Just got back from a vacation in Italy. I noticed that people in Italy really like to wear nice watches. Every salesman in a decent store wore an upscale watch. I noticed commuters on trains wearing nice watches as well. Most surprising, I noticed at least 5 younger people wearing vintage (or homage) digital watches with metal bracelets.
Thanks for the report - I used to live in Italy, and I was amazed what care men took to dress well and look good! Stuff that often reads as 'gay' in the United States somehow comes off as very masculine there (cravats, brightly colored socks, custom-made shoes, tailored trousers, etc). When I moved back to California I had to downshift my wardrobe a bit since I constantly felt overdressed. I lived there before I was interested in watches, though - I'll have to keep an eye out next time I'm there! Did you happen to find any nice places to shop for timepieces? I'll be in Bologna for work next spring...
I did not really want to bore my wife with watch shopping. I let her shop for purses in Italy so I can build up "good husband" credits to cash in at a later date . I went to Bologna for 3 days. I suggest that you look for watches on chrono24, and you will see many Italian stores pop up. Look up their addresses, and there will be several in the Bologna area. I tried that in the off chance that there was a great vintage piece in the area that I liked. My plan was to show up with cash and play hard ball. Unfortunately, there was not a must-have watch there for sale when I was looking. Bologna was great. I recommend going to Modena and Parma which are both nearby. Pasta, cheese, pizza, wine, prosciutto, gelato, and coffee. What's not to love?
Since i'm italian i can only confirm what are you stating. I would say that the musta is alway a Rolex (datejust usually) when you start to being a little bit established (if you are into watches, of course). But in recent year wearing hi end watches is becoming dangerous in certain city (asking to couple of my friend in Rome who needs to be EXTREMELY carefully when they wear their Rolex). For nice shop in Bologna i can't really help, but if eventually you are going to Rome i have some nice suggestions
My AirBNB host in Parma wore a Rolex. Before I went to Italy, I read some guides on how to dress so you do not look like a tourist in Italy. Wearing a nice sport watch was mentioned.
Ah, this is the first time about this!Nice move Yes, wearing a nice watch helps but if you are dressed stilishly......well that is more than enough What was your choice for watch?
I wore a vintage 70's Squale. I think Squale had a strong presence in Italy in the 70's so that's why I chose it.
I’m from Bologna (but currently based in northern EU) and reading this post made me a bit nostalgic Yes, it is true that we love style and good watches! As already mentioned, a must have is a Rolex. Many opt for DJ/SUB. Usually a middle-class family buys it to their kids when they earn a degree as a milestone present. Many of my friends got it. According to many, when you do great in business you switch to the Daytona. The latter is a status symbol in Italy: either you are a VP somewhere or an entrepreneur who is doing great. In bologna is not becoming dangerous to wear a luxury watch. Actually I’m always surprised by how many people have one (even shop assistants sometimes). I personally wear vintage omegas/zenith. But as of now, as I’m doing quite well in my job (just got a promotion to lead) I think I’ll aim to a vintage Rolex as next entry in my collection. Some tips below about bologna and my region in particular: https://www.forbes.com/sites/drosen...emilia-romagna-the-secrets-behind-the-secret/ Regarding shops, I recommend all the ones around galleria Cavour, close to piazza maggiore. Cheers, Alberto
Just a tip from personal experience: Don't solely rely on what they have put up on Chrono or their Homepage. Many dealers have a lot more stock than they show on Chrono, most of the times it's watches that just got in and they haven't had the time to photograph it and put it online. Thiose pieces usually get picked up by regulars from the area that visit the stores just to see what's new. I have to agree that Italien Men (and women) take great care of their style and watches they wear. I recognize this everytime I'm in Rome or in the Meran / Bozen area. They seem to pull it off so effortlessly, without looking flashy or like a try hard.
Great tip! Their best pieces would get offered to the regular clients. Desirable items at decent prices would get grabbed early.
Spent all August there between Rome, Chianti/Tuscany and the north east. Agreed the italians are the most stylish citizens I've seen, everyone is impeccably dressed and done up. It's very nice but does make you feel very slobby... I still don't know how they aren't sweating bullets in the 30+ Celsius heat and wearing pants, a long sleeve shirt and shoes. I was dying in shorts/t shirt and sandals... Also found it interesting that of all the dealers on chrono24 I didn't stumble across any physical shops (except on the bridge in florence) and I was looking around for them in every city I visited. Beware in Sienna, there is some truly stunning females that live there (and guys too!) Loved Italy a lot!
I've seen a lot of GMTs 2, Subs, Speedmasters and Longines. Also seen a lot of digital watches (a lot of gold color) on the younger folk's wrists.
Interesting topic! I'll be in Milan soon and will be looking into some shops for vintage Speedy's. I'll be bringing all chronos... two JLC's, an IWC, and 3 Rolex's.
Me window shopping in Italy. Richard Mille advertising right, when you walk into Malpensa airport. Guy spotted wearing speedmaster... I love Italy!
It's nice to know that there are places that still appreciate a good watch and where people dress like adults. I dress decently (I never wear shorts or sandals and mostly wear a button up shirt when I am leaving the house) but I stick out no matter where I travel to, the boots and hat almost always make people think I am from Texas. I do fit in decently in many parts of Canada and Mexico though.
I love Italy, and I love how men there care so much about their dress. I've lived in California for 15 years, after living in NYC. Most other NYers I've seen have downshifted their wardrobes, but I just don't feel comfortable doing that. I say keep on caring about your clothes. There is no such thing as overdressed, but there is definitely such a thing as underdressed. I feel that overdressed people doing laid back things, look like they're laid back but are doing so classily.
I travel for work to Germany, Italy and France each year... leat year exited via Milan having spent a couple of downtime days there prior to comng home ... saw an absolute boatload of vintage purveyors ... so many stunning pieces but imo at the top end of market pricing. I really enjoyed the city too ... it far exceeded my expectations
