Armani Exchange Rainbow Men’s 42mm Watch (AX7120)

The dial is black, the case is black and the strap is black, and straight through the middle of it runs a set of rough painted rainbow strokes with a large white A|X sitting over them. It is the only colour anywhere on the watch, and putting it dead centre rather than at the edge is what makes it work. \n\n Case and Wrist Presence \n A 42mm case in a flat black tone, thin through the side, with a narrow bezel and a small blackened crown at three. Because the case and strap are the same colour, the watch reads as one continuous band on the wrist and the dial graphic is what your eye stops on. Forty-two millimetres is a standard men’s width and sits well from about a 17cm wrist upward. \n\n Dial and Legibility \n Slim black batons mark the hours, applied onto a matte black dial, with ARMANI EXCHANGE printed in small white capitals below centre. The rainbow strokes run diagonally from lower left to upper right in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple, painted with a deliberately dry brush so the edges break up. The hands are black and slim. Black hands on a black dial are a styling choice rather than a legibility one — you read this watch by hand position and the white logo, not by contrast, so give it a proper look rather than a glance in a dark room. \n\n Movement \n Quartz. Battery powered, accurate, and it keeps time whether you wear it daily or once a month. \n\n Strap, Clasp and Fit \n Black leather, smooth-finished, with visible stitching close to the edge and a squared-off end at the lugs. Leather straps break in over the first few weeks: the bend softens where it crosses the wrist and the fit becomes noticeably more comfortable. Sweat is what kills them, so wipe the strap down after a hot day and let it air rather than sealing it in a box. \n\n Who This Watch Suits \n Someone who wants a watch with a point of view but not a loud one. From a distance it is an all-black watch; up close the graphic is unmissable. That gap between the two readings is most of the appeal. \n\n Care and Maintenance \n Keep it dry — no water rating is printed on this dial, so no swimming, showering or dishes. Dry-wipe the black case rather than polishing it, since plated finishes cut through easily. Store it out of direct sun; printed dial colour is what fades first on a graphic watch like this. \n\n Buying With Confidence \n Covered by a 24-month international manufacturer warranty on the movement, excluding battery and normal wear. Delivered new and unworn in its original box with the manufacturer’s paperwork, nationwide with tracking, and an unworn watch in its original packaging carries the Consumer Protection Act right of return. Look closely at the brushstrokes and you will see the bristle marks left in the paint.