Independents

ThomasM
[PuristS]
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I agree with your comments, Nick, and those of ALBCWC, within the

context of the words in your posts.

albcwc, your observation that there might be a reluctance to be "critical" on this site, is well founded and I too worry about this. So much so that I am often in the awkward position of trying to TONE DOWN by balancing response over the top complimentary passages about watchmakers and brands that I like.  And of course, I too have experienced the "arrows" from the blindly devoted fan boys, so I know how it feels.

But it works both ways; when a serious, sincere question is raised about what is actually being seen in what is being presented as opinion, without any belittling or "covert subversion" of the original point(s) being made, to knee jerk into defensiveness is just as bad.

The foundation of this site is the concept of a discussion, and the standards of this site are that all discussions be conducted in a civil and respectful way. In a civil discussion, nothing should be dismissed out of hand, IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.

Alas, this "civility" opens us up to the same thing the pioneers in the American West suffered - Native arrows in the front, Cavalry bullets in the back.

One small example? we give Marketplace listers the "benefit of the doubt." In most cases, nearly all are honest. What about those that realize the HUGE grey area and take advantage of that and rip people off while they are being "the benefit of the doubt?"

All opinions are welcome here. But I sincerely have a hard time accepting that anyone here really feels that the opinion of someone who has never held in their hand a watch higher grade than a Swatch/Hamilton or Casio Iron Man is "equal to" that of someone who has spent years, or decades, studying high watchmaking, their makers, and their products.

It is all too easy, in the name of "democracy" and equality, to shout "kill the academics, eat the rich" but is this what we really want, really believe? (yes, I already hear the shouts of "elitist snob!"  :-(  )

It is that hard a concept that we should allow, encourage, RESPECT, all opinions, but that each should decide for themselves the context of the opinions being presented, and decide for themselves how relevent that opinion is, FOR THEMSELVES, IN PROPER CONTEXT?

But then, if all probing, NON-PEJORATIVE follow on discussions are prohibited or shouted down, how is that any better than an environment that doesn't allow dissenting opinions in the first place!?!

Nick, I agree that there might be a general, almost obssessive, mania about

1. micro aspects of a design that lose sight of the whole

2. cosmetic finishing

on these and other gatherings of watch geeks.

But hey, that's why you are free to offer your dissenting opinion, with its attendant alternative obssessive manias (chronometric performance?) and I can keep trying to remind people that Philippe and Kari as still human, afterall.

TM