I’ve seen this before I think, and basically, it is true… ish. For the most part people who are wealthy don’t necessarily need or want to advertise it. On the other hand, many watches require a certain level of money to even be affordable (including service costs) and are bought by people who aren’t necessarily flashing the cash. James May springs to mind — he was wearing Marks & Spencer’s clothes with Omega watches for a long old time.

There is a point, past the Omegas and the Rolexes (particularly the latter) where they remain stupidly expensive luxury items, but really aren’t aspirational outside of circles such as our own here.

I am not a car person as such, but if a watch that just tells the time well enough is your Ford, your Vauxhall, your Renault… then Omega and Rolex type luxury brands are your Audi, BMW, that sort of thing. Then all the crazy stuff is basically Zonda, Lamborghini, etc. It even works that most people are better off buying something Japanese, the Chinese are taking over, and the world is really trying hard in the West to make sure you just don’t bother. There are even older brands, now owned by elsewhere, trading on the name that have all the same parts as something else ‘cos they’re owned elsewhere, including overpriced toot that has an old name on it — not sure what is the automotive equivalent of Rotary, or Smiths. Jaguar and Land Rover I imagine. There’s even Skoda and Lada, who are basically Sekonda.

It’s interesting how we get locked up in brands, especially as we’ve had a generation who at one point were very much about ‘No Logo’. To the point there was a brand and a logo that said No Logo…

The Islander is a Chronograph — the Lorier lacks a Tachy, and is essentially just a watch with a stopwatch. (So… still a Chronograph, but less tools.) Aside from that, they are both much of a muchness, even in looks, and both have the ‘second time zone’ bezel, though the Islanders is easier to use. The Lorier looks better, just, by being minimalistic in comparison, but at the cost of functionality. It also has the nicer name and logo, whereas the Islander has the charisma of Marc behind it.

Both out of NYC too I think.

Not a lot between it, but if it was me (and no other choice available) I would go with the Islander.

I agree. Collection implies ‘more than one’ rather strongly. I’ll be honest, even the ‘three watch collection’ feels kind of confusing. Not least as you can sort of justify three watches as being necessary — one for day to day, one for best, one for manual work and knocking about in. Like suits in a way. Collection sort of implies more than a normal person would need, and the likely fact that some are just there for being a thing, an object, rather than to actually use. Or ones that have something special about them — collectors editions rather literally.

I have rather a lot of books, but that doesn’t make them a collection — the fact that I have specific editions of some, and sometimes more than one of a particular book, makes it into something of a collection. But also makes them into parts of other collections. In much the same way I could pop my Star Trek watch next to the other Trek things (it was part of my Trek junk long before I stumbled into considering watches a thing a collected) it can’t be a collection on its own.

My ‘collection’ started by virtue of never having thrown a watch away, but then also never quite bothering to get new batteries for some, or losing them in drawers. Once I put them all together, and crucially once I bought watches I definitely didn’t need or want for any reason than they were watches they became a collection. Curation, in a way, is the defining act. Treating them as a subject of their own, even some light study and maintenance of the objects. Appreciation, rather than collation.

Nineties Seamaster 300 and the PO both double up as Clarkson watches 😆 (May has an orange PO… )

Bond and Top Gear really. Hammonds Orange strap Tissot caught my eye yeas back, but I didn’t really tip into a big watch interest until later… then the old Bond influence (which likely influenced my father too, subtly, looking at some of his watches growing up. Divers and an LED watch are both of their time and very Moore.) kicked in again. I do strongly suspect that Bond is very responsible for a lot of Divers popularity rubbing off on people, which becomes a sort of rolling thing in the background without realising it. I know Moore’s Seikos were a big influence on the popularity of a lot of digital complications when I was a kid too.

In some ways, the very idea of all the gadgets we get on watches — right up to the Smart watches now — have that element of Bond in there.

Amazon do them. They are quite expensive for a pin, but at least you know it’s inox.

Like I mentioned, I think it’s because people got used to them being around a certain price point, and once most of the models cross that Rubicon it changes brand perception for people. It likely doesn’t affect Citizen so much because they — in some markets — just weren’t as visible. Plus, with their eco drives there is still something in the lower, easier to afford, price brackets.

Seiko have changed and people don’t like change. (Think how much the brand used to be associated with digital watches, but now barely touches that space anymore.)

I’m not saying any of of this is right or good. Just that it is what has happened as they shift their focus again. People are looking around for that new “cheap” entry point, and some are fairly vocal about Seiko not being that anymore. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that not only are the homage and microbrands making headway in that space (look at the launch of things like Cestrian as much as the Ali brands all on Amazon) so it’s all new and unfamiliar brands there, but also existing remaining heritage brands at that price point — the Accurist, the Sekonda — are also relaunching themselves and pushing for visibility as the space in the market opens up.

Seiko has a big following, so any backlash against such a change is going to be much more visible. And it’s the kind of talking point that makes for good clicks on videos, so it becomes a thing people hear, and then a thing people say. (Which is true in all sorts of areas these days, not just watches. Negative press has wings it seems.)