How to Wear a Bracelet With a Watch

You are in a meeting. Every time you reach for your pen, your cuff catches. You tug it back. A few minutes later you hear it: the small click of beads against your watch as you rest your hand on the table.

Nobody else notices. You do. And it is enough to make you leave the bracelet at home next time.

It does not have to be that way. A watch and a bracelet are one of the easiest ways to look put together, as long as you follow three simple rules.

Rule one: pick a wrist

There are two good ways to do this.

Opposite wrists. Watch on one arm, bracelet on the other. This is the easiest place to start. It balances your look, it keeps the beads away from your watch, and nothing clicks during meetings.

Same wrist. This looks more deliberate and works well when you want to keep your other hand free. The trick is space. Leave about a finger's width between the bracelet and the watch so they sit side by side instead of grinding against each other.

Not sure which to choose? Start with opposite wrists for a week. If you find yourself wanting more, try them together on the weekend.

Rule two: match the mood, not the metal

You do not need a bracelet that matches your watch exactly. You need one that feels like it belongs to the same man.

A black or dark watch

If your watch has a black strap or a dark face, go monochrome. The Midnight Rhythm is glossy black with white geometric markings on every bead. From a distance it reads as simple black. Up close, the pattern gives it personality. It sits easily next to almost any dark watch.

A steel or silver watch

A metal watch already brings shine, so pick a bracelet that echoes it without competing. The Forest Forge has a run of polished dark cylinders with small metallic-looking separators where the sections meet. Those small details pick up the steel of your watch, while the earthy round beads on the other side keep it from looking too polished.

A leather strap

Leather is warm and relaxed. Pair it with earthy, natural-looking beads in browns and greens rather than anything glossy. The rounded side of the Forest Forge works here too.

Rule three: let one of them lead

A big, bold watch and a big, bold bracelet will fight for attention. Let one lead and the other follow.

• Statement watch? Choose a quieter bracelet in one or two colours.
• Simple watch? This is your chance to wear something with more pattern or contrast.

Get the fit right

A bracelet that is too loose slides down and lands on top of your watch. Too tight, and it pinches every time you type.

Measure your wrist with a tape measure or a piece of string, then add 1 to 2 cm. Our sizes are Small (16 cm), Medium (18 cm) and Large (20 cm). If you wear your watch on the same wrist, go for the snugger end so the bracelet stays where you put it.

From Monday to Saturday

At work: one watch, one bracelet, opposite wrists. It is quiet, it looks considered, and nothing clicks on the boardroom table.

On the weekend: relax the rules. Wear something with more contrast, like the Spotted Contrast, with its bright beads and irregular black spotting. Put it on the same wrist as your watch if you like the stacked look.

Back in the meeting

Next time you reach for your pen, nothing catches. Your watch is on one wrist, your bracelet on the other, and both look like they were chosen on purpose.

Someone across the table might even ask where you got it.