Cheap fashion watch or no watch at all?
Some time ago my nephew, 29 years old, asked me to replace his quartz watch battery. I was surprised to see that, although he generally dresses pretty well and has good taste in clothes and shoes, he was wearing a crappy (but somewhat eye catchy) Tommy Hilfiger watch. I asked him why he wasn't wearing a better watch, since I knew his dad had a few nice watches. He said "but I'm not even looking at it; all I care is to be clean and to show the correct time in case someone else looks". I then realized that he was wearing it because he looked up at his dad, and he wanted to have that extra of maturity and dependability that a/any wrist watch can add to someone's image, without caring about the item itself.
What do you guys think?
11 comments
Sort by
Cristi
Welcome to my WatchCrunch profile.
Member since
Last active: 2 hrs ago
7.48” / 19.00 cm
I love my 'crappy' fashion watches! 😆
Roberto Cavalli
Armani
Michael Kors
More Armani
Gucci
If I was you I'd tell him he has a cool looking watch (you said it was eye catchy) 👍
Better wear any watch than don't have a watch at all, although fashion watches are not that bad if they get discounted because they're way too expensive for what they offer.
I rarely wear anything quartz with the exception of my Casio Dura beater. So that takes 99% of the fashion watches off the list anyways.
Honestly some of the questions & polls on here recently
If he doesn't know how to tell analog time, this is very sad and needs to be remedied by instruction and practice.
The important thing is that it is quartz because it will keep the time for a good long time with zero effort. Crazy WC types don't understand how off-putting the neediness of a mechanical watch is to normal people.
No way. I don't mind quartz watches at all. I have a few and I love not having to adjust them every time I want to wear one.
But wearing a cheapo fashion watch, with platet brass case and fake leather strap? My wrist just throw up a bit..
I know people who think the same way as your nephew and I understand that they just don't care for watches like us, and that's fine.
It's just my personal aversion to likes of Tommy Hilfiger, Boss and similar. They can make a decent shirt for sure but a watch? I don't think so 🤔
I grew up in a family where NO ONE had mechanical or finer watches. My grandfather’s watch that I have is a crappy gold tone quartz watch (which I have and love). Until ~6 years ago (I’m 40 now), I considered fashion watches to be nice watches, Citizen and Seiko and other in-the-case mall watches to be luxury. Most other brands outside of Rolex and maybe Omega I had no idea of their existence. I think it is important for us to keep ourselves in check to how the rest of the world views our quasi-obsession when we reflect on ourselves. Someone not wearing a smart watch on their wrist is a win in my book. Remember, this is a hobby, that there are all sorts of budgets, and to love our fellow man whatever he has or doesn’t have on his wrists! Sorry fellows, rant over. 😆
I'd go with a fashion watch over no watch. I keep seeing this one lacoast watch with the logo at 3 o'clock, so fun! But I'm waiting to snag it at like Ross or TJ Maxx for under 40 bucks, only seen it for 60 plus.
My wife’s bro in law was offered a choice of an automatic watch from a large Canadian watch and jewelry shop or a quartz Hugo Boss as his retirement gift from Ontario Hydro( what happened to generic gold timepieces to mark such events?). He asked for my advice, suggested he receive the automatic, I think he chose the Boss, neither were actually available when he did retire perhaps due to covid-19. Not sure what he finally received but it sits undisturbed in some drawer since he continues to wear some watch that he picked up on one of his vacations. Some guys just do not worry about watches.
It's a watch for God's sakes. If he wears it that's a good thing. We all start somewhere, sometime and quartz is more affordable.
Enjoy your watch
Cheers