Why Buy Affordables When You Have Expensive Watches?

Oh, what a splendid Seiko, my dear friend! I, too, decided to go with a Seiko - the Seiko 5 Sports Field Watch (SRPG35K1), despite already having a Tudor and Omega in my collection. It was during a trip to Japan earlier this year that I stumbled upon it and just thought, "Wow." An automatic movement? A display caseback? So many features, and indices not just printed on the dial? And with its tasteful size of just under 40 mm, all at such an affordable price point? I liked it a lot then, and still do so now.

Though it doesn't get to be on my wrist as often as my other, more pricey ones, it does get wrist time for about two days each month, especially on those special Sundays when the red "SUN" marker comes out.

The only aspect I find lacking in comparison to my luxury watches is the quality of the watch crystal, which feels somewhat less refined and lacks an anti-reflective coating. But considering the price, one can't reasonably expect more. Cherish your new acquisition!

Theres always room for one more affordable watch.

There are days where you need:

1. A beater because you will engage in physical activities.

2. A cheap watch because you're going to a sketchy area.

3. A homage because you're playing video games on the PC and you constantly bang the watch around the keyboard. Also that speaker emits alot of magnetism. Which homages? Well a homage DayDate for Grand Theft Auto. A homage Daytona for car racing game. A homage Speedmaster for Star wars game. A homage IWC for WWII air-combat game.

4. A weird watch so you can post it on a WRUW. AND THEN immediately take it off your wrist.

It's a watch collection = watches you like for a myriad of reasons. Lots of cool "Value" watches that we can appreciate. I always answer a question with a question: Why that inexpensive handbags when you canafford a designer? Why those kids when you can buy Christian Louboutin? Always speak their language when trying to rationalize a watch 😉

I buy what I like without regard to affordable vs. expensive. I bought a Zenith and then two Casio. I like what I like the look of and enjoy wearing. My wife wonders why I buy affordables too but that's the beauty of the hobby. I get joy from them too.

Yep for sure. Also for travel. I bought a Benrus Type 1 - if it was good enough for the GI’s in Vietnam, it’s good enough for me… oh and banging it up is sort of the entire point of the watch!

Because you like it and you can 🤣😂

Ok, that's a fine Seiko, so my next paragraph isn't applicable. Think of those cheap and not-so-nice watches, ok?

You need to own bad watches to appreciate good watches! There are philosophers (do not ask me who; staying awake in liberal art classes is very challenging) who point out, correctly, that words can only be defined by their opposite. A thing is tall only because others are short. A thing is heavy because others are light. Similarly, we can only know goodness in watches by observing how bad watches can be.

Now, if somebody can please use that argument on my wife so I can have budget for some more cheap watches, I would appreciate it 😜.

Defining luxury, I guess my piece for now is the PRX. Haven’t gotten the urge to look for more yet. But that said, having a cheaper watch, and acquiring cheaper watches after purchasing a “luxury” piece to me is simply do to liking a model or type of watch. Doesn’t really matter the price really. Even 20$ Casio would still intrigue me having already a Tissot or Seiko or others

This was my last watch purchase, and my least pricey purchase in a while!

Wild n wacky was what I needed 😉

And you’re very right, beyond a certain price I struggle to wear some watches.

Ive found the opposite.

Getting "posh" watches has killed the entry level stuff I use to love.

EG- fell for the hype & got a Seiko 55 Anniversary & a Zelos Swordfish Ti recently, the Seiko is ok but worn once & the Zelos is just awful.

Gutted, I'd have thought they were wonderful a few years ago...

But a positive, it works out cheaper in the long run because now I look at potential purchases and think is it worthy of stealing wrist time from my beloved Seamaster - the answer is always a resounding NO!!

Lowest priced watch I'm looking at at the moment is one of the new GMT Alpinists,aside from vintage stuff (which is the direction I'm headed as otherwise my tastes have become prohibitively expensive!)

Im not a watch snob, just my tastes have grown beyond my budget....😂😂

Got it in a trade, dunno why but I really can't get on with it. I'm 53, so maybe the style is a bit wild for me, or it's my lizard brain associating lightweight titanium with cheapness, or maybe it's because I wear my Seamaster nearly all the time and the Zelos obviously isn't the same quality as what I wear daily. 🤔

Odd one that.

Cheers mate 👍🏻

I only have one true beater watch, and it's my square face GShock. Aside from that I treat all my watches, no matter the price, the same. I want them all to last.

I can honestly say I admire something like my GS Shunbun and a Casio A158 the same, just for different reasons. That's all it is really.

If your wife is still confounded with this notion show her the Watch Finder video on the Timex Q GMT. Andrew Morgan is a great narrator and really makes that affordable watch look and sound as worthy as any luxury watch (because it is).

Yeah, enough said above. I'll just give an example!

MJW, my latest purchase, and a...

A crazy tantalum cased, stealthy perpetual calendar toting, grand feu enamel wearing, Moser!

Like all other crunchers many reasons

• Love them

• Watch collecting / hoarding

• Can’t wear expensive one for every occasion

• Impulse/drunk buy

• Got sucked into hype and it was cheaper

For me I find building watches is more fun… don’t get me wrong I still love me some Grand Seiko’s and Omegas and on Rolexes but with inexpensive watches, I don’t like the word “cheap” it gives a bad connotation, I feel I’m less pretentious lol… I can be sooo pretentious most time and arrogant… with inexpensive watches it humbles me…

As long as watches like the Seiko Alpinist and Presage exist, I would. 🙂

For me ( and me only ) i buy a watch when I feel…hmmmm I like that ! That’s it, it’s that simple! I wish i could say there was more of a well thought out thinking/meaningful process to it but that’s all I really do! Price or brand of the watch don’t really come into it!!! I have in the pass brought watches that are of the luxury brand and found them to be well….average and then got ones that are much more reasonably priced yet I found absolutely brilliant and value for money! 🤔

I do the same. I just buy what I like and I’ll sell what I don’t. I haven’t sold anything yet though 😂

Absolutely, they don’t usually understand

You sir are correct!!

I might just sell a couple watches... ... some time too 😂

Yes! A good watch will speak to you regardless of price point.

Whilst i dont own any "luxury" pieces, I have hardly climbed the ladder straight up or down in terms of price, and i think this question applies to all price brackets not just "luxury" brands

After my first watch my next four were more affordable at a quarter to three quarters of the price of the first, and only then something more expensive than my first watch

Why? Easy. I wanted to try different styles to see what I like, as well as have different priced watches for different scanrios (affordable causal beaters, more expensive fancy stuff)

Makes sense. Different joys for different watches, with regards to and regardless of price point 😊

Nonsensical, purchasing a Sekonda? Since when? On what planet? The Sekonda saved you from ending up with an expensive imitation.

Tell her you collect watches because you have no desire to collect wives.

Well . . . yes! We're done here.

" . . . the technology behind building . . . watches has progressed so much that one can get a really nice looking watch very inexpensively." Well stated, and pretty much says it all. I will add that while I appreciate intense hand craftsmanship, there is something to be said for efficient mass production. I have over 30 watches and the most expensive one was $180. There are Seikos, Bulovas, a Tissot, Citizen and interesting microbrands such as Techne and Aragon. I like the expensive big hitters too, but the watches I have collected come close enough to them for far less $$$. And when I look at my watch, I don't need to die with ecstasy over it, I simply want to enjoy it.

Short answer is because the price of a watch (or any other product, really) isn't directly proportional to its quality, beauty, or ability to serve its purpose, be it function or fashion. Unless the primary purpose of a watch is to project financial status, in which case, sure, no point in ever having anything but the most expensive things you can justify buying. But that seems kinda weird, like someone who orders the most expensive entree on the menu because they assume it must taste better than anything else the restaurant makes.

I agree in that I think there are different enjoyments to be had at different price points, enjoyment isn't dependent on price. The most expensive menu problem has some unique ingredients pushing up the price, kinda like how expensive watches will have certain finishing or movements.