It’s Time You Got A Real Man’s Watch

Real {stylish} women wear authentic men’s watches never wussy boyfriend equivalents.

DARE TO REPAIR | Borrowing stuff from the guys— boyfriend shirts, boyfriend jeans and boyfriend blazers—is a fashion trend that’s been popular for some time now. It’s a girlish affection for all things androgynous and oversized that also extends to accessories. Made for a woman, the boyfriend watch is a masculine looking timepiece that has a big, bold face and the kind of chunky ruggedness that makes a woman’s wrist look particularly delicate. But our question is this: why would you ever send a boy do man’s job? Wouldn’t an actual man’s watch be the more authentic choice?

That’s what French fashion icon Ines de la Fressange (pictured above) thinks. In her book, Parisian Chic, she says that accessories are the “key to personal style,” and that a man’s watch is one of five, super accessories guaranteed to make a statement. “A big man’s watch with a cashmere sweater, jeans and Converse sneakers is very sensual,” she writes. “And with a tuxedo jacket or little black dress, it’s sexy.”

Watch Me Now

Sexier still, in our estimation, is a vintage man’s watch, particularly one with a tie to the wearer. As a surprise for her husband’s birthday, Evie MacCallum decided to rebuild the 1970s Omega Seamaster he hadn’t worn in ages and, while she was at it, to refurbish her father’s long-discarded Omega for herself. MacCallum took the watches to Otto Friedl, a shop on the lower level of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, where the two Friedl sisters continue their father’s 50-year tradition of servicing fine timepieces. The duo returned MacCallum’s Seamaster to its former glory and brought her Omega up to date.

The Friedl sisters say revamping a vintage watch can cost anywhere from around $150 to $450 depending on the make of the watch and what the owner needs or wants to have done. When you consider the high price of a new big face by Michel Kors or Burberry, having your father’s or grandfather’s superior quality vintage watch restored doesn’t seem all that expensive. —Olivia Pittman

Otto Friedl watch service is located in the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver (lower level), 900 West Georgia St., 604-683-2820; visit www.ottofriedlwatchservice.com

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