Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Watch out

Fashion buffs flaunt trend-setting patterns of wrist watches flooding the market, says HARJEET KAUR ALLAGH

PHOTO: RAJU. V.

PICK `N' USE Multi-coloured straps are a big hit

We think the youth of today are no timekeepers. But meet Romit Jain, a debonair and sassy youngster who has a collection of hordes of watches, from the exclusive Tommy Hilfiger, Titan Fast Track, Casio to the humble but trendy, hip and affordable ones bought off the rack. "I change my watches depending on my mood, outfit, occasion and time of the day! Steel and leather for formal, while neons, coloured and jazzy ones when I am out with my friends or partying," he says. And it is thought that watches are meant for their high tech functionality or stressed on for the aesthetics of the timepiece. Watches are still about marking time, that precious but finite commodity around which everybody's life revolves.

Praveena, a PG student, prefers to adorn her wrist with the sedate leather strapped watch. "It is a necessity as I like punctuality," she smiles.

Pocket watches

In the past, the heavenly bodies such as the stars, the sun and moon served as our first watches, predating the sundial or the hour-glass. In the 19th century, a new trend of pocket watches began but by the end of the century, it came out as a fashion accessory for women, Cartier being the pioneer with a leather strap. Initially, one had to wound them manually.

But by 1950, Hamilton introduced the first battery-operated watch, and then came the digital ones by the 70's hippie culture. Somewhere along the way came solar-operated, light emitting diode or liquid crystal display.

Watches today contain calendars, compasses, calculators, digital cameras, cell phones, games and what not. Seiko's computer watch made it to the market but did not last. Avinash, a budding engineer, sports a Swatch watch, which shows the time of all the zones in the world.

Lakshmi, a veterinarian in the making, prefers the bangle type watch as it looks like a jewellery piece, especially the Raga collection from Titan. Aparna, a management student from Maris Stella College says: " It is easy to co-ordinate dresses with watches. I have a Sonata with multi-hued straps that can be changed at will."

Chunky styles

Nageswara Rao is a B.Com graduate and uses a Patek Philippe while going to College. For parties, he prefers a fancy. "I have a penchant for fancy watches. I get bored of using the same watch and like to change it every few months. I like the rugged, bold and chunky style of watches available these days," he says.

With an array of patterns flooding the market, a watch is no more a thing of necessity but they also make a style statement. It is wise to look for reputable, durable pieces if they are to be worn daily.

Famous international brands like Cartier, Baume and Mercier, Chopard, Tag Heuer Bvlgari, Omega, Rolex are fascinatingly projected in the upmarket for the rich and famous. The sheer range of the mind-boggling patterns, myriad hues and gravity challenging shapes pose a challenge to a discerning buyer. . From a pocket watch to a pen watch, or a finger ring watch and even a key chain watch form a few of the different patterns available.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail