We're told: "buy whatever you like regardless of price and origin"
But then, if someone buys a fashion watch or a Seiko they're snobbed at by the people who have Rolexes and Pateks because...this hobbie when taken too seriously, is above all, about being a watch snob.
I mean, movement making on mechanical watches is advancing much slower nowadays in terms of innovations, few people care about watches as more than a fashion item to begin with, and smartwatches are slowly taking over along with "minimalist" styled watches from Chinese brands being more popular with young folk.
That leaves only one point in watch collecting: being a watch nerd or watch snob. Seeing it as a tradition and a object with history and knowing technical data about watches.
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Watch collecting People know quartz watches are more advanced than the mechanical watches available at the same price as them: and yet they prefer mechanical watches generally on a irrational and purely phylosophical reasoning to the point of mocking quartz sometimes
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We also say "get any watch you like". But then...for most serious watch collectors, why is that watch always a Audemars Piguet, or a Breitling, or a Rolex or something that costs above 2.000? And why ridicule people, because it does happen, that only have say a Casio or so?
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it very much is mostly about brand name, and not about using the watch as a "tool". Few people do that anymore, and, many hate Hublot and even Richard Mille for example. These are expensive and advanced watches. But they haven't fallen in the good graces of the community! There's also a part of the community for whom it's funny to pick on TAG Heuer as a brand for a no longer valid reason.
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Watches are a terrible "investment". They never gain value these days, if anything some retain better value than others. Then why do we still care about value retention? Or are told we should care about it?
My point is, all of the above is true, but people into watches act like it's not true. It's a status symbol or an accessory more than a utility item now, and to be respected in the game you have to buy from very expensive brands. There's cheaper watches snobs can't hate on sure. But there aren't many cheaper watches that snobs will get impressed by, and it's sometimes purely because maybe it says there Seiko or Casio instead of Rolex or Omega. And those names carry a reputation with them that's associated more often with their price categories than with their actual quality because I would say a Grand Seiko can sometimes be better than a Rolex
So that is your conclusion ? Because It didnt really see the point of your whole text to be honest.
-Regarding the status symbol yes it is : FOR SOME PEOPLE. A watch enthusiast doesnt care about the social status at all. There are mainly 3 brands if you want the social status : Rolex, Omega, Jaeger and maybe Aude Audemars. For the rest yes it is expensiv asf but who tf knows those brands anyways ???? Everyone knows Rolex For sure, omega too. For the other 2 it start to not be that "popular" . My point : if 90% of people in this world dont know about lets say a Audemar 222, how would they tell solely based on your watch that you are rich or high status ? And even more how tf would they differenciate again solely on the watch (so lets imagine 2 twins in holiday wearing the same outfit) two people ? Like one having a citizen the other one a jaeger ? They would not be able to do so. So the whole status point doesnt really work UNLESS you are surrounded by the few people that can afford those wacth, so people rich asf. So then it become a little rich battle in the same way as in American Psycho and their god damn business card... so your point apply to very few people. And I doubt that the majority of watch enthusiasts got more than 500k in their bank account rn... Moreover to be respected in the game I dont think your point is valid. Let s say you buy a rolex, whatever everyone got one who cares? The most respected people in the watch enthusiast world are the ones that come up either with crazy vintage watch, some japan limited production or some obscure micro-brand before they get all the hype...
-And For your point on brands name : yes ofc brands carry a reputation that is called marketing and it is the same with every products you ll buy in this damn world even ketchup brands got a reputation and can be seen as social status. So your point just make no sense to me... Maybe you wanted to say that we should care less about brand reputation and that a lot of people are brainwashed by marketing ? Then Im all with you my friend.
That was the main point of the entire text
You seem to speak French. In years past I could reply in French...but not anymore unfortunately. Anyways. Exactly. You say you didn't get the idea of the text but you did get it quite well! I have a smartwatch and quite like it. But at the same time...even within watches. A quartz watch is more accurate than a mechanical chronograph and even if you're looking for just a fashion accessory, it will be better. Mechanical watches just stopped making sense long ago. Now I'm also a type of enthusiast who likes watches more from a prespective of simply telling me time and looking neat than from a: oh this is a masterpiece of technology type of view but...yeah! I just don't think they're new technology in terms of mechanical ones. They're old technology that is nearing the limit of how much it can be developed: unlike quartz which was only invented in the 1960s
Yeah I get your point.
That is true but we will still buy mechanical even in 100 years. The fact that those things work without any electricity and just by the movement of your body is to me amazing. Because then you dont rely anymore on electricity or batteries or else.
I mean if humanity goes "The last of us" style, Ill be more than happy to get those watch, because the other ones will be dead...
The whole point of mechanical is more about feeling, and sometimes even from an ecological POV because you can buy one watch for the next 60-100 years without any problems...
And from a philosophical pov it just make more sense to me to get something that seems more like an extension of my body rather than a piece of plastic and metal that is radiocontrolled or idk what...
It just more complicated than marketing only. And Im sure you know it.
But I totally agree with you, some people dont buy a watch, they buy a brand, and that sucks
Mechanical is cool and all but when a piece goes bad inside the mechanism if it does it can take thousands to replace it in terms of price and they all break down sooner or later you know?
It's sad but true. But the ecological point is very true I'll give you that
I ordered a mechanical Victorinox so I shouldn't diss mechanicals. And see? Not exactly a super well known brand. I simply liked the design of the watch and how solid it felt.
Most people won't care about it but...at the end of the day what matters is that you do