Watches

Grand Seiko, Lange, JLC, Parmigiani, Czapek

Any watch that someone would consider "value for money". Means they did their research.

Any 5-digit price moonphase.

Sinn

urwerk, mbf, gruebal forsay

you know, the usual

Seiko automatics or Omega.

San Martin, pagani designs, curren, et al. Means they've checked out aliexpress....

Vintage Omega, JLC, Nomos, Hamilton, Bremont, Grand Seiko just to name a few

Lange, JLC, or an independent brand. Or vintage, if the person is young.

Franck Muller, JLC, VC, Ball, Rolex Milgauss, Carlo Ferrara, Grand Seiko, Meistersinger, Glashuute Original, Nomos, Zenith, AP Millenary, Hamilton ,A. Langhe, Arnold,Czapek, F.P. Journe, ans a significant list of microbrands to name a few.

Any microbrands or the good AliExpress brands, like San Martin or Baltany. No one knows that these exist outside of the watch world, and you can't find them in stores, so anyone who has one had to seek them out.

Anything apart from a smart watch

If I have a conversation about watches (outside of the internet…) it’s usually the Meistersinger which triggers the conversation. Additionally a cool Seiko (turtle or the like) on someone who can afford a more expensive more obvious piece, or something vintage.

Corum

Tudor, Grand Seiko, Glashutte Original, Sinn, and Oris are some that come to mind.

I might even say a Rolex Explorer II

Honestly, anything thats not a fashion brand. Ive had fun talks with my classmates/friends who see my Orient and want to talk about their watches too. Often they try to one up me by talking about how they paid 500 for their Michael Kors chronograph, and how it is better and more fancy than my 250,- Kamasu

If they wear a mechanical watch and it's not a Rolex, high chance they're into watches.

Any high end seiko. To pay 3k+ on a Seiko you have to really like watches, and not brand recognition.

And know what you’re doing and doing it for yourself because you’re certainly not going to get remarks from people ha ha.

Can’t look at a watch and know really… some people don’t have the means to get high end watches

Breguet, JLC, Blancpain, or VC would do it…

If I see an orient, stay with me, if I see an orient, I know that guy is into watches. Because that guy is me. I have Bambino, Ray II, and Sun and Moon from Orient. They’re all absolutely gorgeous.

Hublot

The last time I had this conversation with a stranger who was really into watches, they were wearing a MB&F. So I' gonna say that.

Classic but obscure watches like a Benrus Ultra Deep Super Compressor, Accutron Astronaut or Enicar Sherpa

Surprised not to see Nomos mentionned.

What I find an even more interesting (and harder) question is: what watch on someone's wrist who doesn't have the money to spend more than $1000 on watches would signal that they are really into watches.

Seagull 1963, definitely. The Russian crap too. SKX007. Hamilton?

Not so much the watch, but having custom straps

For Japanese watches, Orient. Little marketing and much lower market penetration than the other two of Japan’s Big Three means the wearer probably had to go out of their way to research it and make the purchase.

Now, if they’re wearing an Orient Star (or even a Royal Orient), there’s basically zero possibility that they came by it through happenstance.

A Seiko, Mido, JLC, IWC, or Nomos

First indicator to me is if the hand ticks 6 times a second or more indicating a mechanical.

If it is quartz it's not necessarily disqualified, but if it's not an Invicta or fashion watch--look more.

Philippe Dufour.

Any high end independent (not a kickstarter micro brand), especially if it is almost never mentioned on HODINKEE or Instagram. Dornbluth, Hajime Asaoka, Lang & Heyne, Gronefeld, etc. This tells me you are a very serious collector.

Pretty much anyone not wearing a smartwatch

Longines? Not seeing it elsewhere and, while you get a lot for the price, it takes a conscious decision to choose it over other well known brands.