Maybe you’re starting a new career and you want to look professional and confident – a well-dressed man. Maybe you’re going on a first date and you want to make a good impression. Whatever your current situation is, it’s always in your best interest to dress for success. There’s no denying that the first impression others form about you is largely influenced by your clothes and your accessories. And one of the few men’s fashion accessories that allows you to express your personality is the wrist watch.

The watch you wear does more than just tell time. It also tells people a little about you. You don’t want your wrist watch to be distracting. You simply want to look nice and make a good first impression. That’s all.

Here are some of our top tips to help you choose the right watch:

Choose a reputable brand

You don’t want to wear a cheap generic watch. You should stick to dress watches from reliable brands like Minster 1949 (we’re going to introduce you to them a bit further down…it’s an introduction you’ll enjoy.)

The likelihood of you having to replace your watch frequently if it’s cheaper is high, however, splash out a little, treat yourself or ask for a cracking watch as a gift and you’ll go the distance.

Choose a conservative dress watch design

Generally speaking, you want to avoid flashy watches. Professional offices (and job interviews) are usually no “bling” zones. You don’t want your watch to take the focus off of you and your credentials.

A casual watch or sport watch — that would be perfectly appropriate for a night on the town — may not be your best choice for work in a professional setting or a job interview. For example, if you’re wearing your best conservative suit, then you’ll want to wear a conservative dress watch to match.

Choose a watch with a reasonably sized casing

For a conservative yet classy men’s watches, you’ll want one that is 37 to 42 millimeters in diameter and approximately less than 15 millimeters thick. (Luckily, you will find basic watch case measurements with all watches.) You also want a watch that easily fits under the cuff of a long sleeved dress shirt.

Colour co-ordinate your watch with your clothing and accessories

If your watch has a brown strap, then you should wear a brown belt and brown shoes. A black strap or silver bracelet style watch band would go best with a black belt and black shoes. If your watch has gold tones, then you’ll want gold tones in your belt buckle.

If you’re wearing a blue suit, you may even want to try a watch with a blue background on the dial. A 57 millimeter case and 25 millimeter thick watch case would be totally inappropriate unless you’re interviewing for a DJ position at a night club.

Don’t overwhelm people with an overly expensive watch

…I think that speaks for itself. Consider if you’re going on a first date – how do you want to come across, the flash git who’s going to splash his cash, or the reserved gent with an understated confidence and pride? Your choice fellas, we don’t judge here. With a big flashy watch you may also risk baiting yourself out for the easiest of muggings!

We’ve received many compliments about our wrist attire (photo at the top), and this is thanks to each handmade piece, crafted so beautifully from Minster49.

If you fancy a further browse of the Minster Watches, please check out their stock-list.