Are you a Successful Man?

It is said that one useful indicator of a successful man's self-image: his wristwatch. Once his jacket sleeve is crept up, the sole piece of acceptable jewelry beyond a wedding ring reveals the wearer's sense of taste and occasion. Are you a successful man?

Watch sellers employ a logical Italian dictum: a successful man owns at least three timepieces. The daily watch is most important: it is the watch that suits your occupation. If you're in finance, sobriety is all your watch must offer beyond the time. If you work in the media or the arts, you can be more eccentric with the watch. If your occupation involves specific tasks -- from ambulance driver, to insurance broker, to 747 pilots -- then, just as the iPhone’s applications, 'there are various watches for them.'

For watch No. 2, you have a more scope to select. This is your recreational timepiece, and you can wear it wherever from the beach to the ski slopes or for pottering around in the garden. Whether a sub-GBP 50 Swatch, or a close-to-unbreakable Rolex, it will means that you don't have to worry about a quick dive in the pool or a round of golf. This is your casual watch.

Last is the formal watch. If you find yourself wearing black tie more than once a year, or if film premieres, opera visits or smart restaurant bookings keep appearing in your diary, your daily watch may lack occasion. For this final part of the trilogy, you may go one of two ways: a classical, slim, time-only gold dress watch -- or blatant bling. The presence of diamonds on your watch will accomplish this for you.

Where to start? One's first watch is often a gift -- anything from a Timex on up -- received at graduation, confirmation, first job or Bar Mitzvah. It will never be exactly what you want, but you will wear and cherish it from your teens until your first pay is checked. Then you will be seduced by Omega or Rolex, that all depending on your budget. It will be your first 'real' watch.

Buying well is the key, and it's not as tricky as you might think. And there are some quite good tips on the selection of watch. First, only buy watches you want to wear. That way you'll never feel like you're stuck with an 'investment piece.' Second, buy from a reputable retailer. This will ensure you'll enjoy decent after-service care. Also, it's the only guarantee that you're not buying a fake. Some rip-offs are so convincing that only a watchmaker can spot the difference. Last but not the least, if funds are limited; choose a watch with a strap over one with a bracelet. Bracelets add considerably to the cost. A good watch on a strap is better than a so-so watch on a bracelet at the same price.

As master watchmaker Peter Roberts observed: 'There really are no bad watches(http://www.dinodirect.com/se-watches/ ) out there, because they all have to perform the same basic function and perform it well: tell the time. Manufacturing standards are impossibly high. So you should buy according to your budget and your taste.'