The contents of this post are to be taken only 76% seriously.

Watches are a personal thing. We buy them because we desperately want this minuscule object on our wrists to truly project that there is in fact, a personality underneath all this shell of human. And whether we like it or not, our vocation does indeed make up a significant portion of who we are as people. As someone who might be looking for their first watch, a timepiece that reflects the idiosyncrasies of our profession, if not just outright made for the field, seems like a worthwhile acquisition. Thus, I present to you a buying guide for the modern day professional, and each vocation shall present two options, a traditional pick and the…creative one.

Lawyers

Let’s for a moment assume the shoes of a young law school graduate, a solid year settled into an associate role at a well-respected law firm. Career finally seems like it has all the infrastructure in place to start hitting strides, and now we want to complement our budding career with a timepiece. Consider the following:

Bet you didn’t see this one coming yeah? Above we have our safe pick, the Rolex Datejust. We want our Rolex to be noticed, but not too noticed, so we keep it single toned, but still with the fluted bezel and jubilee bracelet because we want the full, pure Datejust experience. There are few watches out there that can outdo the Datejust in sounding the alarm for a lawyer in the wild, but what about a wilder pick? Introducing the:

Thought I was going to slap on a Cartier Santos or an Omega Aqua Terra and call it a day did you? Here’s something better: the Vacheron Constantin Fiftysix on bracelet, a watch that elevates you in watch enthusiast circles while still producing chic lawyer vibes. Sure it stretches the budget a bit, but there aren’t many professions out there that can afford the flex of a Big Three timepiece as a first luxury watch. I say own it.

Non-M.D Health Professions (i.e RN, PT, PA, etc.)

It’s a bit harder to describe a “typical” health professional due to the vast varieties out there. But if we assume a hectic hospital/clinic environment, a demographically unpredictable clientele, and most critically, assume that our timepiece will most often require matching with scrubs, may I suggest to you first:

When I think of scrubs, all I can think of is colors, colors, colors. And when I think about colors, what can possibly come more naturally to mind than the Nomos Club Campus? Nomos in their relatively short history has accumulated quite the resume with virtually every part produced in-house, something even much older manufacturers can’t boast. With 100M of water-resistance, it’s also surely up to the task of surviving the rumble and tumble of the clinic life. But let’s say Bauhaus isn’t your style. In that case (pun fully intended), consider:

Introducing the Zodiac Super Seawolf. There isn’t anything “super” about it per se, but there’s a story about how Zodiac actually lost the naming rights to the original “Seawolf” and had to prefix it with “Super”. Pictured are the super cool partially ceramic cased models, but the lineup is filled with colorful divers itching to take a beating against hospital apparatuses.

Baristas

Can’t go exclusively white collar on a list like this. While “barista” isn’t exactly a lucrative career path, it often funds them. Aspiring salaryfolk ought to have a piece of the horological pie too. So whilst keeping the budget on the tamer side, what about the following legend?

The Casio A158WA-1. A mouthful, yes, but a watch no watch snob can subvert. I opted for this one over it’s F-91W cousin due to the steel bracelet imparting a slightly more premium feeling. This is a watch for hipster baristas and aspiring (and even established!) salaryfolk alike. But let’s just for a moment dream and say our budget was a bit higher and our hipster barista-ness shone a bit brighter. Allow me to then introduce to you:

That’s right, a Seagull 1963. Considering it’s price point at just $569 (at time of writing), it honestly belongs in the annals of legendary manufacture chronograph movements right alongside the Zenith El Primero and Omega Caliber 321. Perfect for your local barista-in-the-know who could also take advantage of the chronograph function for timing their pour-overs. Just be prepared to replace it when it comes time to service it (if you know, you know).

Engineers (of any sort)

If you’re into watches at all, you probably already know the likeliest candidates for the conventional pick for this vocation. So just to get it over with, here we have the:

The IWC Ingenieur. I mean, it’s literally called “engineer” in French. And yes, I prefer it over the Rolex Milgauss. I know people have had their share of complaints against it, but have you tried it on? Fits like a dream, and worth every penny of its gray market price. But let’s say this pick is just a tad too white bread for you. May I then introduce to you the:

The Grand Seiko SLGA009, also known as the White Birch (the dial is supposed to look like a white birch tree. Jury’s still out on that one). Grand Seiko represents engineering and high-tech-ness. From the innovative spring drive movement to the gorgeous new Evolution 9 case design (Zaratsu polishing, blah blah blah), the cutting-edge nature of this piece just begs to be on an engineer’s wrist. I debated on whether or not to put the Lake Suwa here instead since titanium screams high-tech, but titanium with its light weight tends to not make the best first impressions on the premium scale as a first watch. So White Birch it is.

Park Ranger

Mountains, rivers, forests. Any line of work that maintains proximity to these forces of nature are really the target audience for this section, be it park ranger, lumberjack, or exotic fungus researcher. Let’s get the obvious pick out of the way first:

The Seiko Alpinist SPB121, granted that the strap is swapped out since the OEM one is decidedly mediocre. I admit I’m fully biased with this pick as I own one of these, most of the time on a cheap, green rubber strap (which looks fantastic). The built-in compass and shimmering green dial make you feel like you can maintain a connection to nature at any given time. The only real annoyance is its +15 sec/day deviation, making me wish it was a manual wind. Anyway, not a problem if you have a collection going on. Now for the sleeper pick:

You probably didn’t see this one coming, the Alpina Alpiner Extreme 41mm, still in green of course. Any watch with most of the word “Alpine” in it indicates that it’s probably safe to bring it along on any alpine excursions. Too bad Alpina doesn’t garner the attention it deserves given its rich heritage and all. Maybe that’s a sign for all you park rangers out there to pick one up and feel unique while you still can!

So there you have it, recommendations for five very randomly selected “professions”. Are there any other future career-to-timepiece matches you’d like to see? Let me know in the comments below!