There is only one useful indicator of a man's self-image: his wristwatch. Once that jacketsleeve creeps up, the sole piece of acceptablejewelry beyond a wedding ring reveals the wearer's sense of taste and occasion.

要衡量一个男人的自我定位，手表是唯一有用的标尺。当外套的衣袖向上提起，这种除婚戒以外唯一可接受的饰品，就彰显了主人的品味与场合意识。

Watch sellers employ a logical Italian dictum: a well-dressed man owns at least three timepieces. The day watch is most important: it is the watch that suits your occupation. If you're in finance, sobriety is all your watch must offer beyond the time. If you work in the media or the arts, you can be more eccentric. If your occupation involves specific tasks -- from ambulance driver, to insurance broker, to 747 pilot -- then, just as with iPhone apps, 'there are watches for that.'

手表经销商流传的一句意大利格言不无道理：穿着得体的男人至少拥有三块表。最重要的一块是日常手表，它和你的职业相得益彰。如果你做金融，那么手表除了传递时间信息以外，还必须传递一种稳重感。如果做传媒或艺术，可以显得更加张扬。而如果你的职业涉及特殊工种──救护车司机、保险经纪人、波音747飞行员等等──那么就像iPhone的应用程序，适合戴的手表各式各样。

For watch No. 2, you have more scope. This is your dress-down timepiece, worn everywhere from the beach to the ski slopes or for pottering around in the garden. Whether a sub-GBP 50 Swatch, or a close-to-unbreakable Rolex, it will mean you don't have to worry about a quick dive in the pool or a round of golf. This is your casual watch.

第二块手表选择面更宽。这是你的休闲手表，沙滩上，滑雪场，在花园里慢条斯理地劳作时，各种场合都可以戴。不管是一块不足50英镑的斯沃琪 (Swatch)，还是近乎牢不可破的劳力士(Rolex)，它都意味着你在游泳池里快速下潜或在高尔夫赛场挥杆时，完全可以无忧无虑。这是一块透着随意气息的手表。

Last is the dress watch. If you find yourself wearing black tie more than once a year, or if film premieres, opera visits or smart restaurant bookings keep appearing in your diary, your day watch may lack occasion. For this final part of the trilogy, you may go one of two ways: a classical, slim, time-only gold dress watch -- or blatant bling. The presence of diamonds on your watch will accomplish this for you.

最后一块是正装手表。如果你一年中不止一次地佩戴黑领带，或者是日程中不断出现观看电影首映式、听歌剧或上高档餐馆之类的活动，那么你的日常手表或许就显得不合时宜。在这个三部曲的最后一部，你有两种选择，一是佩戴一款经典、简约、只看时间的金质正装手表，再一种选择是让自己显得光彩照人，这一点可以通过手表上的钻石来实现。

Where to start? One's first watch is often a gift -- anything from a Timex on up -- received at graduation, confirmation, first job or Bar Mitzvah. It will never be exactly what you want, but you will wear and cherish it from your teens until your first pay check. Then you will be seduced by TAG Heuer, Omega or Rolex, depending on your budget. It will be your first 'real' watch.

具体怎么选呢？第一块手表往往都是别人送的，从天美时(Timex)起，不一而足。收到的场合可能是毕业，转正，找到第一份工作，也可能是成年礼。这块手表从来不会完全符合你的期望，但你会戴着它，珍惜它，从十几岁一直到拿到第一份工资。然后你会被豪雅 (TAG Heuer)、欧米茄(Omega)或劳力士诱惑，选哪一款就看你的预算。这将是你第一块"真正的"手表。

Buying well is the key, and it's not as tricky as you might think. As master watchmaker Peter Roberts observed: 'There really are no bad watches out there, because they all have to perform the same basic function and perform it well: tell the time. Manufacturing standards are impossibly high. So you should buy according to your budget and your taste.'

选对手表非常重要，但可能也没有你想象的那么复杂。正如大师级手表工匠罗伯茨(Peter Roberts)所言，其实并不存在不好的手表，因为它们都要发挥同样的基本功能，并且也发挥得很好：显示时间。制造标准高得无法想象，所以你应该根据自己的预算和喜好来买。

Established brands offer watches that will keep you reliably informed of the time for the rest of your life. Quality mechanical watches start for under 500 euros ($683) from makers such as Tissot, Seiko and Victorinox. (Quartz is simply infra dig, so keep that for your throwaway or unbreakable casual watch.)

老牌子的手表会让你一辈子都能够准确可靠地看时间。天梭(Tissot)、精工(Seiko)和维氏(Victorinox)这类质量上乘的机械表起价不足500欧元（合683美元）。（石英手表实在有失身份，所以只能暂时使用，或者是当作一种牢固的休闲手表来使。）

'Serious' watches start at around 1,000 euros to 1,500 euros, while a modicum of exclusivity begins above 3,000 euros. To dabble at the high-end of the watchmaker's art, expect to part with at least 5,000 euros. And if you want to wear something unlikely to be seen on the wrist of a fellow guest at a dinner party, start thinking 15,000 euros and above. This gets you into the arena populated by brands such as A. Lange & Sohne, Breguet and Patek Philippe among others. It will likely buy you a model above their entry-level offerings. Think of it this way: they may both have the same badge, but there's a world of difference between a 3-series and a 7-series BMW. So, too, with wristwatches.

"严肃"的手表下自1,000欧元左右，上至1,500欧元，少数限量手表起价在3,000欧元以上。要欣赏到顶级工艺，那就准备至少拿出5,000欧元。而如果你希望自己戴的手表很少有机会与晚宴上的另一位客人雷同，首先就得想想能不能拿出15,000欧元或更多。到此你进入了一个名品殿堂，朗格 (A. Lange & Sohne)、宝玑(Breguet)、百达翡丽(Patek Philippe)等都在其列。拿这些钱买到的手表可能超出了这些品牌的入门级。这么想吧：虽然铭牌可能都一样，但宝马(BMW)3系和7系还是存在着天壤之别，手表也是如此。

For the extra outlay, you get more in the way of 'complications,' the watchmaker's term for any function beyond displaying the seconds, minutes and hours. The most common and useful are the ability to display the date, followed by day of the week, month and year. The most popular functions among collectors are dual time-zones, moon-phases and chronographs. It's a given that the cases will be gold or platinum. Above this, where the cognoscenti prowl, prices reach six figures for perpetual calendars, tourbillons and minute repeaters.

多花一些钱，在"复杂性"这一方面就可以得到更多。这是手表厂商用来描述除计时以外其他功能的词汇。最常见、最重要的"复杂性"是显示日历，然后是显示周历、月历和年历。最受收藏家欢迎的功能则是双时区、月相和计时器。当然表壳会是黄金或铂金。除这些以外，万年历、陀飞轮和报时器等功能更是受到行家追捧，其价格达到了六位数。

'Pre-owned' is the euphemism for second-hand watches. As with exotic cars, someone bought an esoteric watch, grew bored and traded it in after a short period. And like cars, watches -- unless they are very special -- do not appreciate in the short term. Thus, you have dealers such as David Duggan and the Watch Club who are able to sell you pre-owned watches, with boxes and papers, for truly substantial savings. The downside is that you are not buying from a 'main agent.'

"旧物"(pre-owned)是二手手表的委婉说法。像买各式新奇汽车一样，有些人买了珍稀手表后，不久也厌烦了，卖了再去买新的。同样和汽车一样的是，手表短期内不会升值，除非非常特别。所以你可以从David Duggan和Watch Club等经销商那里买到有包装和证书、价格非常实在的二手手表。缺点在于你不是从一家"主要代理商"那里购买。

The tag 'vintage' is arbitrarily bestowed on anything over 25 years old. Vintage watches can only really be acquired by being in the right place at the right time. However much your heart may be set upon a 1930s rose-gold Rolex Bubbleback, you cannot go to your nearest dealer and order one as you would a Rolex DateJust.

任何25年以上的东西都称得上"古董"(vintage)这个头衔。古董级手表，其实只有在合适的时间出现在合适的地方才能买到。不管你有多么想要得到一块30年代产的玫瑰金劳力士"Bubbleback"，你都不能像买劳力士"DateJust"那样找最近的经销商订购一块。

As for spares, don't even consider a vintage watch unless you have deep pockets and access to a master watchmaker. If your watch needs a part that cannot be ordered from the manufacturer, it will have to be made from scratch. And that means a costly repair.

如果是备用表，根本就不要考虑买古董级手表，除非你很有钱，并且有一位大师级的表匠来做维修。假如你的手表需要一个零件，又无法从生产商那里订购，那么这个零件只能从头做起。这意味着维修费用会非常高昂。

Watch auctions are increasingly popular. The rules are the same as for any other type of auction: study the catalogues, know your financial limits and attend viewings before the auction. Recent watches will sell for substantially less than in stores that stock used pieces. If you find yourself bidding for a relatively new watch with little competition, you could snag a bargain.

手表的拍卖正变得越来越普遍。要遵守的原则跟其他任何类型的拍卖都是一样的：研究拍卖目录，明确自己的价格上限，然后还要参加拍卖前的预展。新近的手表卖出的价格比古董店里卖的要低很多。如果竞标的手表相对新，竞争也不激烈，那你可以捡个大便宜。

If in doubt, the substitute for knowledge and experience is access to the services of an expert. A watchmaker, an enthusiast, an honest retailer -- any of these will minimize the risks of buying a fine watch.

如果有疑问，除了自己的知识和经验以外，也可以寻求专家的服务。不管是一位手表工匠，一位爱好者，还是一位诚实的零售商，他们都会让你减少风险，买到一块非常不错的手表。

But it is also worth keeping in mind the only two real truths about the watch market:

-- If you buy with an investor's mindset, only two brands are immune to fashion and depreciation in the long term: Patek Philippe and Rolex.

-- And, if you want only one watch to keep you happy forever regardless of the occasion, there is a timepiece that is immune to snobbery, criticism, taste or quality issues. It's the Zippo lighter or the BMW 3-series of watches: a stainless steel Rolex Air-King.

但同时也值得记住手表市场的两条真理，也只有两条：

──如果你以投资的心态购买，只有两个品牌不会受到潮流左右，长时间过后不会贬值，那就是百达翡丽和劳力士。

──如果你只想要一块手表，不管什么场合自己都很满意，那么有一款手表不会让人看不起，不会受人指点，经得起赏玩，也不会遇到质量问题。它是手表中的Zippo打火机或宝马3系：劳力士的不锈钢"Air-King"。

Ken Kessler

• jacket [´dʒækit] n.茄克衫；外套 (初中词汇)
• sleeve [sli:v] n.袖子；袖套 (初中词汇)
• wedding [´wediŋ] n.婚礼，结婚 (初中词汇)
• italian [i´tæliən] a.意大利 n.意大利人 (初中词汇)
• occupation [,ɔkju´peiʃən] a.职业的；军事占领的 (初中词汇)
• finance [´fainæns] n.财政；金融 vt.资助 (初中词汇)
• restaurant [´restərɔnt] n.饭店，菜馆 (初中词汇)
• function [´fʌŋkʃən] n.机能；职责 vi.活动 (初中词汇)
• mechanical [mi´kænikəl] a.机械的；力学的 (初中词汇)
• ability [ə´biliti] n.(办事)能力；才干 (初中词汇)
• second-hand [,sekənd´hænd] a.用过的；间接的 (初中词汇)
• appreciate [ə´pri:ʃieit] v.评价；珍惜；感激 (初中词汇)
• dealer [´di:lə] n.商人 (初中词汇)
• manufacturer [,mænju´fæktʃərə] n.制造人；工厂主 (初中词汇)
• scratch [skrætʃ] v.&n.抓，搔；抓伤 (初中词汇)
• costly [´kɔstli] a.昂贵的；费用大的 (初中词汇)
• financial [fi´nænʃəl] a.金融的，财政的 (初中词汇)
• competition [,kɔmpi´tiʃən] n.比赛；竞争 (初中词汇)
• substitute [´sʌbstitju:t] n.代理人 v.代替，取代 (初中词汇)
• expert [´ekspə:t] n.&a.专家；内行 (初中词汇)
• criticism [´kritisizəm] n.批评；评论(文) (初中词汇)
• jewelry [´dʒu:əlri] n.珠宝(饰物) (高中词汇)
• specific [spi´sifik] a.具体的；特有的 (高中词汇)
• casual [´kæʒuəl] a.偶然的；临时的 (高中词汇)
• cherish [´tʃeriʃ] vt.珍爱；怀有(感情) (高中词汇)
• budget [´bʌdʒit] n.&vi.(做)预算；安排 (高中词汇)
• perpetual [pə´petʃuəl] a.永恒的；终身的 (高中词汇)
• substantial [səb´stænʃəl] a.实质的，真的 (高中词汇)
• access [´ækses] n.接近；通路；进入 (高中词汇)
• relatively [´relətivli] ad.比较地；相对地 (高中词汇)
• regardless [ri´gɑ:dləs] a.不留心的；不关心的 (高中词汇)
• acceptable [ək´septəbəl] a.可接受的；合意的 (四级词汇)
• logical [´lɔdʒikəl] a.逻辑(上)的 (四级词汇)
• ambulance [´æmbjuləns] n.救护车(船，飞机) (四级词汇)
• broker [´brəukə] n.经纪人，掮客 (四级词汇)
• classical [´klæsikəl] a.经典的；传统的 (四级词汇)
• confirmation [,kɔnfə´meiʃən] n.证实；证据；确认 (四级词汇)
• increasingly [in´kri:siŋli] ad.日益，愈加 (四级词汇)
• auction [´ɔ:kʃən] n.&vt.拍卖 (四级词汇)
• eccentric [ik´sentrik] a.古怪的；离心的 (六级词汇)
• graduation [,grædʒu´eiʃən] n.毕业(典礼)；刻度 (六级词汇)
• unlikely [ʌn´laikli] a.不像的；未必可能的 (六级词汇)
• outlay [´autlei] n.费用 vt.支付；花费 (六级词汇)
• platinum [´plætinəm] n.白金 (六级词汇)
• substantially [səb´stænʃəli] ad.大体上；本质上 (六级词汇)
• enthusiast [in´θju:ziæst] n.热衷者，渴慕者 (六级词汇)
• minimize [´minimaiz] vt.将...减至最小量 (六级词汇)
• depreciation [di,pri:ʃi´eiʃ(ə)n] n.贬值；轻视 (六级词汇)