Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette. In today's video, we're going to look at
digital watches and ask the sartorial question: are they timeless or a trend?
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Okay. First things first. This is a video about watches and whether they're timeless or not,
so before Preston can get all crazy and do a bunch of puns, come with me.
[Nathan slowly walks up to Preston's work area]
[Nathan slides the door shut]
[coughs] All right, well, now that that's taken care of, let's get started! Chances are, most of us have owned a
digital watch at one time or another. Nope, pun! "One time or another." [giggles] I'm like doing it myself!
Chances are, most of us have owned a digital watch at one point or another. And within the
world of menswear, they seem to have a resurgence in popularity as of late. But, as we know, fashion is
always cyclical, which isn't always a good thing. So, to explore whether or not digital watches
could be something to add to your wardrobe, let's first take a look at how it all got started.
Since the 17th century, all portable watches have been powered with mechanical movements.
So, this means that everything that's behind the watch's face is powered by an intricate system
of cogs, wheels, and springs in order to measure the passage of time. And if you want to learn more
about mechanical watches, you can watch this video here. So, indeed, mechanical
movements were certainly the way that watches functioned --
[scene from The Mandalorian] The Armorer: "This is the way."
All: "This is the way."
Mando: "This is the way."
-- as it took a great deal of time and skill to learn the art of mechanical watchmaking.
Now, it is worth mentioning that digital watches were beginning to become available of a certain
kind in the 1920s. These watches changed up the standard 12-hour clock face and, instead, used a
rotating system of individual digits to display the hours and minutes. The most notable design was
known as the "Jump Hour watch." As the time was read by the digits as they passed through the window,
it really was a digital watch of sorts. But, keep in mind, these digital watches are powered by
mechanical movements. Now, it wasn't until 50 years later when the public was introduced to
an actual electronic digital watch, which came out in 1972. This was the year that Hamilton introduced
the Pulsar P1. Now, this watch was a game-changer in that it had an LED display back behind a synthetic
ruby crystal on the watch's face. Now, this particular model was finished in 18-karat gold
and carried an exorbitant price tag of $2,100, which with modern-day inflation is
over $12,000 in today's currency. The Hamilton Pulsar was also quite power-hungry
as it utilized a little button that you had to press in order to display the time because, if it
was shown continuously, it would drain the battery immediately. Now, Hamilton kept working on things
and, the very next year, a new version of the Pulsar was available. Now, this model was in stainless
steel and it retailed for $395, which is about $2,300 today. So, this watch was still a bit expensive
and it was also featured on the wrist of some secret agent who's pretty stylish. It was also
touted by the King of Sprezzatura, Gianni Agnelli. So, while digital watches quickly became a hit,
they weren't really affordable for mass market consumption. Things would change pretty rapidly
for digital watches in the 1970s with not only the prices coming down, but also dramatic changes
in the functionality and the looks. 1973 not only saw the Pulsar P2, but also the Seiko O6LC. This
Seiko was the world's first LCD or liquid crystal display watch. Three years later, Hamilton continued
to innovate and brought to market the Pulsar Calculator Watch. The actual calculator buttons
were so small that you needed a small stylus in order to operate it. And in 1977, we really
see digital watches be released in full force with Texas Instruments releasing a digital watch
in collaboration with the release of Star Wars. Sorry, I couldn't resist! Now, this Texas Instruments
Star Wars watch retailed for only $17, which is a huge reduction coming from the original
digital watches. Now, this drop in price was mainly due to the watches being able to be manufactured
more cheaply and with cheaper materials such as plastic. Now, this is in complete contrast
to the world of mechanical watchmaking, where materials are chosen based off their strength
and reliability. There was a problem with cheaper materials. Manufacturers realized that the digital
watches would work fine until people needed to get a new battery for it. And as quartz batteries can
last for a few years at a time, there really wasn't a need for consumers to bring those watches back
to the manufacturer. This is unlike what they would have to do with a mechanical watch, which
would require regular servicing. So, the solution was to add extra functionality to digital watches.
Casio introduced the Game-10 in 1980. This watch not only told time, but allowed you to actually
play a three-line version of Space Invaders. Casio also reinvented the calculator watch, making it
in plastic and calling it the C-80. And I'm pretty sure we've all owned a Casio digital watch before,
right? Keep in mind that Casio is god-tier!
[excerpt from Nico Leonard's video] Nico: "God-tier, god-tier, god-tier watch!"
This race to include the latest functionality led Seiko to introduce the TV watch in 1982.
Now, this digital watch was an idea that was ultimately limited by the technology of its time.
In 1994, Timex made big strides in the world of digital watches with the Data Link 150.
[outtake] "Data to be transferred to the watch by holding the watch to the monitor of a PC which would flash the pattern --"
"What in the world?"
Now, this watch included an optical sensor that allowed data to be
transferred to the watch by holding the watch to the monitor of a PC, which would flash in
a pattern that the sensor could read. Although, I'm not sure how it would cope in a nightclub.
[Preston dancing to techno music]
Casio struck again with the Wrist Camera in 2002. This digital watch had a built-in camera that
could capture a 120 x 120 pixel in grayscale. And because now I'm mentioning image resolution,
it brings us along nicely to these guys. Yes, Apple watches have been on the scene
since 2015. And the future of the wristwatch was looking a little uncertain! But, nowadays, there's
a whole host of options when it comes to digital watches - whether you choose an inexpensive Casio,
integrated digital and analog watch from Frederique Constant, or whether you want to have
everything synced together electronically. Now that we've looked at the journey of digital watches,
now, let's look at them with a sartorial eye. First, we'll look at the pros and cons of digital watches,
and then, we'll try to combine them with some outfits. Although we've briefly touched on the
number of innovations with digital watches, there's no denying that they really hit their peak in the
1980s and 1990s. These decades are also having a popularity surge as of late as a lot of our media
and culture is tied into that time period. So, with that in mind and for the sake of context,
we're going to look at digital watches which are classically-inspired, focus on telling the time,
and not on gimmicks like a TV watch. We'll also consider modern-day technology, wearable tech
such as smart watches because for a lot of people that's what they are choosing to wear. So, let's
start off our list of pros. Digital watches with a retro design are relatively affordable and you
can pick up classic designs, colors, and shapes for anywhere from $15 to $30. If you compare that
to a luxury watch like a Rolex or an Omega, those brands have increased dramatically with inflation
over the years, whereas digital watches still look like, feel like, and function the way they did 30-
40 years ago and the retail price is essentially still the same. Another pro is that digital watches
are battery operated, so there's no mechanical movement. One of the biggest selling features
of digital watches is the same as it was back in the day which is a quartz battery. Although
owning a mechanical watch is a great thing, you can appreciate the heritage, the quality,
and the craftsmanship, there's no denying that it takes more user input. Whether that's setting
an automatic watch on a watch winder or manually winding a watch like this Patek Philippe Calatrava.
There's a much greater degree of awareness that you need to have when owning a mechanical
watch, whereas a digital watch has a battery that can last years and it'll keep running
and keeping track of the time. I personally love that I can take my G-Shock, throw it in
the drawer, forget about it for a week or two, and know that, when I pick it back up, the time is still
correct because it's battery operated. Another pro is that some of the features can be a little
bit easier to operate than on a mechanical watch. Now, this might be a little divisive,
but stick with me. Setting and using features on a digital watch can be easier than doing so on
a mechanical one. For example, a traditional chronograph will have a stopwatch function
as do many digital watches. Now, it's awesome to see the sweeping seconds hand on a mechanical watch,
but there's no denying that it's easier to read as the numbers and digits just climb
on a digital watch. The same can also be said, at times, for the date readout on a mechanical watch.
Because, on a mechanical watch, it can be really frustrating when you're trying to figure out what
date it is and then, just by sheer happenstance, you look down right at the time that the hands of your
watch are over the date window. One final pro is that, quite often, digital watches are a little bit
more shockproof and sport-proof. A lot of digital watches are favored by professional athletes
and special forces in the military. They favor the function of the watch like the stop watch, the day
of the week, the month of the year. But, they also know that they can swim with it, crawl through mud,
jump in the ocean, jump out of an airplane, run on the soccer field, and the watch is still going to
work and function. And of course, the construction methods of luxury watches continue to improve
and there are several out there that can take quite a beating. But, when faced with it, I think we
both can agree that you would much rather go rock climbing with a G-Shock than you would with your
$20,000 rose gold Patek Philippe. And no, we haven't asked Raphael this question.
You're asking me this question. Because Raphael would climb Mount Everest in white tie if he could.
[Raphael in a white tie ensemble climbing Mount Everest]
This indestructible nature of digital watches leads us directly into our cons. This starts
off with the flip side of their tough and durable nature. They can look quite childish and, for all of
us who grew up in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, a lot of us owned digital watches when we were children. All
the pros of a digital watch make it the perfect first watch for a young child. They're hard-wearing,
inexpensive, and easy to read. Unfortunately, for better or worse, for a lot of people, that
connotation of childishness sort of carries over if you wear this watch as an adult. Even if you're
wearing an expensive $600, $700 Apple watch or Samsung watch, their use of primary colors,
rubber straps, sparkly straps really has a childish connotation. Now, this is where the stainless steel
Casio alarm chronograph sort of fits in nicely. It looks a lot more elevated and suitable for adults.
Another con is that digital watches can look cheap. Okay, so we know that, historically, digital watches
are designed to be inexpensive for the most part, but the majority of digital watches out
there really don't have a refined or elegant look to them. After all, they're made out of materials
such as rubber or plastic and it really doesn't have that quality air to it as the leather and
precious metal of a fine mechanical watch. So, I suppose, sometimes you have to call apples
"Apples". Digital watches also have the opportunity to look quite dated. Honestly, this is one of the
biggest drawbacks of digital watches - they can look very "of their time". Unlike a traditional analog
watch face, a digital watch with the features labeled around it has the tendency to look very
space-age or at least what people thought space age was at that time. So, it's kind of like the second "Back
to the Future" film which took place in 2015, but it was what 1980s thought 2015 would look like.
And while that film is a lot of fun, it aged kind of like a lot of digital watches do,
which isn't so gracefully. Lastly, digital watches are impossible to combine with formal tailoring.
Whether it's a beautiful suit or a double-breasted jacket and Oxford shoes, digital watches just look
out of place, look clunky. I know a lot of guys wear them because it's what they wear every day,
it's their go-to watch, but it just doesn't look elegant. So, if you're like us, you're probably not
that entertained in adding a digital watch to your wardrobe, but is there a place and
can you do it well? As I just said, pairing a digital watch with formal attire is a no-go.
But, that also doesn't mean that the alternative is just jeans, a t-shirt, sneakers and a ball cap.
So, let's see how we can incorporate digital watches into classically-inspired everyday outfits.
Now, this outfit is about as close as we're going to be able to get to traditional suiting. For more
on how to wear jeans with a jacket, you can check out our video here. What's important is you really
want to have a separate jacket here. For as much as we are fans of the spezzato look, you really
don't want to take a marooned suit jacket as it'll stick out like a sore thumb. You'll also
want to stay fairly conservative with your accessories and it's not very often where we
don't recommend wearing a tie but, instead, wear a pocket square as a nice sartorial touch. A classic
OCBD or Oxford cloth button-down is always a nice touch as we're going for really relaxed
casual menswear pieces here. And, in addition, the barrel cuffs of an OCBD will suit this outfit
better than French cuffs on a formal dress shirt. Instead of wearing sneakers on the very casual
side of things, or an Oxford on the formal end, a really nice ground is a chukka boot. It can be in
suede, lined or unlined, but it's a really nice piece of footwear. Alternatively, you can replace
the jacket with a nice heavy cardigan, which helps it descend more gracefully into casual attire. Good
quality knitwear is essential for any wardrobe and you might be surprised how versatile it can be.
Changing up the Oxford cloth button down for a more casual shirt or a polo shirt is a great
option. Just make sure to have a structured shirt collar so it frames your face nicely.
A classic pair of jeans come into play here and they can be paired nicely with a relaxed
loafer or, again, wear the chukka boot. For colder climates, we've put together this look. As Raphael
demonstrates in this video, you can really see how a turtleneck can add some elegant sophistication
to a cold weather outfit. By adding an overcoat over the turtleneck, you can really emulate the
feeling of a tailored jacket. Wearing a pair of flannels or corduroys really keeps the outfit
on the dressier side, but without looking too much so. And instead of Oxford shoes, which would be too
formal, you could wear a derby, maybe in suede or leather, or stick with the same chukka boot as it
has great versatility. Those shoes are still smart enough for the outfit and the open lacing system
on both the derby and the chukka makes it a nice casual option. Speaking of chilled out, let's look
towards warm weather attire for our final ensemble, especially for you viewers who are always asking
what we would wear in hot weather. On the face of it, this outfit might seem rather simple,
but consider some of the more sartorial details. You have a pair of shorts that are cut more like
trousers, styled like trousers, and a classic warm weather shirt, whether that's a camp collar or a
polo shirt. And lastly, you top it all off with a pair of boat shoes. Now, for the tough part, we have
to get down to it and ask if a digital watch is timeless or a trend? And let me be honest, this is a
tough one. When you look at the history of digital watches, it's flooded with trends from calculator
watches to camera watches, TV watches, and watches that sync with your phone. All that's gone on
within like a 70-year history, if you put it into perspective. Now, although there's a current trend
for digital watches from the 1980s and 1990s, it is hard not to crack a smile when you see an iconic
classic digital watch like the Casio chronograph alarm watch. I personally think that this watch is
about as close as you'll get to a digital watch being timeless. It has a nice balance, a vintage
aesthetic, modern appeal, and, for us who are fans of clothing, it's the easiest to combine with classic
outfits. What that means is that it's possible to incorporate a digital watch into a modern wardrobe,
but certainly not all styles are suitable and the ones that are, require traditionally very casual
tailoring in order to pull off. Keep in mind that digital watches, by their very nature, will always
sort of have their moment in the spotlight whether that's a retro design or the latest modern tech.
So, when it comes to "timeless or trend," there's a case to be made on both sides. So, why don't you let
me know down in the comments below what you think? And in the meantime, I better go let Preston out.
In today's outfit, I'm wearing something that I typically wear around the Gentleman's Gazette
office every day. It consists of a checked jacket with colors of brown, gray, and blue
from Spier & Mackay, a charcoal gray polo shirt with a shirt collar that was made-to-order for me by
Singapore company, Yeossal. I'm wearing a pair of dark wash jeans from Everlane. On my feet
are a pair of chukka boots from Allen Edmonds. For my watch today, I'm wearing a classic Casio
digital watch. I'm also wearing a pair of Fort Belvedere socks
in our two-tone stripe in a shade of brown. My brown rolled pocket square picks up other shades
of brown in my jacket, as well as on my boots, and it's a prototype for something we're working on
at Fort Belvedere. The other watches shown in this video, including a couple of Patek Philippes,
a Rolex Explorer, and a couple of JLC dress watches were all provided by delraywatch.com.
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