Watches, what they say about you..Or those You just don't understand..

[magagne]

Until about a week ago I totally didn't get it either - I thought they were at times plain, at times fugly, but I never ever imagined wanting one. But then I was browsing aimlessly at RG and came across "Strap Cultures" section and stumbled onto their catalog. Just to give you and idea until now I have bought a SSD and an Explorer I from Taka here on RWG. I dreamed (and still do) of an IWC Slevin, an Omega Aquaterra Coaxial... you get the idea.

But then I saw the pics at SC's section and WOW - I suddenly wanted one. Here is one of the pics that did it for me:

Now it is all I am thinking about and I finally bought a crappy second hand on RG which should arrive next week, just to see if I really want this - and if I do I will pay bucks for a nice one.

So my point is, never say never!

hummm. ... I admit, this one look pretty good... do I will go on the dark side too enventually?

[Richard Tracy]

My opinion (and it's just my opinion)- Who cares? It's just a watch If someone is judging or forming an opinion about another person based on what they have on their wrist, then they should perhaps consider taking a look at themselves first

True, however cannot the same be said about our clothing ? Our Hair styles ?

Women from what I understand, judge men by their shoes.

Do not some men judge others on their mechanical toys ?

Let me ask you all,... Would not your brother be allowed to tell you how others perceived you, and would you thank him ?

Are not perceptions reality to some people ?

Have you ever picked a certain shirt, hat, pants, socks, jacket, that you found cool, then wore them somewhere and some looked at you like you were a clown ?

Have you gone on a job interview, gone on a date with a new girlfriend, met her parents, or into a certain area without a thought to your accessories ?

As a brotherhood here I just thought we could express what echos in certain circles without anyone taking it personal,

and even exaggerate for the fun of it.

Which brings me to my last hate,.... Ceramic Watches, and Rado in Particular !~

I've seen them, so thin and dainty, on men wearing silk shirts, unbuttoned half way down revealing four gold chains draped on their hairy chest, bands lose and floppy like jewerly, accented by their gold pinky finger rings and gold capped teeth, and would not do business with them...

Sorry,.. my personal prejudice..

What does that say about me ?

That I'm human and imperfect, trying to make decisions on who to trust, in periods of time as short as split seconds, with perceptions, that are sometimes all that I have.

Think about this;

If it bothers you what people on a board think or say, then how much more, would real world reality affect you, spoken or unspoken ?

After all, these thoughts are only echos of what surrounds you in real life.

Factors that can make or break any one of the many situations that balance the door of admittance or denial.

Plus, some say that watches are the most important first accessory that a man has, to present himself to the outside world.

Well that's it for me,.. I'm all spent...

[scoobs1971]

Kinda explains my interest in your Davidsen thread doesn't it?

So Spain = Lifestyle = Panerai?

[JohnG]

So Spain = Lifestyle = Panerai?

It's looking more and more like it!

[ubiquitous]

Think about this;

If it bothers you what people on a board think or say, then how much more, would real world reality affect you, spoken or unspoken ?

After all, these thoughts are only echos of what surrounds you in real life.

Factors that can make or break any one of the many situations that balance the door of admittance or denial.

My personal philosophy- People, tastes and preferences all differ from person to person. What might be right for you simply might not be for someone else and vice versa. That doesn't make it wrong, in my book; only different. Does one's personal attire accurately reflect the kind of person they are? Maybe yes, maybe no. That said, how would you know unless you got to know that person? Not just that 'type' of person (from a stereotypical perspective) but that specific person?

From my standpoint: I really don't care what someone else has on their wrist, or what shoes or shirt they're wearing or how they look; it's not on my wrist, I'm not forced to buy it and someone else's preference in what possessions they choose to own does me absolutely zero harm. And likewise the other way around. I wear what I enjoy to please me, no one else. If someone wants to tell me what they think of my choices, that's absolutely fine. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Would it bother me? Not one bit as I'm not out to please others. Bottom line- tastes differ. Variety makes the world go around. Heck, variety is the spice of life, as quoted by your sig. I think there's a lot more to worry about in life than what someone else has or chooses to wear.

Just sayin'...

[Seadweller4000]

Took Scoobs post and modified it for my opinion:

Rolex: 'Look, like the real thing and only 150 Euro in my last holidays in Turkey!'

Breitling: 'I don't have any style but anybody will notice it from far away and there is real gold to it!'

Omega: 'I love watches advertised by prominent people. This makes me almost as hip. I love marketing in general.'

Tag Heuer: 'I can't afford an Omega.'

IWC: 'I like being colourless and I drive an Audi. '

Panerai: 'I am a fashion victim, this watch is almost as nice as my Armani Quartz, but more expensive - see?'

FM, UN, Cartier: 'My boyfriend liked it so much'

Breguet, VC, Patek, Chronoswiss, Lange: 'I got it as a tiny part of my compensation after I almost ruined a large company. I love being CEO.'

Graham: 'I thought it was an expensive can-opener?'

U-Boat: 'I am not used to think. Sorry!'

[Richard Tracy]

My personal philosophy- People, tastes and preferences all differ from person to person. What might be right for you simply might not be for someone else and vice versa. That doesn't make it wrong, in my book; only different. Does one's personal attire accurately reflect the kind of person they are? Maybe yes, maybe no. That said, how would you know unless you got to know that person? Not just that 'type' of person (from a stereotypical perspective) but that specific person?

From my standpoint: I really don't care what someone else has on their wrist, or what shoes or shirt they're wearing or how they look; it's not on my wrist, I'm not forced to buy it and someone else's preference in what possessions they choose to own does me absolutely zero harm. And likewise the other way around. I wear what I enjoy to please me, no one else. If someone wants to tell me what they think of my choices, that's absolutely fine. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Would it bother me? Not one bit as I'm not out to please others. Bottom line- tastes differ. Variety makes the world go around. Heck, variety is the spice of life, as quoted by your sig. I think there's a lot more to worry about in life than what someone else has or chooses to wear.

Just sayin'...

Ubi, one point I'm trying to make is that that we dont' always have time to 'get to know a person', decisions are most often made in milliseconds, and in such cases are based upon the external, or unspoken messages.

Also would you post against this thread if it did not bother you ?

Though many of us would like to believe that we are immune to the perceptions of others, how much of that notion is factual ?

The very quality of our lives are intertwined with how others view us as, most of us are not independent hermits.

Yes, Variety is the spice of life, however if my brother in-law who has the best personality but dresses like a gangster complete with bling, bling, inquires as to why he has such a difficult time getting others to see who he really is, and I, that knows the answer to that question, an answer that could save him precious time in his efforts to obtain the trust of my mother and sisters, withhold it in some misguided notion of 'to each his own', am I really being his friend ?

Our image is the 1st and sometimes a lasting impression to show to others who we are, so to expect everyone to bypass a 100 thousand years of defensive conditioning, on the basis of a notion that is evolved, yet opens us to possible harm in a world that is not, is expecting too much don't you think ?

It has always been my opinion that we as outsiders, {and we are all strangers when leaving our own homes,} are responsible to understand as much as we can about the views of the world, then make sure that we don't allow silly external accessories, to transmit a message that contradicts our true personalties, or message.

Too much of a burden to many, yes I understand that, however the fact remains that there is a cost is to be paid for ignoring perceptions, and is weighed against human relationships.

In other words, we can fight the stong winds of perceptions with our sail boats, or understand and navigate them..

I choose to navigate, life is too short and trinkets nothing compared to people....

[scoobs1971]

Took Scoobs post and modified it for my opinion:

Rolex: 'Look, like the real thing and only 150 Euro in my last holidays in Turkey!'

Breitling: 'I don't have any style but anybody will notice it from far away and there is real gold to it!'

Omega: 'I love watches advertised by prominent people. This makes me almost as hip. I love marketing in general.'

Tag Heuer: 'I can't afford an Omega.'

IWC: 'I like being colourless and I drive an Audi. '

Panerai: 'I am a fashion victim, this watch is almost as nice as my Armani Quartz, but more expensive - see?'

FM, UN, Cartier: 'My boyfriend liked it so much'

Breguet, VC, Patek, Chronoswiss, Lange: 'I got it as a tiny part of my compensation after I almost ruined a large company. I love being CEO.'

Graham: 'I thought it was an expensive can-opener?'

U-Boat: 'I am not used to think. Sorry!'

2 observations, though. I think TAG is more a marketing brand than Omega and the Graham Swordfish can also be used as spectacles......

Did I already said I love marketing and fashion in general?

[jeff g]

Said it before...I'll say it again...wear what makes you feel good.

[ubiquitous]

Ubi, one point I'm trying to make is that that we dont' always have time to 'get to know a person', decisions are most often made in milliseconds, and in such cases are based upon the external, or unspoken messages.

Also would you post against this thread if it did not bother you ?

Though many of us would like to believe that we are immune to the perceptions of others, how much of that notion is factual ?

The very quality of our lives are intertwined with how others view us as, most of us are not independent hermits.

Yes, Variety is the spice of life, however if my brother in-law who has the best personality but dresses like a gangster complete with bling, bling, inquires as to why he has such a difficult time getting others to see who he really is, and I, that knows the answer to that question, an answer that could save him precious time in his efforts to obtain the trust of my mother and sisters, withhold it in some misguided notion of 'to each his own', am I really being his friend ?

Our image is the 1st and sometimes a lasting impression to show to others who we are, so to expect everyone to bypass a 100 thousand years of defensive conditioning, on the basis of a notion that is evolved, yet opens us to possible harm in a world that is not, is expecting too much don't you think ?

It has always been my opinion that we as outsiders, {and we are all strangers when leaving our own homes,} are responsible to understand as much as we can about the views of the world, then make sure that we don't allow silly external accessories, to transmit a message that contradicts our true personalties, or message.

Too much of a burden to many, yes I understand that, however the fact remains that there is a cost is to be paid for ignoring perceptions, and is weighed against human relationships.

In other words, we can fight the stong winds of perceptions with our sail boats, or understand and navigate them..

I choose to navigate, life is too short and trinkets nothing compared to people....

K- Who said I'm posting against it? Simply offering a different perspective to an open thread; it's not an opposition, per se. People's values and opinions differ as much as their tastes. That's just my take on it.

[Richard Tracy]

K- Who said I'm posting against it? Simply offering a different perspective to an open thread; it's not an opposition, per se. People's values and opinions differ as much as their tastes. That's just my take on it.

Ubi, your posts, taken in the context of the purpose and subject of this thread, are against, because though it's an open thread, the normal rules of 'keep your negative opinions to yourself,' were already taken out of the equation to help keep it flowing in the path to which it was intended.

[ubiquitous]

Let

[Richard Tracy]

LOL... Obviously, I've ruffled your feathers...

Don't be so sensitive... My posts are not against or opposing. Just throwing a different opinion in the mix. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose? After re-reading through your original post, I saw nothing that stated such views couldn't be expressed... Nor am I throwing in negative comments (if I have, please correct me).

As you said... These are only trinkets... So, I'm just trying to wrap my head around this- What does it matter what someone wears? Is it hurting you, or offending you? Is wearing a certain brand morally wrong? What difference does it make if someone wears a Seiko, a Rado or a Patek? And... What happens when an individual owns all three? Does that in theory make them a cheap, thrifty, gold chain wearing guido with high sophisticated taste?

Or, perhaps to put a different spin on this- When a gen owner sees someone with an obvious fake, he automatically assumes that person to be a low life fraud, unable to afford the real thing and trying to pass a fake off as gen to show that this individual has arrived in this world. I, as many of the other forum members would know otherwise; we have many professionals and upstanding members here on the forum, but do you feel that this analogy is correct? Do you like being painted with that broad brush? As a member among a rep forum with reps in your ownership, yes- You do fall under that stereotype, as would I.

Again... Just a scenario, but one that is commonly seen when these topics come up on the gen forums. I'd like your honest opinion on that, please This is a fair question... If you're going to present one side, you should be ready for the other...

Regards.

Ubi, If you needed to, you could have read a bit further down the thread,...

Also gents,. I know most of us don't care what others think,.. I'm mostly just curious as to your decision making

process when you reject or select a particular type of watch.

As for my 'feathers' they are sitting smooth Ubi, again, I'm simply trying to keep the thread on the path to which it was launched... try not to take it personal.

Look, We already know that it's superficial to judge another being by his accessories, blah, blah blah, that's not the point of this thread and I believe that I have filled in every possible reason question you could have with regards to why I posted it,..which is for fun, release of held back opinion, or information...

If I'm missing something, then please let me know, and I will try my best to reiteriate,

[ubiquitous]

Fair enough

Nothing personal here... Just trying to understand your logic. That said... Please, carry on...

[magagne]

Time to big hug guys

[omni]

Well I for one find Richard's thread satisfying that there are several aficionado WIS in the forums that hate the watches I own and wear. It helps solidify that my individuality is secured over many years of maturing, kudos to you if you've grown up faster than I. I'm considered a "late bloomer boomer'. Was not always this "secure in myself" but winding through life's minefield (and getting blown apart a few times) helped achieve that status. Where what I thought was looking like a clown was actually me stupidly worrying about other people's opinions while unconsciously forming my own tastes, which was the underlying war of security vs. insecurity in one's self. Where do you remember in your timeline that you stopped listening and learning from your parents & peers and flew all on your own decisions?

Its nice to hear the differing opinions and reasons behind them, the perception in another individual's eye to what is true art can perplex me, I guess its the same as the art of horology, one man's crap is another man's treasure. Do these differing opinion's effect your decision and tastes? If you are open minded and not set in your ways then they should.

I guess I liken it to a movie where I always try to read the critiques after seeing the trailer. It does tend to steer me away from wasting time on stinkers and towards enjoying new great classics. So how I perceive what is ugly or beautiful in life is all my own decision, but how I got there was probably considering all the pros and cons, including other's thoughts on the subject.

Its fun that we can agree to disagree and poke fun at each other. What do my watches say about me, that I have my own drummer I'm marching to, in step with the out-of-step. Gad you guys all have horrible tastes!

[Richard Tracy]

Well I for one find Richard's thread satisfying that there are several aficionado WIS in the forums that hate the watches I own and wear. It helps solidify that my individuality is secured over many years of maturing, kudos to you if you've grown up faster than I. I'm considered a "late bloomer boomer'. Was not always this "secure in myself" but winding through life's minefield (and getting blown apart a few times) helped achieve that status. Where what I thought was looking like a clown was actually me stupidly worrying about other people's opinions while unconsciously forming my own tastes, which was the underlying war of security vs. insecurity in one's self. Where do you remember in your timeline that you stopped listening and learning from your parents & peers and flew all on your own decisions?

Its nice to hear the differing opinions and reasons behind them, the perception in another individual's eye to what is true art can perplex me, I guess its the same as the art of horology, one man's crap is another man's treasure. Do these differing opinion's effect your decision and tastes? If you are open minded and not set in your ways then they should.

I guess I liken it to a movie where I always try to read the critiques after seeing the trailer. It does tend to steer me away from wasting time on stinkers and towards enjoying new great classics. So how I perceive what is ugly or beautiful in life is all my own decision, but how I got there was probably considering all the pros and cons, including other's thoughts on the subject.

Its fun that we can agree to disagree and poke fun at each other. What do my watches say about me, that I have my own drummer I'm marching to, in step with the out-of-step. Gad you guys all have horrible tastes!

Great Post ! Thanks Omni,.. but if I had the words to express it as fluently as you did...

It's not to offend, but to inform, though I do enjoy those that present their views in colorful ways, as it makes it fun !

Better to read it here than face it in real life I would think..

[client9]

As humans, we naturally look towards others for guidance and leadership. We are pack animals, and the majority of us are followers, no matter how much people profess otherwise. But the key in life is to learn to stop worrying about what others think and to stand up for what you WANT in life. It is difficult to do, but once done, you will realize that the more you stick your neck out, the less likely you will be shot down. The more you stand up for what you WANT, the more people will happily give it to you. People are always looking for others to lead, and if take the lead, they will quickly fall in line. So what you wear does not matter, it's how you wear it that does.

Edited June 29, 2008 by client9

[JohnCraig]

I love it when I'm just cruising the forum and run across an oldie like this.

After careful review and a day of contemplation, I am torn between my need to pare my collection to a single life affirming timepiece and the need to double my collection beginning with whatever strikes my fancy in the FS section.

Thanks for the great read.

Please feel free to start this up again.

JW

[Newbie]

"Patek means old money, Cartier means new money, Rolex means your plumbing supply business is doing well and Omega means your grandma is really happy you finally graduated liberal arts college"

I laughed out loud when I read that - thank you.

[Newbie]

I am undecided on many things in life... Watches are one of those things.

I spend hours reading the forums, fascinated by the engineering and design excellence that goes into these things, and the concentration and skill that goes into constructing a horological masterpiece. Then I close my browser and think to myself, 'for $100 I can get a Casio that updates itself anywhere in the world by radio six times a day to split-second perfection, never requires a service, can survive pretty much anything life can through at it, and will probably last me till the day I return to my maker.'

BTW, I'm after a rep PP Aquanaut

[Brightight]

+1 on a great read!

Personally I have moved from large watches to small watches. I hate having a watch hanging over my wrist both sides (and there are many pictures in this thread to illustrate what I mean!), it looks ridiculous like a little girl wearing Mon's stillettos and in any case I think it better not to advertise your inadequacies. I have also moved away from watches with protuberances, Panerai, Graham you know who you are, or any kind of watch fashion statement. Current daily wear is a 36mm Franken DJ built around a 1978 case and acrylic crystal, just the right size for my wrist in my opinion and a timeless classic. Rolex does not seem to carry the 'fake' assumption in the UK as it does in Europe, and in any case people are more likely to believe a DJ is gen than a Sub, even if I cared what people think. I also find the longer I have this watch obsession, the smaller and more considered my watch collection gets, the more vintage orientated it becomes and the less likely I am to buy another rep and the more likely to build another Franken.

On the subject of hairy wrists, get over it people, I have hairy wrists because I'm a man not a girlie and I refuse to shave them so as not to affend your sensibilities.