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Whether you’re a new intern or a partner in a large firm. Watches are a common theme in the law office. Although a watch is just a device used to tell him, it can often say a lot more about yourself than you realize. For example, if one of your colleagues is showing up to work in a red Ferrari and a gold Rolex Daytona, this draws a certain picture of expectation. On the other hand, if you take the bus to work and wear a Timex, this shows something completely different.
Overall then, what watch you’re going to wear is going to depend on the image that you want to create. Are you trying to impress people? Are you meeting a lot of poor clients? Or are you stuck in the office for 9 hours per day and don’t actually care what people think of you?
If you’re making a lot of money and meeting with particularly poor, non-business-related clients. It may actually be a good idea to have two watches. One budget watch well under $500 and then another watch for the office. This is just to take the precaution of not being pre-judged before you begin talking. The last thing you want to do is unknowingly intimidate or annoy somebody you’ve never met before.
It’s best not to wear anything loud or oversize. Oversized watches in particular can look very out of place when worn with a suit.
One last type of watch to avoid is smartwatches. Ideally, you do not want notifications pinging with notifications about weather updates. This is annoying and could make you look unprofessional.
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Watches To Avoid – For Both Clients & The Courtroom
When choosing a watch for a lawyer or attorney, a balance must be struck. Ideally, you want a watch that is not expensive or showy. You do not want your clients to think that you’re overcharging them. Therefore it is either good to buy a budget watch which looks a bit more expensive than it is. Or a luxury watch that nobody would know costs as much as it did
Buying an expensive and garish watch can put you in an uphill battle before you’ve even started. As a lawyer, you will know, image is not everything, but it is a massive part of the presentation. As a rule of thumb, you can wear expensive watches, but remain humble and don’t be loud or brash about your wealth. People may feel put off if you’re wearing an equivalent to their yearly salary on your wrist.
Never Outshine Your Boss Or Clients
You may have read the book “The 48 Laws Of Power”. Rule #1 of this book is to never outshine the master. In this case your master is your boss. If your boss is wearing a mid-level Omega watch, then there is little use in buying a high-level watch and flaunting it around the office. There is a good chance your boss will not care at all about this, but if he does, you have just passed up on promotion for something that could have been avoided.
Secondly, your clients may have low incomes, or simply not appreciate gold watches worth 5 figures. If they’re receiving large bills from you, they may wonder where all this money is going. If you’re showcasing a particularly expensive and loud watch, your clients may decide that they’re paying you “too much” and look elsewhere for another lawyer.
Most clients generally want an attorney they can relate to in some way. They understand that from a legal perspective, you know far more than they do. But if you’re able to connect with clients on a personal and human level, this will go a long way to improve your relationship and can result in repeat business.
Lastly, in the courtroom itself, there is little advantage to wearing a garish and expensive watch. If everyone were logical and rational, it really wouldn’t matter at all. However, we know that this is not true for everyone in life. There may be judges who take an instant dislike to you or jurors who simply cannot connect with you. A lot of people in life simply do not like people flaunting wealth. For whatever reason, they think it is distasteful and wrong.
When Not To Avoid Loud Watches
If you’re working for a very high-profile law firm. It may actually be beneficial to show your wealth through a wristwatch.
Although 99.9% of trials and disputes are dull and boring. There may actually be a time where it works in your favor to be loud and ostentatious. However, in general, this will mostly work against you, as people will strongly disapprove of this.
Another circumstance where it may pay to wear something loud and expensive is if you’re a “no-win-no-fee” practice. In this case, as the customer is not paying anything unless they win the case. It may create the story that you always win as if you didn’t. How would you be able to afford an expensive watch?
Best Watches For Lawyers
Budget Watches To Bond With Clients
Orient Bambino
Orient is a brand that is celebrated by watch enthusiasts. They make their movements in-house and do not skimp on quality. Compared with other brands, you will be amazed at how they are able to make such a solid watch for a low price.
The dial diameter is 40.5mm which is just about perfect for a professional watch, it’s neither too big nor too small. If you’re not fond of the gold color, then there are stainless steel versions of the Bambino with different dials. Its automatic movement is great for the price and will generally only run around 30 seconds fast or slow per month. Which for a budget automatic watch is great.
If a client did google the brand of the watch you were wearing out of curiosity, they would be pleasantly surprised to see it retails for well under $200.
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Timex
Nothing says salt of the Earth-like Timex. If you are to wear a Timex in a law office, people will think that you simply don’t care about luxury watches. If you are to wear a Timex when meeting with poorer customers or clients, it says that you are not overcharging and do not care about status symbols.
To be honest, there is nothing wrong with Timex. They are a solid all-American watch brand. Timex uses standard Japanese miyota quartz movements, which are both reliable and accurate. You certainly aren’t going to win any fashion prizes with this watch, but it is under the radar and will never let you down.
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Seiko Solar Chronograph
Seiko offers a variety of watches which are very suitable for a law office. This solar chronograph is no different. If you aren’t aware of Seikos solar technology, instead of a battery, a capacitor will draw in power from all available light sources. This will then power the watch when it needs energy in darkness. Typically, these capacitors last around 15 years before they need replacing so are super reliable.
This particular Seiko has a variety of complications such as alarm, chronograph, and day of the week. Overall the watch looks more expensive than it is. Although people will understand that this solid Japanese brand is not a luxury watch.
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Citizen Eco-Drive
Citizen is another Japanese brand that makes super reliable watches. This eco-drive model is no different and uses a very similar technology to Seiko solar watches, meaning that no battery is required.
Suitable for more casual events, or more formal boardroom meetings, this Citizen model can be worn on any occasion. It’s not going to break the bank at under $250, but certainly looks like it is worth a bit more. A stainless steel watch with a dark blue dial is a timeless look and will never be unfashionable.
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Fossil Townsman
Fossil is a well-known American brand. Therefore if you showed up to work wearing a Fossil, nobody would bat an eyelid. Although in fairness, people would be interested in the Townsman since it is probably the most sophisticated and understated piece of the entire range.
Wearing a Fossil will set you in good standing with poorer clients too. If you’re wearing a similar value watch to the person you’re advising. They will see you as someone who has similar values to themselves and appreciate this (whether it’s true or not).
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Hugo Boss
The Hugo Boss Jet chronograph is another watch that looks and feels more expensive than it actually is. With that being said, people understand how much Hugo Boss is worth and certainly won’t be confusing it with a Patek Philippe.
Hugo Boss is a brand known for its menswear – and specifically suits. If you’re a person who is wearing smart workwear 4-5 days a week. Hugo Boss is an ideal brand to show that you are making an effort, but not showing off how much money you’re making.
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Tissot
Tissot is an extremely well-established Swiss brand that makes great quality watches. Despite their reputation, Tissot certainly isn’t a luxury brand but does make more expensive watches than other budget brands. At under $500, the powermatic 80 isn’t “cheap” by any means. But certainly not as expensive as other watches made by superior brands.
The movement of this watch is very solid and offers a massive 80-hour power reserve. This is certainly more than you will need from an automatic watch. The exhibition case back of this watch allows you to see the inner workings of the watch movement, but at the same time is hidden from view when the watch is being worn.
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Expensive But Understated Watches
Grand Seiko
The Grand Seiko is possibly the best choice on the list. Not only is it exceptionally well made, good value for money and also a luxury watch. It flies well under the radar of anyone who does not know about watches. Although if someone does know a lot about watch brands, they will surely appreciate your taste.
However, in general, most people who see your watch will think that it is just a $400 watch as this is what they believe Seiko to be. In fact, the movement alone would cost far more than this if you were to buy it without the actual watch. This way you can enjoy wearing something luxurious, but also know that it’s not attracting any unwanted attention and not taking anything away from your performance.
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Tag Heuer Monaco
The Tag Heuer Monaco is truly an iconic watch. It has been worn by legendary actors and chefs such as Steve McQueen and Anthony Bourdaine. Not to mention Walter White in Breaking Bad. Although Tag watches are generally loud and garish, the Monaco is respected as a legendary timepiece.
Its unusual square dial with 2 subdials sets it apart from the rest of the pack. You can see how this watch was inspired by motor racing, yet also has a more distinct and understated tone with its dark blue dial, contrasting its distinctive red second hand.
Even watch snobs will agree that the Monaco is a timeless classic, despite what they may think of the brand overall. The movement is also very accurate and one of the best Tag Heuer make.
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Baume & Mercier Classima
Baume & Mercier is a legitimate luxury Swiss watch brand that has been in existence since the 1800s. The nice thing about Baume & Mercier is that they are a complete Swiss brand, designing, manufacturing, and producing all of their watches in Switzerland to this day.
The Classima is a watch which would look great in any boardroom. It has an extremely simple design and is perhaps the only watch with a moon phase that wouldn’t look out of place in a corporate environment. The watch is not garish or showy at all and shows that you understand Swiss watches, but do not want everyone to know about it.
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Frederique Constant Business Timer
The business timer is the most iconic timepiece under the Frederique Constant brand. This watch can often be found for under $500 if it is on sale, so is an ideal watch for any young attorney or recent law graduate.
The dial looks somewhat complicated as it measures day of the week, date, month of the year, moon phase and of course most importantly – time!
As for case size, the dial isn’t overly large at 40mm, which is just about right for a man’s watch. Another nice feature are the recessed buttons either side of the crown. By not sticking outward, this allows the watch to not be too loud or overpowering.
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Omega Seamaster
Do not be fooled by the name or the design. Although the Omega Seamaster was originally designed to be a divers watch. It is now a true lawyer’s watch. Long gone are the days of people wearing Seamasters and submariners for diving. Computer watches have taken over this realm and fashion dive watches have made their way into the boardroom.
Omega is a classic watch lovers brand and the Seamaster has chronometer certified movement which means that the Swiss COSC board has deemed it to be accurate enough for their stamp of approval. Watch lovers will also understand that you appreciate classic timepieces as the Omega Seamaster is a truly iconic design that will be around for decades to come.
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Oris Big Crown
Oris is another Swiss brand that does not get as much attention as it deserves. The big crown pointer date is an exceptionally designed automatic watch. The rose gold and royal green dial look great together, although big crown watches are available in more traditional color schemes too.
The longest hand on the dial shows the date of the month, rather than a traditional date window, whilst the rest of the watch does exactly what you’d expect it to. Given the name of the watch, as you’d expect, it does have an oversize crown. With that being said, it is still a classic and understated corporate watch.
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Hamilton Jazzmaster
If you’re looking for an alternative to a Rolex day date, the Hamilton Jazzmaster is a great option. Overall, it is more masculine than the Rolex model and features its date window at the 6 o’clock position, rather than the 3.
Once again, this is a very sensible watch for a law office and is a very solid and reliable Swiss ETA automatic movement. It’s nowhere near as expensive as some of the other watches on this list, but still an extremely respected, entry-level luxury watch.
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