Is It Ultimately Just Pointless?

[Dienekes]

I was having a conversation with a friend who until a few years ago had a deep collection of Rolex, Panerai, Breitling, and Omega (and was indirectly a major enabler to me buying many of those watches) and noticed he doesn't even wear a watch now. He was never a big WIS type guy and just bought them because he has money, is a bit of a douche, and it was cool to do so in the corporate world at one time. (I know, hand em over to me then right?) but It got me thinking how lately watches just don't excite me like they used to and are really falling out of favor with most people. I suppose what I'm referring to is a luxury watch as I still see many GShock-cheap Quartz types frequently. I really started getting into the hobby about 10-12 years ago and it seemed to be such a bigger deal back then. I would see my clients, managers, and successful people in my business dealings sporting all sorts of great stuff. I don't see so many these days outside of the occasional Rolex Sub. Most suited corporate drones are now watch less. I used to scour the web and spend lots of time on forums, but not so much these days except this one because you guys are the real deal. I think it's also a combination of buying many of the watches I wanted and not really having anyone outside of this forum who gives a rip about them to share in the hobby. The kicker for me was when having dinner with friend of mine who noticed my Breitling and said something to the effect 'don't those cost like a thousand dollars? (I wish) -'You are the only person I know who really wears a watch other then a digital so why would you pay that type of money for something like that?' Not really wanting to explain this hobby to someone who wouldn't understand I thought to myself, for maybe the first time, he has a point. I guess ultimately are we all just investing our time and money into a dying hobby?

[CamB]

I'm not sure to be honest. If mechanical watches are dying off the point for me is that I'm still interested and ultimately thats all I can control. There have always been plenty of people who do not see the logic in spending thousands or even hundreds of dollars on a watch. I guess my attitude is that I will always appreciate watches and what everyone else thinks is probably out of my control.
On the point about prestige watches not being such a big deal as they used to be, personally, the more I've learned about watches, the less snobby i've become and places like this have opened me up to a whole new world of great more affordable pieces.

[geoffbot]

I was having a conversation with a friend who until a few years ago had a deep collection of Rolex, Panerai, Breitling, and Omega (and was indirectly a major enabler to me buying many of those watches) and noticed he doesn't even wear a watch now. He was never a big WIS type guy and just bought them because he has money, is a bit of a douche, and it was cool to do so in the corporate world at one time. (I know, hand em over to me then right?) but It got me thinking how lately watches just don't excite me like they used to and are really falling out of favor with most people. I suppose what I'm referring to is a luxury watch as I still see many GShock-cheap Quartz types frequently. I really started getting into the hobby about 10-12 years ago and it seemed to be such a bigger deal back then. I would see my clients, managers, and successful people in my business dealings sporting all sorts of great stuff. I don't see so many these days outside of the occasional Rolex Sub. Most suited corporate drones are now watch less. I used to scour the web and spend lots of time on forums, but not so much these days except this one because you guys are the real deal. I think it's also a combination of buying many of the watches I wanted and not really having anyone outside of this forum who gives a rip about them to share in the hobby. The kicker for me was when having dinner with friend of mine who noticed my Breitling and said something to the effect 'don't those cost like a thousand dollars? (I wish) -'You are the only person I know who really wears a watch other then a digital so why would you pay that type of money for something like that?' Not really wanting to explain this hobby to someone who wouldn't understand I thought to myself, for maybe the first time, he has a point. I guess ultimately are we all just investing our time and money into a dying hobby?

Get better friends - ones who appreciate watches!

[Teeritz]

I used to wonder about some of the corporate and legal types who used to come into my store to buy IWC Big Pilots and Breitling Navitimers. Some of them were merely interested in having a name clamped to their wrists and nothing more. I wonder if they got a rude shock five or six years later when their watches required a service costing $700-$1000. Did they sell the watches unserviced? Did they put the watch away in a drawer?
Two guys came in one day. Dressed in suits, on their lunch break. One of them was there to check out a watch, his friend/colleague was tagging along. The guy tried on a TAG Heuer (from memory). He turned to his colleague and asked him; "What do you think?"
"Mate, I don't wear a watch. When I want the time, I'll check my phone", was his reply.
My instant thought was; 'But that's the 21st Century equivalent of pulling a fob watch from your pocket. The only thing missing is the chain' or 'But this is 2011, not 1911.'
Needless to say, I kept my mouth shut. I learned long ago not to volunteer an opinion without being asked.

Are wristwatches a dying hobby? I don't think so. But this hobby is not for the feint-hearted. Some people give up on mechanical watches when they find themselves having to re-set the time every few weeks or month, and some of them give up when they find out the maintenance costs. Wimps.

We may see fewer people wearing a watch 20 years from now, but just like vinyl records and film photography, there will still be keepers of the flame who will be wearing wristwatches.
The upside? More pre-owned watches out there for us to snap up.

[Mew88]

I don't think it's a dying hobby yet.

But I find that over time it gets harder for one to be attracted to a new watch. I used to flip watches almost every month, haven't flip or bought any in the last 6.

[is that my watch]

depends really think digital is quick easy and simple to use and in this day an age seem to be the go to in a way.. I have a few and for day to day are great.

but just some times it nice to take the extra time to wind set the date an so on .. so think there will always be people who would still love a mechanical watch what ever the name say's on it for the shear beauty and poetry in motion as you watch it ticking gives you a warm fuzzy glow ( well it does me ) that I just can't get from a quartz / digital not saying they are bad far from it love me g'shocks and casio 1054 quartz but there is something different with a mech that will always hold it above and apart so will always be carry in to the future it was a mech after all that first went in to space so to the star's wearing a mechanical does not seem impossible

[OrangeSport]

You know what, I find the total opposite. Amongst clients, colleagues and suppliers watches are pretty important. That includes men and women.

Before I left work last month the management meetings would always see a collection of nice watches around the table; Patek, Rolex, Tag, Breitling, Cartier, Omega etc. Junior management sported Seikos, Tissot and a few fashion brands. Most people wore watches.

Clients wore IWC, Rolex, Omega, Tag, Breitling to name a few. Watches were a frequent topic of conversation at the bar / dinner table too. I remember a meeting with a petite female from a competitor when she was wearing a full yellow gold Sub. You know when they opened the case in Pulp Fiction and the yellow glow came out? Yes, it was just like that.

But then I do work in finance, and in amongst many self employed / self made people. Subtlety and restraint are not really our strong points.

[pepperami]

Funny this..I'm collecting watches for a few years..confined to affordable end of the hobby, for monetary reasons, mainly due to 3 kids and a mortgage acquired during the 'boom'!

I have a small budget which leaves me a yearning for watches beyond my reach for now.

If I could afford the higher end watches, there would be a price that I'd feel beyond would be obscene. A few watches at or around the eg 10k mark would be impossible to justify, unless I was a multi milionare and had more money than I could ever spend. If this was to happen and the yearning gone it would become a dull pass time.

I'm not sure what it's like in other countries but here in Ireland, typical jewelery shops don't stock mechinacal/automatic pieces. Quartz and Kinetic are the norm. The models have no soul and looking in the shop window can be a very dull experience!

On an odd occasion a friend of colleague may ask me about a watch I'm wearing and some show a genuine fascination when I explain how an auto works or what a multiband g shock can do.

Only last week a workmate seems to have been bitten by the bug and ordered a solar, waveceptor G and a SKX 007! This as a direct recommendation from lil aul me! My son is also a WIS in the making.

My point is that people simply don't know anything about these great watches and that has to be the the fault of the manufacturers?








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[tribe125]

Prestige watches have always been pointless. Excellent watches that are also expensive are a different matter. The distinction between the two types of watches lies with the wearer, not the watch.

I find it quite refreshing when people who could clearly afford spectacular watches choose to wear something cheap and utilitarian. I would think less of them if they didn't really care about watches but felt obliged to wear something noteworthy.

As with many enthusiasts who have an interest in everyday objects, it's frequently us that have the curious perceptions.

[93EXCivic]

I am 26 and I have noticed that slowly more of my friends have started wearing watches. Mostly Ecodrives.

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