What does your watch say about who you are?

shutup

Apologies if this has been talked about before. I’m pretty new here.
What does your watch say about who you are?
Does my Casio say that I don’t take myself seriously and I can’t afford a good watch.
Does my Rolex say I’m a class act or that Im insecure and need to be seen with expensive items. Have I fallen for marketing or am I a gentleman who enjoys the finer things in life.
Does my micro brand say that I carry a confidence in myself and don’t need a big brand to prove myself.
Does my Seiko say I’m clever as I got great movement from a quality brand for very little money. Or that I’m an average Joe.
Would love to hear opinions? Thanks

micks_address

I was in a jewelry shop today getting a link put in a bracelet and was chatting the guy there. We generally agreed that anyone under the age of 25 doesn't care about watches these days so having a watch probably says you are old.

CalamariFritti

I think how your watch is being perceived depends as much on the observer as it does depend on you and the watch itself.

Most people probably don't care and don't know anything about watches. For all the points you raised the observer needs to be into watches at least a little. Me personally I like watches, but I wouldn't notice other peoples watches very often.

CalamariFritti

micks_address wrote: »

I was in a jewelry shop today getting a link put in a bracelet and was chatting the guy there. We generally agreed that anyone under the age of 25 doesn't care about watches these days so having a watch probably says you are old.

Agreed. We are all glued to our phones these days but the under 25s are nearly borg. What would you need a watch for?

But it will probably make a comeback, like vinyl.

Cienciano

micks_address wrote: »

I was in a jewelry shop today getting a link put in a bracelet and was chatting the guy there. We generally agreed that anyone under the age of 25 doesn't care about watches these days so having a watch probably says you are old.

I'd agree. I know 1 person in my entire life who's slightly interested in watches. No one else gives a rats ass.

milhous

In the 2 years I've owned my "good" watch only one random person recognised and commented on it, and that was in a builder providers of all places.
It's not overly common so to the average person it's just a watch and probably doesn't say much about me.

I like that it's understated, I'd imagine if people knew it was nearly 6k they'd just think I was a knob tbf

bobbyss

milhous wrote:

I like that it's understated, I'd imagine if people knew it was nearly 6k they'd just think I was a knob tbf

How much?

micks_address

milhous wrote: »

In the 2 years I've owned my "good" watch only one random person recognised and commented on it, and that was in a builder providers of all places.
It's not overly common so to the average person it's just a watch and probably doesn't say much about me.

I like that it's understated, I'd imagine if people knew it was nearly 6k they'd just think I was a knob tbf

What watch is it?

milhous

micks_address wrote: »

What watch is it?

Same as this

munster87

bobbyss wrote: »

How much?

Knob as much as you think

gerfmurphy

milhous wrote:

I like that it's understated, I'd imagine if people knew it was nearly 6k they'd just think I was a knob tbf

That's so much like I think. Ha.
If I had a rolex(and I had a few ) I did feel like I was trying to impress someone although it was personal reasons for each and not for status as I taught they were special pieces.

milhous

gerfmurphy wrote: »

That's so much like I think. Ha.
If I had a rolex(and I had a few ) I did feel like I was trying to impress someone although it was personal reasons for each and not for status as I taught they were special pieces.

When I started looking I thought I was in the market for rolex.. ended up with an omega, I actually get the, is that a rolex question.. and I be like na it's an omega and ppl just look disappointed. Only the oyster perpetual was in my price range and I just thought it was a bit flat for me.

Wibbs

That I have a collectors infection and I'm weird.

dudara

I’m a woman and I wear a Speedmaster Reduced 95% of the time. I have a physics / engineering background,, and I love the Speedmaster for its history, for its aesthetic.

I get quite a few comments on it. A lot of the commentators don’t get the difference, but kudos to those that do. One guy’s comment “I’d love it if my wife wore a decent watch”

Trigger Happy

My collection currently says that I need a good service and clean up but still have my classic good looks.

bren2002

If someone has a regular watch, I think fine they've no interest but they need a watch. Although most non watch companies watches (diesel, MK etc) don't appeal to me.

A good watch on an arm marks a person out to me, probably through shared interest. And a good watch can be anything from 500 to 15000.

A fake though, that automatically puts a person in the tossers bin, no questions asked.

893bet

OmegaGene wrote: »

I don’t care what a watch says about me tbh once I’m wearing something I like that’s the main thing, most people don’t give a toss in Ireland and I spot feck all in the wild, I saw a fella in my local wearing a xxl Cartier tank and while he was talking to me I was just admiring his watch, no idea what he was saying.
completely different story in the uk and particularly London where it’s all about image 18 year olds wearing tags, Rolex omega and Patek etc all over the place

Agreed. And if some one forms and opinion (positive or negative) then that says more about the persons who is looking perceptions than the persons who’s wearing it.

Muckka

I love watches, have a G-Shock, Omega and Tissot.

I find it handy,as you don't have to reach into your pocket for the phone to get the time.

They're a nice accessory, and timeless.
Excuse the pun

CantGetNoSleep

bren2002 wrote: »

A good watch on an arm marks a person out to me, probably through shared interest. And a good watch can be anything from 500 to 15000.

I wouldn't agree with either the upper or lower limits there

bren2002

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

I wouldn't agree with either the upper or lower limits there

Fair enough, I'm probably not too married to them either. Plenty of good watches at 100 and I don't move in circles where I come across too many Pateks.

micks_address

I'm not wearing watches to impress other people but I did notice a lot of people checking out my steinhart vintage gmt last year when I started wearing first.. I guess saphire glass catches the eye and the size.. I do think watches might becoming a bit of an obsession for me.. before the steinhart for my 40th last year I only had a Fitbit watch on and off and handnt regularly wore a watch.. I got an Armani watch for my 30th which i still have. Bought that based on looks rather than any great knowledge at the time. Worth more sentimentally now. I got the Alpinist before Xmas and the Casio edifice after.. kinda like the idea of having some interesting watches.. not necessarily expensive..

Sittingpretty

My watch (like everything else about me) says I’m
Sensible, practical and I like quality things that last

It doesn’t fall into the super expensive category but it’s not cheap either and I think it stands out a little even though it’s not at all flashy/sparkly.

aaakev

Sittingpretty wrote: »

My watch (like everything else about me) says I’m
Sensible, practical and I like quality things that last

It doesn’t fall into the super expensive category but it’s not cheap either and I think it stands out a little even though it’s not at all flashy/sparkly.

What is it?

micks_address

aaakev wrote: »

Sittingpretty wrote: »

My watch (like everything else about me) says I’m
Sensible, practical and I like quality things that last

It doesn’t fall into the super expensive category but it’s not cheap either and I think it stands out a little even though it’s not at all flashy/sparkly.

What is it?

A skoda?

unkel

Had a Longines Conquest GMT myself. It's the only watch I've had that people said "wow" about. RRP EUR1600 iirc, but I paid EUR700 for it (as good as new). Sure looks like a watch worth a few grand. I was trying to trade up towards a Seamaster at the time, so had to let it go

Sittingpretty

micks_address wrote: »

A skoda?

Ha ha the watch equivalent maybe, it’s an Ingersoll Santa Monica automatic

gerfmurphy

I think a watch is for the wearer to feel good about having and wearing.
Not many people would pay any attention to a watch generally, particularly without a recognised brand on it.
If they do it's usually only how much it cost rather than how special it is.

micks_address

Sittingpretty wrote: »

micks_address wrote: »

A skoda?

Ha ha the watch equivalent maybe, it’s an Ingersoll Santa Monica automatic

I see my steinhart a bit like my Octavia... Has good parts and specced up it's very comfortable and looks half decent. It's not an Audi A4 but shares a lot of the components

micks_address

That's a beautiful logines unkel

aaakev

A lot of lads i know would be into watches bit they would be fashon watches. Loads of them wearing Armani Exchange or Michael Kors and thinking they are the ultimate in wrist apparel! The only big names most would know is rolex or maybe Tag

micks_address

aaakev wrote: »

A lot of lads i know would be into watches bit they would be fashon watches. Loads of them wearing Armani Exchange or Michael Kors and thinking they are the ultimate in wrist apparel! The only big names most would know is rolex or maybe Tag

To be fair it's fashion.. I saw the Armani when I was 30 and thought of the brand and figured ohh the clothes are expensive so that must be good.. wasn't till I started reading about watches and seen my friends seamaster that I got little more knowledgeable.. if I'd known more I'd probably have got a Seiko auto at the time..

deandean

My Tag says about me:
I have the time.

2shea

I love my €25 Casio just as much as my Explorer.

If I see someone with a nice watch I'll always complement them on it.

Out of all my watches The €25 Casio has gotten the most complements. The Rolex has got none as people most people dont know what it is as it's not the topical sub and I love that.

I always think fair play to someone if they have splashed out alot money on a time piece I would never begrudge someone for it or think they were trying to hard.

Like said already I'd only judge someone for wearing a fake watch. That's trying to hard.

Also I'd have Skoda over Audi or VW any day of the week!

Sittingpretty

2shea wrote: »

I love my €25 Casio just as much as my Explorer.

If I see someone with a nice watch I'll always complement them on it.

Out of all my watches The €25 Casio has gotten the most complements. The Rolex has got none as people most people dont know what it is as it's not the topical sub and I love that.

I always think fair play to someone if they have splashed out alot money on a time piece I would never begrudge someone for it or think they were trying to hard.

Like said already I'd only judge someone for wearing a fake watch. That's trying to hard.

Also I'd have Skoda over Audi or VW any day of the week!

Ditto, I’d love a Kodiak but I have a VW. Budget didn’t stretch to the kodiak.

CantGetNoSleep

OmegaGene wrote: »

I don’t agree with price being a factor in what regarded as a good watch, I’ve gone through loads of watches in the past decade and some have really surprised me, longines hydroconquest chrono for example was a really solid and well made watch and probably was the best made watch for under €500 on the used market

That's why I commented on the 500 limit actually - my most expensive watch is a HydroConquest Chrono that I picked up second hand for 350

artanevilla

I don't think a watch says a lot these days to most people, unless it's a big Hublot job covered in diamonds.

Most people wouldn't be able identify the watch on your wrist a first glance. But someone who's interested in watches might cop it.

Wearing a nice watch is like having a sports car. You hope it'll impress the ladies but it only gets the attention of other watch/car weirdos...

unkel

artanevilla wrote: »

Wearing a nice watch is like having a sports car. You hope it'll impress the ladies but it only gets the attention of other watch/car weirdos...

A posh sports car gets the attention of the ladies alright

A posh watch....not so much....

artanevilla

unkel wrote: »

A posh sports car gets the attention of the ladies alright

A posh watch....not so much....

That's where you need your wingman to come in, pretends not to know you, "Hey nice Rolex..."

Mantis Toboggan

I've a smartwatch so does that mean I'm smart...

Actually it's a garmin fitness watch, good few have mentioned to me that I must be into running and fitness!

jcd5971

I've a nice looking casio edifice I spent a few hundred on years ago, still works great still worn everyday.

I thought it looked nice so I bought it.
Didn't really care what it said about me then or now.

Cienciano

artanevilla wrote: »

That's where you need your wingman to come in, pretends not to know you, "Hey nice Rolex..."

It also means you can forget about any other brand. Except maybe Cartier

Wibbs

I read back my reply and realised I'd left out a major aspect...

Wibbs wrote: »

That I have a collectors infection and I'm weird.

and I'm a seriously cheap bastard. 200 quid was always my limit, right back to the early 90's. Maybe 300 if I had a couple of ales on board and the flesh and spirit were weak. Only broke the limit twice. Once for a really early Rolex Oyster(pre auto/bubbleback) in 97(600 sterlings at the time) and a Heuer Bund in 2010(1000 euro). I sold the Oyster around 01 IIRC at the height of the early Rolex peak/bubble(bubbleback ) for just under 3000. Then that segment died a death overnight. Still have the Heuer, but never wear it as it needs a bit of help. The crown popped out, a common issue with them, I have the NOS bits if required, but sadly the beer tokens have been low for the last while so...

The other deeper thread in me is twofold: the first is they remind me of my Da™ and my childhood. He was a watch collector when it was seen as weird. It's where I got my longines buzz. And buying "old watches" as a teen, much of it because the cool kidz Casios with all the buttons and functions were out of my pocket range.

The second is my gra for modernism and futurism of the (19th)20th century. That time when everything was in flux and the future was still bloody fantastic and optimistic and tech and art and design and philosophies followed that. Watches were a huge part of it, something that people carried around on their bodies day after day. Even in this "postmodernist" world they still are with smart watches.

If one pic kinda summed it up and summed up me in this madness hobby, it would probably be this one:



Both Longines, both well within the span of a single average human life, you have a mechanical holdover from the 19th century in the "trench watch", that also reflects the mechanised mayhem of the new war, and you have a cutting edge cybernetic quartz that reflects the space race and the coming silicon revolution and only 55 years separate them. That's pretty damned cool for me.

IngridM20

My ridiculous ex sat with me recently, with his new smart watch, presumably an Xmas gift from whoever he’s abusing now, pointing at my face. Cringe. I can confirm he’s seriously lacking in natural ‘gifts’, and knows it.

anewme

As a woman, I always notice a mans watch and shoes.

My friends are more Michael Kors and think my Breitling is too manly.

Went for an interview, got the job, ages afterwards the HR woman told me she noticed my watch in the interview, so it obviously created a positive impression.

Peoole like what they like and well wear.

Not sure about the kickback on cars?. If you like it and can afford it and it suits you, go for it.

Wibbs

*note to self: Don't wear a smart watch, lest I advertise my "shortcomings"*

anewme wrote: »

As a woman, I always notice a mans watch and shoes.

A few women have mentioned that in my time A. Very much on the shoes side, but watches was in there. Which surprised me TBH, as other than women friends of mine(who know me well so will indulge me, for their sins ) very few mention it.

My friends are more Michael Kors and think my Breitling is too manly.

Manly me arse A. Joke is "men's" watches from the 20's to the 60's would be seen as "women's watches" today because of their small size. Breitling eh? Noooice. As far as women wearing them, a certain Raquel Welch wore one.



Clearly an extremely manly woman.

Oh and pics A, or you're sitebanned. :D

Peoole like what they like and well wear.

Not sure about the kickback on cars?. If you like it and can afford it and it suits you, go for it.

Exactly. On both points.

scwazrh

milhous wrote: »

In the 2 years I've owned my "good" watch only one random person recognised and commented on it, and that was in a builder providers of all places.

Strange you mention builders providers as there is 3 providers that i go to and each of them have at least one person behind the counter that is a watch collector.
Its a nice break to the day to have a chat about something none work related when I'm in there.

milhous

scwazrh wrote: »

Strange you mention builders providers as there is 3 providers that i go to and each of them have at least one person behind the counter that is a watch collector.
Its a nice break to the day to have a chat about something none work related when I'm in there.

Yeah guy behind the counter was like nice omega, which one is it and we chatted a bit. Tbf from behind the counter half covered in my jacket it was a good shout.

On the car front, I bought a sports car (albeit not too posh), I always wanted one and I'm at a point in my life were (atleast I think) I'm pretty young so don't look out of place behind the wheel. I'm married so it does not bother me in the slightest, however I've noticed that teenage boys will stare and comment, some men will occasionally do a double take or sdtare a bit longer, where as I don't think a woman has really ever noticed it. I'm sure some appreciate it but they are not all too common, just another car..

aaakev

Whats the car?

milhous

milhous wrote: »

Attached.

Actually it's too easy to know from the pic who I am IRL. Its a mustang

HDMI

At the first gtg we had I owned a bunch of vintage Seiko's and I felt a little out of place heading in knowing the other guys would have much more expensive big name brands. Turns out they didn't care because they can appreciate any watch without feeling the need to judge the person wearing it.

I can look at another person's watch and appreciate it without wondering what it says about them, hopefully they do the same to me.

Wear what you enjoy and don't worry about what you think it says about you.

fret_wimp2

HDMI wrote: »

Wear what you enjoy and don't worry about what you think it says about you.

well put.

I would hope my watch says bugger all about me, but i guess it depends on who notices it.

e.g. ArchieLuxury would say my collection of seikos says that im a cheap ba5tard or i cant afford a "good" watch.

A person who cares not a jot about watches but knows i have a few might think it says i like to waste my time and money on antiquated jewelry.

An automatic watch freak might see my casio and think it says that im a fool who doesnt appreciate mechanical and engineering precision.

Or another WIS may see any of my watches and wonder what hole in my collection that particular watch fills and what else i have.

I dont really care what others think, I enjoy wearing them, occasionally changing straps, taking way too much time to research my next one, and spotting less popular ones in the wild.