometimes called plexiglas, it is not so effective for damages. But it can be polished to remove small scratches.

Clock face

Pay attention to the clock with a little detail. Diameter of the dial should be small or medium. Anything above 42 mm will look too big and will not fit into a minimalistic style. The color of the dial is white, black, sometimes blue (it is called the new black). Logos and brand names should not be screaming and too large. Figures too should not be too catchy, they can be in the form of dots, strokes, or numbers, but small in size.

Any additional options, like several small dials (for specifying the day of the week, month, etc.), drawings, rhinestones only complicate the hours and distract their minimalist style.

Sometimes what you really need is a truly minimalist watch, with a clean and simple design. Which will ideally sit on your wrist and will be convenient for knowing the time from just one glance at them. Yes, these watches can not boast of an abundance of functions, but this is compensated by their style and simplicity.