High-End Wrist Watches - Do They Improve the Time Telling Experience?

[georged]

Hm.

When a $50 electronic watch is more accurate than a $200,000 hand made mechanical one, the answer would have to be no.

The market for high-end watches is several orders of magnitude larger than it is for pipes, though.

And cars. Does a $2,000,000 Bugatti retrieve groceries better than a $15K Chevrolet Sonic? Or (legally) get you down a highway any better or faster? In fact, it is less comfortable, and dramatically more difficult to enter or exit.

Just asking.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I haven't seen anyone with a wrist watch for years now.

 

[bullet08]

I still wear wrist watch. Mechanical/automatic. And it doesn't tell time accurately as $50 Chinese digital. But I like it. Not a status symbol, not a bling, not something I show off. I just like it.

 

[agnosticpipe]

Not so much for me. My Fossil needs a battery as does my Swiss Army watch and my Movado. So now I'm using a wind up Dorset my wife had in her junk drawer.

 

[dcrguns]

I wear an Omega Seamaster that was my Grandfathers. He got it as a retirement present in 1974. Keeps great time and every time I look at it I think of him. Other than that, Seiko or phone work just fine.

 

[craig61a]

I have a Seiko Diver that I got many years ago when I was in the service, I wear it maybe one or twice a year. Had it totally rebuilt, lubed and relumed 6 years ago by a guy who’s specialty that is. It’s become a collectible since it’s the same model Martin Sheen wore in Apocalypse Now, and people pay top dollar for them nowadays.

And a Pulsar diver I’ve had for maybe 30 years, which ran fine up until recently. Probably needs cleaning and lubrication. Finally a Victorinox Swiss Army which I wear most of the time now.

 

[FurCoat]

I were a wrist watch. A Bulova. Nice but not fancy or expensive. I also own several classic Porsches. I enjoy the comraderie that comes with being a part of owning these cars. Like pipes. By classic I mean air cooled. Like eastates I got them at a fair price and restore them with my father. They may do the same job as my daily driver Ford, but the Ford lacks soul, a connection beyond going from point A to point B. It's about what you are into and what makes you happy.

 

[greeneyes]

uicibusque recedit, bonum est

 

[ashdigger]

I have my late father’s Tag Heuer that I only wear to court and depositions.

The watch I wear everyday is Polar watch that has all kinds of smart phone type functions. I really like it.

 

[brian64]

In fact, it is less comfortable, and dramatically more difficult to enter or exit.

 

[jpmcwjr]

The key word is experience. My iPhone tells better time than my $150,000 Patek Phillipe, but I feel richer, smarter, better looking when I wear it than holding my common iPhone.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Omg, I had to exit the above video after 20 seconds. Did he make it out?

 

[olkofri]

Wearing a Tissot at all times, 'cept when I'm the shower. @ ~$500 CAD it's hardly high-end but it tells good time, it's not sinojunk, and it doesn't spy on me.

Guess I should take a pic of me wearing it so that the Cap'n can finally say he's seen someone wearing a real watch. Alas, I hate selfies.

 

[Misanthrope]

Omg, I had to exit the above video after 20 seconds. Did he make it out?

He did. It took a whole can of Crisco and a prybar, but he eventually managed to get out.

 

[Misanthrope]

Expensive stuff doesn’t always do something better than cheap stuff. Sometimes it does, but most of the time, it works about as well as something that costs a fraction of the price. But I’ll tell you what, the expensive stuff sure makes you feel like a million bucks when you’re using it, and I think that little dopamine rush and smidgen of extra swagger, along with whatever appearance of status comes with it, is probably the main reason why someone would go for the expensive stuff.

 

[warren]

Depends on your wants. desires and needs. If you'd simply asked if they told time better, the answer would be no. But, the question asked about the experience and that is purely subjective for us, the by-stander. I would have to defer to the watch owner for the answer as we are speaking to "time telling experience"and not accuracy. Neither you, I nor any others can address another person requirements for a better experience on any subject. People relate how they get a great smoking experience with a cob. Others disbelieve such is possible.

I only wore Rolex when I was a diver. Certainly not an "expensive" watch but, dearer than average. Never got bent once! Would a Seiko have done was well? Probably, But ... well, I wanted the best available.

 

[tobefrank]

The key word is experience. My iPhone tells better time than my $150,000 Patek Phillipe, but I feel richer, smarter, better looking when I wear it than holding my common iPhone.

Not judging, but I hope that was a joke?

 

[jpmcwjr]

Not judging, but I hope that was a joke?

I think there is possibly judgment in the body of your reply! Regardless, no harm no foul. I actually own a Patek Phillipe but I keep it in a lock box and it's no where near that amount, but worth quite a few "high end" pipes.
It was to illustrate my point, no more, no less.

And I am so good looking that good jewelry detracts from my visage.....

 

[jaytex1969]

I generally destroy jewelry and other adornments. I have a titanium wedding band that I wear when not working.

When I get "gussied up" for an outing, I also pop in a pair of "black diamond" stud earrings my wife's son gave me and bust out the $20 Citizen watch from that damned auction site. Sometimes, I even wear a shirt with buttons!

Those are the items I've not yet damaged or lost.

When wearing the watch, I often still just look at the phone for time out of habit.

 

[redrooster1977]

No, it doesn't improve the "time telling experience " but it may improve your "time" while wearing it. I can afford a Rolex if I wished, but it's just not that much better than my $350 Seiko GMT. Somebody else can be Rolex's sucker.