watches | Allyson in Wonderland

OK, I know there are a
couple of guys out there who accidentally wander into Wonderland.
And here is my ploy to get you to stay for awhile…

For the first time I’ll
be covering essentials for men.

Since obviously I’m not
a dude and I happen to be the girliest of girls, I have the Mad Hatter filling
in for me to bring to you what “he” believes to be the essentials
that every man must invest in.

Beginning with…The
Watch.

But first a bit of
history.

Wristwatches were
invented by men of adventure; pilots, soldiers and explorers adapted their
pocket watches to be worn on their wrists. They did this by welding wire
lugs to the watch and then attaching leather straps to the lugs.

Men love watches and
women love men who wear them. A man with a sophisticated wristwatch exudes
confidence, and he looks dignified and professional.

But wear an Ed Hardy watch and it screams
something else…please stick with classics, Gentlemen.

Patek Philippe

“You never actually
own a Patek Philippe. You merely take care of it for the next
generation.”

(more like it’s going to
take you a generation to pay it off… cough, cough)

In 1989, Patek Philippe
invented one of the world’s most complicated watch models. The Calibre 89 was
developed especially for the 150th anniversary of the company. The watch has 33
additional mechanisms, and includes the dates for Easter, a thermometer, star
time and many other extras. The Calibre 89 model can add a day to February in a
leap year. And it will only set you back $5,000,000.

Patek Philippe watches
are true masterpieces that are preferred by people who always choose only the
finest quality.

In 1851, Queen Victoria commissioned
Patek Philippe to make her a watch shaped as a brooch.

Sorry, I’m not able to
give you a “luxe look for less” on this brand. Each watch is
truly a work of art and is a tiny well-oiled machine. The watch pictured
above is probably one of their most popular models and is called the
“Nautilus.” It’s priced around $44,000.

Rolex

Rolex
Submariner 16610

Classic. Timeless.

Movie star Steve McQueen
was a Rolex fan and always wore his Submariner on and off movie sets.

The Rolex Submariner also
graced the wrist of James Bond in several movies: Dr. No, From Russia With
love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Live and Let
Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, License to Kill, The Living Daylights.

The Mad Hatter is also a
fan of this Rolex model:

Oyster Perpetual
Date 115210-SSO

For a similar, less
expensive, look try Bulova

(currently on sale for $131.25)

Omega

”If you believed they put a man
on the moon, man on the moon”

(thank
you, R.E.M.)

Omega was the first
watch to land on the moon in 1969. Buzz Aldrin wore the “Omega
Speedmaster Professional Chronograph.”

The Omega was also seen
in the most recent James Bond films. Actors Pierce Brosnan and Daniel
Craig have both sported Omega during their reign as 007.

For a similar look and thousands less, try this Victorinox Swiss Army Chrono Classic Watch