When you think of classic watches for men, you probably think of a wristwatch with a dial. What might surprise you, though, is that this traditional style actually is quite a new one, historically speaking. At the turn of the twentieth century, wristwatches were typically considered women’s watches.
Most fashionable men of the day wore a pocket watch. This practice changed during World War I. In wartime, stopping to fish around in your pocket for a watch could get you killed. As a result, soldiers looked for ways to wear their watches on their wrists. That’s how the modern wristwatch evolved into what we have today.
In today’s society, the idea of wearing one of the best classic watches for men might seem a little outdated. After all, if you carry a smartphone, you've always got access to the right time.
The reason that classic watches for men will never go away is convenience. Checking the time on your phone is simple if it's already out. But what about those times when you're stuck in a meeting or gathering and need a sneak peek?
There's no subtle way of pulling your phone out and lighting up the screen to check the time. A glance at your wrist, however, is bound to go unnoticed.
Another reason that classic watches for men remain trendy in 2021 is for the statements they can make. Every watch communicates its own message. We believe the designs for the best classic watches for women are also versatile enough to wear with anything and for any event or activity.
Some people wear diamond-encrusted timepieces as a way of saying that they’re wealthy. On the other end of the spectrum, a funky Mickey Mouse design indicates that you’re young at heart. We could go on about this all day, but you get the idea: Your watch can speak volumes about you.
The versatility of Nordgreen’s men’s watches means they can serve as a timekeeper for your job or workout, in addition to a classic dress watch. They're the perfect complement to a suit and tie, and they work just as well when you're out running errands on Saturday. A classic timepiece says, "I have great taste, and I don't need to prove anything."
Naturally, though, you'll be guided by your taste in selecting just the right watch for you. Considering that men's jewellery usually is somewhat limited in nature, starting with an outstanding basic timepiece makes sense.
Best Classic Watches for Men in 2021
Check out our men’s watch designs, and you’ll quickly find that there’s no shortage of style. You might wonder how we can offer such beautiful models at such reasonable prices. Well, it’s because we are a boutique designer that does things differently.
Our focus is to offer a sustainable selection based on classic simplicity. Based on quality alone, we could easily charge much more. But we’d rather ensure that our business is sustainable over the long-term and gives our customers only the best.
Simplicity means you’ll find only four different watch models, but we let you customise your selection to highlight your personality and pride. This business model is what allows us to charge affordable rates without compromising quality.
So, even with only four base models, check out the number of customisations you can choose:
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Change the dial’s colour: Choose black for stunning contrast, or select navy for a fresh, contemporary look. Or choose silver for its classic versatility.
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Change the colour and material of the strap: Men’s watch bands are typically stainless steel, rubber, leather, or nylon. We offer each of those options, but we’ve also added vegan leather and rose-gold as alternatives for the classy modern man.
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Change the colour of the watch casing: Choose the case colour that suits you - gold, rose-gold, silver, or gunmetal grey.
Not every option is available with every model – but most are. Check it out for yourself:
Our Top Designs
The Pioneer
The Pioneer is Nordgreen’s take on the chronograph. As with the rest of our designs, we’ve opted for simplicity and elegance. Instead of packing the face with endless dials and markings, we’ve pared things down.
This model has the two most essential dials: The first counts off the seconds and the second is a stopwatch. The date displays at the bottom of the face. This robust little number has a bold-sized dial that is 42mm in diameter, so it’s quite suitable for men with large wrists.
The Native
The Native is the most straightforward design that we offer. It showcases precisely why minimalist design is so effective. The watch casing and strap lugs are traditional in nature. It's the dial that's the showstopper here. Its clean design features markings for the hours and nothing else. It doesn't get much simpler than that. It’s effortless chic at its best.
The Philosopher
The Philosopher is a timepiece that exudes confidence. It also features the rounded case and lugs. But what makes this model different is that it has a second hand, and hours and minutes are marked on the raised, brushed-steel outer dial.
This model is for the man who values knowing where he is every second of every day. With this watch and the date on the dial, you’ll never need to be late again.
Infinity
We designed the Infinity with endless classic style in mind. There are no lugs, so it’s sleek, and we marked the hours and minutes on the dial, but not the date. The colour of the hour markings matches that of the watch casing to create striking interest.
Dress Watches for Men Under £200
The key to being stylish on a limited budget is to choose classically styled, high-quality pieces. With our range of watches, you get both in one attractive package.
You'll find several classic, high-quality watches on our website for just less than £200 – far less than you’ll pay to most other designer brands. Our designs are classic, straightforward, and timeless. These timepieces look fantastic today and just as good when your grandson graduates.
We started our business to create a sustainable business that we could build into an iconic brand. We began with outstanding watch design and were thrilled when one of Scandinavia's top designers, Jakob Wagner, agreed to design our lines.
We gave him a simple brief. We wanted a range that was timeless and simple. A range that represented the Scandinavian principle of hygge (pronounced hoog-uh). It’s a simple principle – you focus on living a simpler life, so you don’t miss a minute of it.
Once the design was sorted out, we moved into sourcing top-quality components. While we could have designed watches with a lot more bells and whistles, but we didn’t want to give up quality or increase our prices.
Our brand is a high-quality luxury one, but our prices are affordable. You shouldn't have to spend a month’s salary to buy a great watch. We opted for simplicity and refused to compromise on quality.
After all, how many nifty features do you need in a watch? You want a timepiece to tell the time and make a statement. For the rest, you’ve got a smartphone.
And we know you want quality. So, we use Miyota movements – the best watch “guts” made – to ensure that your watch keeps time perfectly for years to come.
If you choose a leather band, know that we source the finest durable Italian leather to ensure that the watch bands look fantastic for a lifetime. We make our stainless-steel mesh from high-grade steel.
We make the glass cover for our watches from sapphire glass. This is tougher than tempered glass and scratch-resistant to boot. All of our models are water-resistant up to three atmospheric meters.
We assemble all of our models by hand and test them thoroughly before sending them your way. For added assurance, we cover every piece with a two-year warranty. What you get is a classic timepiece that will last a lifetime.
