Status symbols are known to depend on the time or the place; nevertheless, classics seem to reinforce their standing in the course of the changes they go through…

So what is it that makes them so? Is there a secret to the status they confer?

It is no secret that quality is not a matter of fashion (although fashion should always be a matter of quality). When premium materials are used, and a first-rate effort is made to forge a product, the result is invariably exceptional.

Rolex is beyond doubt top among all watchmakers.

The Submariner, for instance, is a masterpiece. Designed for diving, and known for its resistance to water, the Submariner is considered one of the most luxurious products in the world; most definitely a classic, it is 007’s gadget of choice, having appeared in eleven James Bond movies.

Another example of virtuous design is the GMT Master II, which can display time in three different time zones. Furthermore, when in the northern hemisphere, if the watch is laid flat with the 24-hour hand set to local, standard time, and it is pointed in the direction of the sun, then the 12:00 marker on the dial points to the true north (not necessarily the same as the magnetic north). In the southern hemisphere, when the watch is oriented overhead, and looked from below so that the movement of the 24-hour hand traces the movements of the sun, the 12:00 marker on the dial points to the true south.

Being the watch the only piece of jewelry men generally wear, it is one of the most, if not the most defining element of the attire. It does not only convey the style of the moment, but it may also, if the timepiece is significant enough, reveal a man’s approach to time.