Till now, I’ve had mixed views from others on watches of value. While on one hand there are them who consider the $5 quartzes and digitals to be sufficient; on the other, I’ve had known the lot who won’t even give Hamilton-s a damn because of its American lineage. This, obviously, brings into mind the question if they really understand the value of those watches or just happy exhibiting their wealth?

In the current times, wealth is the most powerful factor that measures the value of an achievement. The more you can display of it (in this case, through purchasing expensive items), higher will be your alpha status within the circle. However, I’m not arguing on their preemptions and neither am I trying to promote any Marxist philosophy, but what manages to raise my eyebrows is their general attitude towards mechanicals that cost less and of course, Quartzes. Be it a Citizen Eco-Drive or a Seiko Superior, the discriminating eyes

treats them with an equal amount of hatred and sarcasm. And I’m surprised to find out that these people opt for Swiss primarily because of three reasons:

  1. Everyone in the circuit wears them.
  2. Everyone in the circuit says they are good.
  3. Everyone in the circuit says they fetch a good resale.

Whew! Where does the sense of individuality/style/preference go then? If blind leads the blind, who’ll see the seventh sign? And would you get an object of desire only to sell it off later for profit? It’s not out of poverty these kind of people will sell a Swiss watch, that’s for sure.

If criticism changed the world, then I would be the greatest reformer and while I do not criticize people on their choice and preferences, I do for their attitudes. Wearing a chiming minute repeater from Patek Philippe requires something more than wealth and while I’m not as naïve as portraying myself as a celebrity philosophy professor and be drawn into a debate, there are certain t

hings I can’t help otherwise.

That’s to say, the absurdity of the mindset. Don’t try to sense here any high-minded ecological theory or societal argument or try saving their backs with comments like – “Oh, they are just being environment-friendly; do you know the havocs plastics, PCB-s and batteries break on the Nature? All I want to say is: Stuff like the Citizen Eco-Drive Stilleto Super Thin, or the  Seiko Premier Kinetic or the  Bulova BVA Automatic Self-Winding has scored a place due to their own merits and it takes a lot to innovate and invent. It is very important that you respect the skills honed over the years to maintain your peace of mind while you are not exactly in a wedding or invited to a regal lunch. When you are just someone owning the yacht but not steering its course or offering a helping hand downing the anchor, a Swiss watch shall add to your glamour. But try to move the machineries and soon you will realize the $250 Seiko holds better than the $20000 Rolex. If craftsmanship and design always made you win the game, you didn’t have much exposure to situations where durability is paramount.

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