A matched set

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WOMEN are told to pair their bags with their shoes (that is, if the old rules are still followed), but men play that game with watches.

“Both are best when form and function are in harmony,” said Filipino watch enthusiast group Filipino Time co-founder, Francis Aguila during a webinar with shoe brand Sledgers Philippines on Oct. 16. The webinar, streamed on Facebook, was titled “Fashionably on Time,” and featured an activity where men’s shoes were paired with watches. “As a guy, those are the two things that we really get to wear and show our personalities,” said Mr. Aguila.

Mr. Aguila was joined by Sledgers brand executive Noah Arota, and his colleagues at Filipino time, Federico Borromeo and Ferdinand Aguila. “It’s become quite apparent that watch lovers also tend to be shoe lovers,” said Mr. Arota. “This makes perfect sense in a lot of ways. A pair of shoes, much like a watch, is a great way for the owner — or us — to express their personality.”

“Watches and shoes are both highly collectible,” he said.

The watches and shoes the men would wear reflected their own lifestyles. For example, Mr. Borromeo is a polo player and riding enthusiast. Strangely enough, for this sport, he prefers diver’s watches due to their ease of use and legibility (the ease to read the time on a watch). His choices were the 11610LN Rolex Submariner, which was paired with cap-toe oxfords (called the Raul) from Sledgers. His other choice, the overtly masculine Panerai Submersible 389 (with a distinct crown protector) was paired with tan Chelsea boots from Sledgers, called the River.

Mr. Borromeo also talked a bit about his own watch-wearing habits. Asked if people still wore watches during the pandemic, Mr. Borromeo said, “I wear, like, three or four when I work from home, Francis,” he said. There’s one for coffee, one for breakfast, another for lunch, and another change for dinner. “It works!”

Filipino Time’s Mr. Aguila — who sat throughout the webinar with a vintage Stratocaster behind him — wears a smartwatch on one hand, and a “nice watch” on the other. His watches of choice are an IWC Mark XVI, with a big crown, a black dial, and rendered in stainless steel. His other choice is the Grand Seiko Snowflake (one that he wore during the webinar, shown in a customary “wrist check”), with a beautifully detailed dial. Mr. Arata recommended the Rhett penny loafers to go with the IWC piece, and the Ralph brogues for the Grand Seiko Snowflake.

Mr. Borromeo said about pairings, “It’s important to know the wrist size you have, and maybe a little bit on the shape,” he said. On wearing watches for packing for trips, Mr. Aguila recommends having a bit of versatility, such as having straps to swap on hand.

Finally, Mr. Aguila, a racing and driving enthusiast, showed his Seiko Bullhead, a vintage piece modeled on stopwatches in an homage to the precision his activities crave. Their pairing? A pair of black sneakers called the Rod, which were already on his feet during the webinar. His second choice: a Tudor GMT, was paired with the Ritchie, an easygoing suede moccasin.

Mr. Aguila added that, considering the injuries he has had from his multiple activities (he cites his knees, ankles, and back as among the anatomical parts battered): “Picking the right shoe size is more important that picking the watch size. The right shoe size makes so much of a difference to your daily life.” — Joseph L. Garcia