Let’s go to work: The best watches for every job from white collar to tech

Time+Tide

Whether you’re keeping a close eye on the stockmarkets, laying girders at a construction site or swapping stacks in a server room, your love for watches (which I’m just going to assume because, well, you’re reading this) means you’ll want a timepiece on your wrist. And not just any timepiece; you’ll want something that both suits your vocational needs and your budget. So before you pony up your hard-earned cash, here is a list of nice watches that should definitely be on your professional radar.

Blue Collar

Blue collar workers are the backbone of every economy and deserve a watch that stands up to the toughest of environments. From the entry-level guy that may be putting up sheet rock, to the senior manager making a bid for a new construction job, there exists a great watch for them all.

For the entry-level employee, I’d suggest the Seiko Prospex SPB143 ($1895 AUD). A modern interpretation of their first diver, the watch is a robust and reliable beast that will take a licking and keep on ticking. Its 40.5mm size also means it won’t be making friends with every hard surface on a site, something a much larger watch has a habit of doing. And should you find yourself working into the late hours of the night, Seiko’s LumiBrite is some of the best in the business, allowing for clear legibility in even the darkest situations.

For a mid-level blue-collar employee, the Tudor Heritage Black Bay Steel, reference M79730 ($4540 AUD) should fit the bill. Here robustness meets great finishing and an amazing monochromatic colour scheme that allows for quite a bit of versatility, should you need to dress it up a bit during meetings with the boss. Furthermore, the overall appearance of the watch will weather scratches better than many other options out there.

As for the senior level employee, I would highly recommend the Omega Seamaster 300 Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41mm ($9425 AUD). Beautifully understated in it’s black and vintage lume aesthetic, the watch is the perfect companion for someone tasked with client meetings and presenting proposals. It exudes success but doesn’t come off as ostentatious while still packing some great horological chops with it’s chronometer rating and co-axial escapement. In a world where first impressions mean everything, you can’t go wrong with Omega.

White Collar

The white collar worker has become one of the most prevalent group of workers in our time. They are our architects, consultants, doctors, insurers, accountants and lawyers. Where a blue collar worker tends to worry about the robust functionality of a watch, a white collar worker has greater leeway and may well have a larger budget to play with.

For an entry-level employee, the Cartier Tank Must large model ($3950 AUD), with the new High Autonomy Quartz movement is the quintessential choice. Relatively affordable, iconic and delivering all the reliability of quartz, the Tank Must is as classy as classy gets. Furthermore, no matter the heights reached on the corporate ladder, wearing this watch will never be a faux pas.

If you’ve climbed the ladder a bit and now find yourself as a mid-level employee, it’s the perfect time to go against the grain. I’m thinking Japanese which in this case means Grand Seiko. And not just any Grand Seiko; I’m talking Spring Drive. I’m talking reference SBGA375 ($7100 AUD).

With its dark blue dial and beautifully polished Zaratsu finishing, this will definitely stand out on your wrist.  A 40mm steel case, angular and bold (inspired by the 44GS), sets the tone. With its mix of surfaces it’s not too tooly or dressy, while your desk job probably means you don’t have to worry about scratching those broad, polished lugs and bezel.

Finally, if you’ve managed to reach the upper echelons and have secured yourself a senior position, it’s time to ball out a bit, while still keeping things tasteful. To meet these requirements, I would go to the Holy Trinity and the Vacheron Constantin Overseas World Time; specifically the blue reference 7700V/110A-B172 ($55,400 AUD). With this choice, you get the benefit of a world timer (a helpful complication if you’re dealing with world markets) along with the horological props one gets when wearing one of the oldest watch brands in history.

Tech

Welcome to the big kids’ playground where million dollar companies litter the playing field, while giants survey the landscape, ready to gobble up any would-be competitors. In this arena, individuality with a bit of quirkiness rules the day. So it’s no surprise that when these guys and gals look for a timepiece, they look to break the mold and look towards independent watchmakers.

An entry-level employee here still has plenty of options before completely blowing their budget. And one of those options comes from a brand out of Germany called Sinn and their GMT watch, the Sinn 857 UTC Black Tegimented ($3610 AUD). With a blacked-out appearance that would suggest it was bundled with an Alienware laptop, the watch is robust and downright cool looking. One great benefit of this watch is that it’s antimagnetic up to 80,000 A/mA. For someone working in tech and surrounded by magnets that could potentially affect timekeeping, this offers ample protection for your daily tasks.

For a mid-level employee who has scaled the ranks and wants an interesting and attention-grabbing piece, the Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force Manufacture Edition Blue ($24,500 AUD) is a contender. Beyond what many would consider a bad-ass looking dial, the Gravity Equal Force contains a souped-up movement that goes back to the main purpose of any timepiece; the accurate and consistent telling of time. Anyone tasked with maximizing system and employee efficiency can appreciate this endeavor.

If you find yourself in a senior position in tech, chances are the sky is the limit when it comes to your timepiece options. But you know what? Let’s have a bit of fun, shall we. And my idea of fun, is the H.Moser & Cie Swiss Alp Watch, reference 5324-1200 ($35,700 AUD). I can lay out all the specs that make this such a great mechanical watch and talk your ear off about how beautiful the movement is. But really, I just want to see the face of your colleague wondering what on earth is going on with this high horology riff on a certain ubiquitous smartwatch.