Running late as a student is almost inevitable. Traffic, mounting deadlines and jobs to supplement living expenses shoot a clear shot across the bow of punctuality.

Well, nobody’s perfect.

Even when the stars line up for one to run an on-time airline, it is almost too easy to get swept up.

Finish an essay at 3AM, drift into 15 minutes of Fallout New Vegas for some gentle positive reinforcement.

And suddenly BAM! It’s 5AM.

But it is not just you. It’s human nature.

But human nature can be gamed.

Several studies show that individuals wearing timepieces are perceived as more punctual. Other studies indicate that the simple act of wearing a watch can make a person more time-conscious. And with some smart spending – you do not even need to drop two entire months of your internship’s salary for it.

Casio: The watch that grinds with you

The gym is where any timepiece goes to die.

Swimming pools, showers, sweat, weights and impact all make for an environment just waiting to kill your fun while your watch has only just started ticking.

Fortunately, some of the best gym watches are also the cheapest available.

Casio offers a wide catalog of digital wonders, and many are water-resistant enough to take a wallop.

The Casio F-91w starts at the cost of a coffee date at Mezaj or Dessert Oasis and is so beloved that it has adorned both the wrists of Barack Obama and Osama Bin Laden. It’s a powerful piece to make those two agree on anything.

The water resistance is somewhat middling, however, marked at 3 ATM. A water rating fit only for a splash.

But there are stories of them withstanding a lot more.

The G-Shock line offers a vast array of designs rated to crazy depths. Some are true dive watches. There are designs well suited for men and women.

Students in medical and research fields may find even more utility in Casio. They are easy to clean, often have built-in alarms and timers — with some models even offering calculators and pulse timers.

A good collection almost always starts here.

Timex: Champagne looks on beer pockets

Timex is like the Midwest of wristwatches.

In the mid-century, they ruled the world. Timex, like the midcentury automobile, ruled its market. In the 1950s, they made most of the watches sold. Much like the American automobile, the brand had an identity crisis in the latter half of the century.

But just like The Big Three, with some presidential endorsements, they made a grand comeback.

Timex has mastered offering a diverse product range with good quality — at a great price.

The Timex Expedition is one of the best entry-level outdoor watches, borrowing classic style cues from Vietnam-era field watches. It has the look of a Hamilton, for the cost of dinner at PF Chang’s.

And it offers unparalleled lowlight visibility. A Rolex Explorer is harder to see at night than this $40 field watch, plus it is available for men and women.

Interns looking for a dress watch can glance over to the Q or Legacy lines, respectively.

The Q line offers reissues of classic styles from the 1970s. It’s cool to be able to wear the same watch as your grandpa. He was cooler than you and smelled a little like James Dean.

The Timex Q chronograph reverse panda is my most complemented piece, despite being far from my priciest. It is perfect for those JFK Jr. cosplays (the design borrows heavily from his cherished Paul Newman Rolex Daytona) on a college junior’s budget.

The women’s legacy line, meanwhile, is rich in classic looks and homages. Ladies can grab the Rolex Datejust’s affordable twin on Amazon for as low as $60 on the right day.

The line also features limited edition collaborations with artists — featuring psychedelic dials that blur the line between timekeeping and statement jewelry.

That line in particular lives rent-free on my girlfriend’s Instagram feed.

They would make a fine birthday gift, gentlemen.

The Japanese Classics: The smart buy

When your parents got real jobs, they got a Seiko or a Citizen.

The reason is obvious. They work.

These Japanese giants are so good at making quality watches at a low price that they almost bankrupted the Swiss watch industry.

The quartz crisis was a period in the 1970s and 1980s in which the heritage method of timekeeping, manual movement, was made completely obsolete by quartz technology.

Before this, watches relied only on springs, balance wheels and physics. There was no battery change. You were the battery.

The quartz movement, however, is simply a far more accurate timekeeping tool. Even today, the most expensive AP or Patek Philippe will keep time less accurately than any quartz-regulated watch for a minuscule fraction of the cost.

Manual watches also need frequent lubrication like cars. This generally costs more than two or three oil changes for a car every few years.

Quartz needs a three-dollar battery at approximately the same interval.

These Japanese monoliths have even removed the need for that, with Seiko offering many solar-powered watches and the Citizen Eco-Drive line being powered by light itself.

Shinola: Detroit’s own high fashion

One of the proudest, most irresponsible purchases is a timepiece. Even before the World Wars popularized the move from pocket to wrist (wristwatches were previously seen as a feminine accessory; it was the necessity of not getting shot while pulling a trinket out of one’s pocket that put the piece on men’s wrists), men had a tendency for spending like a Kennedy on a timepiece.

This tradition remains true to the modern day. Men and women alike often make a timepiece their first adult purchase.

So why not buy American? Create some jobs with your little treat.

The Shinola Runwell, available for men and women, channels the history of those trench watches directly.

It is available in almost any colorway the mind can conjure. The Runwell in slate blue was my personal splurge after getting my first decent paycheck – and it follows me into almost every important meeting I have. And it dominates my wrist when I feel contemplative, such as when I write. It even switches from leather to rubber when I get my hands dirty.

The proudest (and flexiest) of Michiganders might even consider the Petoskey stone versions.

A bonus about the brand is that it can be found second-hand regionally with relative ease.

Due to their high local profile, they have a tendency to drift into estate sales and resale markets. It is entirely possible to find a deal.

It is a deal that lives on your wrist rent-free.