How many watches REALLY speak to you?

I find myself in a similar situation, I am not enthralled by a lot of the watches people go crazy for. I think it comes down to what each person finds interesting about watches. 

I don't give a toss about "heritage", or "horology", I like tiny devices on my wrist that tell time, are durable, and look appealing to my sense of style. 

The only thing my watches have ever said is tick and tock.

I am puzzled by the preponderance of diver’s watches and wonder what percentage of the population actually dives or even swims with their watch on vs. the proportion of divers watches that are shown on WC.  Since they are of no real interest to me, I tend to gloss over them since most are indistinguishable from each other at a distance.

Don’t hate me.

We are all different,with different tastes and preferences. I look at a lot of watches and like you don't get it yet others rave about. So nothing wrong with you at all, I'm the opposite of AdrianR and love dive watches, doesn't mean I'm wrong its my taste. And thank goodness we're all different or else all watches would be the same (oh the hell of only having dainty dress watches,and don't get me started on little watches). Remember one man's meat is another man's poison, vive la difference (and you can appreciate a different watch without actually really liking it) . So not abnormal at all, a human being with your own mind.

Greetings fellow normal people! Everyone so far is correct. 

I remember some old newspaper story about some local couple that bought "their dream car." I was a friggin PT Cruiser. As penniless as I probably as the time, I remember stopping in awe and thinking "dream higher."

Admittedly, I am very happy with several very unambitious and bland watches of mine. But I don't publicly go on like a boy in love singing praises and acting like they changed my life. 

I'll concede that there may be some "beauty pageant" relativism here, where the bar is set pretty high so it's easy to be way more judgmental than if things were a more average range. But still, I often feel I'm in some Shallow Hal sketch where unspectacular things are being excessively fawned over to a point of incredulity. And I'm totally with @AdrianR on being bewildered by the overemphasis on dive watches (apologies to those of you with what appear to be half to a full dozen nearly identical-looking dive watches, but they really are cookie-cutter units to the non-fetishist).

I get some feint joy or perk, pride from many watches. I am not sure if others are over-emoting to try to convince themselves or if they think this is how a watch enthusiast should feel and act.

I have a digital watch that speaks the time... does that count?

I don't know if this makes any sense to anyone but me, but diver watches look like rugged, durable machinery. The same way that a Ram 3500 Laramie looks like a rugged and durable machine. Does anyone remember Tim Allen's old show, Home Improvement? Remember when he would make the "Ugh, ugh, ugh!" sound? That's the sound that I think of in my head when I see a diver watch. 🤣😎

Well I once had a radioshock digital that spoke the time. I'd really like a vintage Citizen C010 voicememo. I really feel like that would speak to me

There are an awful lot of watches in the world. I suspect it’s normal to find most anodyne, many ugly, many ok, some desirable, and a small number really inspiring. And I suspect it’s also normal that each of our classifications of objects into each of these categories would differ depending on both explicit and inarticulable factors.

Isn’t that true of any class of desirable object, even when that object is a person?

I buy and wear what I like. Don't care what others think. I do appreciate seeing what others like or don't. All I know it exposes me to different watches and opinions people have about what we all like.

WATCHES

Enjoy your watch!

Cheers!

“Everyone so far is correct.”

I appreciate that you’re leaving room for the inevitable wrong opinion. Most people get tied up in this nonsense about how there aren’t any incorrect opinions, but that’s incorrect. 

Just got off the plane where the male flight attendant had a monster of a invicta on his wrist that wasnt my style, but chatted briefly and he seemed proud to have just bought it for himself as a recent birthday present. So I dapped him up and said thanks for sharing. 

I'm totally with you on dive watches. They are ubiquitous to the point of senselessness. My most recent example is the GMT craze happening right now. Why do they all have dive watch styling? And unidirectional bezel? 

I can't swim on the plane. I didn't bring my scuba suit. Maybe the toughness? But you can build a tough travel watch. 

I was searching for a dressy GMT watch, but almost nothing. A few world timers with good looks. Eh. 

Monogamous when it comes to marriage.

Polyamorous when it comes to watches.

So yes...a very high percentage of watches speak to me.

My wife does not understand it at all...classic phrase on showing her a recent find..."that looks just like the one you received yesterday"..."why do you keep buying these boring watches"..."another one of those (eyeroll)"...and many many more.

There is a huge difference between seeing the watch online and holding it in your hands. But I only try to listen to it when put it on my wrist to try. Everyone has different taste. Age and background plays a huge role on your taste. Also I hear people talk about what they like now but that will change a lot as you mature in horology. When you see this hobby as a journey you become more tolerant to bad dicisions. Than again everytime I see an Invicta I want to grab a hammer lol 

I completely understand the reasons behind how people judge the dive watch aesthetic issue with 1000s of models available. I think individuals most likely those who are not truly into watches continually gravitate towards a watch that presents a certain established persona. Adventurer / Risk taker etc etc. They could be seen as an Alpha style watch. As for how many true dive watches that have been purchased that have actually been under the sea/ocean? I would make an educated guess and say less than 1% ????

I am a former military diver and an over 3 decades recreational diver. I love divers but I have a connection to them. But I can’t remember the last time I actually used one for actual purpose… I think the last time I wore a diver in the ocean was 2019 snorkelling in the keys 😂

I love divers and I am just drawn to them 🤦‍♂ However I can’t stand the over reliance that the watch world has placed on the design.

Doxa / Panerai / Seiko / Rolex / Omega / Blancpain / Tudor / Citizen 👌

It's pretty simple. Don't make statements that speak on behalf of everyone's personal feelings and you'll be golden in my book. That was there in my first reply. It was there in my second reply, after the guy didn't like being pulled up on it and even threw a 180 into his comments to try and save the day. But sure, if you feel you can't do that, no problem. We're just talking watches; we're not curing cancer. It's no biggie.

@Aurelian reminds me of Morpheus...

Isn't this a really interesting debate to have??? I LOVE it when WC conversations can challenge our way of thinking about things. God, life would be dull if we all agreed all the time.

So don't you think what's interesting about this is it really makes you ask yourself "Actually, what the hell do I mean about 'Watches speaking to me'?" It's something I'd have to mull over to be honest.

Is it history? Well not always because I love microbrands.

Is it looks? Well not always because I have fallen for some butt ugly watches because of the movement and tech inside.

ARE watches really speaking to me? Or is it just my mood at the time that gives them their voice?

Bear with me...

When I feel like dressing up I'm all over the classy demure vintage pieces, so they 'speak to me' then.

When I'm feeling in a 'get s*** done' mood, I'm going for chunkier tougher pieces.

Sometimes a watch will sit in the box for ages if I'm not in the mood, and then it'll take my fancy again and be on my wrist for days. So what's that all about in the world of speaking watches???? I have no idea.

What about, "There is no journey"?

Wow. I'm deciding if that feels like an uncomfortable thought, or a freeing one.

A journey indicates an end. A 'win' or sense of completion. Do we like that thought? Does it give all of this collecting lark a purpose? A reason? Or is it a pressure to take the right steps in the path? To make the right choices and obtain the best result?

I wouldn't get offended about the sweeping statements. I'd use them as a great tool to ask ourselves some interesting questions. 🍻

Like:

Nothing "speaks to you."

There is no "journey."

Discuss.

Thank you @complication for a cool thread and for @Aurelian making me question my entire ethos of watch collecting with eight words! 👏 That's skills.

I was only drawn back here because of @Deeperblue and I find you arguing with @Porthole about your misunderstanding of the content of what I said. My comment was about language and you continue to argue feelings. I didn't throw a "180" into my comments to "save the day". I allowed that many may agree with you, maybe most.

You started out saying that you don't understand why people like 90% of the watches that you see here and you wondered if there was something wrong with you. To answer this very specific question, no.

I will probably expand my thoughts as related to parts of my initial comment into a post some time this week. It will be the kind of post that gets few likes, comments, and views. Tell me that I am wrong and why when I do. I won't mind. It's just part of the journey.

You're very welcome. I think it's certainly been a great topic for many to positively engage with; thinking back over all the times a watch has spoken to them with their looks, their specs, or maybe something else (or even just leapt off their monitor shouting, "YOU WANT ME! BUY ME NOW!" which is another kind of speaking I guess, LOL). Very relatable stories from many Crunchers. Glad you enjoyed, @Deeperblue

Very few

Oh, let me! I’ll explain your wrongness!

@Deeperblue - I’m joining the fray!

@Aurelian Love your thoughtful and intelligent posts - but for this one I’ll attempt to show our opinions can differ (you are wrong) and that’s ok! (It’s not ok)

I’ll define ‘speak to me’ watches as those that inspire happy memories/emotions.  This is owing to the design and/or the way it was acquired.

Quick example : My Ginza alpinist is a sparkly bauble that tells me time and date.  BUT ALSO: that dial looks like bricks in an Edo period alley in Japan that I’ve walked many times hand in hand with wifey.  Another bonus: She bought the watch over the phone from a Kobe based AD and had her mom go pick it up and mail it to us in Canada for a Christmas present.   

Several of my watches have a similar personal meaning for me.  I believe this is what most are referring to when saying ’it speaks to  me’.

Equally, I’ve got a few watches that I simply love as the sparkly bauble they are.

My Captain Cook ceramic - I love dive watches (all my watches get wet and most end up in the ocean sooner or later) and since I scratch watches like crazy, I wanted to try a ceramic.  The CC is a wickedly affordable full ceramic dive watch, that sparkles!

I love it, but still might sell it someday to make way for something else.  It’s just Bauble status fo’sho’. ‘Nothing speaks and no journey’ made me feel a little sad for you as I consider those points highlights 😢

(Sorry OP for thread hijack )

‘The journey’

heck yes! All of our life is a journey of evolving and changing tastes and preferences. Watches included

My fave watches at 30 years ago are horrid to today me. Probably for most of us. Isn’t this …the journey?

It it not a hijack in that it was exactly the sort of thoughtful response that I believe @complication was hoping to elicit with this post. I will put my thoughts in another post as a pinata for disagreement.

Erm 🫤 I change like the bloody weather on watches I run hot and cold on some , others are just fugly , but who am I to be impolite or a dick about what other people get joy out of , and there are watches that don’t just speak to me they whisper sweet nothings in my ear and make me feel like I am falling in lust with and what can I possibly sell to acquire them to obtain those unobtainable lust objects ( Vacheron/ Patek/ Rolex/ Omega / Lange/ H Moser and on & on it goes . Many micro brands are either archaic , achingly beautiful, or plain ordinary, all diversions from my grail quest . In my mind I am singing “ To dream the impossible dream “ when I look at the whispering lovely ones behind bulletproof glass in strongbox rooms . Yes they speak to me . Summer flings and the GFE to me is Casio and , the gf you might write back to is Seiko. ( we all can devise similar classifications) In essence I agree with you and no , your normal 🙂 just probably a classically polite nice guy .

I’m lucky my lovely wife shares my passion 🙂 and helps me achieve them . I am a lucky man .

Like when a tree falls in the forest one hand clapping type Kybalion initiate or neophyte type Shaolin type thoughts …. Cool , thats how i would have covered my glib statement…

Thinking about things and being challenged isn't everyone's cup of tea.

I enjoy the thought experiment 👍

I like your thinking and diplomacy 🙂 great reading :)

I appreciate a lot of watches, but i don't wanna buy 99.9% of them. I also won't buy a watch just to buy a watch, i kinda used to treat myself with watches for an occasion. It takes time to me to really fall in love with a watch, and a lot of back and forth inner dialogue. I have a document where i put the pictures of a watches i like and right now it has 19 photos. From this 19 photos i'm not sure about 7-9 watches. Another 5 is out of reach for now. So it lefts me with about 5-7 watches i really want and can buy in the nearest future. 5 watches is nothing in the whole variety of a watch world.

But i do love talking watches, looking at watches, discovering new models and microbrands - all while wearing the same old Seiko.