Hello, this is Goro. In the past, wristwatches were luxury items and were enjoyed as dress watches. However, as time goes by, the popularity of wristwatches is gradually shifting from dress watches to sporty watches. This is not unrelated to the fact that wristwatches have improved in performance and can now be used for sports. We will examine this in detail.

 

Sporty lifestyles have also been seen in watches!

In the past, wristwatches were generally worn as “dress watches” for formal occasions.

It was James Bond, 007’s “Dr. No” in 1963, who destroyed the “common practice of wearing a dress watch appropriate for formal wear.

When he took off his diver’s suit, he kept his Submariner and changed into a tuxedo,

 

Even though it was an event in a movie, it was such a shocking coordination at the time that a prestigious, long-established tailor even filed a complaint with the movie company. However, in the year 2023, it is a common coordination that can be seen on the streets.

 

In fact, I have seen many Submariner watches paired with business suits at Yodoyabashi Station on the Midosuji Line, where the most sophisticated business people in Osaka get on and off the train. It is no exaggeration to say that wearing a sporty watch in formal situations has gained “civil rights.A similar comparison can be made with cars. Since 2010, SUVs, which exude luxury and sportiness, have been in full swing.

 

The “luxury sport” watch and the “SUV” fad have followed the same trend. However, I believe that this is not a temporary fad, but rather a practical one, and that the sporty element has become indispensable for wristwatches.However, it should not be overlooked that the wristwatch has improved not only in terms of coolness but also in terms of performance. It is a fact that divers’ watches, which appeared in the mid-1950s, before the movie was released, broke the conventional wisdom that they could not be used underwater.

 

In the movie, the wristwatch becomes an important tool for checking the time of the explosion. There is no denying the possibility that that masterpiece would have been even sloppier without the existence of a watch that could be used smoothly from underwater to the party venue on land.

High water resistance is required of watches due to global warming!

In the past, water was a great enemy of wristwatches. One of the reasons why Rolex, the representative of sports watches, became so popular was that all its watches were water resistant to 100M with Oyster case and screw-in crown.

 

However, watches with such high water resistance became more popular in the United States than in Europe. One of the reasons why Rolex boomed in the U.S. was because they preferred to use the same watch every day. Rolex, with its high water resistance and metal bracelet as standard, met their demand.

 

But, wearing the same watch every day is not a good idea from a fashion standpoint. For me, it is the same as “wearing the same clothes every day.

I understand the opinion of some users that one expensive watch is enough, but if you want to enjoy watches as a fashion item, I think you should use different watches as much as possible. The solution to this problem is the development of “easy band replacement,” which has been actively adopted by various brands in recent years.

 

In 2016, Vacheron Constantin adopted the “bracelet that can be changed without tools (named Interchangeable -strap)” for the first time for Overseas, and since then, other brands have been adopting it as well.

 

Due to rising temperatures caused by global warming and the high temperature and humidity in Asia, including Japan, metal bracelets are more convenient than leather straps, and they can be easily washed (with water) for cleanliness.With different straps for different outfits, a single watch can be worn with different straps for both formal and casual wear when traveling.

 

Vacheron Constantin (VC) developed its first model inspired by the theme of “travel,” and since 2016, the idea of changing the aforementioned straps has made the Overseas a constant favorite.

 

In fact, since the late 2010s, when many brands began to introduce the luxury-sport watch genre with metal bracelets as standard equipment, the number of brands adopting this “interchangeable strap” has increased, and the industry has succeeded in developing a new audience of enthusiasts! The industry has also succeeded in attracting new enthusiasts.

 

The U.S. has reclaimed the No. 1 position in watch exports from Switzerland in 2022 from China. This is probably due in part to the popularity of luxuary-sport watches.

Smartphones and tablets are a magnetized mass! Magnetic resistance is required for watches!

 

For a variety of reasons, people are demanding water-resistant watches and diver’s watches today.

The reason for this is the rapid proliferation of electronic devices. As we all know, smartphones and tablets generate strong magnetism, which is a great enemy of mechanical watches. Especially since the commercialization of small neodymium magnets, they have been incorporated into many of the speaker parts of smartphones.

 

According to the people concerned, the number of repairs for “magnetic banding” has been on the increase in the past few years.Mechanical watches have traditionally been susceptible to water and magnetism, with older antique watches in particular being susceptible in a loop. Nevertheless, it would be almost impossible to live without a smartphone in modern life.

 

Therefore, mentioned in my past articles, he recommends sporty watches that are resistant to magnetic fields. Among them, divers’ watches are the best. Since the 1950s, diving operations have traditionally required antimagnetic functions.

 

Modern divers’ watches continue this tradition.In fact, many enthusiasts purchase diver’s watches with the understanding of their high antimagnetic functionality. Furthermore, with the sporting trend in fashion, only a few conservative people would frown upon the combination of a diver’s watch and a suit.

 

Sporty and fashionable by using them differently!

What about the rest of the world? I watched the video shown at the beginning of the Watch & Wonders 2023 website, and I realized that the sportification and casualization of fashion is inevitable.

 

I saw many men in suits, but mostly non-tie, some wearing sneakers and chatting with others. Women are also wearing pants more and more, and most of them are casual and sporty.

 

In Japan, the suit and tie is still the norm for everyone, but this fashion is probably outdated by now. Let’s enjoy casual and sporty fashion by wearing sporty wristwatches.