If you are building a watch collection from the ground up, start with something like the Mido Belluna M001.431.11.031.92. A 40mm steel automatic with a silver dial and a matching bracelet is the most adaptable watch there is, and this one adds Swiss mechanical substance to a design that never draws the wrong kind of attention.

Mido introduced the Belluna collection in 2008 and shaped it around the clean, geometric lines of Art Deco architecture. That influence shows in the faceted indexes and the tidy proportions of the case. The engine is the Swiss ETA 2836-2, a proven self-winding workhorse that drives a day-and-date display, so the watch earns its place on a desk as much as at a dinner table.

Sapphire crystal guards the dial, the case is water resistant to 100 meters, and a slim profile of around 10.4mm lets it slip under a shirt cuff without a fight.

Belluna Gent 40mm, Ref. M001.431.11.031.92

• Case: 40mm stainless steel, approx. 10.35mm thick
• Dial: silver with applied indexes
• Movement: Swiss automatic ETA 2836-2
• Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, day and date
• Power reserve: about 40 hours
• Crystal: sapphire
• Water resistance: 100 meters
• Bracelet: stainless steel with deployant buckle

Understated, dependable and Swiss made: the kind of watch you wear for a decade.