Comments:
Article: "8 signs you’re becoming a watch snob"
I’m completely guilty of the watch snob sign
...calling Apple and smart watches “Wrist Computers”. As a watch lover, I can’t understand how anyone like us who are crazy about the hobby, would want something buzzing on their wrist all day (that wasn’t made by JLC and the other great alarm makers).
I pretty much hate that my phone buzzes in my pocket or in my hand all day. And even worse, when it isn’t buzzing I feel a vibration in my leg thinking it is.
Thanks for sharing this!
I pretty much hate that my phone buzzes in my pocket or in my hand all day. And even worse, when it isn’t buzzing I feel a vibration in my leg thinking it is.
Thanks for sharing this!
I agree
I have a desktop computer which incidentally tells the time, but no-one ever called it a clock.
If you really hate your phone, I say you ought to try the Apple Watch
I own one, it is to me the best purchase I made following owning an iPhone.
Being so dependent to tunes, searching my phone everywhere, fetching for it, searching all my pockets when not running for it just to answer a moment unwanted call or message. With the Apple Watch I know in the blink of an eye.
That very well made wristwatch (Hardware by Mark Newson - Ikepod, JLC etc...) helps me being far less disturbed, annoyed or dependent of my phone.
It is a perfect accessories filled with useful inter-activities and informations. It is much more than a watch it greatly helps filtering and organising and timing sports activities.
I do advice people owning a busy smartphone to give it a try because it turns out to be a good weekday servant. What’s even greater, when I don’t wear it, sometimes for weeks, I do not miss it like I would miss a fine timepiece which I wear on every occasion I have and value the time I share with it.
I am a rightly or wrongly a snob too because I do not consider or understand watches sold by Nike, Armani, Louis Vuitton, Adidas, Ralph Lauren, Prada, Chanel, Hugo Boss, CK etc… or watches alleging to be what they are not. Often costing so little to produce but selling for the price of a vintage watch, timing instrument or an authentic maker of watches
I agree this a worthy discussion to be had amongst us.
Thank you for the link ;-)
Being so dependent to tunes, searching my phone everywhere, fetching for it, searching all my pockets when not running for it just to answer a moment unwanted call or message. With the Apple Watch I know in the blink of an eye.
That very well made wristwatch (Hardware by Mark Newson - Ikepod, JLC etc...) helps me being far less disturbed, annoyed or dependent of my phone.
It is a perfect accessories filled with useful inter-activities and informations. It is much more than a watch it greatly helps filtering and organising and timing sports activities.
I do advice people owning a busy smartphone to give it a try because it turns out to be a good weekday servant. What’s even greater, when I don’t wear it, sometimes for weeks, I do not miss it like I would miss a fine timepiece which I wear on every occasion I have and value the time I share with it.
I am a rightly or wrongly a snob too because I do not consider or understand watches sold by Nike, Armani, Louis Vuitton, Adidas, Ralph Lauren, Prada, Chanel, Hugo Boss, CK etc… or watches alleging to be what they are not. Often costing so little to produce but selling for the price of a vintage watch, timing instrument or an authentic maker of watches
I agree this a worthy discussion to be had amongst us.
Thank you for the link ;-)
I think a lot of what they say is what someone who isn't a WIS would say...
You dismiss quartz as “not luxury” TRUE Although the luxury part could be the design, diamonds, etc.
You turn your nose up at ‘workhorse’ movements MOSTLY TRUE...but tool watches get broad exception.
Getting hung up on “Swiss Made" NOT TRUE There is a huge love of Japanese, English, French, German, etc. watches.
You only like watches based on their resale value NOT TRUE Sure, there are collectors that are all about the ROI, but I think most people here love watches for what they are.
Rolex is not a horology-driven brand ??? Not even sure what the point is here. Rolex makes really good watches.
You call digital and smart watches 'wrist computers' NOT TRUE I've never heard anyone say that. 'Watch' is a generic term for something that tell time (among other things) that is worn on the wrist. I don't call my cell phone a pocket computer.
You impose your taste and preferences on other collectors NOT TRUE First, their is a huge difference between being a WIS and being a collector. I don't have the money to collect what I like. My friend (who does have the money) will consult with me on his purchases and I give him my opinion. But in the end I tell him to buy what he loves...it's his money.
Women can't be true enthusiasts FALSE This is duh no-brainer. One of my best friends of 25 years is a huge enthusiast and has one of the most beautiful Blancpains I've ever seen. One of the reasons she's my friend : )
I think I am as enthusiastic a watch lover as anyone, but I don't think my opinions make me a snob in any way...
I see a big thing wrong with this article...
" Rolex boasts that it takes a year to actually make one of their
watches, which may seem like a false narrative based on the fact they
produce a million watches per year." is stated in the article. That's just wrong. A Rolex Account Executive told me that they're trying to dispel this myth and have been instructing Authorized Dealers to stop saying this. An otherwise well written article, but a few debatable opinions, and this very wrong fact.
But humorous articles get clicks and advertising revenue! People like to send exaggerated and obnoxious articles that are memorable and funny to friends!
From a business perspective, these articles that have relatively little value are often written periodically. A technical article would probably not be read nor circulated very much, yet takes more expertise to write.
And we used to have so many technical articles on WatchProSite. I miss those. So very informative!
I often dig up old posts with great macro photographs just to re-educate myself!
A discussion?
I can put myself as an individual guy.
Do my things my way.
Keen on Swiss made, this have nothing to do i would reject German or Japanese watches.
The Swiss have the infrastructure to run a healthy watch industry. Even Ming let produce his watches in Switserland.
Switserland have enough education possibilities for people who want to be a watchmaker one day.
A GS is a good watch, ok, fair prices. But it must be something i want.
I know that GS have fans here. I know the snowflake is gorgeous, but ok, the white cross on a red square is pure emotion.
Quartz, ok, for me it’s ok. But taking my loupe, inspecting one of my watches with a mechanical caliber, see the escapement is at work, a proud feeling is hard to ignore.
But, i want one quartz watch into my collection. Pure for the fun. Selected carefully, because all my watches i chose with an eye of expertise.
An wearable computer on my wrist. Why?
Why?
Why a watch on my wrist?
It is nice to see real hands go round on a dial.
Animated hands, i saw that 35 years ago on my own wrist.
lcd watch.
Finally Rolex. Ok, i have no problem to say i can not buy the Rolex i want. Sure, i can buy an affordable old date just, but it is not wat i want.
For example, if you can not buy a new Porsche 911, why buy a 924?
Do my things my way.
Keen on Swiss made, this have nothing to do i would reject German or Japanese watches.
The Swiss have the infrastructure to run a healthy watch industry. Even Ming let produce his watches in Switserland.
Switserland have enough education possibilities for people who want to be a watchmaker one day.
A GS is a good watch, ok, fair prices. But it must be something i want.
I know that GS have fans here. I know the snowflake is gorgeous, but ok, the white cross on a red square is pure emotion.
Quartz, ok, for me it’s ok. But taking my loupe, inspecting one of my watches with a mechanical caliber, see the escapement is at work, a proud feeling is hard to ignore.
But, i want one quartz watch into my collection. Pure for the fun. Selected carefully, because all my watches i chose with an eye of expertise.
An wearable computer on my wrist. Why?
Why?
Why a watch on my wrist?
It is nice to see real hands go round on a dial.
Animated hands, i saw that 35 years ago on my own wrist.
lcd watch.
Finally Rolex. Ok, i have no problem to say i can not buy the Rolex i want. Sure, i can buy an affordable old date just, but it is not wat i want.
For example, if you can not buy a new Porsche 911, why buy a 924?
A good read, thanks for posting the link. A lot of good points presented in a non judgemental manner, much like the main lesson to be taken away. [nt]
No message body
A watch snob goes against the mainstream:
Hates the date window, wishes everything was ~38mm instead of >40mm, and compares everything to GS/JLC/ALS.
I'm not a snob about anything really
I just feel fortunate to learn how to appreciate what interests me whether it be watches, music, art, or anything else that I'm fortunate enough to discover. Don't look down, look up.
It’s an issue of marketing
I’ve been a watch snob, sure. It’s natural to hold some of these beliefs at some point, since these viewpoints will originate from the industry’s own marketing. Through marketing, you’ll discover the brands and the heritage and the prestige well before you discover the people behind the brands and this will lead to a lot of the snobbish beliefs.
Though I do think it’s worth discussing women and watchmaking. Ladies mechanical watches have definitely experienced a resurgence, but, until recently, the emphasis with ladies watches was on iconic designs, gem-setting and the arts. I don’t enjoy strapping on a 45 mm wrist monster, so I’d expect many of the men’s watches remain uncomfortable or awkward on most ladies wrists. I mean if you have a typical ladies wrist and want a comfortable split seconds chronograph, your best choice is a Patek 5959. Mechanically, implementing the same complications in half the volume is expensive. It’s expected that ladies watches will be less complicated and will remain that way for as long as women do not want to strap clocks on to their wrists. If you look in display cases in the boutiques, you can see the industry is moving away from the narrow belief that women don’t appreciate mechanical watches, but at a given price point they’ll typically be less complicated and a bit more bejewelled, as the engineering costs pushes the watches in this direction.
If marketing moves away from emphasizing the heritage and the past to emphasizing the living talent and the present, we’ll see a greater appreciation for the talented women in watchmaking.
Though I do think it’s worth discussing women and watchmaking. Ladies mechanical watches have definitely experienced a resurgence, but, until recently, the emphasis with ladies watches was on iconic designs, gem-setting and the arts. I don’t enjoy strapping on a 45 mm wrist monster, so I’d expect many of the men’s watches remain uncomfortable or awkward on most ladies wrists. I mean if you have a typical ladies wrist and want a comfortable split seconds chronograph, your best choice is a Patek 5959. Mechanically, implementing the same complications in half the volume is expensive. It’s expected that ladies watches will be less complicated and will remain that way for as long as women do not want to strap clocks on to their wrists. If you look in display cases in the boutiques, you can see the industry is moving away from the narrow belief that women don’t appreciate mechanical watches, but at a given price point they’ll typically be less complicated and a bit more bejewelled, as the engineering costs pushes the watches in this direction.
If marketing moves away from emphasizing the heritage and the past to emphasizing the living talent and the present, we’ll see a greater appreciation for the talented women in watchmaking.
WPS’ers are the least snobby of the forums that have participants...
That is why I am here. The commitment to no discussions around prices is the beginning of what makes this place great. I am like everyone here and have had biases like the ones mentioned in the article, but I strive to be more egalitarian and this forum encourages that goal. Thank you watchprosite.com
That was an enjoyable read. I would have added one further point
Some high-end Swiss brands are largely responsible for cultivating snobbery by themselves being aloof, remote and inaccessible. By this I'm not referring to the price of their products or the way they are distributed, but by their emphasis on heritage and exclusivity.
To an important extent, heritage and exclusivity have now replaced functionality and performance as their defining characteristics. When branding is so wrapped up in self-congratulatory guff, it encourages some (though admittedly not all) people who buy their watches to behave in a similarly smug manner. Branding is, after all, a two-way street. Companies concoct seductive stories to tap into the emotions and self-image of consumers, while glossing over inconvenient truths. Willing consumers hook into those messages, and are quite happy to ignore inconvenient truths or even deny they exist.
