Black tie events, be they fundraisers, galas, or weddings, are stressful events. You spend a lot of time renting a tux or getting fitted and selecting your outfit. One area of concern that people have is with accessories. And a popular question that comes up on style forums is if you can wear a watch to a black tie event?
Are you going to stand out if you show up in your tux to a black tie event wearing a watch? What about women who show up wearing a watch? Is it considered a faux pas? First
What Exactly is a Black Tie Event?
A black tie event is any event where men are expected to wear a tuxedo or a black suit and tie. As a rule, the normal interpreting is for men to wear a tuxedo.
The event might be anything from a gala fundraising event to a wedding for a bride and groom who want everyone to show up wearing a tux.
The main point of a black tie event is for everyone to dress in tandam and be similar looking.
Tux or Black Suit?
When you receive an invitation to a black tie event, the majority of the time you’re going to want to wear a tux. There are some instances where people wear black suits with black tie, or even dark suits, but it’s normally a tuxedo event.
You can and should always check in with the organizers if you’re unsure though. It is better to check ahead of time before you head out and rent a tux for the event.
What Kind of Watch Do You Want to Wear?
Alright now let’s get to the meat and potatoes of the question: what kind of watch are you thinking of wearing?
Do you own a Casio G Shock? Well, great. Those are amazing watches that last a long time. I highly recommend that you get one if you’re heading off to basic training or if you are someone who works outdoors in a demanding job that requires a lot of exposure to the elements.
But it’s not the type of watch that I would suggest you wear to a black tie event. It’s just not going to look nice and it will clash with your outfit.
If you are wearing a different sort of watch: anything dressy such as an Omega, Rolex, Swiss Army, or even a discret dress style Timex then that’s fine.
The main consideration isn’t the brand of watch it’s the look of the watch.
A watch that is more of a dress watch, no matter the price or the brand, will be perfectly fine to wear to a black tie event.
It’s similar to when you show up to interview for a job. You don’t want to wear a digitlal watch designed for sports. It’s better to wear a professional watch when you’re going to a job interview.
Rolex vs Timex: The Type of Watch You Wear Matters
The brand of watch you wear can impress different people. However, for the sake of this article we are discussing what’s appropriate to wear to a black tie event.
If you wear a Rolex, obviously it’s fine. But what if you don’t own a Rolex. What if you only have a Timex?
Well, that would be a fine watch to wear to a black tie event as long as it’s one of the more dressy and non-digital Timex models.
Black Tie Events and Luxury Watches
Black tie events do tend to go hand in hand with luxury. It’s part and parcel of the same discussion you always hear about fancy events. The more impressive your watch, the better it will go at a black tie event.
That doesn’t mean you can wear some flashly cheap watch full of bling. That’s not going to go well.
A classic Omega or Rolex is going to impress more than some knock off 60mm watch that you could buy on the sidewalk.
Stick with the classics like a Tissot or Rolex if you have one. If you don’t it’s not worth buying one.
You could always rent a watch for the event if for some reason you really want to impress people.
I’m going to do a more in depth article that covers luxury watch rentals and discuss some of the pros and cons of buying a watch vs renting a watch.
That would be preferable to spending thousands of dollars, in my estimation, if you are not someone who really wants a luxury watch.
But the fact is that a basic fashion friendly dress watch from a brand like Timex would be appropriate. You don’t have to break the bank when planning a black tie event wardrobe.