When to approach a Watch Geek?
I was at a work function last night, and saw two people with interesting watches. The first was a wearing a Rose Gold Nautilus. He was dressed in all Hype Beast fashion, and did not seem very approachable. While I was interested in the watch, and whether or not it was real, there was something about the air of the man that made me hesitant to approach him. (I wouldn't have asked if it was real, I just wanted a closer look.)
The second individual was wearing a Shark Watch. I had no issue complimenting him on his watch, and he was very enthusiastic about it. He told me how he surfed with it, and how great it was.
Is it wrong to have the preconceived notion that someone wearing very expensive clothes and a ridiculously expensive watch would be hard to approach? Where preconceived notions about that kind of person leading me to assume their nature?
I'll never know, but it got me thinking. How do other people decide whether or not to complement people on their watches, do you have set rules? Is it just dependent on the person? Also have you ever had any negative interactions from complimenting someone on their watch?
The only other time I complimented someone on their watch was in a restaurant. The man was wearing a Panerai, and spent a few minutes telling me about his life. He was a former soldier, who worked all over the world and, I assume, now owned a restaurant on 5th ave. He was very nice, and allowed me to hold the watch. Which was very cool, as a Panerai is my Grail Watch.
I saw a guy with a Bell & Ross and complimented him on it and we ended up having a great convo about many things.
Expect the best, and maybe the common interest in the timepiece opens good conversation. If not, not your loss. Good story.
I always ask about an interesting watch I spot (unless it's a Rolex, because they're boring and I likely already know as much about them as the wearer). Otherwise it's a great conversation starter. What's weird though is how I can get someone excited about telling me about their watch all the while they completely ignore mine, and never ask about it. Just goes to show how few people pay attention to someone else's watch.
I think body language says a lot...I try to go by that
I guess my decades in the hobby has been good training about approaching or not approaching some person wearing an interesting watch. I am not the first to offer this advice: forget about a Rolex owner unless it is an older reference. On one occasion when I was accompanying my wife to an orchid show, I was allowed to rest after a few hours of checking out plants that would be sentenced to an early end if we would bring any into our loft, when I noticed a middle aged woman wearing a 80s two tone Cartier Santos that was too loose on her wrist. The way she kept touching the watch suggested to me that it belonged very recently to a male family member probably a deceased spouse. She noticed my inappropriate staring, smiled and said simply that she was dragged to the show and yes her husband was a bit of a dandy with his Cartier watches. I just nodded and apologized for interrupting her private space. I did informed that my sis in law was fond of wearing her late husband’s Santos also. Unless somebody initiates a convo with me about my watches, I no longer bother.
I admire that you approach people it is part of the hobby which makes it fun.
Trust your judgement, regardless how the encounter turns out it is part of your watch collecting experience. We all have similar experiences. I will tell you this, if people don't appreciate their time pieces the way they should it speaks to their character and it is their issue not yours.
They probably hates dogs as well so they are not worth your time
off to but on my Baltic Titanium a great weekender and walk my dogs