I just looked at a Breitling watch. WTF? What’s the attraction to a watch that costs so friggin’ much?
Timex, people, Timex!
Caveat: I am a member of the 99%, not the 1%, so my perception is slanted away from spending in excess of $100 on a watch…
It’s a bit like women and wedding rings or diamonds I think. Men have little opportunity to wear jewelry and so watches are a natural arena to show off in. Once you hit a certain income level, people do notice the watch. Not everywhere…but there are times and places.
Because it is inappropriate to pull out your dick in public and measure it against the rest of the guys you are at dinner with.
(FWIW - I own an Omega and a Panerai.) I only wear them when I am in a suit or otherwised dressed up.)
That’s part of my confusion’s source: It’s not like it’s a bright red Ferrari, or a gleaming Gulfstream (both of which convey to everyone your message of wealth). Rather, it’s a subtle thing, like a secret handshake.
Maybe that’s it… It’s a secret handshake that only other members of the club will get. Kind of like a subtle nod across a crowded room that acknowledges common membership in a private, elite group…
I sort of get that. I notice nice watches. Guys notice mine. I’m not sure why that means something to me, but it does.
That being said, if I could afford a Ferrari, I’d have one.
Brad
When a $29.95 Timex keeps more accurate time than that 10 k Rolex you really have to wonder. Expensive watches are less than subtle. The reality is they are usually just a status symbol for the nouveau riche. I’ve never seen an expensive watch guy wear anything but a shorter than normal shirt sleeve length.
What’s the attraction of a super expensive bike? Less expensive ones ride just as fast for most riders, right?
What’s the attraction of super expensive cars, or flat screen TVs, or mansions?
Nice watches are just that, nice. Super expensive watches are really only bought by rich people, for whom having those super nice things is a status symbol. I own two fairly nice, but on the lower end of expensive, watches, and I like them much better than cheaper feeling crappy watches I used to wear in college. I don’t know if anyone else notices them, nor have I ever made an attempt to ensure anyone notices them. I’m certainly not a 1% guy either, but c’mon,…James Bond wore Rolex and Omega watches, so they’ve gotta be cool.
“so they’ve gotta be cool.”
Yeah, but my $29.95 Timex still keeps more accurate time. Function over form I guess. 
why buy shoes like J M Weston or John Lobb?
Why buy Hermes ties?
Why buy Guerlain Mouchoir de Monsieur fragrance?
Why buy Barbour waxed jacket?
Should I keep going?
Thanks,
Fred.
.
I find it’s more to do with an appreciation for fine craftsmanship. Now, first off, I’m unemployed and going to college, so I’m not exactly sporting a luxury watch, but I notice when someone wears a Patek Philippe or a vintage Rolex.
why buy shoes like J M Weston or John Lobb?
Why buy Hermes ties?
Why buy Guerlain Mouchoir de Monsieur fragrance?
Why buy Barbour waxed jacket?
Should I keep going?
Yes!! keep going until you list a name that I recognize! Put me in the “function over form” camp. I understand nice clothes, a nice bike, a nice car… but I’m gonna own one watch, and I want it to able to show lap times.
"I’ve never seen an expensive watch guy wear anything but a shorter than normal shirt sleeve length. "
Maybe you just never noticed the nice watches hiding underneath the “normal shirt sleeves.”
"Yeah, but my $29.95 Timex still keeps more accurate time. Function over form I guess. "
Your Timex doesn’t keep that much better time, so the function part is pretty inconsequential. A Rolex or Omega or Tag or Movado all keep extremely good time. They just also look nice.
I’m not a watch guy either, but one thing about super expensive ones, they tend to rise in value.
I just looked at a Breitling watch. WTF? What’s the attraction to a watch that costs so friggin’ much?
Timex, people, Timex!
Caveat: I am a member of the 99%, not the 1%, so my perception is slanted away from spending in excess of $100 on a watch…
And you never will. I do. Got 2 Breitlings and a PAM. It is a matter of taste.
For me, it was a “reward” to myself for having reached a certain professional goal. I like how it looks, like how it feels and it is a reminder that my hard work paid off .
I have a way more expensive one in mind for reaching my next goal…but that’s a ways off.
A “friend” has a 140.6 sticker on his car. It is a way for him to be snooty in a way that a very small percentage of people will understand.
Similarly, a guy wearing a $3,000 watch is wearing something that most people will not notice but key people will. Sometimes in business and networking you need something like that to make a statement. Some folks won’t look at you if you don’t have the right credit card, car and watch.
And sometimes, you want to avoid showing something like that. You gotta know your audience.
they last 50+ years
.
“Your Timex doesn’t keep that much better time,”
Actually there was a study done - the $29.95 Timex was more accurate than the Rolex by seven seconds a year. Over ten years the Rolex loses over a minute, assuming the Timex lasts that long.
As a miltary man, you then must realize that if sending guys out on a precision operation, the Timex would be a much better choice than the Rolex. And much more cost effective for the tax payers. LOL!!