Vintage
Hamilton
watches,
from $50 on eBay

• Marlon Brando filming "The Ugly American," 1962.

Borrowed
Time

Flipping through the new Leo Fuchs book "Special Photographer from the Golden Age of Hollywood," I stopped on a shot of Brando. It wasn't his perfectly rumpled oxford or wicked 'stache that caught my eye. It was his watch. Simple in style and thin in profile with a dark leather band, it was the perfect contrast to the oversized chronographs or Nato-strapped Timexes of the moment. I immediately logged onto eBay and started bidding on vintage Hamilton watches—classics from when they were still made in America. There's something about vintage watches—they don't have to be your grandfather's to feel like you're wearing something with real history that still looks good today. Isn't that the very definition of timeless style? I know there's a whole contingent of my generation that have abandoned watches. I like to think of a watch as a symbol of your style and good taste. You don't need to drop five grand on it (yet), but it shouldn't have cost you less than a dinner for two.