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Scrutiny at First Glance

Given the limited amount of information that we can gather about someone upon a brief introduction, we grasp at clues wherever they may present themselves. When meeting a man in a setting that naturally neuters most forms of self-expression, our eyes gravitate and fixate on the timepiece they are wearing. These settings are, of course, formal and professional settings where attire is usually relegated to a dress shirt, a tailored pair of dress pants, and, if the weather is cooperating, a blazer to disguise the many skipped days at the gym. Most will focus on the brand on the dial. The brand gives the observer an idea of the purchasing power of the person they are trying to gauge. The type of metal, precious or not, used for the case also enters one’s criterion as they are ruthlessly judging the human who has a very deep personal history in front of them. Some draw distinctions between the type of watch on someone’s wrist. I’ve observed many admit that they do this to distinguish how much someone is compensating for a lack of their masculinity. A giant dive watch on someone who looks like they would need a medical evacuation after a single flight of stairs comes to mind. What usually does go unnoticed is the colour and the material of the dial. If you see someone who is mindfully wearing a watch with a silver dial, take the time to get to know them better.

Where Others Strive to Make a Point

Most watches that are intended for men have black dials. This is due partly to legibility and also for versatility. Darker colours blend from one outfit to another and gracefully flow from casual environments into ones where your every move is set upon the background of ceremony and pretense.


Dials with subdued colours such as green, blue, or shades of grey aim to bring a little personality, whereas dials with bright colours are very much trying to make a point. Orange dive watches by Doxa lay a claim toward being adventurous. Brilliant pink dials such as this Nodus Unity make the effort for one’s surroundings not to be taken too seriously.

However, a well-executed and finished silver dial accomplishes something that none of the above can. A silver dial listens.

The Quiet Ones Are Usually Who Bring Value to a Conversation

One of the most desired features of a friend, lover, relative, or even a pet is their ability to listen. To sit back, observe, take in all of what someone is trying to tell you, and follow up with a thoughtful question. While in a teaching environment, regardless of what discipline is being taught, I always ask the students about how they thought the last section or their exercise went. In especially alien settings, such as after doing a series of challenging scuba diving exercises, I always either say, “talk to me,” or I ask, “how did you think that went?” On every single occasion, allowing the student in a class or a friend over drinks to talk through what they went through netted more positive results. It also made them feel valued as a human, and to be honest, their time and who they are as a person is something that I hold to an incredibly high value.

This is what a silver dial does. Instead of trying to blend into every scenario like a dark dial forcefully and tell the person what they want to hear, it reads the room and reflects back what is needed and called for. Instead of trying to make a point and stand out, it sits back and allows others to shine, all the while offering a brilliant sounding board when called upon. Thankfully, it’s not all comfort and kindness when it comes to a silver dial.

Obliterating Feigned Sanctimony

A silver dial also has razor-sharp claws that can be unsheathed like a feline’s. While being blasted by an overpowering light source in a migraine-inducing room or the sun at high noon, the silver dial fights back. Like all good listeners, the silver dial also knows when its time is being wasted, and if a conversation is being overtaken by those who are simply virtue signalling. The good listener will put an end to this type of conversation and move on. Recently, a pleasant day amongst friends was under threat from a party who had gotten too comfortable and who also ran out of things to say. They resorted to stories that they had told many times before, and all of the stories highlighted how they were a good, better, or valuable person by putting others down. When I stopped the conversation by meeting their energy, like that of a silver dial, the next hour was saved as the conversation was once again directed toward the group and the world, we lived in.

Worth in Patience and Adaptability

The silver dial offers a window into those who wear them with grace. The characteristics of those whom we never hesitate to invite out to an event are present in a silver dial. They listen, they value your position, they shift their perspective and change their mind whenever there is new information given, and they also will stand up for what is right when facing an overpowering or negative force.

So, at the next dinner party or work event, find the silver dial in the room. They are not the quiet person hiding behind their drink. They are the quiet yet calmly inquisitive person who has a lot more to offer than you may have thought.

Time of writing, July 22nd, 2023