Urbinati is not a trawl SeeUSeek, but she says there is a “feel in the air” that is driving the way she styled the watch. She has tuned those vibrations in big and small ways, sensing well-known brands like Tag Heuer and intuitively understanding the shift towards steel sports watches as all-time pieces. She said: “I used to really only like leather straps if it was a formal event, and steel straps if it was a casual event. “But now I really love a steel band for a formal event.” Of course, this is how most men are using their watch collection today. And it’s not just because steel sportswear dominates the world of watchmaking—there’s also good fashion sense that drives this decision. “I like to feel more relaxed,” Urbinati said. “And I like the contrast of a more casual watch with a more formal look.”
The growing focus on watches comes at a time when men are paying more attention to fashion in general. Bolden compares these pieces to women’s necklaces or earrings—the finishing touches that have been important to women’s clothing for decades. Now, men’s clothing also requires the same meticulousness. “Now everything is more thought out: shoes, socks, accessories and jewelry,” says Urbinati. “We never let a guy go out for a photo shoot without a pair of socks that go perfectly with his outfit.” This includes, of course, a deep dive into the watch. Menswear’s wild style era also made men more interested in their wristwatches. “Guys feel a little more free when it comes to jewelry and are a little more flashy,” says Bolden.
And then there’s the simple fact that watches happen to be interesting. Many of the men Bolden and Urbinati worked with became their own collectors over the years. Consider Trevor Noah, who wore his own matte black Audemars Piguet Royal Oak to the Met Gala on Monday. (“It was crazy,” said Bolden. “I had never seen it before.”) Urbinati noted that clients like Will Arnett and James Marsden—who reads watch blogs when he’s not serving on an imaginary jury—are huge watch enthusiasts. In addition to true collectors, Urbinati also collaborates with people who always want to try new things. (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who has to buy custom longer straps and bracelets from brands, falls into that category.) As watches became more important, both Bolden and Urbinati found themselves doing more research. and dig deeper. rabbit hole, too. “You are learning more about the interesting history surrounding these watches and how long so many of these companies have been around,” says Bolden. “A lot of my clients were really interested in the story of these watches.”
The most important change for these stylists is that they used to see watches only through an aesthetic lens: matching colors and vibes is more important than getting a great watch. Urbinati says that has changed for her recently. “If you can get cool See, it’s more than anything else [like a dial color that better matches the look]That shift in attitude is the biggest reason we’ve seen better watches on the red carpet lately. Urbinati says: “A whole bunch of in-depth watch enthusiast content. More love is happening now and it’s getting easier to get involved.Seriously: what’s more true of a watch enthusiast’s experience than, like Urbinati’s Met Gala customers, being prepared? an outfit and then fret over the perfect watch, weigh the options and wait until the last minute to make a decision?
