Watches and Lifestyles

First things first, let me help relieve you of your nice watches. Send them over 🤣

So regarding HK, I have many relatives living there, and when I go visit, they’re rocking nice watches and handbags and they do wonder and have commented if I’m doing ok financially living in the US rocking my Seikos. The opposite is true living is the US and everyone is rocking Apple Watches and I’m wearing a Seiko and they think I’m making a killing. 🤣😂🤪Insanity.

Yes! I think that’s part of the reason I moved away entirely from Swiss watches. Even though next to nobody knows any brand beyond Rolex, even a stray comment here or there about my Breitling or Omega made me feel weird.

Now, with GS, if anybody ever notices, I just say, “Oh, this is a Seiko.” All good.

My favorite thing to do is wear a blingy watch with normal clothes. I wear my Tudor Royal 38 in gym shorts and a T-shirt constantly. It's a nice look because it doesn't make it look like you're trying hard, you're just wearing what you like.

Something to think about is the position we are all in. We all care about watches here, but 99% of others couldn't care less. You could be wearing a Seiko 5, an Omega, a Rolex, hell.. even a Lange! People will not notice the brand. My point is that most watches look the same from a distance to non-watch people. Even something inexpensive like a Seiko 5 GMT is going to look really expensive to a non-watch person.

Simlly put, wearing anything that isn't an apple watch is going to look expensive and emphasise the look you're trying to avoid. So I wouldn't worry about it too much.

I live in a rural town in the middle of the US, and it would be considered quite ridiculous to spend over $1 grand on a watch. I have several over that. Nobody notices and nobody knows. Me and my colleague are “secretly into watches” and I own a Speedy and he owns an Aqua Terra. In the 8 combined months that we’ve owned them (and he wears his everyday), not one person has ever even acknowledged their existence. They have no idea.

I will occasionally get comments on my Oris Aquis or Ball Marvelight, but they are quite colorful. A conservative luxury watch will likely do quite well for you as long as it’s not a Rolex.

It is a real struggle. Similar to at @Mr.Dee.Bater, it is easier to wear brands folks have not heard of. Working in finance, every time I wear a Rolex or Omega, I will notice eyes veering towards my wrist in meetings, especially amongst newer associates who see it as a status symbol or a step towards a lifesytle they see on social media. So 9/10 times, I ignore My Swiss box and go for smaller brands.

All that said, I find my self slowly getting to the point of F-It. Be it with watches or cars. I want to spend the excess savings I have and enjoy life a bit and part of that comes with a risk of coming across flashy. That is where I pick and choose my situations.

Almost nobody notice the watches I wear, I wouldn't worry about it.

Nope.

I wear what I like to. Have plenty of nice watches and conversely plenty of nice straps.....just cuz some others say they aren't "luxury" doesn't mean I think they are nice.

I also routinely wear some of my very affordable watches on straps that cost the same or more lol. (Zulu Alpha x WOE collabs with an Orient Defender MkI, bought used off Joma for under $100US).

Should I ever acquire a "luxury" watch, I'll wear those (and prolly scratch em up a lil bit 😂) along with my Timex's, Micros, Momentum's, Orient's and Seiko's. I like a good watch.

I'd wear your watches proudly. Someone wants to take an "issue", let em. They wanna sniff and pout about "airs". Screw 'em TBH. Same people have hobbies and luxuries they spend their money on, why can't you. You don't answer to them how you spend your money.

I see this attitude all the time at firearms courses I go to on my own dime. Guy sneers at my $500+ much loved micro and says his Walmart Casio does the same thing....as same guy proceeds to pull out his $2,500 custom CZ Dan Wesson....🤷🏻....my P320 does the same thing, just sayin. 🥲🤪

I agree with @cornfedksboy . I live in a small rural town in the Midwest USA. At first I felt like you did, that wearing my nicer watches was showing off and I didn’t want to be “that guy”. Then one day, my son (23) gave me some wisdom. “Dad, who cares what people think? You’ve worked hard and earned what you have. If someone doesn’t like it, that’s their problem, not yours”.

After that, I started wearing whatever watch I wanted, whenever I wanted. I no longer give a sh*t what anyone thinks and I get to enjoy my timepieces.

Btw, nobody notices your watch anyway… at least in my experience!

I save my nice pieces for special events. Mostly as a safety thing in public. I don't want to get robbed for a watch!

I bought a JLC Master calendar moonphase.. it was far too beautiful to wear to work, or after work, or at the pub, or with jeans. It really only looked good in a wedding suit or black tie, of which I go to one or two a year.. I sadly had to admit the watch didn’t match my life.

A Canadian watch like #marathon might ease the pain and get some good will

Yes! I struggle with that a lot. I am Catholic and I am always called to live simply, and only have what you need, and give whatever you can to people that need help. Saint (Mother) Theresa of Calcutta always said “Give until it hurts”. While I’m definitely not a Saint (but hope to slowly get there eventually) my wife always reminds me that we can be doing more. Enter my expensive hobbies that I grew up with coming from NY (golf, skiing, watch collecting). So it’s a struggle trying to balance what I want vs. what I should do. For me, I try to keep the excess down to a minimum. Do I need 50 watches? No. Do I have a list of 50 watches in my head that I want? Yes! I try to keep it around 5, one for different scenarios (everyday, pool, yard work, fitness, family heirloom). So I’d recommend not choosing the blingy Rolex, but maybe a Rolex that’s under the radar like an Explorer or OP. Maybe not even a Rolex, and go for the Tudor equivalent. Maybe have more fun with what you want vs. what the culture says you should have. Maybe have a different watch every year to mix it up. Maybe share the joy of collecting with more people to bring joy to others vs the cultural norm of showing off. I like the phrase that WatchGecko used in a recent video (about the ridiculous prices of watches now) that most of the people buying expensive watches are “money enthusiasts” vs. watch enthusiast, because it’s more about the value of the watch and status. I don’t know. Just my brain spewing. 🤯

I think it really depends on how wealth, or at least a certain level of financial achievement is seen by society.

I remember explaining a nephew how a mechanical watch works using an Islander field watch and its display case-back during a family meal with cousins I don't get to see very often.

This was in France and I could tell from the remarks and questions I was getting that even a 200$ mechanical watch was considered something of a luxury or at least an unnecessary expense. I would have felt completely out of place I had worn a Longines for example, let alone a Rolex. I felt like coming across as someone who could afford a nice/expensive watch was putting me in a different category of some sort. In certain social environments visible signs of "wealth" are somewhat considered obscene.

My guess is that the opposite type of rapport exists in HK (I've never been there), where if you don't show off with some type of expensive item, you're seen as someone who just can't afford it.

Under social pressure, in one case you have to hide your nice things, in the other, you have to buy nice things to belong. I find both situations alienating.

With Rolex being such an Icon and basically the only reference non-watch people have in watches, no wonder why it becomes such a polarizing thing.

I bought a Rolex then solid it; expensive watches aren’t exactly considered a wise choice in my circles. It’s often thought of status symbol or a “flex” (as the kids used to say 😉).

It was later replaced with a more expensive watch of a brand that the majority have never heard of. Nobody has ever said anything.

Never in a million years would I care.

I wear what I want,when I want. Anyone who questions my choices are cordially invited to go pound sand.

Isn’t the “you buy a Submariner with your first real bonus check” a meme that is kinda true?

Exactly 3 people have ever noticed and commented on any of my watches. For context I was born during the Carter Administration

1) my wife (she is obligated. Also, she knows that if she pays attention and engages with my watch habit I am less likely to buy without consulting her)

2) my 3 year old nephew ( I had just gifted him his first watch, a Blok, and he asked what my watch was called. He hasn’t taken the Blok off for a month now!)

3) a random sales rep at Watches of Switzerland. (not the person who was helping me. He was walking passed and commented positively on my Seamaster 300 on mesh. I was so thrilled and taken aback I didn’t even know what to say 😆)

Not from an AD anyway. It's been my experience most opt for a DJ.

My opinion is that owning and wearing watches should be effortless and enjoyable. If you are self conscious wearing it, and wondering what message you're sending, or thinking about it the whole time you're wearing it, then possibly it's not right for you.

I work in an office environment. I'm known as the watch guy from friends and family. I own affordable brands (Timex, Seiko and Bulova) microbrands (Lorier and Vaer) and two luxury watches from OMEGA. My friends and family think that spending that much money on watches is ludicrous. At work and in public, I get a mix of nice watch to how the f**k can this guy afford these watches?!! Granted, I look young for my age (just turned 26).

My lifestyle is casual to business casual attire, so I gravitate towards watches with versatility. I like to have variety and I don't care about the price tag (as long as I can afford them). Affordable to luxury, I love them all. Whatever people think of me, I don't care. I don't wear it for them. I wear them for myself

My God, the firearms community can be a toxic bunch. You practically have to get the big brands or else you'll get bullied. Not so much in the watch community (except for IG and Reddit)

Do you like in the UK or a high crime country??

Stay away from precious metals and some Rolex models like the daytona etc and no one will ever notice your watch or care except a fellow watch nerd.

I tone it down when traveling to under developed countries or impoverished areas but go full on peacock at cosmopolitan cultural events.

I'd say any enthusiast community will have it's fair share of a-holes, snobs and toxicity. For every bad example, I can think of at least two others where guys will actually ask about where to go for nice watches that aren't Rolex level, but look good. Or even straight up have another dude notice my Lorier, Elliot Brown, Helm and then hold up their wrist with a Vaer, Helm, or Sangin and smile and nod 😂.

If you hang around GolfWRX or MyGolfSpy forums long enough you'll see the same thing. Dudes flexing for show, and hating on people using vintage sets, custom half sets, or buying custom forged scoring wedges. Same ppl will buy the latest and greatest driver every year, in the vain attempt to correct their swing deficiencies, instead of practicing.

Same goes for the wargaming community or the paintball community, or the camera community, etc, etc.

One of the reasons I have thoroughly enjoyed Watch Crunch, is for the most part the absence of the negativity and toxicity. I'm still new here but it's a refreshingly different community of enthusiasts. There are still opinions and disagreement, but there is also discourse and legit discussion. Which only leads to more knowledge of what's out there, and as GI Joe says, "Now you know, and knowing is half the battle."

Wear what you want, when you want it’s about you not them!!!

Hmmm. This POV really stood out to me this morning. So I went researching the Ten Commandments and whilst “Thou shalt not covet” can be loosely interpreted depending what source you read.. I think there is sufficient wiggle room with a modern interpretation of these rules to justify your purchases whilst staying true to yourself and remaining humble in the eyes of the Lord.

So I say visit your AD, don’t pay over MSRP as that would definitely be a sin. Then go see your priest and confess if you must.

Gently fondling your bezel whilst repenting with your five Hail Mary will set you on the right path.

😁😇

If/when people comment on my Omega AT, I just say it's a Rolex copy that I picked up in Vegas.

Just keep it simple with so many watches and so little time. I just wear what I like that what I love about affordable budget watches like Casio or Timex those are two trusted brands you can rock at any occasion.

Sorry in advance, opinionated comment, iI dont mean to offend anyone. I understand your point, watches are one of those things which carry a message and indeed there can be certain social norms (maybe a strong word) in wearing one in different cultures, communities. On one hand there is the "wear what you want" argument but on the other hand, people tend to follow and influence each other when they are together. For example I work in a tech-y company where a lot of people I know are outdoor/endurance sport heads, and there are Garmins EVERYWHERE, its a flex. a Garmin flex, with a message "I run a lot", and "I want to optimize my blood oxigene at all times, even on meetings" The other big group are the apple or other smart watches, because tech thats why. So I see regular analog automatic wistwatches very sparingly, there are certein departments where they are more common, eg finance, but you feel kinda off when seeing one. Quartz fashion ones blend much better. I'm sporting a yellow digital G-shock in this environment, which is a subtle protest against smart/sport watches, because no I dont want to know my pulse, and dont care how many steps I took. But I do run, hike, and bike, and there is this great function: a stopwatch.