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Thread: Have we seen the last of the 'iconic' watches?

  1. #11
    The Dude Abides Nokie's Avatar
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    There is always something out there waiting to be immortalized at some point in the watch world, IMHO.
    "Either He's Dead, Or My Watch Has Stopped....."
    Groucho Marx

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  3. #12
    I think the wristwatch is on the cusp of becoming truly relevant again. The last thirty years have seen the prime purpose of the watch eroded to the point that it's almost an affectation for everyday wear. However, When I look at today's smart watches I see the apple Newton of yesteryear. That bit of wrist real estate has a proven record of being just where you want to put a mind tool (That is, any tool that supports the brain) that used to be diaries, note books and watches but now it can be pretty well anything including the whole bloody internet anywhere.

    Today and historically, it's mostly just timekeeping on the wrist, but as human computer interaction advances and we get an effective user interface that isn't restricted to a physical input device like a tablet or key board (and stuff like the kinect or leap is showing us what that will look like) A fixed watch will be perfect for some sort of gesture based input. So we are likely to have wrist based stuff just as soon as someone works out a protocol that's as painless as, say, texting. Obviously this stuff will have a series of engineering needs that have to be satisfied and that will define how much not like a wristwatch it will be but it will also mean we'll have a flood of new designers looking to make the stuff on your wrist sexy who are not all going to be looking to the Sub for inspiration,

    I'm pretty sure the one thing it will keep doing is telling the time as that's a nice and computationally inexpensive thing to have as your screensaver. So yes, I'd say we are on the run up for another Golden Age. Even the luddites don't have to worry, if a new and cool design comes along someone is bound to knock up a mechanical version.

    So that's my take.

    I bought Sony's first offering last year and passed it on to middle son to geek out on. He returned from Uni at Christmas sporting the newest latest which was a very neat bit of kit with shades of Max Bill, He'd got it running a pretty little simulation of the n-body problem he'd knocked up as the first screen and was extremely smug about it. It is already a far better bit of kit than the Sony thing from last year. Wearable tech! we live in the bloody future. I always said we would.

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  5. #13
    Nope. Because someday I'm going to release my watch with the glass sandwich dial. That's the one from a few threads back (everybody was just crazy about the idea) which can be filled, flushed and refilled with an almost infinite number of colored dyes - including chemiluminescencent options for the rave crowd. I went to bed at 9 PM last night so I'll just have to assume there's a market for that last thing.
    Last edited by ljb187; Jan 2, 2015 at 12:22 AM.

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  7. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by OrangeSport View Post
    I think there's a few candidates out there for future "icons". Some which spring to mind are:

    The Tudor Black Bay

    Omega 15000 Gauss

    GS Snowflake

    Especially the 1st one...
    The thing is, the BB is a heritage style watch, as opposed to the Pelagos, which is a revolutionary watch, of sorts, with the full Ti body and the clasp that people rave about. What seems too make a iconic watch is something that is very popular for a specific reason, like the Sub popularized the dive watch, and the Breitling revolutionized the pilots watch. If we were too see anything like that, in my opinion, it would be the G-Shock line with their indestructible products. The older iconic watches started out as a tool for the masses, mostly, and have grown since.
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    Marathon JSAR G-Shock GW-530A, GA-100-1A1, G-9300-1 Mudman
    Seiko SKX007K2 Swatch High Wonder Maratac Large Pilot 2013 Russian AChS-1 panel clock
    Post first, edit for clarity later.

  8. #15
    Big Member Chase's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Durp13579 View Post
    as opposed to the Pelagos, which is a revolutionary watch, of sorts, with the full Ti body and the clasp that people rave about.
    My guy at the AD tells me he hears all the time from customers that the Pelagos is what the Sub should have evolved into.

  9. #16
    Dinger of Hum Chronopolitano's Avatar
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    On the whole, I am inclined to think NO, but who knows.
    Why?
    I think the making of an "icon" is something that is dependent on the degree of saturation of competing models, in relation to the number (or percentage) of those who seek and can afford exclusivity.

    Long story short, look at pop music 50 - 60 years ago, versus the past 30 years. I still find it laughable that The Doors (Jim Morrison) or Bob Dylan is considered "iconic," despite the fact that they have no value when judged strictly for their music. Why are they even up there with names like Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, etc?
    It's all about the "vibe" of that period, I guess. But whatever.

    By contrast, there have been some truly great bands, that really broke new ground, musically speaking, in the past 30 years: Nirvana, Oasis, Nine Inch Nails, etc. (But, then, we also have Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus, etc.)

    And yet, none of them will ever rise to the status of "icon" as many of their musically mediocre predecessors, because the market has come to be more saturated with more talent, better talent, and there is no more need to either identify with any particular band / brand - nowhere near as much as it used to be the case - for the purpose of being either "exclusive" or part of some movement/trend against the "normal."
    (Nobody really gives a poo about "normal" anymore anyway.)

    This analogy applies to watches, I think.
    Last edited by Chronopolitano; Jan 2, 2015 at 03:20 AM.

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  11. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chronopolitano View Post
    I still find it laughable that The Doors (Jim Morrison) or Bob Dylan is considered "iconic," despite the fact that they have no value when judged strictly for their music. Why are they even up there with names like Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, etc? It's all about the "vibe" of that period, I guess. But whatever.

    I agree the Doors were somewhat overrated but holy cow does the statement about Bob Dylan evince a complete and total misunderstanding of his place in the music pantheon. If you don't like his voice and don't listen to his songs, I get that, but he's the definition of iconic. There is a reason that Jim Hendrix (also iconic obviously) worshipped him and carried a Dylan songbook in his guitar case. There's a reason that the Rolling Stones were trying to write a "Dylan song" when they wrote Sympathy for the Devil.

    Off topic, sorry.

    I don't think there will be many more iconic watches because that period in watchmaking may have simply passed. The only recent watch with a "different" look that really spoke to me in recent memory is the Longines Legend Diver. Obviously, that is a very well done retread of an older model.

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  13. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Chronopolitano View Post

    By contrast, there have been some truly great bands, that really broke new ground, musically speaking, in the past 30 years: Nirvana, Oasis, Nine Inch Nails, etc. (But, then, we also have Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus, etc.)

    And yet, none of them will ever rise to the status of "icon" as many of their musically mediocre predecessors, because the market has come to be more saturated with more talent, better talent, and there is no more need to either identify with any particular band / brand - nowhere near as much as it used to be the case - for the purpose of being either "exclusive" or part of some movement/trend against the "normal."
    (Nobody really gives a poo about "normal" anymore anyway.)

    This analogy applies to watches, I think.
    I would disagree. I think Nirvana is icon now.

    As for watches (or pretty much anything) it is often hard to realize what is going to be an icon until a few years down the road. I am sure people didn't realize what an icon the Submariner or Speedy Pro would be when they first came out so who knows.

  14. #19
    Member pepperami's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 93EXCivic View Post
    I would disagree. I think Nirvana is icon now.

    As for watches (or pretty much anything) it is often hard to realize what is going to be an icon until a few years down the road. I am sure people didn't realize what an icon the Submariner or Speedy Pro would be when they first came out so who knows.
    The music industry is always looking for icons. Does anyone remember the huge hype surrounding Macy Gray? The new Aretha Franklin etc?

    I expect Amy Winehouse will eventually become iconic for the same reason the Doors, Nirvana, Hendrix and Joplin did.

    When I look around the most recent iconic watch is the Seiko OM. Many will disagree but that's probably why I'd choose it, along with its instantly recognisable look.





    Sent from my GT-I9505

  15. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Durp13579 View Post
    If we were too see anything like that, in my opinion, it would be the G-Shock line with their indestructible products. The older iconic watches started out as a tool for the masses, mostly, and have grown since.
    Funny you should say that. I was considering including the G-Shock on my list. I didn't as I decided it already is iconic, like the Monster
    G-Shock: GW3000B-1A
    Rolex: Submariner 14060M
    Accurist: 1961 Shockmaster (Gold) & 1965 Shockmaster (Steel)
    Omega: Speedmaster Professional 3570.50.00
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    Ben Sherman: S489.OOBS
    Rotary: 1990 Quartz (Gold)
    Steinhart: Ocean GMT 39mm
    Certina: DS Super PH500M & DS PH200M
    Timex: MKI Mechanical

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