Phume Mdluli

Engineers are some of the most discerning consumers worldwide. They have the knowledge, the connections and the power in making sure a watch that they want to wear or are looking to wear not only has the best of movement but should also be the most good-looking in the room. If you have an engineer in your life you want to buy for, you’ve come to the right article.

Finding the right timepiece can be an intimidating task, as the options and alternatives are endless. So here’s a pro tip: ask them what they normally prefer – movement-wise, style-wise and size-wise. If you want it to be a surprise, you can be sneaky and observe what watches they are wearing right at the moment, and ask what other watches they already have.

We’ve collated the best of the best in this list – so just a word for the wise: some of them will cost you a pretty penny. Especially the luxury watches. But don’t you fret, as we’ve also put in some picks that certainly will earn you a smile without sacrificing your life savings. Pro tip: Don’t forget to search online watch repositories for better deals.

IWC Ingenieur

Inspired by the great engineers of all time, the IWC Ingenieur is a great looking watch with a lot of heritage. Getting this watch just for its namesake is enough to justify its purchase. Under the hood, you get an automatic self-winding Caliber 35111 movement, a stainless steel case and sapphire glass on both sides of the watch face.

The IWC Ingenieur is available in several variations, and in its latest iteration, it’s a beast hiding in the body of a delicate-looking watch. With an increased water-resistance to up to 12 bars, it can compete with starter divers watches in the market today. A 42-hour power reserve, central hacking seconds, and a date display completes the watch’s full package.

Casio G-Shock

An unconventional choice, the G-Shock is a man’s watch through and through. Rugged-looking with pretty decent specs underneath, it’s quite the steal if the engineer in your life is also into sports and fitness. Now solar-powered and now touts an atomic timekeeping feature, it’s the perfect watch for a day out with the boys.

The one in black and gold is especially a beauty, and there’s a Baby G option for you if you want to pair and be lovey-dovey. Plus, the watch can keep world time, has at least a 200m water-resistance – all of this packed in a visceral timepiece that can take the daily wear and tear most watches at this price point can’t.

Omega Speedmaster

This watch is good enough for NASA so naturally, it will be good enough for your engineer. Boasting of Omega’s top of the line in-house movement, with luxury materials, the Speedmaster may be the one to save up for in this list. Yep, the legendary Moonwatch, which Buzz Aldrin has on his wrist while landing on the moon, is quite pricey.

But to have a Speedmaster is like to have a piece of history in your watch. Plus, it has undergone rigorous testing by NASA, outside of the standardized testing the brand itself imposes. Omega has been known in the Swiss watchmaking clique as “the extra one” because it always one-ups itself in making quality watches. What more can you ask for?

Stuhrling Original Legacy Automatic Skeleton

Another timepiece that’s a looker, the Stuhrling Original Legacy Automatic Skeleton watch is in a class of its own when it comes to transitioning from everyday watch to a dress watch. Rest assured that this watch can be worn at any occasion, and it will retain its iconic styling throughout. Under the hood, you get an automatic, self-winding movement.

What sets apart the Automatic Skeleton among the watches in this list is the aesthetic language in which it is helmed. It toes the line between a watch and a piece of jewelry, and frankly, we are not complaining. It’s front and back case features see-through sapphire crystal, with polished stainless steel bezel.

Takeaway

When it comes to buying watches that will pass the tastes of engineers, you can be sure that the list goes on and on. You are buying for a discerning customer, so research is imperative. If you’re planning to get them the watch for this holiday, make sure to shop early than usual when using the online method as delivery may be delayed.

The task of buying new underwear is something that’s far more demanding than it might have appeared to you, at first. First of all, it’s a highly intimate piece of apparel that affects your health, as well as your self-confidence. Second, as a clothing item, it’s something that needs to be washed and maintained. Moreover, it’s a piece of clothing that you simply can’t live without (even if you like the idea of going commando, from time to time). With that in mind and without further ado, here are the top six tips for buying new underwear that you should definitely adhere to.

1. What are the best materials?

One of the first things that you need to know when buying underwear is knowing how to recognize the best material. In general, the majority of experts support the idea of cotton being the optimal choice of material, mostly due to its moisture-wicking and drying effect. Other than this, it’s cheap, which means that there are huge quantities available for the industry. Moreover, there are various synthetic materials like nylon, polyester and even spandex, which all have their own unique properties. This is especially important for the female population, mostly due to the fact that it needs to be healthy for your vagina.

2. How many types of underwear do you need?

Depending on your plans, intentions and situation, you may need to consider buying more than one type of underwear. For instance, men can go for boxers, boxer briefs, trunks, briefs or several other sub-types to choose from. Some of these give you more functionality or do a better job of protecting your genitalia while exercising or in motion. Therefore, you need to know exactly what you’re looking for before you start looking online for men’s briefs. Others are there to give you more leisure, comfort and breathability. As for women, you need to look for the types of underwear in terms of both functionality and aesthetics. This means choosing amongst briefs, bikini, boy shorts, hip huggers and thongs/G-strings.

3. How many pairs do you need?

Now that we’ve discussed all the different types that are available, it might be the right time to start talking about the quantity of new underwear that you need to have in your possession. In theory, if you launder your clothes once per week, you might want to have at least 14 pairs. This means that you have a single pair for every day, as well as one extra for any unforeseen circumstances. Due to the fact that these are versatile and inexpensive clothing items, you might also want to go for a number as high as 20.

4. How often should you replace your underwear?

One of the questions that the majority of men often struggle with is the question of when you should throw your old underway away. The answer to this question is actually quite simple to figure out, throwing away your underwear at least once per year is more than recommended. Now, making this more pragmatic is not a simple thing. If you buy your underwear at different times, it can be quite hard to memorize the exact age of the piece. So, start replacing all of them at once.

5. How often should you wash your underwear?

This question can somewhat be merged with the one regarding the optimal number of pairs. The simplest way to answer this question would be to say that you need to wash your underwear every time they are dirty, however, you shouldn’t wait for the last pair to hit the laundry basket in order to start washing them. As we’ve mentioned previously, having about 20 pairs and washing them about once per week is probably for the best.

6. Choosing the color

This is where you can go full ham and just pick the hue that you find the most compelling. Keep in mind, nonetheless, that there are some pieces of clothing that are see-through. What this means is that you need to pick something that matches the rest of your outfit. Also, this here is the stuff of personal taste. There are some people who prefer to go with something flamboyant, while others like the idea of choosing something neutral.

At the end of the day, there are a lot of people who make the right choice for the underwear selection even without all this knowledge; however, knowing a thing or two about it definitely makes things somewhat easier. That being said, the more you know, the better your odds at making the right choice are.