There is no time like the present, and no present like the time

Andrew Leci presents a watching brief on the purchase of a timepiece. Spoiler alert: caveat emptor.

BUYING A TIMEPIECE for someone is tricky. A veritable minefield I would suggest as, ultimately, it will say a lot about you (the giver) and even more about what you think of the receiver.

Watches are very personal items, especially for those people, like me, who love them and consider them to be so much more than mere implements for signifying how late you are for a meeting.

Some people judge books by their covers - I know I do and many make assessments of individuals based on what they're wearing on their wrists. Show me a guy in Bermuda shorts and a T-shirt wearing a watch with a mechanism so complicated that even the makers couldn't remember why or how they started the project in the first place, and I'll try to point out a very well-heeled hedge fund owner with a sense of irony.

Point out someone in a Zegna suit with a diamond-studded chronograph and an air of superiority and I'll wag a finger (not in plain view) at someone who's trying a little bit too hard and is probably more form than substance. Let's face it; if you have more bling on your watch than Kim Kardashian wears to bed, there will be an exchange of words. You won't hear them, but your friends will.