Emporio Armani Men’s 41mm Watch (AR11012)

Navy is the colour that has quietly taken over from black on dress watches, and this is a good example of why. The dial is a deep blue with a sunray brush, so it reads almost black in a dark room and clearly blue the moment light falls on it. Steel case, navy strap, nothing else. Case and Wrist Presence Forty-one millimetres of polished stainless steel, round, with a thin bezel and short lugs that turn down towards the strap. Forty-one is a comfortable middle – large enough to look intentional, small enough to disappear under a cuff. The case is slim in profile, which is what lets a watch this diameter sit flat rather than perching on the wrist. Dial and Legibility The navy sunray runs light at the centre and darkens towards the edge. Silver Roman numerals mark three, six and nine, with applied batons at the other hours – an unusual mix that keeps the dial formal without making you read numerals all the way round. A fine minute track with numbered five-minute steps circles the outside. The eagle and wordmark sit in the upper half, and a slim centre seconds hand sweeps over everything. Silver on navy is strong contrast, so the watch reads at a glance. Movement and Functions Quartz, with hours, minutes and centre seconds. No date and no sub-dials. The whole dial is given over to telling the time, which is why it stays this clean at 41mm. Strap and Fit Navy leather with a fine pebbled grain, matched closely to the dial so the watch reads as one colour from the wrist down. Grained leather hides scuffs better than a smooth finish and holds its shape longer at the fold. It will still crease across the top of the wrist within a month – that is normal and it makes the strap more comfortable, not less. Who This Watch Suits Someone who wants a dress watch that is not another black-dial steel watch. Navy works with a grey suit, a navy blazer and jeans equally, and the Roman numerals give it enough formality for an occasion. Care and Maintenance Polished steel shows fingerprints; a dry microfibre cloth handles it. Fine scratches on the case flanks can be polished out by a jeweller. Keep the strap out of standing water, and have the caseback gasket reseated at every battery change. About the Brand Emporio Armani watches take the parent label’s discipline – clean lines, few colours – and put it at a price where the watch gets worn rather than kept for best. Technical Specifications Attribute Specification Brand Emporio Armani Reference AR11012 Case diameter 41mm Case shape Round Case Polished stainless steel Dial Navy sunray Markers Roman numerals and batons Movement Quartz Strap Navy grained leather Gender Men’s Warranty 24 months Buying With Confidence Movement cover runs for 24 months under the international manufacturer warranty, with the battery and ordinary wear excluded. Every watch leaves us new and unworn, boxed with the manufacturer’s paperwork, and goes out by tracked courier anywhere in the country. An unworn watch in its original packaging can be returned under the Consumer Protection Act.