Emporio Armani: The Italian House's Second Line

Giorgio Armani studied medicine, left, worked as a window dresser at a Milan department store, and eventually became a menswear buyer. He founded his own label in 1975 at forty-one, which is late by fashion standards.

What he did next changed menswear. Armani deconstructed the suit jacket, removing the stiff internal padding and structure that had defined tailoring for a century. The result draped rather than held its shape. It was softer, more relaxed, and it looked entirely different on a body.

When Richard Gere wore Armani throughout American Gigolo in 1980, the look went global almost overnight.

Emporio Armani launched in 1981 as the younger, more accessible line, aimed at a customer who wanted the Armani aesthetic without couture pricing. The eagle logo belongs to this line specifically.

The watches follow the same brief. Design-led, cleanly finished, priced to be attainable.

The line worth knowing

Ceramica. Ceramic cases in white or black, which almost nothing else in this price bracket offers. Ceramic does not scratch in normal wear, does not corrode, and does not conduct heat, so it stays at skin temperature rather than warming in the sun. In Accra that is a genuine comfort advantage rather than a specification.

For a wedding, a graduation or a first professional wardrobe, an Emporio Armani does a job that a more serious watch sometimes does not.