This season, men’s watches play to the tune of man’s best adventures and keep time with his style evolutions—whether it be precious metal accents, straps in luxurious materials, or, of course, split-second-synched mechanical innovations, because no one wants to be late, unless intentionally and incredibly stylishly so. 

Midas Touch

The metal of the season, a touch of rose gold is all it takes to transform a watch from mere mortal-style to godly status. There’s Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual Day-Date ($35,550), a classic luxury watch in gold and accompanied with a jeweled face and fluted bezel.

The Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication by Audemars Piguet ($756,000) has an 18K pink gold case, sapphire dial, and even pink gold hour markers. The Royal Oak is also self-winding—best to keep your precious golden hours in watchful hands.

Speed Racer

Hublot's Big Bang Ferrari.

Inspired by the hairpin-turn world of Formula One racing, IWC is releasing a line of watches called “Ingenieur” for the man who just can’t stop moving at breakneck speed. The Ingenieur Auto Carbon Performance ($26,700) has a carbon fiber dial to withstand any wear and tear. Their Ingenieur Automatic ($6,600) echoes the hyper-efficiency of the Auto Carbon Performance, but is for the man who prefers to race in a tuxedo.

The Big Bang Ferrari Red Magic Carbon ($32,100) by Hublot is made with a carbon fiber case and bezel and sports a red-tinted sapphire crystal dial, echoing the Italian automaker’s infamous paintjob. Perfect for the speed demon with a taste for luxury, the Big Bang Ferrari’s face resembles a racecar’s speedometer.

Industrial Revolution

The F. P. Chronometre Optimum.

Harkening back to the days of steam power, these watches work with the same principles of efficiency and versatility, with leather-worn looks and gearhead-heavy themes resembling the sooty grit of the first industrial era.

Burberry, known for classic Britannia, has the aptly named The Britain ($1,795), with a rough-and-tumble bolt-looking face, weathered strap, and 40-hour power reserve.

The Chronomètre Optimum ($86,300) by F.P. Journe is made with 18K rose gold. The dial is a no-fuss, minimalist, absolute-essentials-only look, but the watch is built to the strictest of standards to ensure maximum luxury performance.

Oh Captain! My Captain!

These watches offer essential GPS-type information in a more attractive package, for life’s great adventures. The Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master ($11,550) by Rolex has a deep-blue sea dial and nautical touches like a red second hand.

The Histoire de Tourbillon 4 (price upon request) by Harry Winston is designed for the traveler who has a hankering to defy gravity—literally. The original Tourbillon watch was patented at the turn of the 19th century in order to solve the disturbed accuracy of pocket watches due to the force of gravity. The latest Tourbillon features rotating cages so you’ll always know the precise time, no matter the position of the watch.

Fair Leather Friends

Raymond Weil Maestro.

 As watch dials become more technologically advanced, so must the straps. The G-Timeless

Automatic by Gucci ($1,295) comes in two variations. One has a brown leather strap in a diamond-checked pattern and the other has a stainless steel strap with contrasting dark dial. But the Maestro ($1,495) by Raymond Weil features a classic leather strap for the man who wants to keep his wrist adornments simple but high-impact.

jarellano@observer.com

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

That’s so meta!

Ryan Cabrera, pop rock singer and former Ashlee Simpson beau, got a tattoo of Ryan Gosling on his right leg, according to the New York Daily News.

Mr. Cabrera, with his perma-hedgehog-hair and noticeable lack of substantive career, was marginally famous for his early aughts single “On the Way Down,” and for dating comely ingenues of the reality show and pop music variety.

Lest you think Mr. Cabrera’s body-branding was merely some April Foolery jest, Mr. Cabrera actually exhibited some intentional thought in the choice to tattoo his leg.

The Gosling tat came from a casual game of “tattoo roulette” with his pals.

“We blindfold each other. ‘You get to pick a tattoo for me, and I get to pick a tattoo for you. And you don’t get to see it till they’re both done,’” he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The man’s logic is flawless.

“I do show it off at the pool, though. I’m very proud of it. I consider it the Bentley of tattoos,” he said.

We think that Ryan Gosling, also known as the Platonic ideal of all Ryans, will be a wonderful addition to Mr. Cabrera’s body. Upon closer inspection, the tattoo artist completed a satisfactory realistic rendering of Mr. Gosling, albeit an Edwardian-era looking one.

Perhaps Mr. Cabrera’s new ink will ignite a trend of aspirational tattoos for fledgling singers, or at the very least give women a reason to steal coy glances and/or salivate at his right leg.

Sharon Socol

Last week, the Transom took the elevator to one of the most fashionable floors in town--the ninth floor of Barneys New York--for a celebration of photographer Sharon Socol’s new book, Plus One: An Outsider's Photographic Journey into the World of Fashion. And it was nothing so much as an insider's affair.

There was a towering geek-chic Jenna Lyons with girlfriend Courtney Crangi, photographer Gilles Bensimon, and designers galore including Isabel and Ruben Toledo, Richard Chai, Tommy Hilfiger, Yigal Azrouel, and Rag & Bone’s David Neville and Marcus Wainwright, among others.

Pretty fancy line-up of insiders, considering Ms. Socol's theme. Then again, Ms. Socol was never a true outsider herself. She gained access to high-profile industry events and fashion shows as the "plus one" to her husband, Howard Socol, the former CEO of Barneys New York, using her camera to document and navigate the fashion world.

Hosts for the fete were friends of Ms. Socol--Diane von Furstenberg (a no-show), Narciso Rodriguez and Simon Doonan--all of whom are featured in the book of black-and-white photos and happen to be the holy trinity of wrap dresses, minimalist sportswear and window dressage.

After powwowing with Mr. Rodriguez and Paper Magazine’s Mickey Boardman, Mr. Doonan waxed philosophical with the Transom on the importance of being an outsider.

“It's good to be a bit of an outlier. It's not good to be always in, because then you get your objectivity, you keep your objectivity. It's good to be in and it's good to be out," he said.

And how might a young person infiltrate the wondrous world of fashion, we wondered?

“I think young people have become too driven and too demented too young,” said Mr. Doonan. “When I was in my twenties, I was having fun, travelling and being stupid, and being useless. Everyone's too uptight. So my big advice to young people is: chillax.”

Chill as hell, we sauntered over to a nearby tête-à-tête, where we asked Mr. Rodriguez if he ever felt like an outsider. The sweet and soft-spoken designer seemed shocked at our implicit suggestion that the fashion industry could ever resemble Heathers-esque competition. "I think it's very open for all people, who come here and study fashion,” said Mr. Rodriguez. "I was never locked out."

Just before leaving, we tracked down Thakoon Panichgul, a modern it-kid, as a companion tugged him toward the elevators. Mr. Panichgul said, “I always hung out with, like, people who are not inside. Even in college I was like, I always wanted to be on the fringe of things. I never wanted to be in the fix of everything."

So what did the Transom learn from fashion's cool kids? That out is in and the industry is one big happy family?

Hmm. Dubious. Although the Transom did deduce one truth: if you want to crack into the fashion world, the least you can do is dress like you belong--and if that fails, marry a luxury department store head.

Doesn't that feel good.

Add "romance" to your next grocery list.

According to a map of the most common Craigslist missed connection locations, most Americans are looking for love while running errands.

For Psychology Today, Dorothy Gambrell mapped out the most common missed connection locations by state. Her study, which was based on each state's most recent 100 postings, reveals an interesting glimpse into the psyche of stranger love.

Some results were unsurprising. New Yorkers, for example, tend to post after a subway sighting.

In California, land of pumping iron and fro-yo, most missed connections occurred at 24 Hour Fitness.

Other locations were just plain weird.

In fifteen states, including Ohio, Florida and Texas, a mega-market stocks the most romance-seekers. Yes, Walmart is the land of low prices and high libidos. Baby's got rollback.

Oklahoma wins the award for least creepy and most romantic—the majority of postings involved state fair rendezvous. What could be more amorous than fried butter on a stick and Tilt-a-Whirls amplified by land-locked isolation?

In Rhode Island, most missed connections occurred on parking lots. Because nothing says sexy like "I sat on the curb and watched you get into your car last night."

And Indiana, the most frequent postings occurred "at home." Wait, at home? What does that mean? "I watched you through your window?" or worse, "I am a member of your family?"

There's hope for all you hopeless romantics out there —ditch the dive bar and look no further than aisle 14.

(Getty Images)

Straphangers have lost their lives underground at an alarming rate—and if the trend continues, more than 100 New Yorkers will perish by the end of the year. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who sounded the alarm about the startling statistic, wants the MTA to investigate the impending danger.

"Too many people are dying in our subways," Mr. Stringer said. "It is time to gain a deeper understanding of why this is happening with such regularity, and to explore possible preventative steps."

With commuters faced with the gruesome reality of two platform-pushing fatalities in December, three deaths this weekend and a suicide Tuesday, the topic needs to be addressed, Mr. Stringer said.

He wants the MTA Inspector General to examine the subway related injuries and deaths and to look into implementing subway safety measures already used across the world.

"Our subway system is one of the largest and most traveled in the world, but we must also make it the safest," he said.

There have already been six subway related deaths in 2013, according to Mr. Stringer's office, putting New York City on track to lose more than nearly double last year's toll.

In 2012, 55 people were killed after being hit by trains, many of them suicides, said the NY Post.

The Transport Workers Union Local 100, the union that represents the majority of MTA workers, has taken matters into their own hands, according to the NY Times. Last month, the TWU distributed  fliers to train operators urging them to slow down in an effort to prevent accidents.

In the letter to MTA Inspector General Barry L. Kruger, Mr. Stringer called for a "comprehensive analysis of available safety programs and features" used around the world such as platform barriers and safety doors, "a breakdown of the frequency, type and volume of MTA audio warnings," and "internal MTA data on the number of suicide attempts within the subway system."

Mr. Stringer also requested the MTA to address the effect of subway-related deaths on the mental health of MTA workers.

"These recent fatalities have created an almost palpable sense of apprehension among straphangers in our City," Mr. Stringer said. "I urge the Inspector General to conduct a comprehensive assessment of these issues, so that we can take intelligent, cost-effective steps to reduce these preventable deaths."

The origin of the Subway saga. (Matt Corby Via Facebook)

Home of the $5 footlong, Subway has found itself sandwiched between two lawsuits. Three New Jersey men are suing the sandwich giant for defrauded their customers by selling "Footlong" sandwiches that were anything but, according to the NY Post.

Used-car dealer and Subway devotee Jason Leslie of Marboro, NJ, is one of the disatisfied customers.

"They advertise in all these commercials, ‘Footlong, Footlong, Footlong,’ and now I feel like an idiot," the man who claims to have eaten 50 subs a year said to the Post. "I can’t believe I fell for that trick."

Mr. Leslie told the Post that the sandwiches range from being a half-inch to an inch shorter than they claim.

His attorneys filed a federal-class action suit, estimating that a quarter of Subway's revenue comes from Footlong sub sales, totaling $2.85 billion a year, according to the Post.

Assuming that each Footlong is at least a half-inch short of a foot, Mr. Leslie's lawyers told the Post, five percent of Subway's total revenue, or $142.5 million, represents "unfair and deceptive" revenue.

The Post says a second lawsuit was filed Tuesday against the sandwich chain also alleging false advertising. Lawyer Stephen DeNittis, who represents Charles Pendrak and John Farley, told the Post, “A foot is 12 inches. They call it the 'Footlong', making people believe they’re getting a foot-long sandwich. If they were calling it the ‘Big Sandwich,’ or the ‘Big Kahuna,’ this case wouldn’t have been filed.” Mr. DeNittis told the Post he'll seek compensation and  “either get [Subway] to sell sandwiches that are foot long, or get them to put up a disclaimer, similar to what McDonald’s does with its Quarter Pounder.”

Mr. DeNittis told the Post he even hired an investigator to measure sandwiches at 17 Subways near his Marlton, NJ office and found that all purchased Footlong subs came in under 12 inches.

The Post conducted their own sandwich reconnaissance on Jan. 17 and found that at Subway locations in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, four out of seven footlongs measured 11 or 11.5 inches.

The sandwich saga and ensuing lawsuit fervor comes after an an Australian customer posted a Facebook photo of a subpar sub by along with the plea "subway pls respond."

On the Subway Australia Facebook page, a Jan. 13 thread promoting their free avocado for their Subway Eat Fresh Club has spawned an etymological and existential controversy over whether the "Footlong" name should be taken literally or figuratively.

On the same thread, Subway Australia issued this statement on Jan. 16

"Looking at the photo doing the rounds showing a slightly undersized sub, this bread clearly is not baked to our standards. We have policies in place to ensure that our freshly baked bread is consistent and has the same great taste no matter which Subway restaurant around the world you visit.

With regards to the size of the bread and calling it a footlong, “SUBWAY FOOTLONG” is a registered trademark as a descriptive name for the sub sold in Subway® Restaurants and not intended to be a measurement of length. The length of the bread baked in the restaurant cannot be assured each and every time as the proofing process may vary slightly each time in the restaurant."

Fresh off her scintillatingly sung, er, reportedly lipsynched, rendition of the Star Spangled Banner during Monday's Presidential Inauguration, her Sasha-Fierce-ified GQ February cover and her upcoming performance at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, the Second Lady took a digital breath to share something special with her fans: a weekly digital glimpse into the mind of Bey.

In a letter on her website today, Beyonce wrote:

"The BeyHive Blog is my way of showing all the inspiring things I come across every single day. This is through my eyes." She also writes that she'll be featuring fan art on the blog:

"So many of you are making videos, painting—I want to show the world what you do and how much I appreciate you."

Inside her perfectly-tressed noggin this week? A Rebecca Solnit tome, Oscar-buzzed films Argo and Beasts of the Southern Wild, Christopher Marley beetle-mosaic art, a psychedelic pop duo, Oliver Clegg paintings ...

Oh, and shoes.

The blog requires setting up a free account, upon which fans can fully access the Bey-spiration: her picks for inspiring people, streetstyle snaps and maybe, just maybe that macaroni-bedazzled-portrait you've always wanted to send her.

Bey's blog arrives post-Goop (by a certain blond pal fond of naming her kids after biblical tropes) and also features the same glossy, hyper-curated style of a certain lifestyle website by a Mr. Beyonce Knowles (a.k.a. Jay-Z).

Not that we would expect anything less from the multifaceted Bey, the only downside is the weekly release date.

Whatevs. We'll be waiting with Bey-ted breath.

Cyrus Fakroddin

The man with the lovable pizza-eating goat is now the man with an arrest record.

Cyrus Fakroddin was arrested Wednesday for allegedly sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman.

Fakroddin and his pet goat named "Cocoa" became famous when he would take Cocoa on strolls around New York City, where the goat was spotted, among other expeditions, dining on pizza at Famous La Famiglia in Midtown last year, as tweeted by a DNAinfo reporter.

Cocoa the celebrity goat was even the subject of a profile by The Star-Ledger in 2010.

Most recently, in June of last year, police said the pizza-grubbing goat was attracting too much attention, causing rubbernecking drivers to stall traffic in Greenwich Village, according to DNAinfo.

Ironically, the goat supposedly served as a kind of wingman for Fakroddin, helping him get dates. "She's totally a chick magnet," Fakroddin told DNAinfo in June.

Fakroddin, 51, is charged with 1st Degree Aggravated Sexual Assault against a woman who was "physically and mentally incapacitated" according to Union County First Assistant Prosecutor Albert Cernadas Jr.

On the early morning hours of November 17, 2012, Fakroddin met the 19-year-old woman in Manhattan, where she had been at a nightclub earlier, said Cernadas. Allegedly, Fakroddin drove the woman in his van to his home in Summit, N.J. and sexually assaulted the victim, said the Union County Prosecutor's Office. The victim regained consciousness hours later and did not remember meeting Fakroddin or how she got to his house. She contacted a friend and returned to Manhattan. Suspecting she was sexually assaulted, the victim sought medical attention in New York, said Cernadas.

Fakroddin is being held at Union County Jail on $250,000 bail. It is unclear whether Fakroddin has any prior record of arrest.

The sound of silence is popular on the UES.

Last week, angry Upper East Side residents sounded off at Community Board 8 meeting. The cause of the controversy? Noise pollution from audible crosswalk signals that help blind pedestrians cross safely.

Residents argued that the crosswalk signals would exacerbate the existing "noise pollution" of the Upper East Side and amount to a waste of money, according to DNAinfo.

There are 48 of these audible crosswalks at intersections all over the city.

A DOT liaison said the sounds would not be as conspicuous as the crosswalk at East 59th and Lexington Avenue. They adjust according to street noise, according to DNAinfo.

Critics questioned the very existence of blind pedestrians. At the CB8 meeting, Peter Renehan said "I've never once seen a blind person cross the street by themselves. These people are assisted because we are a neighborhood. We don't need more noise to assist people to cross the street."

Renehan also told DNAinfo: "At 2 or 3 in the morning, how many blind people do you see walking down the street in our neighborhood?"

"This is just horrible," Dr. John Jacoby, said. "We can't sleep enough on this corner already."

Others argued that the audible crosswalks would make crossing the street more dangerous for the visually impaired. "I think we're sending them into a problem. If you send a sight-impaired person from north to south or south to north, you're not taking into consideration that cars are turning in," board member Rita Popper told DNAinfo.

The Observer reached out to several city advocacy groups for the blind or visually impaired to see if they agreed with residents' reading of the situation.

Karen Gourgey, Chair of PASS Coalition, and is totally blind, said there's a misconception that blind people only appear around certain places.

"We have jobs, or we good to school, or we go to shows and all around the city," she explained. "If you all who have 20/20 vision are getting enhanced safety information don't you think it might be important to emphasize to us, who might have reduced vision or no vision, to have a walk sign as well?"

Ms. Gourgey said that blind pedestrians shouldn't have to rely on others.

"Even in Manhattan, you can't assume that there's always going to be someone there. Somebody's life should not be dependent upon that."

The president of the American Council of the Blind of New York, Pratik Patel, who is totally blind, said he crosses Upper East Side streets all the time.

Mr. Patel said that they requested more audible signals because the changes that made the city friendly to bike lanes and traffic flows created more difficulties for blind pedestrians.

He said residents' uninformed comments hurt the perception of the blind community and don't elucidate the public's understanding of the difficulties of traveling independently.

Both Ms. Gourgey and Mr. Patel said they would be happy to explain the need for audible crosswalks to residents.

"We want to be in dialogue with everyone and make them understand and at least hear our views," Patel said.

Chuck Warren, co-chair of the Transportation Committee, said they will hold another meeting in March and open discussion with advocacy groups.

The DOT issued this statement via email: "Safety is DOT’s top priority, and the agency always welcomes discussions with communities across the city to make streets even safer for everyone."

As of now, there are no plans to install audible crosswalk signals on the Upper East Side.