[Summary by budget] Good taste! 7 recommended watches under 36mm for men in their 40s [500,000 to 1,000,000 yen]

Hello.

This is Seno from Belle Montre.

In today's video, I will explain the 7 best watches under 36mm for men in their 40s with good taste, priced by budget, from 500,000 yen to 1,000,000 yen.

If you wear a stylish watch that is appropriate for your age in your 40s, you will be seen as a youthful man who enjoys fashion, and you will probably feel more motivated in your daily work.

Golden Week is fast approaching, but Bel Montre will still be open, so if you'd like to take a look, please feel free to drop by.

So let's get started right away.

[Summary by budget] Good taste! 10 recommended watches under 36mm for men in their 40s [600,000 yen to 1.6 million yen]

1. Cartier Tank Americaine MM size

While many of Cartier's designs, such as the Tank and Santos, were created in the first half of the 20th century, the Tank Américaine is a newer model, having been created in 1989.

However, if you take into account the American prototype, the Cintrée, the picture changes again.

This is a sketch of the Cintrée, but in fact, before the American there was a model called the Cintrée, which was born in 1921.

So, the original design was the Tank Cintrée, and the modern revamped model is the American.

The distinctive feature of the American model is that the case is curved.

The Tank Américaine uses the added length of the case to give it a curved shape that fits the shape of the wrist.

The basic design is tank-shaped, but the American version has a thinner case diameter and is therefore thicker.

However, the thickness is hardly noticeable due to the curvature technique; rather, it brings out the three-dimensional beauty of the watch and fits beautifully on the wrist, allowing you to feel the essence of Cartier as a jeweler.

Thirty years have passed since its creation, during which time the design has been fine-tuned to suit the times and various movements (quartz, hand-wound, automatic) have been installed.

Because of the vertical length of the case of the Tank Américaine, the impression it gives on your wrist changes greatly depending on whether it's the SM, MM, or LM size.

Please see the image below.

The left side is MM size and the right side is LM size.

I personally prefer it so that the MM size is just right for me when I wear it, but the LM size also fits me pretty well, so I think it really depends on your preference.

Both are well under 36mm, and the MM size varies depending on the era but is generally 21-22mm and the LM is 24.5-26mm, but if you convert the MM to round, it would be around 35mm and the LM would be around 38mm.

The price for the stainless steel model is 618,000 yen, and since the gold model seems to have been discontinued in the current model, used models are selling for around 1.2 to 1.3 million yen.

2. Cartier Ballon Bleu MM size

Next is Cartier's Ballon Bleu in MM size.

The price varies depending on the material of the belt, ranging from 880,000 yen to 940,000 yen.

The good thing about Baron Bleu is that it feels nice and smooth in your hand.

From the front, it looks like a normal round watch, but it has a gentle curve from the bezel to the crystal, and the back cover also has a gentle curve, giving it a very soft impression.

I imagine that if a male music teacher or art teacher or someone involved in the arts were to wear this watch, it would match the personality and aura of that person perfectly.

If you take a look at the design, the biggest difference compared to other Cartier models is that the crown is housed inside the case.

The crown guard has a different function, and I think it's a stylish design that only Cartier can pull off.

The idea of ​​putting a crown inside the case originally started with the Santur model, but that had an octagonal case, whereas the Ballon Bleu is a round type.

Ballon Bleu means blue balloon in French.

When you look at the watch as a whole, it has a rounded shape like a balloon, and the blue cabochon on the crown also looks like a balloon on the ground, which is the watch face.

You can choose between a leather strap and a metal bracelet, so it's very functional to be able to switch to a metal bracelet only during the hot summer months, and then switch to a leather strap during other seasons.

As for the material, although it is outside my price range this time, the gold model is also lovely.

If the gold is too big, it can look gaudy, but at 33mm, it fits nicely on your wrist and doesn't stand out too much, so I think it exudes the elegance that only the small Ballon Bleu can offer.

3. IWC Portofino IW3513

Next up we have the Portofino from IWC.

The price is 220,000 to 250,000 yen for the white dial and 400,000 to 500,000 yen for the black dial.

The Portofino is a popular, long-selling model that continues to this day and was first introduced in 1984.

Modern models are huge, measuring under 40mm, but the model we are introducing today was manufactured in the 1990s, about 30 years ago, so has a case diameter of 34mm.

The nickname "Portofino" comes from the port town along the Ligurian coast of Italy, and the collection is classic and simple, inspired by the lifestyle of an atmospheric resort destination.

The white dial has a glossy dial, silver bar indexes, and thin silver pencil hands, making it a fairly simple design.

This 34mm diameter watch is packed with the same color scheme of white and silver, so you might feel it is a little lacking, but it is the perfect watch to express a clean and refreshing look.

https://otokomaeken.com/mensfashion/18601/15

For example, if you pair a white dress shirt with black pants (or jeans would be fine too) and this Portofino, wouldn't it look beautiful and really cool?

I know that not all of our viewers are wearing monochromatic outfits, but just knowing that a certain watch goes well with a certain style will make the watch look different than if you were to just look at it by itself.

And next is the one with a black dial.

The black dial version is also a Portofino, but the feel is quite different, with a more military feel.

In fact, it's almost like Mark 12!

The indexes are highly visible Arabic indexes, and tritium luminous material is provided at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions, making this a genuine military watch.

What's great about this watch is the price.

In the first place, military watches like these are popular with men, but the Mark 12 costs over 1 million yen.

So where does the price difference come from? Firstly, it's because it's not part of the Mark series.

The second reason may be size.

I think the Portofino is cheaper because the size is 34mm instead of 36mm, and fewer people choose that size.

However, this is good news for those who like small watches, and if you have not yet had your eye on this model for that reason, by getting your hands on it now you can be saying that you are discovering the inherent appeal of watches.

https://www.govbergwatches.com/shop/IWC-Portofino-IW3513-26.html

4. Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Classic Ref. 145.840.892

Jaeger-LeCoultre presents the Master Classics.

The Big Master was born in 1992 as the first model in the Master Control series, and was followed by the smaller Master Classic.

The Big Master is 37mm in diameter, while the Master Classic is 34mm in diameter.

Let me explain a little bit of Jaeger-LeCoultre terminology here.

Big is what we understand as "large," but when you say "classic," the literal translation is "traditional," so I'm not really sure what that means.

I think it will end up like this.

This classic, in Jaeger-LeCoultre's words, has the nuance of "let's look back at traditional sizes," which basically means smaller sizes.

I think they use the term "classic" because the word "small" doesn't have a very good sound.

Keep in the back of your mind that classic = small size.

Returning to our original discussion, this Master Classic was made during a time when giant watches were popular, so not many were produced and there are very few in circulation on the market.

Therefore, there is no clear data on the price, but considering that the list price was 350,000 yen, I think it would be around 500,000 yen now.

The design is extremely simple, with white and silver as the main colors, but the markers in the center of the hands and the outer circle of the index are a nice accent.

It is also spoken of as a model dress watch, due to the superb precision of its movement and the beauty of its design.

This is a model that is as famous as the Reverso, but we will explain the background of the creation of this Master Series in the first place.

As I have mentioned many times in other videos, Jaeger-LeCoultre has provided movements to the world's three major watch brands, as well as Cartier and IWC.

As a result, all brands are now able to produce their own movements in-house, but one of the most well-established manufacturers is Jaeger-LeCoultre, which has produced over 350 different movements to date.

Jaeger-LeCoultre, which has such technical expertise in movements, manufactures their movements to standards that are stricter than the general accuracy test of "Swiss Official Chronometer" !

This is the standard we created in-house called "Master 1000 Hour Control."

As the name suggests, this is a quality inspection of the finished watch, and differs from chronometer testing, which only inspects the movement.

This is a rigorous standard that involves testing the accuracy of the watch under various conditions, as well as testing its resistance to temperature and air pressure, and magnetic resistance for up to 1,000 hours.

Therefore, the movement is first class and boasts overwhelming precision.

https://www.crownandcaliber.com/products/jaeger-lecoultre-master-control-145-840-892-10-10-jlc-m5rdn8

https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/christies-watches-online/jaeger-lecoultre-18k-master-control-ref-145-140-892-127/67454

5. Omega Chronograph Reference 101.0009

From Omega we would like to introduce the chronograph Ref. 101.0009.

Most modern chronographs are over 40mm by default, but there are many vintage chronographs that are 34-36mm in size.

This model has a 35mm case, which is quite small by modern standards.

Let's take a look at the design.

It features a silver dial, silver bar indexes and silver pencil hands.

The indexes and hands have black center markers for improved visibility.

When you add black, the contrasting color, to a white dial like this, it creates a nice contrast and makes a nice accent.

They were produced in the 1960s, and vintage watches like this have a slightly worn, faded look that gives them character.

Whether you perceive this as stylish or old-fashioned will depend on your personal sensibilities, but if you think it's stylish, then I think it will fit in easily because your heart is responding to it.

It's rare to see a dress chronograph on modern watches, so if I saw someone wearing a watch like this, I would think they were very stylish.

The Omega Speedmaster is a famous model that everyone knows, but both the Speedmaster and this model, including the 1960s models, are equipped with movements made by a company called Lemania.

In my videos, I talk about how Jaeger-LeCoultre provides ultra-thin Cal.818 movements to Vacheron and Audemars, but Omega and Lemania also have a similar relationship.

Lemania is not a company that makes movements like Jaguar, but rather, to give an easy-to-understand image, it is a company that makes simple and sturdy movements like IWC.

Both brands' movements are durable, but the environments in which they are used are different, which makes them less likely to break.

Lemania actually specialized in making practical, unbreakable movements, as their movements were even used in military watches.

The movement made by Lemania was adjusted and decorated by Omega to create the Cal. 320, which is installed in both this model and the Speedmaster.

If you look at the history of movements, you can see that even old watches can still be used today.

The company Lemania no longer exists, but it is still under the umbrella of Breguet, known as Manufacture Breguet, and produces movements exclusively for chronographs.

For more information on the history of Lemania, please see the following link:

https://vnwatchenthusiast.com/product/omega-chronograph-ref-101-0009-66-st/

https://www.omegawatches.com/watch-omega-other-omega-st-101-0009

https://www.timeline.watch/watch/1965-omega-chronograph-cal-320-ref-101-00009/

6. Rolex Explorer I Ref. 14270

This model was produced from 1989 to 2001 and has a case diameter of 36mm.

The Explorer was born in 1953, the same year as the Submariner, and is an extremely long-selling model.

The only material is stainless steel, and the dial is only available in black.

Although it has a simple appearance, as its brave name "Explorer" suggests, it is waterproof to 100m and has big Arabic numerals at the 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions for good visibility, making it a wonderful model that is specialized purely for telling the time.

Although a 39mm Explorer was released for a time, I think the 36mm is the most suitable size, and seeing as the 39mm was discontinued, it seems that the 36mm is still in demand in the market.

The current price for a new Explorer Ref. 124270 is 1,036,200 yen.

The five-digit Ref. 14270 that we are introducing this time is priced at around 900,000 to 1,000,000 yen.

The price is almost the same as the current line.

Let's take a look at what makes the five-digit Ref. 14270 so appealing.

This is in the luminous paint.

As the Explorer I became more modern, its luminescence changed from tritium to Superluminova to Chromalight.

Of course, the newer Nocturne has better luminous capabilities, but the older model is closer to the image of the watch.

Older models may not have the shine of a new one and may have scratches.

However, as explained earlier, Explorer is a model that means "explorer."

If such a watch were to shine, it would look a little different from what you imagined.

Of course, there are also people who buy new items and use them for many years, relentlessly, to develop their own " flavor" or "ripeness," and that's a wonderful idea.

However, in reality, many people cannot wait that long, which is why the price is almost the same as a new product.

This five-digit model uses tritium for the luminous material, but over the course of 30 years the luminous material has tanned and developed a lovely patina.

Just like the scratches on the case as a whole, the luminous material is a nice accent, and I think that's what makes it stylish and particular about the design.

https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/buying-guides/rolex-explorer-14270-review.html

The next watch I'd like to introduce is the perfect one for those who are looking for a dressier 36mm Rolex model rather than a tool-style one.

7. Rolex Datejust Ref. 1601

The second model we would like to introduce is the Datejust, which is thought to be one of the most famous Rolex models, competing for first or second place.

A Datejust, huh? So ordinary and ordinary.

Some people may think so, but the four-digit Datejust has a certain charm and a sophisticated feel, so I think it has a different appeal to the current model.

The Datejust is a high-spec model that incorporates all three of Rolex's major inventions: the Oyster case, the Datejust, and the Perpetual.

The Datejust is still available as a current model, but the Ref. 1601 has been in production for 20 years since the early 1960s, and during that time many variations have been created, making it fun to choose from.

This time I chose the ref. 1601, but there is also a ref. 1603 in almost the same style.

The difference between the 1601 and 1603 is the material of the bezel: the 1601 has an 18KG bezel, while the 1603 has a stainless steel bezel.

Although gold is a more expensive material, the price of the watch is almost the same as that of the stainless steel bezel model.

The dials come in a variety of colors, including black, champagne, silver, gray, and blue, and the look of the same Datejust can change considerably depending on the dial color.

Production of these watches has been discontinued nearly 40 years ago, so even the cleanest ones have an aged look on the dials.

The champagne changes to a deep, ivory-like color, the gray burns to a shade with a slight hint of blue, and the black mirror dial has some areas with the color remaining and some areas with the color disappearing, creating a marbled pattern; these are beautiful designs that have been created over the years in a way that can't be achieved with a new watch.

If you choose a model with a stainless steel and white gold bezel, the bezel will shine brightly against the matte texture of the stainless steel, giving it a subdued impression without being too bold.

The 18K case model is available with a black or champagne dial, both of which have a satin finish, which is non-reflective and allows the metal fibers to be seen.

However, the bezel has a mirror finish, which adds a sparkling accent.

For those who tend to dress casually on a daily basis and want to add a touch of style to their overall look, simply wearing a Datejust on your wrist will give you a sophisticated look and pull everything together.

So, I've introduced seven watches so far, but when introducing watches that are 36mm or smaller, I wonder if this size is considered small in the first place.

I think that's the case.

It may look small because we have a 40mm lens to compare it to today, but to people living at the time, even 36mm would have been considered large.

I also think that.

In that case, it doesn't matter whether it's large or small, just wear the watch you like.

And if you can enjoy the time you spend with this watch, I think that alone will enrich your life.