I know what you are thinking before you even continue reading the rest of this article. You are thinking who in the heck still wears watches these days? We have so many different ways to tell time with one of the main ones being or smart-phone devices. It would seem like a traditional wrist watch would have gone the way of a landline telephone or even a cassette player.

But this is not the case though. Unlike the two other items that I just mentioned a traditional watch will never go out of style. Watches are for those people who like to send a certain message when they are seen. What kind of message you might want to know?

• A traditional wrist watch lets everyone know you are a person who is serious about your time and you do not want anything to distract you from being able to see the time. This is not the case with a smart-phone device. A watch sends the message that your time is valuable.

• A traditional wrist watch can be used to convey status to other people. Some watches cost a lot of money and they are made by well-known brands. When people see a person wearing these types of watches right away it brings up positive associations. This is one of the reasons why traditional watches will never go out of style.

• A traditional wrist sends the message of what type of person you are. Just like the clothes you might wear or the car you might drive there are all sorts of different watches. This is what will be discussed in the rest of this article.

Now women do not traditionally wear watches, but there are watches out there for them to. But I am going to try and be as general as I possibly can be in explaining the different types of watches and how you can choose the one that is best for you. Before we go any further you need to answer one question. Your answer to this question is greatly going to affect what type of watch you are going to be able to get. How much money are you willing to spend in order to make a statement? The amount of money you are willing to spend is very important.

Some people who want luxury, but are not willing to spend or cannot afford to spend a certain amount will look for counterfeit watches that have the name of luxury designers on them. This is illegal and these watches are usually poor quality. Those who have very small budgets might just want something that is casual. You can find plenty of these options in your average department store. Just do not go too cheap though, otherwise you will have problems with the band.

Now let’s get into the different types of watches there are.

The Leather Band watch

One of the most classic styles of watches there are would be one that has a leather band. It works perfectly for those people who have wrists that are either really skinny or really big. They can be easily adjusted and they look quite chic. These types of watches are made to have a formal look to them, far more formal than a sports watch. They do not have as much formality as a stainless steel dress watch though.

The best way for you to wear a leather band watch would be with business casual outfits or semi casual outfits. You can make yourself look sophisticated, but not overly so. These types of watches are perfect for the person who want to look low key, but still be stylish.  The strap color of these watches is usually brown or black. Black is very common, so you might want to consider brown. Plus brown tends to get noticed more when you wear certain colors of clothes.

The Stainless Steel Dress watch

If you really want to make an impression, then the stainless steel dress watch is one of the best ways to do it. These watches are meant to be worn by people who like to get dressy for any number of reasons. These watches are designed to send one clear message to people when they see them, class. Stainless steel dress watches are best worn with suits and dress shirts. The two primary colors you should focus on with these would be silver and gold.

Stainless steel dress watches are not meant to be worn all the time. A lot of it is going to depend on how you are dressed and what the occasion is. Plus these watches tend to not be cheap. Several luxury brands make these types of watches. Can you find cheap versions? Sure you can, but the metal is going to begin to fade over time and you will have to end up replacing the watch sooner then you hoped. In the end it is better to invest in a high quality time piece.

The Sports watch

If there is any type of watch just about every guy should have and even a lot of women it would be the sports watch. Just about any type of casual clothes you might want to wear will work well with one of these watches. Sports watches are made for people who do not want to look formal at all. In fact these watches are the least formal option out there. You can wear this type of watch when you decide to go out for fun to places like the bar or even the gym.

Now the type of features you are going to get with a sports watch are going to be different depending on the brand you go with. Some sports watches have features such as an international dual clock face. Other sports watches you are going to find will have stop watches on them and timers. This make them perfect for those people who like to do exercises such as running. These watches are not that expensive really, but a high quality one can cost you a few hundred though.

Watches designed to be personalized or have a specific look

There are watches out there you can get that are made to be plain fun. These are the watches you can personalize. And even if you cannot personalize them you can mix up the type of band you have in order to change the style when you want. You might need to pay for the band though. These watches are usually cheap and can be found in many stores. An example of a personality watch might be one that has a certain design you wanted on it or a certain design period. These might work better for younger people or women who want their watches to look more festive.

Personality watches are made to get a conversation going. They are made for people to notice them, but in a good way. You can think of these watches are being sort of like peacocking mechanisms.  Just make sure that when you go for one you get one that goes with your personality and style. Once again, going for true personalization should be the goal. There are lots of places on the internet that offer these types of watches and can personalize them however you want.

Retro watches

Retro watches are made for those people who like to have a classic look, but a look that might still be considered cool otherwise. Think of a lot of watches that were worn in the seventies for example. With the right type of outfits those watches would look pretty good right? Well there are several manufacturers that make watches with a retro look. These watches are a perfect way for you to show off your personality as well as have a look you know few other people are going to have.

If you have some vintage clothing you can use to put together certain styles, then retro watches are for you. They come in all sorts of colors and designs and wearing one is certainly going to get you attention. With modern type clothing they might look a little out of place though.

Pocket watches

If you really want a watch that is made to convey sophistication and class, then the pocket watch is perfect for you. You might not see a lot of people who have these types of watches, but they are out there. Pocket watches are usually silver or black. The face is protected by the metal covering. There is a high quality chain that is designed to last for a long time.

These types of watches are made for those people who want sophistication, but with a little bit of a vintage look as well. One thing pocket watches is they are not cheap. In order to get a high quality one you must be prepared to spend a reasonable amount of money.

Choosing the right type of watch for you

In order for you to choose a watch that is going to be right for you, you first have to ask yourself what kind of message are you trying to send to other people when they see the watch you have on. Depending on what kind of person you are and the type of environments you hang out in, having the right type of watch will make a world of a difference.

Think of the type of watch you want to wear the same way you would a pair of shoes. Shoes are made to go with certain outfits and send a message right? Your shoes are one of the first things people notice about you. Well a wrist watch can have a lot of the same power. You just need to make sure you get one that compliments you well.

Going back to the issue of budget, choosing a watch that is high quality is important, but this does not mean you have to aim for a Rolex or a Cartier. These super expensive brands of watches are only for those people who do not mind spending thousands. But there is another problem with getting these types of expensive watches. Your entire look has to match them. I don’t mean your dressing style, but the cost of the clothes you might be wearing.

If people looked at you and say you wearing a Rolex, but saw you had on Old Navy brand clothing how do you believe this would make you look? You need to focus on getting a watch where the brands of clothes along with the style will match the watch. You want a watch that gives you an authentic look. Plus those super expensive watches are not meant to be worn all the time. They are meant to be worn during times where a little bit of showing off is expected, such as formal events.

Avoid low end watches

Just about any style of watch you can think of you are going to be able to find at the low end of the price charts. These watches might seem good, but they are built to last all of five seconds. First of all the clasps will break easily. These watches usually do not look right, plus the do not take a lot to break at all. Invest in a watch that is going to give you a long period of use and as stated before stay away from knock off watches with the names of luxury designers on them. The market for such watches is huge, but the risk is not worth it.

Smart-phones are never going to take the place of having a traditional wrist watch. Watches are just to convenient and they still serve a pretty strong purpose other than telling time that still makes them quite valuable to a lot of people. If you don’t have one then consider getting one. Just make sure you get the right style.

This article was written by Mitchell Lodowski of Manhattan Time Service. He is a master watchmaker with over 35 years of horological experience. Trained in Poland and Switzerland Mitchell’s skill level allows him to work on some of the most complex timepieces ever created, including double tourbillons and minute repeaters (including the famous calibre 89 Patek Philippe pocket watch).  Follow him on Google+, Facebook and Youtube.