Reply With QuoteThe dads from my boy's football team are a bunch of watch poseurs. There's an Omega PO, a couple of Submariners and my offerings. I've had a few watch conversations with that lot, not all instigated by me 😉
In my time loitering on watch forums I've got used to the idea that our watches are essentially invisible to other people, with the exception of those with a similar watchy preoccupation, so I was really surprised just now when I read this post....
....which, for all I know, may not have been written entirely seriously.Maybe not the watch to wear around the BBQ when all the big divers are on display.
Previously I had only imagined ostentatious display of watches in preppy East Coast corporate settings, in the similar vein to the business card scene in American Psycho. Having a think, I'm supposing it must happen at least tacitly in some British settings, eg smart City bars, Footballers clubs etc, but my imagination is still having trouble picturing it at something as ramshackle as a barbecue, in amongst the warm lager and the fears of rain and everyone half-cut within half an hour.
On what occasions have you been aware of a general sense of people clocking one another's watches?
The dads from my boy's football team are a bunch of watch poseurs. There's an Omega PO, a couple of Submariners and my offerings. I've had a few watch conversations with that lot, not all instigated by me 😉
I am reminded of someone's recent post here:
Q: What do you call a group of Rolex wearers?
A: A car dealership.
I note that "Big divers" could just as much mean chunky watches bought from Argos as ye famed names of our enthusiasm.
I'm now happily imagining a bunch of American men at a barbecue all showing one another their Invictae.
Last edited by Der Amf; 24th February 2017 at 09:45. Reason: Autocorrect mischief
I noticed this behaviour at our last MCGTG. Strange.
But an element of self-deprecation might offer some defence against a charge of appearing to be patronising.
Last edited by forpetesake; 24th February 2017 at 11:08.
Five of us run our own group of small companies. 3 of my fellow directors are watch obsessives and we are slowly converting the fifth.
Board meetings have a time slot dedicated to watch discussion. You can do that sort of thing when its your own show.
1 x Rolex/Pam fan - mainly dive watches
1 x Rolex/Hublot enthusiast - female board member but prefers mens watches
1 x Rolex/Vintage Seiko collector - a really nice selection of vintage digital's
Me - vintage dress/LCD/whatever I get interested in next!
The latest cheap Seiko digital or G-Shock is treated with as much interest and respect as the most expensive Rolex. No snobbery, just a love of watches.
Last edited by Velorum; 24th February 2017 at 09:51.
I was on a UKTI trade mission to Indonesia a couple of years back. We attended a meeting with the Minster of Finanace and the Minister of Trade. Both were wearing gold submariners and flicking their wrists around to make sure they both noticed each other's watch. I was wearing my platinum sub and when they noticed they pulled their sleeves down over their watches. It's was quite funny but something I don't ever like doing.
Pretentious chaps imho.
That's basically like a g2g though, isn't it? And yes they're always lovely and full of enthusiasm, and nothing to do with using watches as an adjunct to social display.Originally Posted by Velorum
Your right - I missed the point
I really can't recall a time when I've been in that situation
I once spotted colleague wearing a large diver style watch, instead of asking what it was I just stared at whenever I got the chance. The trouble was his hands were by his side most of the time, I think he thought I was checking out his gentlemans area.
I recently sold a vehicle to someone who spent most of his time trying to draw my attention to his Sub (I guess it worked). When he wasn't flicking his wrist he was trying to work out what I was wearing. It was my humble Casio Marine Gear. I was so tempted to start flicking my wrist out to see his reaction.
This seems to be quite a common occurrence in the motor trade (motorhomes in my case).
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Think this happens an awful lot - I've been at dinner parties where someone has asked whether I'm wearing an X. Also find at business meetings there can be a couple of WIS who subtly look at other people's wrists and try to figure out what the other person is wearing
Isn't a gathering of cheap Seiko digital enthusiasts known as a 'nerd'.
Last edited by forpetesake; 24th February 2017 at 11:45.
In the Beemer dealership before Christmas.
The dealer couldn’t stop waving his Breitling Colt 44 at me like it was the best thing since sliced bread. He stared at the Tudor I had on for a bit to try and see if it was a Rolex then continued flicking his wrist whilst trying to sell me finance I didn’t want.
Must admit though, I’m always having a spy at peoples wrists but living in the North Eastern wastelands I don’t often see much of interest
Car dealerships and other sales people, especially sales people of "luxury brands/goods".
People who have a hard on for fashion brands always tickle me. A guy I work with has recently split up with his wife, and was trying to flog his Gucci diving watch in our bar, for £800!!!
I think the majority of people on this forum are watch nerdsIsn't a gathering of cheap Seiko digital enthusiasts known as a 'nerd'.
I always try to clock other people's watches and I know i am wrong and shouldnt do this but my respect level will change according to whatever they are wearing. And its not just about price either.
Ie: Hublot big bang - Meh, pretentious guy.
Hamilton khaki - Good choice! Solid guy.
LOL I know its wrong. I try to forget it as soon as it comes to my mind.
I work as a medical device territory manager, I deal with orthopaedic surgeons, normally you get a the usual subs, but occasionally you get a Milgaus, vintage sea master, various breitling.
I tend to wear my speedmaster pro or skx009 and serve as a good conversation starter.
I know I'm in for an easy ride if you wander in and they say "is that an omega" ...
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No equivalent to the BBQ scenario for me, just the normal business meetings. E.g. Dubai ex-pat - gold sub; content agency and PR - BLNR, PAM, lady DJ; high end cutting edge ad agency, no watches at all, bare wrists all round, or the odd bit of dirty string!
The BBQ comment seems fair enough, all though I'm usually BBQing for family rather than friends. I go out with friends, and amongst those there's a whole spectrum of watches although not usually on display unless it's summer.
I'm intrigued by all these wrist flicking references. How exactly do you ostentatiously or not flick your wrist to try and highlight your watch?
Ditto - the wrist flicking - I feel I'm missing a trick here.
I have some seriously wealthy clients and a $35k watch is not an expensive item to them, so why bother draw attention to it.
I find more show in the people who support/work for the wealthy - restaurant owners and lawyers/real estate agents - who are trying to impress their clients.
A favourite story of mine I have mentioned before is a QC here who's watches I admired from a distance until he told me they were all fakes, he bought a job lot of 10 watches on his travels.
As side note there is almost no display of car wealth here as it is completely pointless - Range Rover is as impressive as it gets.
A mate of mine works in sales for large chain of car and m/cycle dealers. A few years ago he picked up a fake Tag Carrera and then soon after a fake Porsche design. Turns out there was a guy who would tour all the showrooms flogging them and the people who worked there lapped them up. I remember calling into one of the m/cycle branches and spotted an Aquatimer on one guy and a nasty gold Hublot on another, easy to spot with the rolled up sleeves, but I bit my lip and said nothing.
Our Ortho guys are very heavy on their Subs.
Our Stryker rep seems to have a collection, he was wearing a white Daytona last time I saw but have seen him wear others too. I do imagine it gets their attention on a first introduction. When they're not talking about boats or skiing they can bring watches up
It's all very car salesmen and as mentioned "Pat Batemanish"
Then you get idiots like Archie Luxury as self proclaimed "watch gurus"! With pearls of supposed WISdom that if it doesn't hurt or cause pain buying it Forget it .
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Poor car salesman. Such stereotyping!
Yes lucky buggers -
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Must be honest, I've never noticed the wrist flicking antics of car salesmen. But my local Porsche salesman did comment on my Explorer recently.
A pal, who says he knows about these things, once told me that car sales staff do "check you out" ie shoes/watch etc as a kind of means test.
I have definitely seen this as I have just bought a car actually. Head of BMW sales repeatedly flicking his black sub date at my other half and I. I went in dressed down, but wearing the under the radar Railmaster which he was clearly checking out.
Let's just say that it didn't go well, and I ended up with a Merc.
When I was a medical student I came across a couple of Italian gynaecologists. Both had ankle chains and TT Datejusts.
Orthopaedics generally can afford whatever they like. That's the benefit of the golden nugget. The best cars in any hospital car park will belong to either bariatric surgeons or orthopods.
What signal does our reaction send to the poseur and could this be this a deliberate device employed to extract information about us?
In the showroom, on the wrist of the Salesman for example:
Does a “Good for You” reaction to a particularly large Rolex Diver = Successful person likely to buy.
Whereas a “F**k You” reaction = Loser timewaster.
This is just idle speculation, I haven’t given it much thought.
Only time I've noticed a car salesmans watch was a (very bad) fake LV Sub. All polished bracelet etc. They are fooling nobody.
I wonder about this 'wrist flicky' idea... I've heard a girl slagging off some bloke for 'waving his Rolex around', but I couldn't work out if this said more about him or her. Perhaps he was merely moving his arm, and there happened to be a Rolex attached. On the other hand the Glaswegian ex-pat I mentioned earlier always seemed to sit with his sleeve rolled up to expose his gold sub, which he kept plonked on the table in front of him like a pile of poker chips. Most odd. Perhaps I was imagining it, maybe you just can't miss a gold sub and he wa merely resting his arm on the table. Not that I've got anything against gold subs, but somehow it wasn't gelling with his track suit and beer belly.
May be I am in the wrong crowd but have never seen an ostentatious parading of watches- yes,I have seen showy/blingy watches but not what I would consider an obvious attempt to draw someone's attention to the watch by wrist flicking/movements/dangling it in front of your face.
I think that the rattly bracelets on Rolexes make people think that the owner is trying to draw attention to them, and I have found that people in the UK seem to be pre-disposed to resentment and jealousy.
I run the UK office of an Italian company and the meet ups at head office are great for spotting interesting Rolexes, but no one talks about them because it's considered gauche. I generally wear a Seiko 5 or SKX to work because getting a reputation as a salesman (which is essentially what I am) wearing a flash watch isn't worth risking.
Ha ha, to be fair to the Porsche guy, he was buying my car. They tried to sell me another one but I decided to move to another brand.
Spot on! The main bariatric guy and just retired but he had a selection of e types and DB5 ls etc he would come in. Don't remember any watches though. His 'replacement' is a definite watch lover and he drives a rather nice tesla.
Pepsis and black subs are easily most popular I see
I don't work there anymore, but I suspect I know who you mean. His cars, including a DB5, were always on Level 1 or 2 of the Bexley Wing car park! I think he has a multi storey car park at his home too.
I used to pass in my lowly (in comparison) e24 635CSI and wish I wasn't so squeamish because it ruled out surgery as a potential path for my career/car aspirations!
He does have a 'car house'. We went round a while back for his wife's retirement party. She was the hospital nutritionist. Small world. I don't think he was much of a watch man, I can only see him in something vintage anyway.
Small world indeed!
A couple of years ago while buying a Merc, I noticed the young Salesman wearing a Panerai on a bracelet.
I commented and said- Nice watch.
He said he was thinking of putting it on a strap for the summer.
I gave him a few straps when I went to pick up the car and he returned the favor by throwing in a couple of free services and a tire protection plan:-)
I think the watch parading is probably more prevalent in the goldfish bowl aka London. Certainly doesn`t happen where I live.
Paul
Platinum Sub ? Don't think that's a Rolex option is it ?!
Usually the same people who wear watches on their right wrist. Don't have a clue what you're on about once you get talking.
Platinum sub?
You're being such a misery lately. There's a lot more to London than your facile stereotype, and I don't say that as someone who has any especial fondness for the place.
I too work for an Italian company and notice that there are loads of my Italian colleagues wearing interesting WIS pieces. Some are definitely happy to engage in a bit of flaunting when they see someone else wearing a nice watch, the rest couldn't care less.
I've noticed if I wear my forty year old 5513 it gets talked about. If I wear my five year old PO or Sub Date no one bats an eyelid.
I did have a smile at a recent dinner where I wasn't wearing any of the above. Someone had noticed the amount of SS Subs around the table and referred to them as "The motor trades Rolex". The look on a few faces was priceless
Never really happens around here. But a lad who served me in Morrisons today had a small (about33mm) vintage Bulova with sub seconds and nice lugs. I made a passing remark about his watch and he enthused that it used to be his grandad's. It would be inexpensive to buy a watch like this on ebay but to him, it was priceless. Respect to him.
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