It’s my firm belief, that as heterosexual women grow and mature, and as their list of desired physical attributes in a male partner shift and change, there’s one less tangible characteristic that becomes increasingly attractive. And that, is capability.
Though it doesn’t come with the bells and whistles of the tall, dark, and handsome variety (though a tall, dark, handsome, and very capable man sounds wonderful), a capable man has a quieter confidence that matters in the day-to-day. A capable man doesn’t make you do all the legwork when choosing where to go for dinner for your anniversary, and he definitely doesn’t weaponise his incompetence against you when you eventually move in together.
A capable man shares the load, so you don’t have to do it all, and they don’t make you guess about how they feel about you because they show it in ways that feel comfortable and genuinely helpful in your life. They’re dependable.
So, what does this have to do with watches? Like many things in the pop culture news cycle right now, it all started with season three of The Summer I Turned Pretty. In the final season, which whipped half of the world’s female population into a frenzy (this writer included). Conrad wore a sensible, leather-strapped watch in every episode and not only did it catch the attention of fashion-lovers, but of just about every male-inclined viewer.
Because Conrad’s watch wasn’t just a way to tell the time. It was a gorgeous, vintage Omega Constellation watch (likely from the ’50s or ’60s, according to sleuths) that’s fondly referred to as the “Connie”.
ELLE’s Edit Of The Best Leather Watches
- Best Round Watch: Tissot Classic Dream, $525
- Best Rectangular Watch: Cartier Tank Must de Cartier, $6,000
- Best Oval Watch: Coach Sammy Calfskin, $196
With a brown leather strap, and simple gold face, it didn’t just compliment his vaguely ’90s romcom-inspired wardrobe, but drew attention to how abundantly capable and dependable he is. The watch isn’t particularly flashy (aside from the price tag, though more likely, he inherited it from a relative), but like Connell’s chain before it, his watch’s simplicity is a nod to Conrad’s appreciation for well-made classics, and an enduring loyalty to his most prized pieces.
When Conrad’s working as a doctor, or making the simple act of wiping peach juice from Belly’s chin a cinematic experience, and of course, while he’s patching up the roof of the Cousins Beach house topless, or as an accent to every blue-jean and button down outfit he wears during the season, one thing remains steady. Along with his bone-deep yearning for Belly, that thing is his watch.
With Conrad’s watch, he shows that he doesn’t change his mind everyday, and he’s not always looking to the next hot piece to add to his collection. He’s allowing the past to remain a constant in his current life. It’s almost comical how ‘responsible’, and yes, capable, Conrad was portrayed to be this season, and his watch was a talisman of those traits.
Deliciously, Conrad isn’t the only romantic male lead to favour the classics in recent romcoms. In the first-look trailer for the second season of Nobody Wants This, Noah, the hot rabbi played by Adam Brody, also wears a similarly simple leather black watch. Though the band is black, it adds a subtle accent to his stylish but undeniably wearable wardrobe. It also draws attention to his rolled up sleeves and if we’re following the same thread as we did with Conrad, it points to his dependability. In a culture where newness is favoured above all else, these desirable male leads are confident enough to stick with the classics. They know what they have and they happily hoard it.
We’ve become so accustomed to seeing men wearing more hardware than a classic leather-banded watch, and when the latter is spotted wrapped around the wrist of hot and dependable characters like Conrad, or gorgeous pillars of the community like Noah, it says something. It says that while some things may go out of style, classics like respect, care, dependability, and timeless style will always have their place. And that place, is in our romcoms and on our screens forevermore.
In the case of the classic watch, their place is also on our wrists, which is evident when you take a stroll around the ELLE Australia office, where you’ll spot rectangular watches, a classic round, and elongated oval watch faces secured with black and brown leather bands. Because we all need a bit of dependability in our lives, and right now, that comes in the form of us borrowing a slutty little trend from characters like Conrad. Ahead, shop our favourites on the market right now, for you or for him.
Best Round Leather Watches
TISSOT
Classic Dream
AUGUST BERG
Serenity 32mm
OMEGA
Constellation 41mm
SEIKO
Presage Cocktail Time Lark II
Best Rectangular Leather Watches
FOSSIL
Carraway Three-Hand Watch
CARTIER
Tank Must De Cartier, Large
HEAVEN MAYHEM
The Icon Watch
DANIEL WELLINGTON
Bound 32mm x 22mm Durham
BANKS TIMEPIECES
Le Présent Petite
COACH
Sammy Calfskin Watch
TIMEX
Ligera Mini Dress
EMPORIO ARMANI
Brown Analogue Watch
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