Discussion
A little story.
Back in 2002 I bought a cheapo Tag. It was a massive upgrade on my previous Seiko, looked pretty cool (to me at least) and I was a happy bunny.
A couple of years ago, I guess my bank balance had got the better of me, and as a result of a hankering for an automatic watch, bought a lovely looking Zenith dress watch. It was spot on for what I was after, i.e. not too bling (no Brietlings thanks), not a Rolex (as everyone in the far east has a fake one at least), has a brilliant reputation for it's mechanism and really does look the nuts. Lastly, it was a sensible price and a good 25% cheaper than a UK dealer could sell it to me.
Two years last, and I think I'm suffering from cognitive dissonance, i.e. wondering why I spent £1500 on it. Don't get me wrong, it's still lovely, however there's a few thoughts:
- Despite being one of the better mechanisms on the market, doesn't tell the time aswell as my old quartz Tag.
- No it won't need a battery, but from reading around, servicing it will cost more than a replacement battery in the Tag.
- It's a dress watch and not something that I would be comfortable about jumping in a pool with, although it's supposedly water resistant, so when I went on my hols to the far east this year, I took the Tag and was more than happy to wear it.
I guess the key thing is that the Zenith does still look lovely, but I wonder where the £1500 benefit is over the Tag I also own. Maybe I feel that I should have spent the dosh on the stereo or something like that....
I guess what I'm getting to is that watch collecting really isn't my thing, so I can't see me buying another expensive watch, just wearing the ones I have.
Am I alone?
Back in 2002 I bought a cheapo Tag. It was a massive upgrade on my previous Seiko, looked pretty cool (to me at least) and I was a happy bunny.
A couple of years ago, I guess my bank balance had got the better of me, and as a result of a hankering for an automatic watch, bought a lovely looking Zenith dress watch. It was spot on for what I was after, i.e. not too bling (no Brietlings thanks), not a Rolex (as everyone in the far east has a fake one at least), has a brilliant reputation for it's mechanism and really does look the nuts. Lastly, it was a sensible price and a good 25% cheaper than a UK dealer could sell it to me.
Two years last, and I think I'm suffering from cognitive dissonance, i.e. wondering why I spent £1500 on it. Don't get me wrong, it's still lovely, however there's a few thoughts:
- Despite being one of the better mechanisms on the market, doesn't tell the time aswell as my old quartz Tag.
- No it won't need a battery, but from reading around, servicing it will cost more than a replacement battery in the Tag.
- It's a dress watch and not something that I would be comfortable about jumping in a pool with, although it's supposedly water resistant, so when I went on my hols to the far east this year, I took the Tag and was more than happy to wear it.
I guess the key thing is that the Zenith does still look lovely, but I wonder where the £1500 benefit is over the Tag I also own. Maybe I feel that I should have spent the dosh on the stereo or something like that....
I guess what I'm getting to is that watch collecting really isn't my thing, so I can't see me buying another expensive watch, just wearing the ones I have.
Am I alone?
I know where you are coming from in the sense that a colleague of mine has recently bought a Tag Monza from Dubai, he paid £1300 for it.
It's a nice watch but it certainly doesn't look of feel like £1300 to me, my Christoper Ward cost 10% of what he paid for his tag and i'd go as far to say my watch more of a quality feel about it.
It's a nice watch but it certainly doesn't look of feel like £1300 to me, my Christoper Ward cost 10% of what he paid for his tag and i'd go as far to say my watch more of a quality feel about it.
You are trying to be completely objective, which is (for most) pointless in relation to watches, cars, bikes, hi-fi, TV's, camera's etc.
A thousand pound watch is never 20 x better than a fifty pound one & so on, but then most of us want something nicer & therefore subjectively "better" than the most utilitarian version of eveything that we own.
A thousand pound watch is never 20 x better than a fifty pound one & so on, but then most of us want something nicer & therefore subjectively "better" than the most utilitarian version of eveything that we own.
I just bought a new camera and lens for £3,600; that brings my total camera gear bought in the last six years to nearly £9,000. Would a box brownie have done instead? Seriously, I've three great watches but yes, a Casio would do just as well, but then if you can afford it and like it that's the point of money.
My Zenith is an Elite, similar to this:
http://www.timezone.com/img/articles/comarticles63...
Not that I've any real intention to ditch it.
http://www.timezone.com/img/articles/comarticles63...
Not that I've any real intention to ditch it.
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