Talk to me about patina as I'm not sure I get it.

Is it more often than not, just a term used to make a battered watch seem desirable? I can understand discoloured lume on an otherwise clean watch and agree that on occasion this can even look pretty. And I can understand why Rolex tropical dials might attain a cult following but a battered old watch, scratched glass and bent up discoloured bezel, really?

I quite like old cars, and absolutely get that some have 'character' but dented panels and rusty arches will never be desirable.

Thoughts?