Fashion Trends 2011: Mens Watches

For centuries a watch has been a must-have item for most people.
The ability to take time with you is the main appeal of a watch. The most common form of telling time today is the wrist watch although some might argue they can just use their mobile phone for telling time. Even still the wrist watch maintains a certain status as a needed detail for overall style and appeal.
With the new year coming up I thought I’d take a look around the celebrity world as well as check out a few of the styling features on next year’s watch collections.

Men’s Watches in 2011

The style of men’s watches hasn’t changed drastically over the hundred or so years wrist watches have been popular.
There was a time when thin was in. A thin black leather strap was common along with a thin gold or silver timepiece went well with a suit or even for casual wear.
In the ’80s there was the push of the digital watch as technology changed and the more accurate quartz watch became popular. The style of some of the watches in the ’80s and even ’90s included a lit face or back-glow face. Black plastic was common for the timepiece casing and strap. The digital watch of this nature was popular due to the accurate nature of the actual timepiece and the low cost of the watch.
Things have stayed strong for men’s general fashion watches over the years though.
In 2011 there are a few interesting things to look for when finding a watch. You’ll notice some timeless characteristics that have been around for decades along with a few detail tweaks to make the watches in 2011 unique.

Work and Play

Puma Track Watch
People feel like watches should be able to go from work to play and back again. For the guy that’s busy at the office all day and likes to take breaks for an afternoon run or for a game of ball at the gym he needs a watch durable enough for the gym yet stylish enough for the office meetings.

Oversize Watch

Fossil Black Silicone Watch
A popular trend in watches for a few years has been the emergence of oversize watches. Celebrities have been seen wearing larger than life watches for a while now. There are always stars on the popular show MTV Cribs showing off their watch collections and usually the watches are as big as saucers.

Classic Style and Leather Bands

Kenneth Cole Reaction Chronograph Watch

Fossil Brown Watch
For guys that look for a classic style there are plenty of watches out there with throwback features like brown and gold colors and classic leather bands. These watches go with office clothing like khakis and even suits. They stand out just enough to give off a distinguished look.

Stainless and Black Styling

Fossil Dexter Watch
A more contemporary and urban style watch is one with stainless features and black coloring. A black band is common in this style of watch. There are also multiple features on the face of the timepiece to give a complex and important look. It can go with a casual pair of jeans and a t-shirt or even dress up to go with office attire.

Edge and Attitude Style

Ed Hardy Gladiator Eagle Watch
For the guy that likes his torn up jeans and t-shirts there are some watches coming out this year with plenty of edge and attitude. Oversize bands are popular for casual attire. It’s just the right detail for a bit of edge and cocky appeal.

Military Watches

While they’re great for active guys, military style watches are best left out of the office.

Celebrity Watches in 2011

You may have seen in the past Tiger Woods representing Tag Heuer in watch commercials. After the little fiasco last autumn the company decided to shift away from the Tiger endorsement for a while.
A prominent celebrity for Tag Heuer is now Leonardo DiCaprio – star in 2010’s Inception and Shutter Island. I see these ads in print quite a bit and they always jump off the page. It makes me stop and well…wish I could afford a Tag Heuer watch.
John Travolta is another movie star seen frequently in ads for Breitling. Travolta appears for Breitling as they showcase the fact that he’s an accomplished pilot and their watches are designed for precise quality and especially for aviation use. These ads are pretty cool as well. I love when they show a neat old airplane in the ad along with Travolta in his bomber jacket.