reintitan
2622
If they mean that watches have become another market for speculators like Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
Mar 21, 2019,15:48 PM
then YES this happened a long time ago even before Bitcoin became a speculator's darling (and then not so much again). So you can say that Bitcoin are the new watches (however awkward that sounds).
Let's face it, this "hobby" of ours ceased to be the "insider's only club" since the early 2000s when websites like TZ, PuristsPro, et al first came online. Since then, with the explosion of social media and the relatively new phenomena of the "social media influencer" whether in the form of a person or a watch blog (Hodinkee, Revolution, WatchesBySJX, Fratellowatches, etc) watches have gone "viral" as they say.
24/7 watch coverage and new "content" is now not just the norm, but expected. Instagram being the main drug of choice. With this ubiquitous stream of watch presence companies and people will find a way to monetize people's appetite for more. More pictures, more reviews, more straps, more LEs, more boutique brands, more collaborations, etc. etc. In other words, Capitalism.
The lines between watch companies and their marketing departments, auction houses, watch "journalism" and watch "sellers" have blurred to become meaningless. The personnel are actually rotating between these roles! Which is fine in my book as long you know what you are getting/supporting/buying/reading.
There's so much potential to make money now that many more people are actually making watches their livelihood. And with the lure of big money come the speculators/investors as with all such opportunities.
So if you want to go back to the small club like atmosphere for insiders only like it was in the 1980s and 1990s one could always collect pocket watches