Horological Meandering

Dearest fellow forum readers and WIS, Have you encountered those "Since the dawn of time" type of advertisements that have you believe the latest watch from that brand, or the smallest and tiniest improvement done to a existing watch, is so revolutionary ...  

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best, Horo

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For me, celebrities are a liability. That's why I never look at Tag Heuer (they're the worst offender in using celebrities). I tend to ignore celebrity endorsements, not just for watches but other products as well. I'm almost indifferent to watch advertis... 

how about the pompous sounding adverts? best, Horo

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... I mostly look into a watch with my own research... To be honest, I learn more about a watch on forums like here, and hence be affected by what I see here, than any ads that is run by manufactures. What I see here, are the experience and comments from ... 

this just sends me crazy.I generally despise such endorsements,what in hell is tennis player x or F1driver Y gonna represent to me?Absolutely nothing....I second Nico s opinion on WIs and non Wis...what irritates me slightly more is the press releases on ... 

there are those that are emerging WIS....straddling the spectrum of both WIS and nonWIS, that may pay attention to these endorsements. in any case PPro accepts most media announcements from most watch brands, and give the reader a chance to react or read ... 

Thats funny.... I totally accept the fact that a well established site like ours publish all the press stuff ,its well informative of course... On the latest advanced hyper super dooper discoveries from brand x,well,those in my opinion are the DNA of cert... 

Dear hororgasm, A point of order: I have not accepted ALL advertisement proposals. In the past, when I approved 100% of adverts, they were only accepted after a senior moderator had secretly done a background check of the brand's horological credo....... ... 

if we think the only people visiting this site are watch-aholic movement snobs? And I wonder how we would feel if, on some site, somewhere, some people who buy watches because this celebrity or that sports star wears a particular model, laugh and snicker ... 

comes wisdom,and at different stages you are sensible to different things,but we can t avoid being overwhelmed by some degree of snobism. I guess that being a novice, compared to many here, I am still easily influenced by things that won t even bother me ... 

I guess your point on different strokes for different folks takes into account the typical watch buyer, non WIS type. I know sometimes, as Purists or neo-Purists, we can be quite dismissive and even demanding of brands marketing efforts. Have a great Chri... 

I couldn't care less. I see ads on magazine or even economic/ financial newspapers. They are doing their job, which is trying to make money and that is fine with me, because I do my job to make a living, too. No I am not in ad agency industry All I think ... 

I get your drift. I share your view too. Do you get irritated by pompous sounding adverts? Like those "since the dawn of time, Mankind........" type? Best, Horo

... the speakers of my PC are always off and I can't here it And those CG and/or movie type - I don't have patience to see through it. Turn on AD Blocker. For those watch ads on papers, I just see the pic and don't bother to read anything written, or go t... 

nah! None of us WIS (I do not even know what these 3 letters mean, shame on me- and please do not tell me) would ever admit being moved nor influenced by the use of celebs and the like in watch advertising. Nah! we are only interested in watches, horology... 

The difference being that product endorsement, if there is one in the days of McQueen and Newman, is not official, and any watches associated with them is purely because they are seen wearing them in private and public. Take the case of Daniel Craig weari... 

my point lies elsewhere. I find it strange that the very same people (well at least some of them) who pretend not being interested nor affected by ads and celebs cannot help looking compulsively for association of past celebs to give that extra glamour an... 

And will make topic for another thread. For me, there is a degree of authenticity about endorsements of the past versus the more cynical examples of present days. Thus those with vintage watches, certainly can feel the romance of a less bull s&@t era. At ... 

But as you say, there's a difference between a watch becoming associated with someone or a marketing department selecting the right celeb they'll think will maximise their exposure and sales in return for a fat contract. Newman, McQueen, Killy and there m... 

... as in, "that's the best reason you have for me to buy your watch?". No thanks. I recall visiting a Rolex AD and he was shocked, just shocked that I didn't want to take the Celebs of Rolex piece. He had no other "useful" promotional literature at that ... 

But there just seems to be endless number of commercial endorsements these days...what is worse is that people actually get turned off by these endorsements...so not only are the brands not getting adoption, but worse, the opposite reaction!! How do you f... 

"If you have basic self worth, than ornamentation makes it look better. But ornamentation by itself, makes you hollow" I think that this is a pretty true for celebrity endorsements. But by itself, it does not make me buy a watch. J. PS: In my 40s, I think... 

And speakth the truth, and is a wise man. Best, Horo

I never really get the advertisements and Celebrity Endorsements thing about the watch company. Probably to purist like us that has little meaning. I do prefer that in a selfish way the watch company keep a ceiling on these spending so that the resources ...  

With ribbed articulated rubber bezel....

On a more serious note, I get your drift. I get turn off, sometimes massively, by certain endorsements, especially those using second tier celebrities. Best, Horo

celebrity or not. The ads I often find highly amusing but entice me to buy they do not. Best Andreas

Cheers, Horo

I like boobs and if watch companies place all their watches on boobs in ads, I'll definitely take notice and think about buying ... was that a watch they are advertising

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All those non R-rated topless bombshell photo you post where these girls are wearing Panerai really got me into the brand. So in aid of my next acquisition of OP watch. Give me more photos :-D Sex sell ... it always does. Regards Tyler

but not on WIS (Watch Idiosyncrasy Snob). I personally never under estimate the power of pompous advert and celebrity endorsements. In general, people accept that without asking a single question. In my case, it does not work on me at all. Ideally, I will... 

i remember when i was younger, Solvil et Titus adverts featuring people like the late Anita Mui. best, Horo

was when I realized Mr. Stern have absolute pitch but that is year 2011 dozen years before AP ROO EOD & Sly with PAM et al was what irreversibly sucked me in horology from admirer and lover of timepieces to completely obsessive man in pink sweater that fe...  

and yes, the start of the celebrities doing their APs round. the earlier ones like the EOD featured, and the Nick Flado has got some fluff, but not like the ridiculous amounts these days best, Horo

to see the quality of goods ... leather of course that will be used for straps.. perfection asks for leather that is smooth and not smelly I just wonder after re-reading whole thread .. is Vettel different from McQueen (of course it is!!!!) but from persp... 

Main examples: Recently, a very famous brand released another "limited edition" celebrating a car race driver. Funny thing is that this "famous" driver never won a single race (his best result was a second!). I was about to post a suggestion for other bra... 

Thanks for sharing your view. How about pompous and grandiose sounding adverts...those starting with "since the dawn if Mankind...." type? Best, Horo

Horo, There are so many watch advertizing that I could produce a very long list. My latest advertizing catch (no way I go to buy that watch) is one where the CEO claims that his company was able to merge, by extreme pressure, gold and rubber. Cheers

because i am waiting for the new Man U watch - ....ops, gave the game away!! and i think is ceramic, not rubber.. best. Horo

and I love the brand! J

tried to google, got nothing. but watch brandsmay run diferent campaigns for different regions... best, Horo

the image of the ad itself is attractive--it's the phrase that annoys me--a cliche poorly deployed by a b-movie script writer.....

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please don't misconstrue my annoyance with this cliche with an annoyance with the brand--I love Panerai and am plotting on which piece to purchase next. However, adopting this phrase seems a misstep to me--it's enough for instance to have an image of an I... 

And endorsements are a by product of that. What I dislike even more are celebrity limited editions. But I might be in a minority here.

Instead of soap actors it was royalty. Lots of old watches with 'by appointment to HM The Queen' engraved on them. I have a particularly nice example from the 1890's..!

All I know now is that it is not done for royalty to show ostentation like that these days. Leave that to the likes of Vlad Putin. To me a Tiger Woods, Sachin Tendulkar or whatever watch is not an enhancement of desirability whatever the celeb or the watc... 

Thanks for sharing them. Cheers, Horo

Horo, those ads to which you refer don't make me want a watch more or put me off it. even if i may scoff at how ludicrous the spiel is, it would not affect how much i want the watch. In any case, some of the ads can be quite entertaining. but i think watc... 

What you are saying is that these sort of advertisements and endorsements are good for getting people to START looking at horology and watch collecting as a hobby, am I correct? Best, Horo

icons which the wider public can relate to...

The majority of watch buyers are not rabid collectors of fine timepieces. But the little push that they might need to buy that first nice timepiece has to come from somewhere. It may be a social statement, a brand recognition, a celebrity association, or ... 

sorry AP, it doesnt look like i'll ever buy one of the multitude of ltd ed's you make i can understand how some people could find the name of a star or a star's endorsement attractive, but in 20 years time 99% of these stars will be distant memories only ... 

i firmly believe me wearing the Hublot Man U contributed to the 0-5 scoreline against Fulham!!! - Cheers matey, have a wonderful Christmas. Horo This message has been edited by Hororgasm on 2011-12-22 13:40:56

One man claim if he can down 2 can Bud and 3 hotdogs before the 3rd pitch the Mets will go on and win the game. He got artereosclerosis after 3 seasons ... Thanks you do it with a watch LOL Merry Christmas Tyler

influenced by adverts and which celebrity wears what on their wrist. I used to love to see Tag Heuer ads where they show a jockey riding a horse crossing over what looks like the Grand Canyon, or the golfer trying to putt through a few Ming Dynasty vases,... 

I agree on the subtle, simple part....may I add antihero 3S...sophistication, sexy and society. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. What about adverts with pompous sounding "Since the dawn of mankind" type of beginning and message? Merry Christmas by the wa... 

the only ads which u actually live to read are old Rolex ads, just flip the National Geographic volumes. They show interesting pictures if the Explorer cliff hanging, or the Submariner in deep ocean amongst sharks or deep sea creatures or hidden under the... 

Rolex has done their celebrity endorsement gig for so long, that it is now almost a tradition and brand DNA. I actually collect some of these adverts, from magazine cutouts. My personal favorite is the GMT PAM-AM adverts...see if I can post some up later.... 

Soon... A new one. But strongly linked to the Past, I find. Best, Nicolas.

When I get back home, I will post one or two as well. Best, Horo

In the late 1990s I bought the Omega in the ad below at least in part because of the ad itself, which was prominently displayed in the Frankfurt airport and elsewhere:...  

No charges shall, or can be brought against you!! - Best, Horo

Thanks for the amnesty, sir! Three things for those who are less forgiving in nature: 1. I was still fairly early in my watch career 2. The ad is very striking (almost like industrial design) and looked great in huge backlit airport signs 3. It was actual...  

Acquired, without the knowledge about the relation with F1. Got it in Singapore in 2007 and I let it go on a matter of months. But, at least, it was a tribute to a real champion. Cheers, Nilo

I have bought watches because someone I like and admire endorses the adverts. They don't even have to buy the watch themselves nor to assemble them. I particluarly like the ones that just so happens to be on the wrist of Celeb XYZ. The most effective ones... 

It's about in particular 2categories 1) pompous sounding one that starts with "since the dawn if time" type or some other variant of it, that features a watch that hardly breaks any technological or aesthetic ground in watchmaking. Naturally if that certa... 

I'm pretty sure that if I buy my wife a Dior VIII, she will turn into Charlize Theron. And when that happens, I'll take an ankle shot for Horo! This message has been edited by Meiwenti on 2011-12-25 09:13:31...  

best, with a chill down the spine - Horo...  

"Our watches are so delicately made, you should treat with lots of care if you ever intend to keep them for the next generation " "Our watches are so well made, they can take a fall and a beating and next you know it, your grandchildren will thank you for... 

What happens if you don't have a son ? Bim

then play favour to someone elses son. a good friend from foreign shores for example who's son has the same interests as you such as hot hatchbacks and watches G...