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

[bullet08]

It's not money as so much as what I like. I like Honda cars, Peterson Pipes, and Rolex. All my cell phones have been HTC. I like home made food, and find some of the expensive restaurants lacking in food prep. I like dried pasta in boxes. Money doesn't really figure into what I like or don't. I simply have to like something to buy that something. I understand some people like Dunhill pipes and/or artisan pipes. More power to them. It's their money and they spent it the way they wanted to. I won't say negative things about it. Just not my cup of tea. I like PG Tips.

 

[georged]

It really could be that guys who only smoke corncobs and bucket pipes and are repulsed by expensive pipes would also be revolted by a topic with wristwatches in the title.

Good point. And probably true.

Mmmmmm... and maybe they're scared of you. I know that I only approach your threads with much trepidation. You actually scare the living hell out of me.

 

[mortonbriar]

Interesting that there's nowhere near the same contempt for expensive personal items that aren't pipes. This thread is halfway into its third page and it's pretty much, "Hey, if it flips your switch more power to ya!" regarding jewelry, watches, pens, and so forth.

But someone post a few photos of a premium collectable pipe they just bought, and every third response would be something like, "Hell, I could buy ten GBDs for that!" or "I tried a spendy pipe once. Overrated if you ask me. Waste of money." and on and on and on.

If this WASN'T a pipe board, I could understand it. No non-pipe smoker has a clue about pipes. The world---anymore, anyway---pretty much regards them as tiny disposable mobile ashtrays on the end of a straw, and are shocked to learn they can cost more than $50.

But here? You'd think it would be the last place someone would find such a reaction.

I understand that the PipeWorld isn't big enough (anymore) to support separate tobacco boards and collector boards, but, since they ARE forced to co-exist you'd think there would be less tribalism between the groups.

Why am I mentioning all this? Why did I start the thread?

Working almost exclusively on high end stuff has brought me into contact with many high end collectors, and no small number of them have told me they stopped using boards like this because they felt "run off" after a while. The steady drip drip of "People who buy expensive pipes are either show-offs or idiots" undertone made them feel unwelcome.

Food for thought, I think.

I KNEW there was a motive! It is a shame if there a dripping undertone, and it probably goes unnoticed unless you feel targeted personally...more reason to be aware of how flippant comments can add up I guess. On the flip side, it is nice to be able to express yourself honestly about pipes since we can't talk politics or religion etc.

Concerning watches...I was ten years old and delivering papers, I looked up at the sky and thought "Hmmm, 3:43 I reckon", I looked down at my watch and I was right. I took off my watch that moment and never bothered with one again. I guess cell phones came along at the same time as I started having real responsibilities, so that helped.

 

[autumnfog]

I'd rather buy a high end pipe than a high end watch.

 

[ssjones]

I understand your perspective George, but the same phenomenon occurs on watch forums. The high end watch guys, who flaunt their $10k plus watches are often chastised for doing by the Casio brethren (and likewise Timex owners are similarly abused by nearly everyone). But, the high end watch guys don't seem to be as sensitive as the high end pipe guys, who do seem to flee pipe forums pretty quickly. The high end watch guys trend younger than the high end pipe collectors, that might have something to do with it.

 

[condorlover1]

As I said earlier. My watch is 100+ years old. Went through WW1 with my Uncle. I just took the shrapnel guard of the watch so you can get a better look at the face. It still tells the time perfectly and thats all I ask of a terrestrial rotation emulator!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

But, the high end watch guys don't seem to be as sensitive as the high end pipe guys, who do seem to flee pipe forums pretty quickly.

I hate to hear this. You’d think the lions wouldn’t care about the opinions of the sheep.

 

[ron123]

Working almost exclusively on high end stuff has brought me into contact with many high end collectors, and no small number of them have told me they stopped using boards like this because they felt "run off" after a while.

LOL...Felt like pissing into the wind today, did you? If you want to talk about and post pics of high end pipes; today, it's pretty much a social media only thing.

 

[ssjones]

I think Neill just bailed on a Pipe group Facebook page for this very reason.

Me, I love seeing high end pipes by the artisans here or in person at various pipe club meetings. Most are out of my taste and budget range, but who wouldn't want to see a piece of art on the screen, or even better get a chance to hold them. One of the Philly guys always has a bag full of S. Bang's and will happily let me examine them (carefully of course), I always appreciated collectors like that.

 

[STP]

I have a few nice watches that I use to wear, but as mentioned... they have become somewhat antiquated, or even redundant as everybody has cell phones.

 

[Misanthrope]

Working almost exclusively on high end stuff has brought me into contact with many high end collectors, and no small number of them have told me they stopped using boards like this because they felt "run off" after a while. The steady drip drip of "People who buy expensive pipes are either show-offs or idiots" undertone made them feel unwelcome.

Food for thought, I think.

This is far from just being a pipe thing, though. In any hobby accessible to people of a broad range of economic means, you’re always going to have this kind of reaction gamut.

I can’t really go into details because the rules don’t permit excessive discussion of vaping, but my hardware tastes there are similar to my taste in pipes in that I like the nice midrange factory-produced stuff. (Briarworks, Moonshine, and Gubbels pipes mostly)

Some of my vape gear is in the $200-$400 range. I generally don’t flaunt it because there’s a lot of the same “but I could get 10 of this $30 mass produced Chinese device for the price of one of yours” kind of judgey commentary going on, and some of it gets pretty deep into salty jellybeans territory, and occasionally crashes right into straight up hostility.

Just to keep things interesting, there’s also the insufferable “Oh look at you being precious with your basic bitch stuff” reaction from the opposite end of the spectrum: the more obnoxious examples of people who routinely spend $1000+ on some limited-run artisanal gourmet boutique high end device you can only get off a secret Facebook group raffle at 3:16 AM on a random Tuesday twice a year.

The crowd here has always struck me as being classier than that, and there’s *way* less toxicity in general. Nobody’s ever given me a hard time for thinking Prince Albert is A-OK, and I haven’t had people from both ends of the pricing spectrum sass me for spending too much or too little on my pipes. I don’t feel like I have to do anything special to fit in here, and I like that.

 

[tobefrank]

Anyone that has at least 100 pipes has typically sunk between $5,000 and $10,000 in pipes. What is the point of being snobby towards anyone that spends more than $500 for a single pipe?

My most expensive pipe was $425 and I love smoking it, so for me a beautiful handmade pipe does definitely add to the experience of smoking a pipe.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I am definitely a watch guy. I have posted some pics of the ones that I actually wear, along with other members showing off anything from Rolexs to Casios. I definitely am about as snobby about my watches as I am about my pipes... meaning that I have a solid gold watch as well as some cheaper mechanical Timex Marlins that I love to collect. If you're interested... (just to keep from having to repost all of that info)... Watch Out or Watch On? :: General Discussion - https://pipesmagazine.com/forums/threads/watch-out-or-watch-on.61591/

 

[CoffeeAndBourbon]

It's not money as so much as what I like. I like Honda cars, Peterson Pipes, and Rolex. All my cell phones have been HTC. I like home made food, and find some of the expensive restaurants lacking in food prep. I like dried pasta in boxes. Money doesn't really figure into what I like or don't. I simply have to like something to buy that something. I understand some people like Dunhill pipes and/or artisan pipes. More power to them. It's their money and they spent it the way they wanted to. I won't say negative things about it. Just not my cup of tea. I like PG Tips.

PG Tips are the bomb!