The Fantasy of Watches - and how it informs your purchases?

How about Weekender? I always have a tough time thinking of what to wear when the weekends come around.

I'd be lying if I said that the names like Shark Hunter, Devil Diver, Moonwatch or Lunar Pilot don't have an effect on me. Of course they do. That's their job; to differentiate the product from the competition. All other specs & features being roughly equal, I'm sure as hell buying a Devil Diver over a SPRH71K2 or a Lake Suwa over a SLGA021G (😉).

I have no delusions of grandeur. I know I’m not scaling any mountains or battling sharks. But if I like a watch that happens to have a silly name and some over the top marketing, it won’t stop me from buying it. Some go too far, like the overtly Bond stuff. I’m not a huge Bond fan, so that’s a bit of a turn off.

I have had this fantasy for a long time, since I was a young lad . . . that one day, I could travel through my life, working, playing, just living the life that I was granted, and without drama or strife or undue effort, briefly cant my head, gently twist my left wrist and be able to tell the time of day.

I like the person I'm pretending to be when I wear my Cartier Tank.

All he succeeded in was getting blocked by me for a mindlessly angry and aggressive response. Moving on.

Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.

Don’t worry, the Weekender’s ticking will remind you what to wear

Something I like about Rolex is a lot of thier models have nicknames. Batman, Kermit, Batgirl and so on. I think it would really cool to say I have a Rootbeer and everyone knows what watch I have. With that being said I don't have any Rolex's with a nicknames but I do take my Explorer ll on vacation. It's kinda fitting.

When I re-watched "Three Days of the Condor" sometime last year, I took notice of a very large, strange looking wristwatch on Robert Redford's wrist. I froze the movie on a frame that showed off the face pretty well, but no. I couldn't tell what it was, so I went to the internet. Turns out that it was a Doxa Shark Hunter. So now, every time I see a Doxa, those weirdly attractive timepieces with the funny hands, I think of how oddly out of place the Shark Hunter was in that political thriller... or was it? Redford's character was a CIA code breaker working out of a tiny office, and had to fight for his life because spies were out to kill him. The character survived and even took out a few assassins. Perhaps that makes the Shark Hunter more appropriate than 007's Rolex or Omega, if only in metaphor. If I ever buy one, it won't be because of Redford.

No one deserves that.

Why is there this belief that because we call dive watches “dive watches” that they are restricted to only people that intend to dive with them, else aspire/fantasize to? It’s just a name that makes it easy to communicate a set of qualities. Don’t forget that divers haven’t had a need for them for decades, yet they are a popular style. I am a diver and at one time did dive with dive watches, yet the last several times when I went diving, I left my dive watch on the boat or back in the hotel because it’s not necessary with a dive computer. I continue to buy dive watches for other reasons… I like the comfort in knowing that I won’t ever have to worry about water. I like the rugged design believing that it’s not fragile and I don’t have to worry about abuse. I like the bezel for timing when my take out pizza will be ready for pickup. This summer, each time I grab my chain saw, split wood, or just mow the lawn, I grab Seiko turtle. It has nothing to do with diving or fantasizing about diving while making firewood, but rather because I feel like it’s a tough watch and I can feel carefree about abuse it may receive.

You've just said something that I've said 101 times on this forum myself, re: non-diving applications for a dive watch, as if it might be something new to my ears 🙂 But at the same time, if you don't believe there's an image related to dive watches that people buy into, even down to their names, then I'd disagree. And also remind you that just because you don't feel that way, doesn't mean everyone else feels the same way.

Well, sit back fellas, I got a story to tell ya.

I'm into aviation. Always have been. Not a pilot, but I like pilot style jackets. And hats. And shades. And watches. I have several pilots style watches. Citizen Promaster Avion, Bulova Lunar Pilot (Double fantasy on that boy), Pagani Design Speedmaster homage, and technically, the Seiko SNK807 has a type B fleiger style Dial.

I do like James Bond. And I like his style and watches. But I can't afford a Seamaster or a 5513 Sub. But I do have homages of those. But in all honesty, it's not because I want to be James Bond, I genuinely like the style of the older Sub and Seamaster.

I like Space travel. Got a Bulova Lunar Pilot and a Pagani Design Speedmaster homage. No real desire to be an astronaut, but I like the style.

So really, I do tie my watches into other areas of interest that I have.

But it makes me feel like a real pilot 😭.

Thanks for the post, it’s an interesting theory. I’m sure it is for some but I would be surprised if it underpins much of it, at least directly. I think it is more of factor where there is an intersection between watch enthusiasm and your other interests. I have a watch with close associations with motorsport, which was one of the factors when purchasing, as I enjoy watching motorsport. Perhaps as a child I did like the idea of being a F1 driver which helped strengthen my like of the sport, but that fantasy didn’t make it out of childhood. I think it would be similar to movie type watches. Lots of people have close affinities with movies and having a watch which is associated with that movie or character would tie in, but not necessarily be part of a fantasy to be that character and feelings about the movie. For me rather than Bond, it would be the Orfina Porsche Design Maverick wears in the Top Gun films. Sure when I was a kid I would have liked to have been a fighter pilot but again, that’s been left behind. I do still love watching Top Gun, pure escapism, don’t want to be Maverick but the watch would tie into my feelings about the film (I think it’s £17grand so the watch itself will remain a fantasy) although i wouldn’t want something overtly branded with Top Gun, more like merchandise.

I could sum that up as some watch interest may relate to previously held fantasies from childhood which have evolved into areas of interest in adulthood.

Answering your original question. My current fantasy is to live in a house where there is not a film of sticky mankiness left on every surface by my two young children. If someone would create a watch that would play to that fantasy, I would pull the trigger on it straight away.

I completely understand where you're coming from, but turn it on its head. If someone walking up a hill/climbing a mountain goes out of their way to strap on a Seiko Alpinist, or a Rolex Explorer, or even a humble Lorier Falcon, to do that activity, they are planting a flag in the ground. They are associating that watch, and its past activity in history and/or what its marketing is trying to evoke, with the activity they're also engaging in. They could just as easily wear a dress watch, dive watch, G-Shock, Mickey Mouse watch, or no watch at all on that climb. By choosing a watch associated with the activity, they are buying into a halo effect that this watch will fit this look, based on the past and/or at the very least via marketing. That's the fantasy - the person isn't performing an activity on the same scale as Hillary conquering Everest, or Maverick pulling a 4G inverted dive, or Steve McQueen racing at LeMans, but the thrill of being the vicinity of something evocative of what made a watch famous, wearing a suitable watch, creates the fantasy.

I like this idea. Apart from my Casios, I have a watch on partially for the feeling I get when I have one on. I am a teacher who looks like I am not much older than many of my students, so having a watch on gives me the same feeling as hearing a good suit. Whether its a diver, or a dress watch, I feel a bit taller, more powerful, more put together. That feeling, a sense of refinment and style is a big reason as to why I wear a watch.

The other reason is I like knowing what time it is, and they are just so damn fun!

I don’t want to be a Santos. I like my name. 😁 but I also love the Santos.

I like interesting watches with a story to tell. I don't think they make me feel differently or more active, but maybe I feel a bit more interesting 🤔

I have a Seiko SRPE53K1. I love that watch. For all I know now famous person has ever worn it. I love saying its name, though. The tricky letter 'K' when you thought you were deep into numbers at the end. 😀

But I think a lot of the appeal of dive watches have to do with their perceived ruggedness. There is a tactile aspect to it. Divers are bigger, feel heavier, or you may call it "wrist presence", and their heft somehow feels more "manly", for the lack of a better word.

As far as creating a connection through advertisement, sponsoring events, celebrity sponsorship, or product placement is much harder. Even Brad Pitt wears a Breitling only part of the time.

I disagree. It seems like you’re the one projecting onto others. Certainly every interaction one has will play a small part in creating an image, but to judge someone’s intent based on such a shallow observation is a mistake IMO.

Yes I but mines the Bulova parking meter watch and I don't want to be stood by my car all day 😂🤣😂....

But totally get what you mean .....

Well, said, and..

The "I don't have kids, I still have a fun and cool life" would be a hit! 🤣

Hi Complication, Again I agree it’s an interesting theory and I think it probably does hold for some. The halo effect is definitely harnessed as a major marketing technique but it’s more that they use the appreciation of celebrities to infer that the product they are hawking are of good quality. They definitely also use techniques to associate certain lifestyles etc. It’s aspirational but I think there’s subtleties between aspiring and fantasising. Additionally, there’s the mindset that this watch was designed to do x activity, so I will use it to do a derivation of said thing, right tool for the right job so to speak, even if you only believe it’s the right tool because of the marketing. Incidentally, I did some woodland/hill walking today and chose a GShock, I don’t have an explorer, but if I did, would I have chosen it? Maybe not, out of fear of falling and bashing it off of a rock or something. Anyway, I don’t think anyone can say with any certainty why individuals choose which watches they wear for what, what they are thinking consciously or subconsciously. We’d need a psychology research team to devise an experiment based on the hypothesis, maybe an fMRI machine to see what’s flaring where in people’s brains, plus a ton of volunteers, different types of watch nerds and normal folk for controls. Cheers Steve

Up vote for the ginza alpinist!

I have a more boring form of fantasy. Most talk about the moonwatch, a diver, or some other physical activity. While I get that, my day to day today is an office setting.

When I first starting working in London, people dressed up - suited and booted was the term used a lot. People dressed much sharper than in the States. So, I had to get rid of my boxy suits and loose trousers and get a proper suit. I got a nice suit, more stylish shoes, and slapped on my watch. It made me feel like a million bucks! Felt like I could conquer any challenge at work.

In that sense, my "fantasy" is that my dressier watches or vintage ones, project style, confidence, knowledge, or even the ability to find hidden gems in vintage watches.

These aren't delusions of grandeur, but let's call it horological courage.

Love it! That’s a perfect mindset/fantasy for a watch

Once in a while I get a pang of regret my sharp dressed man / office wear is this 🫤

Wow that's cool. Much better than working in an office. My first dream was to be become a doctor! Are you an anesthetist or something or are you just touching some dials for fun?