Let me be honest with you right upfront: after spending the better part of two decades obsessing over wristwatches — handling them, wearing them, arguing about them at dinner tables and in dimly lit bar corners — I've come to one firm conclusion. The category a watch falls into matters far less than most people think. And at the same time, understanding those categories is absolutely essential before you spend serious money. Confusing? Good. That's watchmaking in a nutshell. So let's talk about how to actually choose a watch by style — not as a checklist exercise, but as a genuine act of self-expression informed by a little history, a healthy dose of practicality, and a willingness to break a few unwritten rules along the way. Start with the Story Behind the Style Every major watch style has a reason it exists. None of them were invented in a boardroom. The field watch was born in the trenches of World War I, when soldiers needed something legible, reliable and small ...