Emporio Armani Men’s 43mm Watch (AR1996)

Grey dial, rose gold markers, steel case, dark brown strap. Four elements, no chronograph pushers, no bezel markings – this is Armani’s flat, wide, thin-cased look, and it lives or dies on the colour combination. Grey and rose gold happens to be a good one. \n Case and Wrist Presence \n Forty-three millimetres across and noticeably slim through the side, with a polished steel case, a bezel narrow enough to be almost invisible from the front, and short lugs that hook down sharply. The wide dial opening is what you notice – it makes the watch look bigger than the number, and it means the case has no visual weight of its own. It suits a wrist from about 17.5cm up and slides under a cuff without a fight. \n Dial and Legibility \n A flat matte grey, closer to slate than silver, with applied rose gold batons at the hours and a printed minute track around the outside. The rose gold has enough warmth to stand off the grey in any light, which is why this dial reads better than the champagne and cream versions of the same watch. The date sits at three in a small window with a polished surround. The hands are long, thin rose gold sticks and the seconds hand runs all the way to the track. \n Movement and Functions \n Quartz. Battery-powered, accurate without any attention, and driving hours, minutes, sweeping seconds and the date. Pull the crown one click to set the date and two to set the time. \n Strap and Fit \n Dark brown leather with a crocodile-pattern emboss, wide at the lugs and tapering toward the buckle. A dark strap under a grey dial keeps the whole watch low-key; a tan one would have pushed it toward casual. Embossed leather resists visible scuffing better than smooth leather but still needs to stay out of water – wet leather dries hard and cracks at the fold. Expect the first hole you use to stretch slightly in the first month, so judge the fit after a few weeks. \n Who This Watch Suits \n Someone who wants a large, thin, uncomplicated watch with a date, and who is bored of black and white dials. It goes with a suit and works with jeans. \n Care and Maintenance \n Take it off before showering. Wipe the case with a dry cloth and the crystal with microfibre. Do not change the date in the hours around midnight, when the date mechanism is already engaged. \n Technical Specifications \n Brand Emporio Armani Reference AR1996 Case diameter 43mm Case material Stainless steel Dial Grey, applied rose gold-tone batons Movement Quartz Functions Date Strap Dark brown croc-embossed leather \n Buying With Confidence \n Ships new and unworn in its original box with the manufacturer’s paperwork, covered by a 24-month international manufacturer warranty on the movement, excluding battery and normal wear. Nationwide delivery with tracking, and the Consumer Protection Act right of return applies to an unworn watch in its original packaging. The date window is cut right through the minute track at three, which is the only place the dial’s symmetry breaks.