# Watchband: must strap buckle match watch?



## Harris (Jan 30, 2006)

And so it is that the Leatherman gold-toned buckles don't stay gold for long. The "gold" wears off and thereafter the strap features a silver-toned buckle. 

What if one continues to wear a gold-toned field watch--say, from Bean--with said strap? My wife, God bless her, says the buckle MUST match the tone of watch. I say not necessarily.

What say ye?

Thanks.


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## schneider (Mar 4, 2005)

Harris -

I can't believe an old trad icon like you can be saying this.

Your wife is absolutely right - all metal must match!

Schneider


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## Chris H (Oct 30, 2004)

Harris,

Listen to your wife, matching metals only. 
Out of interest why do you say not necessarily?

Chris


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## mpcsb (Jan 1, 2005)

Harris, I have an old Bulova (gold) I inherited from my dad and an old Timex Marlin (silver) which I've had for 30+ years. I wear both with a grosgrain band. Some bands have silver buckles, some have gold. Since you never really see the buckle and the watch at the same time, I've never really cared if the buckle matches the watch. I guess I'm a lazy trad - LOL. Do I really need to worry about such trivia - maybe not. I am reminded about the jewelry discussion that was held earlier to the tune of "Can I wear a silver watch with a gold wedding band?" or some such idea. Some days I'm lucky if my socks match, that is, if I decide to wear any - LOL
Cheers


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## Smudger (Jun 11, 2005)

Harris,

Your wife is correct...should match. One can occasionally find brass buckles for watch straps which can be removed and placed on 
another strap....or vice-versa for a silver toned watch.
Bill


Mollydog


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## Bowdoin (Dec 9, 2004)

Nobody will actually notice, but from a peace of mind perspective I'd prefer to have all my metals match.


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## malvernlink (Feb 12, 2006)

Harris,

Jeez, and I thought I was an anal trad dresser. As previously mentioned, the buckle
is never in sight. Women are into these itsy bitsy details, I'm not. What next, your
boxer shorts matching your shirt color ?

Marc


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## Brownshoe (Mar 1, 2005)

I would prefer a match, but wouldn't worry about a mismatch.


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## Harris (Jan 30, 2006)

> quote:_Originally posted by Smudger_
> 
> Harris,
> 
> ...


What sort of of buckle are you talking about, Bill? Do tell.


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## crazyquik (Jun 8, 2005)

I have thought long and hard about this too.

I wear a silvertone Timex, with a chrome (seriously, it isn't silver) watch buckle, and a silver belt buckle. Occasionally silver cuff links.

If/when I get married, I'll have to get all new stuff if I bother to wear a wedding band.

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Beware of showroom sales-fever reasoning: i.e., "for $20 . . ." Once you're home, how little you paid is forgotten; how good you look in it is all that matters.


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## jmorgan32 (Apr 30, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Harris_
> 
> And so it is that the Leatherman gold-toned buckles don't stay gold for long. The "gold" wears off and thereafter the strap features a silver-toned buckle.
> 
> ...


I think it should. (more of a finished look)


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## djl (Feb 6, 2006)

What about the matching of the watch with belt buckle? 

I would assume that wearing a gold-toned field watch with a silver engine-turned monogrammed belt buckle wouldn't be too "trad-gauche."


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## Tom Buchanan (Nov 7, 2005)

In a perfect world, they would match. However, it seems to me that grosgrain straps are an inherently casual look, which is already introducing several new colors into an outfit, such that no one will really notice the difference in metals. 

Crazyquick - you do not need to change your accessories upon obtaining a wedding ring, you just need to purchase a platinum or white gold wedding ring. I see lots of men wearing such.


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## Harris (Jan 30, 2006)

It seems to me that the matching of tones has to stop somewhere. Most grosgrain straps feature a silver-toned buckle and grommets, but most navy blazers feature brass (gold-tone) buttons: uh-oh! Any signet worth owning will be made of gold (yellow, that is), but what if that clashes with the sterling belt buckle? Introduce the typically gold wedding ring into the mix, and the confusion grows.

I've always thought silver-toned jewelry looked cheap. Very cheap.

-Harris


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## jmorgan32 (Apr 30, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Harris_
> 
> It seems to me that the matching of tones has to stop somewhere. Most grosgrain straps feature a silver-toned buckle and grommets, but most navy blazers feature brass (gold-tone) buttons: uh-oh! Any signet worth owning will be made of gold (yellow, that is), but what if that clashes with the sterling belt buckle? Introduce the typically gold wedding ring into the mix, and the confusion grows.
> 
> ...


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## Harris (Jan 30, 2006)

Clarification needed: by "jewelry," I did not mean watches, at least not the sort I tend to wear. I was thinking primarily of the only "jewelry" I deem acceptable for men: signet rings or school rings. 

Yes, I own stainless steel watches, but it appears I may be receiving an LL Bean (gold toned, white dial) field watch as a gift. I'm kind of bothered by the fact that I won't be able to wear any of my over 100 grosgrain watch straps with it. Oh well. 

Cheers,
Harris


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## SartoNYC (Feb 22, 2005)

Harris 'ol Buddy -- you gotta find more to do.


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## Harris (Jan 30, 2006)

> quote:_Originally posted by SartoNYC_
> 
> Harris 'ol Buddy -- you gotta find more to do.


Tell me about it. Slow work day.


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## 3button Max (Feb 6, 2006)

faced w/ Harris's dilemna I removed the gold or cheap brass plate buckle-from a hideous John Weitz red white and blue watch band and put in on a favorite stripe band ,albeit nylon. I bought 100 of these for 5 dollars at a flea market little realizing the gold buckle as a replacement would be the entire attraction. would love to have my dad's late 40's bulova restored a-i think the band size might be closer to 16mm
on to Harris's other gift issue-i received the LL Bean modern field (silver in this instance)watch as a christmas present and in fact returned for credit -largely eaten up by wardrobe needs of my wife-I was /am perfectly happy w/my 1980 LL Bean Hamilton windup, I think I will buy the black check grograin band from O'Connell's to "match " my tux. somehow I cant bring myself to wear a watch w/quartz battery.

max


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## knickerbacker (Jun 27, 2005)

Mr. Harris,
The maratial value of saying "Darling, once again, I was wrong and you were right " far outweighs the importance of the actual question in this case, don't you think?


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## Oswald Cornelius (Sep 27, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by knickerbacker_
> 
> Mr. Harris,
> The maratial value of saying "Darling, once again, I was wrong and you were right " far outweighs the importance of the actual question in this case, don't you think?


There it is, then. Just so.

Metals must match. Say it with me. Specs, wristwatches, belt buckles, buckles on your monks (oh my!)


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## Kent Wang (Aug 2, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Oswald Cornelius_
> Metals must match. Say it with me. Specs, wristwatches, belt buckles, buckles on your monks (oh my!)


For those that follow this school, do you only stick to one metal then, or do you really have all those accessories (especially the specs) in multiple metals?


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## Mr. Knightly (Sep 1, 2005)

This is a ridiculous, feminine rule--metals need not always match perfectly. Men don't have jewelry boxes full of accessories (ok, we actually do, but I meant it in the sense that "the queen of Spain has no legs.") I wouldn't want to look so studied. Granted, in a semi-formal situations I would go for matching metals, but I wouldn't sweat it on day-to-day wear. Heck, two tone jewelry is rather popular these days and I think it can look quite nice.

Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man.


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## Harris (Jan 30, 2006)

I'll accept the wisdom that the watch strap buckle should match the tone of the watch. 

If I'm understanding correctly, the "must match!" approach does not apply to the color of the watch matching other items. Correct?

Typically I wear either my stainless steel Tiffany or my stainless steel Hamilton Khaki on my left wrist (with ribbon strap). Is it appropriate to wear a (yellow) gold signet ring on the pinky finger of the right hand? Or is this a case of clashing?

-Harris


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## winn (Dec 31, 2005)

Hey Harris -

Here is a previous post by you called "On Matching Gold and Silver", 26 October 2005.
Does this help?

_Since this topic has been discussed at great length among the forums, I thought I'd add the two cents passed along to me. This past week I enjoyed an edifying conversation with an experienced jeweler at one of Princeton's (and the Northeast's) better jewelers.

The subject of matching gold (or gold-toned) items with silver (or silver-toned) came up. He said that there's no need to match gold with gold or silver with silver, calling such a habit "Nonsense," adding that when it appears that someone has tried to do that, it looks like they bought all of their jewelry the same day at the same place. "It's kind of tacky looking, for everything to be the same color."

I gotta admit: I agree.

To illustrate his point, he spoke of furniture. How many of us try to coordinate furniture perfectly, trying to make everything match? Few, I would guess. Some of the better furnished homes I've seen--it looks like they picked up piece along the way, here and there. The lack of coordination seems more authentic.

This follows the same advice I received about clothes: excessive matching comes across as "too put together"--too studied.

His final point is that gold actually compliments silver and vice versa, which is precisely why a lot of very nice watches feature both colors. While I'm not a big fan of two tones merging in the same piece, I agree that there's nothing wrong with wearing a silver-toned watch, a gold collar pin, a gold signet, and a sterling belt buckle.

-Harris _

I can't access the rest of the thread,
(What are the techniques to do that?)

Cheers,
Winn


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## Horace (Jan 7, 2004)

I don't think it matters. Or if it does, I'd never put that much thought into it.


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## Harris (Jan 30, 2006)

Yes, I do recall that old post of mine. That had more to do with the matching of various pieces. In this case, the controversy has to do with matching two parts of the same piece--watch strap buckle and watch. 

Cheers,
Harris


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## LPinFla (Jan 7, 2005)

I like to have my watch and ribbon watchband buckle match. I just switch the buckles as I have both gold and silver tone buckles for the watchbands. It takes all of a minute to do this when I'm about to wear a different ribbon watchband. I don't care about the rest of the gold or silver matching with any other accessory. But since the watch and buckle are part of the same package, if you will, I like them to match.

Harris, if you don't have any gold buckles you might want to contact Leatherman or whatever company made most of your bands and try to purchase a couple of gold buckles--that is assuming your ribbon watchbands are the kind where you can easily remove the buckles.


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## shuman (Dec 12, 2004)

Could someone post the links again to the sources of grosgrain bands. I couldnt find it in a search, and want something more substantial than my flimsy ones I bought at a local mens store. They didnt hold up, and coroded very fast. I recently bought one at BB, but its stripes run diagonal, not lengthwise, as I prefer. I do like the heftiness on it, but dont see the kind I like on their website. Do the stores carry something similar? THanks.


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## Patrick06790 (Apr 10, 2005)

No, for Pete's sake.

This has to stop somewhere.

Somebody has to put his foot down, and that foot is, er, me!


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## 3button Max (Feb 6, 2006)

> _Originally posted by shuman_
> 
> Could someone post the links again to the sources of grosgrain bands.
> shu-
> ...


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## Harris (Jan 30, 2006)

> quote:_Originally posted by Patrick06790_
> 
> No, for Pete's sake.
> 
> ...


Testy.


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## boatshoes (Aug 21, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by shuman_
> 
> Could someone post the links again to the sources of grosgrain bands. I couldnt find it in a search, and want something more substantial than my flimsy ones I bought at a local mens store. They didnt hold up, and coroded very fast. I recently bought one at BB, but its stripes run diagonal, not lengthwise, as I prefer. I do like the heftiness on it, but dont see the kind I like on their website. Do the stores carry something similar? THanks.


I saw those things too. Heftiness is an understatement... I can't figure out how you would even get that on a watch.


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## Patrick06790 (Apr 10, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by boatshoes_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I picked up a couple without really examining them carefully, and I can't get them on any of my watches.

The outlet in Lee, Mass. usually has a little bucket full of the long striped ones for $7.50 a pop. It's easy to pry the dopey little Golden Fleece thing on the loop off if you are logophobic.


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## jeansguy (Jul 29, 2003)

In my opinion, all the metals you wear that are external (so not including a chain for example, but belt buckle, watch, etc) should match.

The only exclusion is a wedding ring, which is beyond the rules. It is not jewelry, but rather a trophy for your wife 

Seriously a wedding ring transcends jewelry, so i think it is exluded.

www.thegenuineman.com


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## 3button Max (Feb 6, 2006)

> quote:_Originally posted by Patrick06790_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## jacksprat (Jul 28, 2005)

here's that link to O'Connells - 
https://www.oconnellsclothing.com/accessories.php


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