What’s your favourite food? Do you like Italian, Japanese, Indian, or French? Perhaps your taste is slightly more offbeat? Just like there are different kinds of cuisine to whet the appetite, the same applies to the world of watches, more so when it comes to male timepieces. The choices are plentiful, and today we bring you 5 general genres of them, with nuggets of information you should know about each as a discerning modern gentleman.

Diver

Designed for deep ocean diving, this watch often sports a hardy exterior with luminous components, delivering better legibility in low-light conditions. A unidirectional bezel provides information on how much immersion time the wearer has. The diver is a versatile option and usually indicates a sense of maturity. Check out Citizen Automatic Divers NY0070-83EB ($722.25) below:

Dress

Understated with Roman numerals and elegant watch dials, the dress watch usually comes in a slim profile to rest under shirt cuffs. With its main purpose being a simple wrist adornment, it usually comes attached to a leather strap without fancy embellishments.Check out Coach Tatum Analog Watch 14502627 ($303.75) below:

Aviation

Created primarily for pilots back in the days before electronic navigation, the aviation timepiece conveys great detail via the placement of various dials. Index markers also come in large, luminous form, making readability easy in even the harshest conditions, and even whilst flying at extreme speeds. Check out Aries Gold Inspire Hurricane G 750 RG-SRG ($229.60) below:

Racer

The racer, sometimes also referred to as a driving watch, often boasts a chronograph complication, with the stopwatch proving especially useful in the heydays of motor-racing. Some also come with a tachymeter on the bezel to measure speed, as well as pushers on the side that add to the racing wow factor. Check out Ferrari Scuderia Speciale 0830429 ($216.75) below:

Minimalist

Usually powered by quartz movements, minimalist timepieces are now the de facto choice for the hipster and millennial crowd. Clean lines and markers depict its character, and make for suitable everyday watches. Check out Daniel Wellington DW001000036 ($201.75) below: