Best Stuff of the Year 2009: Watches

Yeah, we know your cell phone tells the time, but wearing a watch is something men have been doing forever and we don't intend to let that tradition die. These high-end wrist pieces probably won't make your average ice-obsessed rapper happy. But for real guys, they're all the chronological firepower you can handle.

Nixon Ceramic 51-30

One of Nixon's many limited-edition releases this year, this oversized time-piece is an attention-grabber. At $2,400 it's definitely not cheap, but the sapphire crystal and ceramic components are well worth the dough since it will last you forever. Plus, since they were only available as a limited run, the value can only go up. That means it'll come in handy if you're on a spy mission that goes bad and you have to use it to bribe some captors.

Suunto Elementum

Suunto makes killer watches meant for training and the Elementum does everything short of actually running for you. This $1,200 wrist-rig is equipped with an altimeter, barometer and digital compass. Even with all of that gear stuffed inside, Suunto still managed to make it look cool enough for Kanye West. Even if you don't dig the utilitarian look, it's still quite an upgrade from your calculator watch.

Casio GShock GWF1000-1 FROGMAN

G-Shock watches are as tough as they come, but the limited-edition FROGMAN edition is meant to go places normal time pieces couldn't dream about. It has multi-band atomic time keeping, so it's super accurate and it has a 200m dive timer for serious under water expeditioning. It's also built like a tank so you can probably use it to fend of some dolphins in the water if they try to get frisky with you during a dive.

Oakley Time Bomb

At $2,750, this is one of Oakley's craziest watches. It's an all-mechanical Swiss automatic that never needs a battery or winding. The power comes from the movements of your own wrist. The case is made of super-tough titanium and the bezel is made of carbon fiber, making this thing as much a sports car as it is a watch. It's water-proof up to 100m, too so you can look swanky while hanging out with sharks.

Omega Speedmaster 50th Anniversary Edition

Every guy needs a nice dress watch and you can't go wrong with this classic Omega strap. The steel band and the classy black face give it a look taht will go with just about everything short of one of those Borat-style bathing suits. Even the shape is a throwback to the time when classy watches ruled and spinner watches were still blissfully far into the future.