I was sent several Bering men’s watches and women’s watches to review and as you will see there are a variety of options available at Best Buy.
The Bering aesthetic is icy. It’s an easy thing to spot–from the simple white boxes to the frosted white watch cases, even the smallest details of the way that these watches are packaged harken back to colder times. (Bering is rightly stylized as BERING: a bold endeavour into the cold.)
About the brand: Bering watches
These watches, as you might have guessed, pull their inspiration from the Bering Strait. Named after Danish sailor Vitus Bering while sailing for the Russian Empire, the Bering Straight runs between the eastern edge of the Russian coast and the western edge of Alaska. It’s a largely barren, chilly area that was once known by the name of the “Ice Curtain” during the Cold War, and has been closed by the Russian government since 2012.
Like the austere Bering strait, these watches are designed with minimalism in mind. They’re made from durable materials and designed to have a slim profile. The Bering aesthetic is very straightforward (or perhaps it’s straitforward): exceptional thinness paired with minimalist Danish design.
Bering watches for her
Best Buy is currently carrying a number of watch options from Bering. This post features many of their bestsellers: products like the rose gold BERING Ceramic 34mm Analog Casual Watch. Much of the Bering catalogue consists of a handful of designs in a number of different finishes, which I really appreciate–there is nothing worse than finding something that is just almost right, if only it had been in a different colour, or a different metal, or with a different strap.
The rose gold ceramic 34mm is a unisex watch, which I love–but it’s sized smaller, so it will look more natural on the arm of someone smaller. Made from stainless steel in a rose gold tone, it features rose gold face with Swarovski crystal details and a Milanese strap.
The BERING Classic 34mm Women’s Analog Casual Watch in Silver/Rose Gold has a very similar design aesthetic to the rose gold–with a few key differences. Its contrastive colour scheme and Swarovski hour markers give the watch more of a bracelet effect, and the in-line lugs are visually much more seamless.
Finally, on the right, the BERING Ceramic 34mm Women’s Analog Casual Watch in Silver/White is an altogether different experience. While the first two watches had a much more modern look (they could easily be mistaken for something from Fossil), this ceramic band is more of a modern take on a very classic look. It features a butterfly clasp instead of a buckle, and its white ceramic links are complimented by a discreet encrustation of Swarovski crystals around its slim bezel.
All three of these watches operate with quartz movement in a 34mm case. They’re water resistant to 30m, protecting the watch from light contact with water, but aren’t designed for sport or underwater use. (If that’s what you’re looking for, a waterproof smartwatch may be a better option for you.)
Bering watches for him
I am not in the business of telling people what they should wear, or what is appropriate for them to wear–but these watches, with their larger watch faces, are typically categorized as “men’s” watches. They range from very casual to much more modern, and one in particular even offers an interchangeable band.
The BERING Classic 40mm Men’s Analog Casual Watch with Leather & Nylon Bands is photographed here with one leather and one nylon band attached, but the adjoining halves are, of course, included in the case. Its case is made from high-grade 316L steel, and its hands are discreetly luminous. (I am very, very tired of slim leather watch bands, but I don’t mind the navy blue nylon.)
Erring on the more modern side is the BERING Automatic 43mm Men’s Analog Casual Watch–a wonderful pairing for the first women’s watch shown above. The black and gold pairing is sleek and almost automotive, made from that same 316L medical-grade steel. It’s water resistant up to 30m, like the others, but features a kinetic-powered, self-winding design. In other words, this watch will never need a battery replacement–which is excellent if you want one less thing to worry about for yourself, or if you’re buying a watch for your partner and you want one less thing to have to do for them in the future.
(What? I want to be able to give a watch and just enjoy looking at it from that point on. If I wanted to give a gift that would involve future responsibilities, I’d gift my partner a dog–not a watch.)
At right is one last “men’s” watch: the beautifully blue-faced Ultra-Lightweight Titanium 39mm Men’s Analog Casual Watch. As the design implies, it’s made for a little extra durability and function.
This titanium-bodied design can withstand more pressure and scrapes than the other designs featured here, and is paired with a stainless steel band. It’s water resistant up to 50m and is shower-(but again, not swimming)-safe.
Better in blue: Bering watches in (but not for) the navy
One of the things that I love about the Bering brand is its use of colour, and these navy blues do not disappoint. (Well–if pressed, I would probably go with more of a Prussian blue or even a traditional royal blue, but “navy” is close enough in practice.) In real life, they’re even more beautiful than they are on the screen: heavily saturated to the point, almost, of inkiness. The first the BERING Classic 39mm Men’s Analog Casual Watch, slides right from a blue watch band, to a blue case, to a blue face.
But here’s what makes this design so gorgeous: the transition is seamless.
The blue of the watch band is perfectly on-tone with the blue of the watch casing, and the overall effect is subtle–almost, despite the colour, discreet. For lack of a better phrase, this is a casual watch that isn’t obnoxious, and it pairs the Milanese-style band seen earlier with the 50m water resistance of the Ultra-Lightweight Titanium 39mm.
Also in blue is the BERING Classic 26mm Women’s Analog Watch (similar), which pairs that exact same navy blue with a rose gold watch case, markers, and dials. Its smooth strap has that extra-thin, classically Bering profile against the skin, and it too is made from high-grade medical engineering steel.
I would not, under any circumstances, ever buy matching couple’s watches–but a couple a little more coy, or perhaps even more gently ironic than I, could absolutely pull it off.
Shop couple’s watches, navy blue watches, and more from Bering at Best Buy.
