Fashion Chronograph Conundrum
Having recently been away on holiday I couldn't help but be a watch pervert and look for what the regular non watch person is wearing nowadays. The warm days with short sleeves made watch spotting a breeze.
Of course, there were no end of smart watches and one rogue G-Shock, however the analogue watches that I did see all had one thing in common, they were all chronographs.
I didn't get close enough to see what brand they were specifically, but they all had the appearance of modern fashion chronographs, very sterile yet busy at the same time.
Like this, or
Or even
Now my question is, do people that buy these kind of watches buy chronographs because they believe or they perceive that they are more premium based on appearance?
To them does more dials mean more better?
Have popular chronographs such as the Speedmaster and the Daytona become so well recognised in popular culture that they've formed part of the subconscious of the regular human?
Or is it purely an aesthetics thing and having neat symmetrical dials is just pleasing for people?
Probably the last one... interested to hear your opinions.
Tool watches and watches that can take a bit of punishment are my thing! Current collection: G Shock 5610, 6900, GA900, G-LIDE, Victorinox INOX, Luminox ICE SAR 1001, Christopher Ward Trident 65, Paga...
Yes, a chrono equates to "more watch" on the wrist for some.
Someone I know just got a watch and said, "I have no idea what dials mean or what they do, I just saw a cool looking watch." His has an actual chronograph function, a lot of fashion watches tend to just be chronograph style. The sundials will be day and date or something, or even worse, not work at all!
"Probably the last one". At least for me. I have loved watches since I was a child. In the 1960s everyone wore watches, even children, because we needed them. Hardly anyone could afford cell phones and even if you could, they were the size of a brick and were made of vacuum tubes and buffalo skins.
As a small boy I was already amazed enough at a whole clock on my arm compressed into my Timex Mercury(?) but imagine how I felt when I saw my first Chrono, with three more tiny dials-within-a-dial. But I think it's also a pleasing look for most people, as you say, and not just watch guys.
Someone I know just got a watch and said, "I have no idea what dials mean or what they do, I just saw a cool looking watch." His has an actual chronograph function, a lot of fashion watches tend to just be chronograph style. The sundials will be day and date or something, or even worse, not work at all!
Your last sentence reminds me of that (in)famous MVMT watch with the three subdials, none of which had any markings.
I've always liked the look of chronograph watches, and I finally have one. It is a bread and butter Seiko SE-SSB089. It's huge and busy and could give the fashion chronos a run for their money, but because it's made by Seiko, it fits my arm well and the whole watch is sharp and readable. I do use the mecha-quartz chrono function for things like timing walks, the priest's sermon, or doing some cooking. But I hate to admit that it's easier to time these things with a dive watch's bezel. I've just always liked that chrono look.
The scary thing is a lot of the time the chronograph function doesn't actually work 🤣