Horological Meandering

Many companies use celebrity endorsements to market their watches. As horology enthusiasts, are we immune to this type of advertising? Are there celebrities whose association with watches/companies actually means something to you and adds to the ‘value’ o...  

For me, at the very least the personality has to be consistent wit the brand image, in order for the association to be memorable and synergetic... One example that I really like are: Arnold Schwarzenegger with AP Royal Oak Offshore - both are exemplars of... 

whoever the celeb will be, I only look at the watch. So it only works for non WIS.

Maybe they may have an effect on non-WIS, but for us WIS, I don't think it has any effect IMO. Jessica Alba could be the brand representative for a brand I don't like, and I still wouldn't look at that brand's watches. Maybe their advertisements though Ch... 

...except that I will admit to wishing I could come across a pristine Rolex ref. 6538 at a yard sale one day with a tag on it that said $20. It's only because I really, really love James Bond. Otherwise, no celebs needed. Cheers, Daos

convince me to buy have to agree with the others even though im on my way to buy Cloonies Omega This message has been edited by gazoz on 2009-12-28 23:30:40

If this is a watch you're considering, or you're madly in love with, it can be nice to see such an advertising. It will depend on the celebrity who endorse it, too. Now, if the Celebrity is one of your Idol, but if you don't like the watch, such an ad wil... 

i can see why brands use them to pull in the less knowledgable. ambassadors are there for the general public who know little about watches, but know quite a lot about celebrities. there are some exceptions however, like Arnie who i believe was instrumenta... 

Insofar I think this endorsement has a certain effect on me as well. There are so many different watches around, that a celebrity may raise awareness for a new model or brand. Interestingly though, this would be most necessary for new brands that do not h...  

Maybe it is because I buy watches to make myself feel good and not to be shown off to anybody nor it would make me look or associated with the celebrity in the ads. For that reason too, I dont buy fake watch no matter how "look alike" the watch is because... 

that i do not or could not find out?

agree with most of the above points and sometimes it makes the difference. i really wanted a HW Z4 or the original ocean chrono as a few years ago HWRTs were rather for people who actually knows a bit to appreciate everything they represent. Then somehow ...  

But don't ask me afterwards what watch they were wearing. A

Mech.

...or worse, a complete turn-off, depending on the celebrity doing the endorsing. That said, however, I obsessively scan all watch ads that appear before my eyes, with or without celebrity images. I am much more interested in the "endoresements" by Purist... 

who summed up my attitude to commercial endorsements When I'm watchin' my TV And a man comes on and tells me How white my shirts could be He can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke The same cigarettes as me.. Best, Ginger

Rolling Stones wisdom. I love it, Ginger! Cheers, Daos

. . . touché, Ginger . . .

I have no issues with at all.....but I have to say I think Omega seem to pick the best, Cindy Crawford and more recently the most stunning woman in the world Ziyi Zhang. Would I buy a watch because of them...no, but I would look at the advert..!! However ... 

How about adverts that attempt to create a link with significant events or achievements (eg. Rolex)? Are these more successful than straight celebrity endorsements? Andy suggests not, but I am interested in others thoughts. Andrew

Gosh, you PuristS are a tough audience! LOL Better not tell GP, Linde Werdelin and other companies that advertise on PPro. It appears that there are some endorsee’s that are synergistic with their products – Arnold Schwarzenegger is mentioned ... 

Respo has touched on the next area I want to explore. How influential are comments made by other PuristS or Moderators? How much of a ‘herd effect’ do we see? There are many watches that hardly get a mention here, and others that pop up quite frequently. ... 

In my current tenure as a moderator, and as a member of the general community, I have only posted because I enjoy the interaction with everyone, and I want to share my feelings, thoughts, and opinions -- that's all they are -- my opinions, my impressions.... 

I didnt know you're a LADY??!!! from those men watches you're wearing!?!!! Ok just kidding, just want to prove my point I haven't met most of the people here. Hahaha. cheers Mech

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Good one there Andrew! My girly 3940 sits well on my girly size wrist hahahaha and my Moser is my first manly watch!!! Mech

Thanks for reading my long-winded post! Cheers, Daos

I'm not sure the posts/reviews by the forumers here are purists or ADs/Dealers/freelance watch writers as I don't know most of them in person. But one could tell somewhat by the way they're written/presented. I appreciate their in depth review, especially... 

Thanks Mech, I resonate with many of your comments. Personal ‘reviews’ by purists whose tastes and biases we come to know (and respect) are much more useful to me than advertorials rehashing a brands press releases. We still need to filter thi... 

in shaping what u see, where to look, and eventually what your heart ll be telling u. its easy when u have everything to gain coming to this portal for learning/seeking advises & information, its not as simple just experts' word of mouse opinions/suggesti...  

Thanks for the Borg analogy, Ed. I have posted separately some related social psychology concepts on group interactions . On the one hand, the various Fora bring to our attention watches that we may not have otherwise considered, but on the other they may... 

w/ passion. And there have been reviews in the past by community members that are "cold" and seem just like a paid advertisement for the watch. And cause of the latter, it is great that we had the topic of disclosure not too long ago. A review in any medi... 

Whether the watch belongs to the writer (who is pure or independent or bribed or bought or otherwise) or on loan. The only difference is the degree of biasness. Regards Ling

Yep, I am convinced, you are right: We are not smarter or more immune to marketing strategies than the medical doctors! Even if we think to be independant in our watch buying decisions, we may decieve ourselves. I think, anybody here would consent to the ... 

Dear Anaesdoc, Excellent contribution to the discussion plus a few topics for new threads! Watches are an interesting emotional outlet for a predominantly male audience and many may well be more comfortable describing their emotional connection to a mecha... 

Hi, Andrew, I look at celebrity endorsements like I do about government fees - I have never used fire department services, rarely use police services, the roads around here suck, but I understand that collectively, these services are needed. And so I pay ... 

my comments about fire, police, DOT, etc - were made with all due respect. Police, fire departments, EMT, DOT, social infrastructures are to be respected, they provide a valuable service. I hope no one misunderstood my comments. TM

Thanks Thomas, All interesting points. “…everyone wants to think they are special and all others are uncouth, uninitiated ….” Most of us consider ourselves at the centre of normality. Not sure who said this but there is a driving a... 

As you know well, Andrew, but for the benefit of others who may not, Keith Jarrett is a remarkable pianist /composer, equally well known over the last few decades for his avant-garde jazz compositions as for his stylish take on jazz standards and the clas...  

Hi pplater, Thanks for this contribution and the great photo. You know my love and respect for Jarrett’s work (and interestingly 2009 has been the year that I reconnected with his early recordings). This proves again that the key is finding the right cele... 

.... he was clearly one cool dude - ;-) Cheers, pplater. [image credit embedded in URL of pic]...  

JS Bach, were he alive today, would be wearing a Jacob & Co, while laying down grooves at the hippest clubs in Lagos, Shenzhen and Cali. Why a Jacob & Co? Five time zones, all in the same piece. Cheers Tony P

When I think of Bach's music I relate more to the ordered mathematical side. That's what made me consider the Resonance as appropriate. There was, however, a theatrical component to some of his music. Actually you have given me an idea for another music-h...  

If could hanker for a Resonance even more, which is impossible, this would do it - I adore Jarrett and consider having been at same of his solo concerts among the great experiences I have had. That is really a meaningful "celebrity endorsement"! Have a go... 

Very interesting topic! As always it is all about brand perception. You won't buy a specific watch because some celebrity wears it on an advertisement. But it does influence how you see a certain brand and if you identify with that. Using celebrities help... 

And every Friday morning, at "Wrist Scan Central", I re-connect with you, my honored parade of celebrities.

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Are the everyday people (I am everyday people, like Sly Stone would sing) like you and I and us who are the true watch afficianados and nuts and WIS's, and not so much the Hollywood crap, but folks like Chuck Yeager (Rolex) and all the astronauts (Omega S... 

There is a whole branch of psychology called “social psychology” that is interested in the way people in groups interact. Perhaps we have some social psychologists amongst us that could comment, but they are probably all too preoccupied watching us. J [In... 

all that stuff is giving me a headache; it seems too awfully close to work... Seriously, many of the phenomena you raise all too often result in sub-optimal results for me as a / the founding Purist, whose founding mantra was, is, and hopefully always wil... 

Thanks Thomas, Simplified to its essence, I agree that Purists is about sharing information on watches (and other topics) in a passionate and interesting way and on as level a playing field as possible. This interaction hopefully leads to greater understa... 

headaches come with the territory... ;-) Seriously, your posts are always the wellspring for very interesting threads. Happy new year (and to a wonderful new decade!) TM

That randomly mid-week you can drop this almost academic post here on HoMe without batting an eyelash! There are some deep ideas in your post, and frankly I'm not sure I'm bright enough to even delve into them, but I will say a few words about interaction... 

You are too kind. All I did was make the logical jump from the influence of celebrity endorsements, to the influence of PPro endorsements to the factors that influence how we might interact with (or influence) one another on the forums. Honestly I didn't ... 

myself included...and I'm a Creative Director. However, some advertisements'/advertisers' target audience may not always target the general populace, such as the example with Mr. Clooney. it is a specific audience Omega is appealing to (perhaps an employm... 

If I wanted an Omega, I'd have to 'get past' anything that featured an actor, especially a semi-hollow one like Clooney... But the Newman connection to Rolex is somehow cool. Maybe because he never appeared in an ad... (right?) Tag Heuer in my O has been ... 

I like watch brands that are not well known to most people. JerryW