My first watch was a small, gold (fake) pocket watch my father gave me when I graduated from kindergarten.
I carried it everywhere until the hands ceased to move and display the accurate time.
Since that first watch, I have probably had more than 30 watches grace my wrist. I currently own six watches, and I try to circulate at least two each week.
I’ve always loved watches. As a young adult, I started to realize watches were more than just a tool, an instrument for tracking the steady progression of time. I realized watches can be one of the biggest accents to an outfit, and they can set someone apart in a group of people glancing at their phones every five minutes for the time.
Many people take watches as seriously as I do and spend a lifetime collecting them because they know how important they can be in putting together a respectable outfit.
Apple is trying to tap into the watch market and once again revolutionize the way we use everyday items.
Most people within the fashion industry are probably laughing at the idea of wearing the Apple Watch; they recognize it as yet another ploy to gain consumers.
An article by Forbes contributor Jonathan Baskin said Apple should not try to be a fashion brand for three reasons: fashion is fickle, fashion is price sensitive and fashion is exclusive. The writer argued that the Apple Watch does not fall into these fashion categories.
If the fashion industry slowed down and took the time to evaluate the Apple Watch designs, it would see that there are some incredibly tasteful pieces being produced.
Forget for a moment that the Watch is a mini computer on your wrist. Some of the Watch’s designs are not only aesthetically pleasing, but they are also fashionable.
A chain link or dark leather band clashing against the bright yet polished silver and black face makes the watch a marvel to look at and easy to pair with almost any outfit. For example, the Edition collection features six sleek designs, all with 18-karat gold encasing the watch.
This is one of the three watch collections Apple is releasing. Each collection contains multiple designs, and the three collections broaden the spectrum of how many different watches are available for different situations.
The Watch collection is focused on general use, the Sport collection is obviously geared toward the athletic consumer and the Edition collection targets the more fashionable, professional crowd.
Why are so many people afraid to admit that these watches look good? Is it impossible for functionality to be fashionable?
The simple truth is the Apple Watch, though it’s a different classification of watch and technologically based, is not just a hunk of metal with a screen on your wrist. A lot of time and effort was spent ensuring the Watch could be another addition to a lifelong collection of timepieces.
Reece Babin, third-key manager at Fossil in Baton Rouge said he would buy the Watch for his day-to-day activities, but he would still gravitate toward a traditional watch more formal or professional settings.
“I would probably, honestly, just get one because I am an Apple fan, not because of the looks,” Babin said.
Babin said he has 55 watches in his personal collection.
This is a perfect example of a lifelong watch lover who is more comfortable in the traditional watch market and looking at the watch as a tool and not a fashion statement; this seems to be the attitude of most when discussing the Apple Watch.
However, if Babin did not have a silver chain link-banded watch, what is keeping him from buying this watch as another addition to his collection?
People need to recognize fashion’s evolving industry and take risks in looking different and memorable.
The Watch’s design is different. Its style takes risks where many traditional watches do not. For example, one design features a chain link band that loops around a buckle and is held in place magnetically.
Many well-known brands are not taking the same risks as the Apple Watch; these brands are just circulating the same styles, altered slightly, each year.
I still have the watch my father gave me when I was five, and I always will. However, I will never refuse to try something new and shield my eyes from the exciting possibilities of looking fashionable.
Michael Tarver is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from Houma, Louisiana. You can reach him on Twitter @michael_T16.