Is there a Watch Snob in us all?
I think in short 99% of us have a bit snobbery within us, some more than others.
For me for a time i had a snobbery attitude to cheap watches under £300 and especially under £100, I just assumed they where all junk with junk movements, but as I’ve learnt over the years there are a lot of great watches at these price points. G-shock 5610, Timex Expedition, Casio A700, Citizen Tsuyosa or Seiko 5 to name a few.
So even though my views on cheaper watches have changed I still have a bit of the snob in me for two types of watches.
Fashion branded watches such as Hugo boss, Armani, Lacoste, Tommy Hilfiger etc. we all know they paid 10cents for the most basic quartz movement and got a Chinese company to churn them out for $1 so they can sell them for $200. We all know they are junk.
AliExpress watches. Now with these I’ve got to say I tend to watch a lot of videos on YouTube of san martins, baltany’s, addiesdive etc and they look good and the guys give really good reviews and I’ve put watches in the basket to buy………. But I just haven’t pulled the trigger on them. Baltany do a lovely looking vintage dirty dozen watch but I can’t bring myself to press buy. I think 1 part is definitely the name and branding of some of these. I think my views will change on these in time as they just seem to get better and better but for now it’s still a no.
But what about you guys? Do you have a bit snobbery towards a certain type of watch, or brand? Does Hublot look like expensive junk? Is Tag’s reputation dead in the water for you? Let me know crunchers!
Been watch collecting for about 5 years now, don’t necessarily follow the masses with trends, tend like the older style watches as they seem to have a bit more style to them! You do get some gems in t...
Personally, I get a bad vibe when it feels like a product is trying to mislead, either its customer or the people that see it on the customer's wrist. If you can avoid feeling that way, more power to you, but it bothers me.
I am guilty of dismissing fashion brand watches. DW, MVMT, Boss, Armani, Hilfiger, Lacoste... I see them everywhere and it makes me almost sad that these brands tricked customers with a $3 generic Chinese quartz bought in bulk on Alibaba with their gaudy logo slapped on the dial. I take issue in the deceptive and predatory markup of these watches.
This is a bit ironic because the markup of some of the highly regarded luxury brands in this community might be just as predatory, but tolerated because they cost $10.000... Really makes you think.
I have no such issue with the $50 Pagani or $100 Baltany watches. I think they are incredible bang for your bucks and I'm glad they exist for enthusiasts on a budget to enjoy a solid watch within their means. A full stainless steel watch with bracelet, a Seiko quartz or NH35, sapphire crystal, for less than the average rubber strap on Delugs website marked up 20 times is mind-blowing to me.
Interesting question. I think that we all bring our own opinions, thoughts and preferences to the hobby. This necessarily involves some sort of prejudice, be it positive or negative, toward any watch presented to us.
Is snobbery really the best word? Well, it’ll do.
My own problem with the cheap watch is based on experience. I did buy an AliExpress watch and it was crummy and broke very quickly. Live and learn.
I’m not in the least interested in most of the watches we’re discussing because they tend to be copies or ‘homage’ watches and I have a personal antipathy toward such things. In short, and here’s my opinion or snobbery, I think they’re knock-offs and deceptive. That’s just my personal feeling. Why would I want a watch that looks almost like another, better watch? How embarrassing to have someone think that I was wearing some expensive piece, only to have to admit that no, it isn’t a _______?
As for things like Daniel Wellington: junk. And they don’t register at all for me.
Is it snobbery or standards?
Honestly it depends on the day I have lol
I can say with utmost conviction that San Martin, Pagani, and Seestern watches are some of the best built watches you could hope for. Absolutely fantastic watches.
Interesting question. I think that we all bring our own opinions, thoughts and preferences to the hobby. This necessarily involves some sort of prejudice, be it positive or negative, toward any watch presented to us.
Is snobbery really the best word? Well, it’ll do.
My own problem with the cheap watch is based on experience. I did buy an AliExpress watch and it was crummy and broke very quickly. Live and learn.
I’m not in the least interested in most of the watches we’re discussing because they tend to be copies or ‘homage’ watches and I have a personal antipathy toward such things. In short, and here’s my opinion or snobbery, I think they’re knock-offs and deceptive. That’s just my personal feeling. Why would I want a watch that looks almost like another, better watch? How embarrassing to have someone think that I was wearing some expensive piece, only to have to admit that no, it isn’t a _______?
As for things like Daniel Wellington: junk. And they don’t register at all for me.
Is it snobbery or standards?
I thinks a mixture of standards, snobbery and opinion. Standards because you want something that won’t fail you, snobbery because you may look down on certain watches because of what they are or trying to be and opinion because at the end of the day it’s all very subjective and you like what you like and hate what you hate!
I have bought four watches from Baltany.co.uk and they have all been excellent. I wear them in regular rotation with watches costing way more and can recommend them.
I thinks a mixture of standards, snobbery and opinion. Standards because you want something that won’t fail you, snobbery because you may look down on certain watches because of what they are or trying to be and opinion because at the end of the day it’s all very subjective and you like what you like and hate what you hate!
Why bother hating anything, though. Dislike is my strongest feeling towards lousy watches.
I can say with utmost conviction that San Martin, Pagani, and Seestern watches are some of the best built watches you could hope for. Absolutely fantastic watches.
I think another bone of contention comes into play here even if they are quality watches and that is. Can you get past a name or logo branding if you don’t like the look or sound of it!
Why bother hating anything, though. Dislike is my strongest feeling towards lousy watches.
Haha yes hating is a strong word, just sounded better when writing that! I don’t hate any watch, at worse you might get some mild irritation from me if there is a watch that I really don’t like
I have bought four watches from Baltany.co.uk and they have all been excellent. I wear them in regular rotation with watches costing way more and can recommend them.
It was that watch with the darker dial I was looking at!
I think another bone of contention comes into play here even if they are quality watches and that is. Can you get past a name or logo branding if you don’t like the look or sound of it!
True! 😂 There are some watches that I don’t even consider because I dislike the logo or the name!
Fashion watches although I guess there might be the odd exception. I suppose I have reverse snobbery which means I dislike watches that are hyper expensive and gaudy gold and diamond eyesores that are just saying (to me) look at me I have lots of cash and want everyone to know it. You get the odd one on here usually photographed with a very expensive car. As for AliE watches, like the Clint Eastwood film, good, bad and ugly. I think with most brands they all have great ones and a lot of meh watches. But not one brand I have snobbery against. Lots of individual watches on here, I never post on as everyone seems to love them and I don't want to get lynched ! But whatever you like, good for you, I wont say owt as I would usually have skipped that post, as I am sure people do with many of my watches. So yeah, maybe we are all snobs !😂
Fashion watches although I guess there might be the odd exception. I suppose I have reverse snobbery which means I dislike watches that are hyper expensive and gaudy gold and diamond eyesores that are just saying (to me) look at me I have lots of cash and want everyone to know it. You get the odd one on here usually photographed with a very expensive car. As for AliE watches, like the Clint Eastwood film, good, bad and ugly. I think with most brands they all have great ones and a lot of meh watches. But not one brand I have snobbery against. Lots of individual watches on here, I never post on as everyone seems to love them and I don't want to get lynched ! But whatever you like, good for you, I wont say owt as I would usually have skipped that post, as I am sure people do with many of my watches. So yeah, maybe we are all snobs !😂
I agree with reverse snobbery. We need to stop hating on Rolex/AP/Patek.
Fashion watch brands are a big NO NO for me they are junk! I tried AliExpress, the watch is ok and has great specs for the money but I wouldn’t buy another.. you live and learn I suppose!
I was going to post something similar about this topic after watching MWC's recent video review of a new Lorus automatic watch that costs around £140 pounds,
I commented on Russ's review saying "Come on Russ there are much better watches out there for the monies" and referred to Baltany, Addiesdive and San Martin to name a few, I was surprised by his reply that he "just didn't do those brands"
This got me thinking how can a watch reviewer ignore some of the best made watches you can buy for your money?
Is this snobbery, ignorance or some sort of strange allegiance to big brand names and everything else is shit?,
I want to add this is not a dig at Russ or his channel as I am a fan and have even ordered his mad hacker watch, I just know from experience that some Aliexpress watches are worth shouting about most recently my Proxima 1703 and plenty of Baltany watches.
All I can tell you is that I own 5 San Martin watches and, except for the inferior movement installed (still decents), every single of them is better made than my Tissots watches and even my Longines Hydroconquest .
The bracelet is better, the clasp is better, the glass is better, the case finishing is better.... 100%.
They have made me rethink on why I spent 1500€ on "heritage" and "legacy"... because definitely I didn't spent it on a better built watch.
I'm still happy owning all of them, but trust me they get now 10% of the wrist time comparing with the SM's. That's how good they are...
At the end of the day, except for people like us, barely no one read/notice the brand printed on your watch.
I think you care what others think about what's on your wrist. I don't think there's a percent of snobbery in myself, honestly. Like many others, I went from casio—>Gshock—>seiko—>swiss. I respect what Casio has done for the watch industry. A sign of great innovators and engineers are those that create something innovative, yet, makes it affordable for EVERYONE. As far as aliexpress watches, if you took the logos off of those watches, people wouldn't care about the brand but actually care about the quality of the watch. There are people out there that spends thousands, hundred thousands on Stainless steel watches with Sapphire Crystal and screw down crowns. All of which, is available in alot of aliexpress watches lol.
I guess at the end of the day you have to be comfortable with what’s on your wrist and obviously have to love it!
There's a certain cadre of YouTubers who rave about AliExpress watches yet, if you pay attention, these watches never end up on these guys' wrists as their actual watches. Of course they don't - they're going to wear proper watches, from heritage brands, not $100 watches from AliExpress. But what's good for them is different to what they decide is good for you because there's a buck in spruiking this stuff, from a variety of sources, so they spruik it. And you will like it! And all this has served to do is normalise these watches for watch collectors, when it really is inferior stuff. You will always be better off - on a number of levels - buying good, honest watches from heritage brands. Even if it's the bottom tier of whatever heritage brand, it will serve you better over time than an AliExpress cheapy.
Yeah I think a lot of it has to do with where you are on your watch journey and your budget!
I was going to post something similar about this topic after watching MWC's recent video review of a new Lorus automatic watch that costs around £140 pounds,
I commented on Russ's review saying "Come on Russ there are much better watches out there for the monies" and referred to Baltany, Addiesdive and San Martin to name a few, I was surprised by his reply that he "just didn't do those brands"
This got me thinking how can a watch reviewer ignore some of the best made watches you can buy for your money?
Is this snobbery, ignorance or some sort of strange allegiance to big brand names and everything else is shit?,
I want to add this is not a dig at Russ or his channel as I am a fan and have even ordered his mad hacker watch, I just know from experience that some Aliexpress watches are worth shouting about most recently my Proxima 1703 and plenty of Baltany watches.
Yeah I watched that one and even though the watch looked nice enough I didn’t see any real value in it. If it was choice between that or putting my money into an Ali express watch that looked similar with a Seiko movement or a second hand Tsuyosa I’d go with those!
Yeah I think a lot of it has to do with where you are on your watch journey and your budget!
Very much so. If you don't know much about watches and/or have never had many watches in your life, to get two or three watches for well under $400, is amazing! And then they show up on the doorstep, and they're bright and shiny, and on face value they look just like the big boys do, and they keep decent time... and did we mention the price? I get all of that. Based on what they cost, people get VERY taken with watches that punch above their weight. Some take it a little too far ("I swear this San Martin is better than my mate's Aqua Terra!"), which they will hopefully rein in, over time. But again, the real proof of the pudding is to see all these YouTube guys rave on about AliExpress watches, and talk them up like the Second Coming of Christ... but they never wear them, themselves. It's a subtle thing; maybe some people don't even notice it. But it's true, and there's a reason for it.
Very much so. If you don't know much about watches and/or have never had many watches in your life, to get two or three watches for well under $400, is amazing! And then they show up on the doorstep, and they're bright and shiny, and on face value they look just like the big boys do, and they keep decent time... and did we mention the price? I get all of that. Based on what they cost, people get VERY taken with watches that punch above their weight. Some take it a little too far ("I swear this San Martin is better than my mate's Aqua Terra!"), which they will hopefully rein in, over time. But again, the real proof of the pudding is to see all these YouTube guys rave on about AliExpress watches, and talk them up like the Second Coming of Christ... but they never wear them, themselves. It's a subtle thing; maybe some people don't even notice it. But it's true, and there's a reason for it.
Haha yes and I get it from their perspective, these are good watches for the price! And that’s it! For the Price. For the price you get a lot of watch. They won’t be as well finished as the big boys or use the better materials but for the price they are better then a DW or fashion brand watch with the billy of all basic quartz movements in it.
A san Martin isn’t blasting a sinn, Tudor or Nomos out of the water, I think the majority of us understand that. Again that comes back to where you are in your journey.
I would say the watches you get out of Ali express like your San martins, Addiesdive, Baltany etc are great watches compared to what we were getting 5- 10 years ago at those price brackets. Objectively some of them are very well made watches with high specs for the price.
I say enjoy them for what they are? There are a lot of good looking watches from there and if they resonate with something in you then who are we to judge! 👍🏻
Who knows another 10 years and they maybe on a par with the big boys 🤷🏼
Haha yes and I get it from their perspective, these are good watches for the price! And that’s it! For the Price. For the price you get a lot of watch. They won’t be as well finished as the big boys or use the better materials but for the price they are better then a DW or fashion brand watch with the billy of all basic quartz movements in it.
A san Martin isn’t blasting a sinn, Tudor or Nomos out of the water, I think the majority of us understand that. Again that comes back to where you are in your journey.
I would say the watches you get out of Ali express like your San martins, Addiesdive, Baltany etc are great watches compared to what we were getting 5- 10 years ago at those price brackets. Objectively some of them are very well made watches with high specs for the price.
I say enjoy them for what they are? There are a lot of good looking watches from there and if they resonate with something in you then who are we to judge! 👍🏻
Who knows another 10 years and they maybe on a par with the big boys 🤷🏼
Indeed, and you are quite right to flag that it's all about where one is in their journey. For example, I own a Seiko Tuna (the last model they plastered MARINEMASTER on, before switching over to the Prospex X on the dial), so there could well be a half-decent homage on AliExpress... but I'm not going to be buying it. Makes no sense at all. I'm not the target for that. Meanwhile, someone was on here recently asking if they should buy an AliExpress homage of the Seiko Turtle, or just buy the Turtle 'for real'. Once I ascertained that they had other watches, and had been collecting for awhile, my strong advice was to just buy 'the real thing'. That, to me, was a no-brainer. But if that person was more like, "I've never had an automatic watch before, and I don't know what I don't know about watches..." I might well have pushed them towards the homage. So they have their place, absolutely.
Indeed, and you are quite right to flag that it's all about where one is in their journey. For example, I own a Seiko Tuna (the last model they plastered MARINEMASTER on, before switching over to the Prospex X on the dial), so there could well be a half-decent homage on AliExpress... but I'm not going to be buying it. Makes no sense at all. I'm not the target for that. Meanwhile, someone was on here recently asking if they should buy an AliExpress homage of the Seiko Turtle, or just buy the Turtle 'for real'. Once I ascertained that they had other watches, and had been collecting for awhile, my strong advice was to just buy 'the real thing'. That, to me, was a no-brainer. But if that person was more like, "I've never had an automatic watch before, and I don't know what I don't know about watches..." I might well have pushed them towards the homage. So they have their place, absolutely.
Yeah I get that. In fact Ali express is a great place for people starting their journey. There are watches with seiko movements on there and are well finished with on the fly adjustments, decent polishing and brushing and water resistance, use of sapphire etc. so if your dipping your toe in then yeah get something from there. If you feel your being drawn into this world and want to spend more money then look at microbrands and the legacy brands!
Me personally I’ll never be paying over 10k for a watch, if I win the the lottery that’s a different matter but for me I’m comfortable in the range of 1 to 6k. Anything more I start to think how much better that money can get put to use other then this jingly jangly piece of jewellery on my wrist lol. Again it comes down to peoples budgets and what they are willing to spend!
Very much so. If you don't know much about watches and/or have never had many watches in your life, to get two or three watches for well under $400, is amazing! And then they show up on the doorstep, and they're bright and shiny, and on face value they look just like the big boys do, and they keep decent time... and did we mention the price? I get all of that. Based on what they cost, people get VERY taken with watches that punch above their weight. Some take it a little too far ("I swear this San Martin is better than my mate's Aqua Terra!"), which they will hopefully rein in, over time. But again, the real proof of the pudding is to see all these YouTube guys rave on about AliExpress watches, and talk them up like the Second Coming of Christ... but they never wear them, themselves. It's a subtle thing; maybe some people don't even notice it. But it's true, and there's a reason for it.
Rational thinking vs. emotional attachment. For many, the prestige of a brand outweighs all other arguments.
Rational thinking vs. emotional attachment. For many, the prestige of a brand outweighs all other arguments.
The flipside to that coin is, as I mentioned earlier, people getting quite hyperbolic due to the 'bang for the buck' factor of AliExpress watches, and sometimes going on to say quite silly things. My example of someone saying their San Martin was as good as their mate's Aqua Terra is a comment I have truly seen made, with no tongue in cheek to be seen.
I have decided for myself to avoid this snob thinking by collecting and wearing vintage watches. They are not expensive but good quality and have a historical background and value. Modern automatic watches are simply too expensive for the real value they offer. You buy a Rolex if you want to show that you have a Rolex. Not because it is a particularly good watch compared to other brands. Which is okay and understandable.
Rational thinking vs. emotional attachment. For many, the prestige of a brand outweighs all other arguments.
That is true and maybe in the finance world or sectors of industry where image is everything and having an “inferior watch” is seen as a slight on you then I guess people will not drop below a Rolex! Each to their own but as we say end of the day it’s only you who really cares what’s on your wrist!
I share with you the opinions. Its is not really about the price, but the actual manufacturer. Buy a eatch from a watchmaker, not a perfume maker