Emporio Armani Men’s 44mm Watch (AR11100)

This one borrows the language of a dive watch without pretending to be one. A blue bezel ring is set into a steel case, marked 12, 02, 04, 06, 08 and 10 with dots between, and the dial below it is the same blue with a fine vertical texture running through it. Case and Wrist Presence 44mm, and it wears every millimetre of that. The case has broad flat flanks and a squared crown guard on the right, so the profile is more angular than a dress watch and the whole thing has real weight on the wrist. On a 18cm wrist it looks intentional; below 17cm it will dominate. The steel is brushed across the top surfaces and polished down the sides, which keeps light moving over it. Dial and Legibility Faceted metal batons mark the hours, tapering to a point at the inner end and catching light from a long way off centre. The vertical texture in the blue stops the dial going flat under overhead light. Hands are broad and silver with a wide central seconds hand. The date sits at six, white on white, balanced directly under the eagle at twelve. Movement and Functions Quartz, with hours, minutes, seconds and the date. The bezel here is fixed, not a rotating timing bezel, so it is there for the look and to protect the crystal edge rather than to count down a dive or a parking meter. Bracelet and Fit A three-link steel bracelet with a brushed finish across the outer rows and polished centre links. It is solid rather than folded, which is what gives a bracelet its heft and stops the rattle you get from cheaper construction. Sizing is by link removal. A watch of this weight really does need to be fitted properly — if the head can slide round to the underside of your wrist, take a link out. Who This Watch Suits Someone with the wrist to carry a large case, who wants a sports look in steel that still has a single colour doing the talking. The blue is deep enough to pass as near-black indoors and clearly blue outside. Care and Maintenance Steel bracelets collect skin oil and soap between the links. Rinse under a tap, work a soft brush along the joints and dry it fully. Do not swim in the watch. The crown must be pushed fully home before the watch goes anywhere near water at all, and battery changes should be done by someone who will reseat the case back gasket. About the Brand Emporio Armani has been making watches under licence for decades, and this is the sportier end of the range — heavier cases, applied markers, steel rather than leather. Technical Specifications Attribute Specification Brand Emporio Armani Reference AR11100 Case diameter 44mm Case shape Round Case material Stainless steel Bezel Blue insert Dial Blue, vertically textured Markers Faceted batons Movement Quartz Functions Date Bracelet Stainless steel 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.