Cars, watches, hifi or whatever, does this generally ring true with you? Mostly true I believe but I might just be a materialistic b******.
One thing I noticed after going to a handful of G2Gs a few years ago was that, as a general rule, someone's affection for each of their watches was completely unrelated to its cost. The price was something to be swallowed to get the watch into the collection, and once that was done, they were all equals.
Problem I always have is I have a budget of £500 the one I see first is always the next model up at £700, if do buy the £500 version I always feel it’s not as good as....
I think it varies depending on the individual to be honest. For some money is king, others not so.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
I'm a committed "not so".Originally Posted by oldoakknives
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
I always look at the mid price items , as its not always the case these days, that you get what you pay for !!
Definitely not, satisfaction is many many factors, the amount you spent is if anything a reverse factor for me.
Archie's theory is "it's gotta hurt!"
There's psychological truth in the concept the more you spend the more you appreciate the purchase.
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“Reassuringly expensive”
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Basically... no. I can afford much more expensive watches but could not bring myself to spend that sort of money - as for cars, that completely passed me by - I've never owned one... (to the bafflement of my neighbours).
Some of the comments here and elsewhere of people desperately trying to flog stuff four weeks into a lockdown because they have run out of cash does not encourage me to change my habits...
I prefer the satisfaction of getting value for money, I don't mind spending more as long my perception is it is worth more than I spent, whether in terms of craft, design, engineering, rarity etc.
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I think quality / cost is exponential; once you get to a certain price the difference in quality becomes almost negligible. Until you go into the hand made sector and beyond that is....
I’ve come to enjoy my “less costly” pieces a lot more in recent times.
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The thrill is always in the chase.
I generally feel the same, and have watches of varying value.
There’s an old saying “He knows the price of everything and the value of nothing”
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Interesting question. Not for me, my favourite watch is approx. 15 times cheaper than my most expensive. Also as above I could afford much more expensive cars too, but chose not to go there.
As an aside: I think it’s usually obvious who have bought an expensive watch/car etc becomes they are passionate about it, as opposed to those that have bought because of how they think it makes them look!
Greater spend = greater satisfation? - Absolutely not.
But then again, I prefer and generally collect watches that are not just waited for and bought new, although I have myshare of those.
I have spent many many hours chasing down relatively modestly-priced watches, and the sucess of the hunt is by far a more satisfying thing that any relation to the money spent.
And as Der Amf says, once they are established in the collection, it is more a matter of the wear and use tehy get than anything else.
Finally, it is also a massive satisfaction getting a decent watch back from near uselessness to decent working condition.
My most satisfying watch is my Tudor Snowflake, which I have used as a rolling restoration project for many years, and it is now in the prime of its life, I am very happy to have got it there.
Dave
Yes and that's so true, as for me 95% of my watches are now in the sub £500 range as I don't see a substantial difference in what a watch costing ten times more gives.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
The greater the chase = the greater the satisfaction.
If you have the money anyone can get the watch they want simply by clicking on Chrono24, it’s much more satisfying to identify a watch you really want, doing the research (to make sure you don’t buy a wrong’en), finding the right example at a good price, doing the deal and enjoying your ownership.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
No way take watches...
SD43 £9300 RRP kept it 6 months as it disappointed me.
Citizen GPS and Casio Protrek total cost around £750 and love them to bits.
I have watches in that price range too, some I like more than watches that cost me a lot more. Also other aspects are variable. For example, I like my Dan Henry 1962 chrono quartz more than some more expensive Swiss autos, even though I'm not a fan of chrono's or quartz watches in general. There's no rhyme nor reason to it for me!
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
I used to think it was the case, but not now. I value function over anything, so a £100 G-Shock that will be more accurate and have more functions that a PP will give me greater satisfaction. Possibly I don't rate the artistry in mechanical watches anymore as I have come to appreciate the artistry in well-made quartz watches.
Not entirely true but I do tend to look at the "Buy once, Buy right" idea these days.
I have gone through far too many value/cheap products in my time and now I am older I'm looking for items I can rely on for longer but also get better experience while using them.
Who realistically is going to come on to this thread and say “yep, I’ve spent a ship load of cash on something and therefore I like it more”?
We’re just going to get a stream of worthy responses!!!
If I’ve saved hard to get hold of something that costs a few bob, I’m going be damn sure I really appreciate it! And I’m hardly the flashiest of gits…
Certainly aren’t going to say it gives most satisfaction because it’s appreciating in the safe.
The quotation, by Oscar Wilde, was actually the definition of a cynic.
The response was 'a sentimentalist... sees an absurd value in everything and doesn't know the market price of any single thing'.
I'd say Sales Corner is well supplied with both cynics and sentimentalists.
With most hobbies, after a bit of research and meeting other people with a shared interest, you’ll find a brand/manufacturer beloved of enthusiasts because it is often as good if not better than the perceived ‘market leader’. I’ve found this with Archery, Air Rifles, watches and various other hobbies.
The problem with the most expensive kit, is it often marks you at as someone with ‘all the gear and no idea’.
I remember joining an archery club with my then 11 year old son, and after our 10 week beginners course a few of our fellow newbies spent £1500- £2000 on Olympic standard kit. Fast forward a couple of months and my son was out-shooting all of them, including me - he didn’t want to bother with sights preferring to use his own eye, and was using a bow which cost about £200 brand new, didn’t bother adjusting his bow every 5 minutes just spent all his time shooting and practicing with a good simple set up. There were quite a few red faced people wearing special eye patches, gloves and quivers with carbon fibre arrows, he just used the clubs practice arrows most of the time!
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Diminishing marginal utility can also kick in. The next watch bought rarely gives more satisfaction than the previous one
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Indeed, or rather 'was' appreciating in the safe.
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Mostly true until you get to the point of diminishing returns.
A Mercedes will probably be better than a Ford so long as you don't compare a bog standard A Class with a Renault engine to a Focus ST.
A house will probably be better nicer than a flat so long as you're not comparing a 5 bed penthouse in Cheslea to mid terraced 2 bed terrace in Scunthorpe.
That being said you have different expectations at different levels. I enjoy some cheaper watches than the more expensive ones because my expectation of a £400 watch is very different from that of a £10k watch.
I think the house example is very true. It can also apply to those folks who spend big on Jeans, Trainers, and shoes. £300 on a pair of shoes might seem rather excessive for many.
Fortunately we are all different, so what “butters your parsnip” will be different to what butters someone else’s. What however does seem to be a constants is the quality of something (or at least its perceived quality)
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
I agree with you completly.
That's the crux of what I was trying to say in the "bloodmoon" mod thread. Always better to undersell and overperform then the other way round.
Last edited by eoghan101; 28th April 2020 at 18:09.
A greater spend does not equal greater satisfaction. I can happily wear a plain t-shirt from M&S or Ralph Lauren and do not have greater satisfaction from the more expensive t-shirt. I try to spend on the basis of looking at my requirements, budget and getting a good deal. A greater deal equals greater satisfaction for me.
Spending money is a strange thing and one person’s spending behaviour could be something completely alien to another.
I could comfortably say I have purchased a £1000 phone or a tv to colleagues at work and I think no one would bat an eye lid. If I said I spent £1000 on a watch I think everyone would be in shock and disbelief.
"Stay at work until 7pm every night and no one bats an eye. Turn up at 9.30am once and everyone loses their minds"
No, definitely NOT.
Some of my favourite watches were low priced vintage items and, while I can't afford a supercar, I wouldn't say the most expensive cars I've bought over the years have been more enjoyable.
Same with holidays. After a few long haul holidays we had a week in Guernsey a few years ago and it was just as enjoyable.
M
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Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
'Getting and spending we lay waste our powers' William Wordsworth.
RobDads account of his young son at the archery course reminds me of a section in Carl Hiassens brilliantly funny and very well observed book 'A Fairway to Hell' about the authors attempt to return to golf in his middle years, towards the end after Hiassen has spent thousands of dollars on kit, gadgets, training, the whole gamut of marketed 'Aids' to improve his game and hundreds of hours, with an increasing sense of futility...brilliantly captured...he relates the simple joy with which his young son picks up a club and delights in just whacking the ball a long way. Worth a read whether you're a golfer or not.
Did same with SD43 looked forward to it so much then once on wrist heart sank and flipped rapidly too big to cyclopsy for an SDNo way take watches...
SD43 £9300 RRP kept it 6 months as it disappointed me.
Citizen GPS and Casio Protrek total cost around £750 and love them to bits.
This on the other hand is the best £90 I have spent recently...
While I'm a great believer in you get what you pay for and often prefer to pay a little extra to get something I know (or believe) will last, or, is best suited to its task rather than 'will do' I would certainly not apply that to watches in general.
The big difference, for me, is that buying a hoover or toaster is not an emotional purchase whereas a watch most definitely is (for those reading this at any rate). The key is, what evokes the purchasers emotions and that is different for everyone, some like aesthetics, some want something hand crafted or exclusive, some want functionality over form, some want something that will just tell the time and some want something that historically has increased in value, etc.. All are valid reasons for buying a watch, none are directly connected to purchase price.
I think cost and value are two independent things. I get more value out of one of my bikes than another, despite it costing me half the price. They were both good deals when I got them, but one suits me better now.
The same is true for watches. For a while my Seamaster was top of the tree as it was bought new by my wife for a big birthday. It lost a bit as it got bashed about and well used, and the need for something new and shiny reared its head. Today I’ve just put it on a rubber strap as the bracelet is a bit tired and it’s back to being my favourite at minimal outlay. Satisfaction has come from bringing something special back to prominence and it not disappearing into the back of a drawer.
It's a really funny one. I think that part of it is that such individuals do not understand the lifespan of a good watch. Part of it is that they do not consider a phone to be a thousand pounds, they just think of it as their monthly contract cost with a new phone every 2 years, as opposed to it being a £1000 phone bought on 24 months of credit repayments. My colleagues are the same, they balk at the cost of watches that cost even just a couple hundred quid, yet spend £60+ on their sky subscription, or phone bill, or spend £500 on dinner out.
I'd be interested to know if the OP has considered his response to spending more.
Is it, if he's honest, self deception or does he truly enjoy what he's bought more.
Even my AS level Economics tells me that the law of diminishing returns seems to be against the premise of this thread.
M
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Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
In my case I’ve spent shedloads on Hi-Fi where pride of ownership has been a motivating factor. I certainly don’t brag about it though as most of my friends couldn’t care less. But the gear gives me satisfaction so no harm done. Certainly the law of diminishing returns applies - no question there. But I agree with others that the thrill of the chase is equally important.
I have gradually worked my way up to a decnt hi-fi system
What is interesting is when people who think Sonos or Bose is the last word in hi-fi sit down and I play them a record they are normally a bit speechless, say something like 'I have never heard that sound like that before' and then as they have no other point of reference and don't recognise any of the manufacturers names, the next thing they ask is 'What did it cost?'
Like it or not cost is always linked to value in peoples minds
Nope. Not for me : nowadays I get more satisfaction from these...
Both of which cost around £300-£350 inc. parts for the mods / self build.
a) because they are unique & I had some input into them &...
b) because I don't want some scrote cutting the ligaments in my elbow to get at my Hulk
TBH - the rise in value of watches such as the Hulk (& attendant attention they receive) has taken (much of) the enjoyment out of it for me...
So recent additions to the collection have been models that are under the scrote radar (scrodar ?)
Such as :
My work colleague said
"nobody would nick that - it looks like a Citizen"
& these...
Which the non-WIS hasn't heard of...
... & yes I seem to have a thing for blue dials at the moment.
z
Last edited by zelig; 4th May 2020 at 08:33.
Greater spend does defiantly not equal greater satisfaction Where watches are concerned in my case
I get far more pleasure from wearing my very first watch that my late father gave me with a value of probably no more the £20 than any of my so called Luxury pieces £10K+ they all hold No sentimental value whatsoever although some are reminders of landmark events in my life but if they all went tomorrow they are all easily replaced.
whereas my £20 piece is treasured and irreplaceable..
I think you chaps are confusing marginal returns with marginal utility
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Honestly, wearing one of my Tudors or Chr.Ward or 'low key' Omegas, gives me the same (and a more relaxed !) feeling than my Blancpains or Audemars
Often thought about that.
Within my hoard of non-vintage watches there is a discernible relationship between cost and quality. It may be imprecise but is quite apparent between opposite ends of the cost spectrum.
The higher end stuff hits different notes to the lower end, that's all. That isn't to say that they are better notes and they certainly don't get played most often.
Indeed, my resonant frequency is mid-range, where the watches offer best fit to my lifestyle, wardrobe, stylistic preferences and general disposition.
Last edited by forpetesake; 4th May 2020 at 19:40.
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