Sometimes, its the small details that make an outfit look particularly polished and well thought out. And whilst 80s digital watches are nice, they have become a bit ubiquitous. Striped, military style watch straps - particularly when paired with a vintage watch face - can make a statement. Actually part of the preppy uniform (those bold colours and stripes) and available at stores like Rugby Ralph Lauren in the States, the striped military watch strap can also be found here on grooming site, Carter and Bond. A bargain detail at £15 and worth digging around to find the perfect, vintage watch face to pair it with.
We're all for giving, but how many times have you been out shopping for someone and bought something for yours truly?
Our Father's Day gift guide is great if you want to give your dad a push in the right style direction, there's nothing too out there or kooky, just a few pieces that will give a little panache to dear poppa's wardrobe. Should the selection be too outlandish for pater then you might even want to snap up some of the items for yourself!
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This watch is the silver version of the black dual time Casio which we featured a while back. It wouldn't normally warrant a mention but the combination of silver strap and black face is odd enough to give this watch another look. You can snap it up for 29.90 Euro from German website Coutié.
It has a geeky, '60s space age feel and reminds me of the sharp characters in 2001, A Space Odyssey. They were dressed by the now, sadly defunct label Hardy Amies and the watch seems to embody this highly functional but undeniably stylish aesthetic. See after the jump for a shot of the besuited astronauts.
The Timex 80 watch is available in four new metallic colours at OkiNi: bronze, burgundy, black and white, adding a fresh note to the now-ubiquitous timepiece. The black and white versions, in particular look very sharp in a two-tone 60s way.
This classic digital style has all of the basic functions including time, date, stopwatch feature, alarm and of course, the all-important indigo backlight. Your Timex 80 arrives complete with a rather snazzy 80's style neon plastic, slide top box ... perfect to keep as a retro pencil box.
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Leonardo DiCaprio scrubbed up fairly well for the Golden Globes last night, the shiny pinstripe material was bad but it's nice to see him go for something slightly different. The textural contrast between the suit fabric and velvet waistcoat and lapels, satin tie and patent shoes is very satisfying.
The Hollywood star wasn't up for any awards himself but he's succeeding Brad Pitt as the face of Tag Heuer, the LVMH-owned Swiss watch company. DiCaprio will be splashed across billboards and magazines wearing the Carrera Day-Date watch for three years according to the terms of the million-dollar contract.
Stay tuned for more Golden Globes coverage on Brandish
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Everyone is guilty of it, (well not everyone, I have a colour-coded Google Docs spreadsheet, natch!) but last-minute Christmas shopping can often leave you with gifts that have an air of desperation about them.
These picks have something for every wallet and they all carry an air of "What this? I bought this in November" insouciance. The Habitat lamp is a tasteful nudge for every Ikea junkie, and the watch will help the wearer get the 'Sexy Cab Driver' look which is going to be very important in '09. A 'To Do' tattoo list is useful when compiling all those New Year's resolutions, and all the more useful because they're temporary. Resolution, what resolution?!
From next week you can get some French Connection Time, as the new watch collection from the retailer debuts on Monday. Prices range from £80 to £160 which is a good price for your first 'proper' watch.
My favourite from their selection in the vintage-inspired sunray dial watch which will set you back £100. I like the contrast between the silver bezel and the copper-coloured face markings, it's distinctive without shouting for attention and will give a quirky retro touch to your outfit.
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I know Casio watches are a bit ubiquitous nowadays but I'm still hankering after a gold Dual Time Casio for that sleazy uncle/skeezy factor. There's something amazingly creepy about having two kinds of time on one watch, and I love it.
For a less tacky and more durable (in trend terms anyway) go for the the black resin strap version. It hides its '80s retro geeky looks under a cloak of minimalist respectability fooling people into thinking it's a plain old boring watch. Furthermore it does all of this for the utterly stupid price of £10.97, brilliant!
Commemorative items usually have more value in their 'collectability' than practical appeal. More often than not they're emblazoned in dates and logos, losing the piece its timelessness - it becomes a snapshot of a moment, rather than something you can use day in, day out for years to come.
Fine if it's a band tour t-shirt or the World Cup '98 football I kicked into a tree and never bothered to get back. But when it's something like a quality timepiece, you want to be sure you can still get away with wearing it once the event in question is over.
There's always demand for gimmicky watches. Or at least there must be, as one gets released every other month.
De Grisogono have jumped on the bandwagon with a 'mechanical-digital' effort, which uses a standard wind-up mechanism to switch LED-style segments and fake a digital screen. Nice idea, no? Couple more detailed pics after the jump...
Red's a bit of an unusual choice for a watch but a subtle flash of colour doesn't go unnoticed and the Cool Hand watch is a classy timepiece.
It'll give a sober suit or simple outfit of v-neck jumper and jeans a bit of pep and the large face is an unusual but attractive quirk. The black finish steel bracelet and domed red dial carry on the individual theme and stylish good looks.
If red's not your thing the watch also comes in plain black, white or tan all of which are available from Luke 1977 for £220.
Sanyetta Baptiste writes:
Off the Cuff and Iluwfashion encourages men to 'watch' the trends this year with some great watch suggestions.
A Suitable Wardrobe reflects Fred Astaire shiny chic. Who said patent leather oxfords and button down cardigans were passé? Whether updating those black jazz shoes with Refinery29's suggested and-I's lounge wear or a traditional country club cardigan, formal footwear deserves a place in every man's closet.
For those gearcravers who still are not convinced of the versatility of the cardigan, how about a Burton Mark XIII Fortress jacket? Completely waterproof and insulated, it's perfect for singing in the rain.
Manolo for the Men takes a look at the oddball style in the new Tom Hanks film Charlie Wilson's War.
Tech Digest's Kat has embedded the 2nd part of her Tokyo Flash tutorials for your otaku pleasure. She's showing you how to use two more of their beauteous watches, specifically the 'Pimp' and 'Barcode' models. Both retail for £99.90, and you can pick them up from Tech Deals. Tokyo Flash watches at Tech Deals
Our two geeky sisters in the know, Kat from Tech Digest and Susi from Shiny Shiny, recently got their gadget-obsessed hands on a couple of watches from Tokyo Flash, which we've featured on the virtual pages of Brandish before.
In this video, they look at the Retsu and Twelve 59 models, available for £75 and £80 respectively, and are perfect for otaku Japanese-loving geeks who don't need to read the time by just a quick glance - these demand a good 30-second long stare, but gosh do they look groovy.
A bottle of Amouage fragrance is being sent to a lucky Brandish reader as we speak, but fear not we have a fantastic competition for you this week. Sitting in Shiny Towers is a retro Guess watch with croco leather strap which retails for an impressive 109 quid. It's a pretty classy watch with a polished silver rectangular face, multifunction dial and retrofuturist numbers. It's the perfect finishing touch to any outfit and will give your everyday look a bit of panache.
If you want to be in with a chance of winning this great prize simply answer:
Name the four brothers who founded Guess way back in 1981
Send your answer along with your name and address to: brandishcompetitions@googlemail.com
You can obtain more info about this watch by emailing info@sequel-uk.co.uk or phoning the stockists on 01604 678940.
From: Take the Brandish survey - maybe win an iPod touch