This is a highly debatable subject and some wristwatch aficionados do not mind killing to establish their own points. Nevertheless, the reason they stay back from it is thinking what will happen to their respective prized watch collections if they go to jail. So, the world’s population is spared.
Now, drawing a comparison requires pulling in many different attributes and the problem here is: Each attribute has its own buyer and there’s nothing that can be termed as the best attribute. It is all about your wants, perception and desire from a fine watch. So whether it’s Rolex that you consider the best or the Omega must not be based on the plebeian perception of excellence; rather, you must forget every yardstick the media planted to make one brand sell above another. For, at the end of the day, what matters is how is a human as a person and to determine that, you can’t take into account the amount of money he/she makes a day. How it is made; however, gives some idea, no doubt.
Therefore, to simplify a complex matter, let’s consider the following points. These will tell us what to expect from a true luxury watch; rather, what doesn’t make a luxury watch.
A. Innovativeness: This can range from developing concepts to techniques in building it. From this point onwards, it’s your responsibility to find out who has contributed what to horology.
B. Price: A stellar price doesn’t make a watch lesser than those in the astronomical range and vice-versa; it’s the media that shapes the general mindset and determines the price. Also, it’s the demographic that shapes the fate of a brand; the urban, young and affluent will hold Rolex definitely higher than the Patek while it will be quite opposite for experienced politicians, business tycoons and media barons who have seen the world for many decades now and also walked its highs and lows.
C. Build: Unless very high end models or special editions, luxury watches are not handcrafted. That applies to any brand. But advertising fluff portrays things to create romantic illusions and obscure the mass-production reality.
To sum it up all: Popularity alone doesn’t define things too well; neither does the price. Whether you’ll call a particular watch (or a brand) best is a decision you draw analyzing all pertinent information and that’s different when it’s an argument across the coffee table than when it comes to making the purchase. So here we ask: What do you feel you are most comfortable with?
