Hummers; from Hamilton Ventura to Omega Speedsonic, any early seventies quartz from beta21 to gp35x - you could do worse than a such JLC Masterquartz; véry early LCD especially from Optel and also the Seiko 0634; some LED like the Synchronar and Elektroika1.
Less savant, more mech.fashion, but still ´knowledgeable´ are vintage handwound chronographs and vintage frackuhr.
Amazed to see so many old digitals and other secondhand watches for sale in the window of the American Apparel store on Carnaby Street. Also intrigued to see so many Casio calculator watches being worn by the kids of Shoreditch.
All your watches are belong to them.
Last edited by Broussard; 15th October 2013 at 08:40.
That especially surprises me.Originally Posted by Broussard
That is the thing with wis stuff which is also fashion 'cool' ; it has a huge potential to become popular and thus uncool.
Luckily only some of the cool things that break out become mainstream fashion like the Nato strap and large(r) chronographs.
Other ' cool' stuff will always remain a niche thing thus cool because it simply is too thin on the ground, too specialist and/or expensive to begin to break out as a fashion accessory. A Synchronar p.e. can never break out as one needs to be an insider to keep it on the boil.
I agree with TakesALickin that a modded or home built watch project is hands on watch lover. Not neccessarily idiot savant though but definitely beyond fashion buyer. It is that watch fan who made Bill Yao, who motors yobokies per example and you need be pretty hardcore to have a custom DSN or an ESDEE.
So yes definitely watch idiot, not neccessarily savant.
They are a step up from the golden casio and more sophisticated than the terrorist one. Also widely available new.
'Nerd' is break out cool too. It is the nerds who are the internet rich.
I have two Casio calculator watches which I've owned from the first time they were cool and I'm wondering what I would be if I wore them now: Geek, nerd, or sad old fart. ;-)
Well, if you have to ask..............
Best Regards - Peter
I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.
I am late to this thread, and I am sure there are many answers to this question.
For me though, I don't think my 18k Rolex Day/Date makes me a WIS...... but perhaps my Grand and King Seiso's do.
It depends very much on the environment.
As a casual quality stuff milljonair in Marbella it would be cool.
It would also be cool to go out with if néw in ´gold´ colour, in your facing brand images.
I'm late to this thread (as new here) but a quick read suggests people are just claiming the watch they own makes them a 'WIS'?
I like watches and consider myeself to have some knowledge of them, but would hardly call myself a 'savant' with regard to them :)
To switch to car terms; does owning a Ferrari make you a car enthusiast? Equaly bought by those who want to be seen in a Ferrari but equally bought by those who understand they make phenomenal cars. Same with the 911.
No hard and fast rules; plenty of Rolex worn by your WIS as well as those with a modest city-boy bonus or estate agents who just sold the million pound property. Chatting to the proprietor of Watches of Switzerland by Royal Exchange; he sells Rolex, IWC, JLC and Patek. Far and away his biggest seller is Patek, a brand I though was pretty much only for those with knowledge of watches. Not so, they buy them because they cost the most in the shop.
I'll nominate Jaeger-LeCoultre as my WIS brand (as I have a couple!); all the technique (and more), knowledge, history and class of the highest brands but without the price tag. Bought by those who know something about watches and are not just looking for the highest ticket price in the shop :)
The drívers´cars are a different species though. Some Porsches still belong but the price tag pretty much eliminates them for all but those who can also afford to wear a Patek as a beater.
The old M3 was a purist car as is/was the Honda ´R´.
A car illustrating the issue is the Toy 86. You have to rev the crap out of the engine to discover the fun of the drive. As such a well used, battered 86 is thé CIS car and the as showroom new one is a wannabee car ;-)
Is "WIS" a positive thing? I always thought it was a derogatory term to describe someone who's interest in watch outweighed their interest in having a life?
M.
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
It's a man thing isn't it though. I've got loads of interests, I own 5 cars (all with petrol V8 engines) and a Harley Davidson motorcycle, - and only 8 watches at the moment - soon to be 10 actually. - Give me time...
Carefull there. Thát can be a bit of shot in the foot.
The only half decent handling HD ever made was a Buell so some hardcore riders look upon HDs as desk divers´gas passing products.
So name dropping HD without context it is a bit of a diqualifying NoNo.
I'd be inclined to think that someone wearing any mechanical perpetual calendar (or possibly annual calendar) would qualify. Unless they were particularly wealthy of course.
The thought of having such complication sitting on your wrist whilst 99% of the population have absolutely no idea of what it is you're wearing must at least in part qualify.
I don't really need a bike that handles. Now I am in the later years of my life I am quite content to putt along with the traffic. (Having said that, I don't go for bling, but my engine has a Stage IV conversion which just about doubles power at the rear wheel). Even if I liked sports bikes I don't fit on them anymore.
It's funny how some people are anti-HD, I don't know why? I am not anti sports bikes, I just don't want one. And if you have ever ridden a Buell you would know they are not a half decent handling bike, they are a very decent handling completely bonkers bike.
Anyway, we are in danger of going off topic here... Sorry.
Agree completely. I was skimming the thread looking for this. Of all my obsessive watch behavior, nothing compares to Seiko modding.
Tough one as you can know a lot of about watches (and love them) but not be able to afford the type of watch that shows that you know a lot or appreciate the finest type of watch.
The sort of watch that says you know what you're talking about (as far as this is possible) is probably one that your average person would not know about or recognise like a Vacheron Constantin, Breguet or Patek Philippe (although most people don't know Seiko either...). They at least do it for me anyway.
Rolex is an interesting one because they appeal to people that love watches as well as people that have no idea about watches!
I think the most important thing is to just be happy with what you've got and not worry about what other people think.
I've been free lance bike tester/writer for quite a few years ....
+1 on anyone wearing a hummer, +1 on one of Eddie's. Also I propose Anonimo Polluce.
Then by now you'll know that discussing HD handling prowess is a bit like discussing how good chewing gum is as a bathroom sealant.
If you want fresher breath you might still buy a HD, but if you want a water-tight bathroom you'll definitely buy Japanese or European.
Oh and on topic... most stuff by JLC and Zenith.
Wearing this today, does that mean I am a WIS?
I reckon it might... But I have a soft spot for the old Bulova too.Wearing this today, does that mean I am a WIS?
Trouble is, Bulovas also tend to be worn daily by middle aged and elderly people who've owned them from new, find them very reliable, are totally uninterested in watches and can't see the need to spend any more money.
This applies to a couple of my friends, and they couldn't understand why anyone might be at all interested in what they had on their wrists.
From elsewhere on the internet..........
The term idiot savant dates back to the concept of the “village idiot,” a person who might be tolerated because he or she exhibited certain uncommon skills. In other cases, the exhibition of savant skills, particularly in the Middle Ages, was apt to be considered witchcraft. Unfortunately, a savant cannot necessarily control demonstration of such skills, and some “village idiots” were chased out of their villages or killed.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
I regard them as a classic watch of the 60's and 70's.
I always remember my father had one. I've no idea whatever happened to it.
A perfect example:-
Hand built (by me) and admired by those "in the know"!
Mike
Old digitals and calculator watches are becoming very cool. Lots of hipsters in my college town sporting them, and I've seen them in San Francisco and New York as well. I'm glad; maybe they'll let us have NATOs back.
Fantastic! Now that is an accomplishment.A perfect example:-
Hand built (by me) and admired by those "in the know"!
Mike
I very doubt it.
I heard that there was even a small craze for "trench" watches recently...
Yup, the Nato is a mainstream accessory now and I am glad it is.
I've made (and trashed) more watches than I've bought luxury branded ones. A couple I actually wear from time to time. However, nothing says WIS more than going to a mall to buy a box-fresh Speedy Pro or JLC on credit and wearing it to a Wetherspoon's somewhere.
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
Kari Voutilainen!
Unless they were Japanese then it would have to be a Grand Seiko. Nobody outside of Japan would drop that much money on a Seiko unless they knew something about watches.
This ^^
True. Or a JDM Seiko like a SARB.
Any non-military wearing their watch on a Nato, especially those who buy adaptors for their G-shock. Also boutique dive watches in garish colours with 2000m water resistance, worn on a strap made from old ammunition pouches.
I would have agreed with you five years ago, but now that NATOs are all over the fashion boards on Pinterest, you can buy them at the mall and watches like Timex Weekenders come with them standard, I'm not sure it's as reliable an indicator as it once was.
Indeed it is becoming rather hipsterish now (unfortunately).
I have my extra virgin oil filled F91-W on G adapters on a rescue orange nato ;-)
^ No doubt there will be a thread on WUS, debating whether Spanish or Italian oil is best.
Spanish obviously. Though Andalusian to be more specific...
How well known are sub-brands like Grand Seiko and Citizen Attesa within Japan?
Last edited by Dougal; 17th October 2013 at 23:25.
Indeed - I think this may have been suggested about a year ago in this rather long running thread! But I'll raise you a Quartz GS, as no one would drop that much money on a Seiko quartz unless they were ready to chew your ear off with a lecture on thermocompensation and the history of the quartz crisis ;-)
My brother-in-law wears a modified Seiko, but he isn't a WIS - he just bought it off me.
I will top you with a quartz GS in 18K :-)
Any Citizen over £1-2,000
http://www.bodying.co.uk/s/?mid=38&p...pto=9999999999
The number of modified Seiko wearing non-WIS has to be infinitesimally small - maybe even less than honest politicians or heterosexual priests.
My 72 year old father still wears a Casio calculator watch. I guess he's so out of style he's back in style!
Which is cool
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