ask her why she loves bags/shoes/jewellery!
Other half asked me today why do I love watches so much. Wasn't the easiest question to answer as can't really explain why I love them so much. Got me thinking though and curious to hear from other enthusiasts so what is it about watches for you?
ask her why she loves bags/shoes/jewellery!
Because it's more wholesome than pvc and gimp masks would be my reply.
Joking aside, for me, I like the variety that a few watches can offer. The character that a hummer for example offers. That and the thrill of the chase.
Pretty in pink though
I like gadgets, and jewellery, plus I like well-engineered things, and am particularly fascinated by the automatic type mechanism - small and intricate and precise and beautiful - a lot of details and a lot of care and attention has to go into them.
Like most of the gimps on here I'm a borderline Aspergers weirdo who is fascinated by precision, repetitive ticking motions, things going round and round and tiny detail.
Plus my deepsea compensates for my tiny wiener.
(I don't own a deepsea)
My 42mm Explorer 2 compensates for my tiny wiener
(I don't have a tiny wiener, I just have big wrists. One bigger than the other)
"A man of little significance"
;)
I'm definitely including myself in the 80% and not just being a rude twat.
But just to be clear, I'm hung like a moose.
Many years ago a friend told me that there were three interests that went together, cars, clocks and cameras. I remember at the time I thought of another beginning with 'C", but for the life of me I've forgotten what that was.;)
A man has got to have a hobby.Well that`s what i tell whoever asks.
Good thread, and some humorous responses. Made my morning.
But to answer the OP's question, I suppose we all have our passions; ours just tends to include horology. They usually are not the only passions.
But as others have said, the precision engineering;the look on the wrist; the fact we just cannot do without time!
My 3.5 year old daughter has a passion for Alice in Wonderland - we're watching it as I type this on my laptop. She's already seen it 30 times!
just say you needed a hobby and it was either watches or the 18yr old secretary
I always counter ask with "why not?". Haven't really got a acceptable explanation yet haha!
My interest in automatic watches started after I sold all my digital equipment and starting photographing exclusively on film. To me, it has to do with respect and love for a craft, a fascination for mechanics and the excitement of telling time through ingenious engineering. Just like analog photography and shaving with a DE razor, it just feels better.
When I wear a watch, that I feel is 'special' it makes me feel special, I like the engineering involved, and the complexity.
and of course, I love things of beauty, which many watches are, Moving/working art almost
It's mostly a bloke thing. The appreciation of fine engineering coupled with the aesthetic pleasure of a well crafted object of desire. The appreciation of a piece of mechanical equipment that has soul, because it was assembled from tiny complex parts put together with skill and then regulated to make it as accurate as possible. The art of unwinding a spring with such finesse that it will let you know what the time is to within a couple of seconds per day. Every day.
Most women's watches are simple two or three-handers with appearance being their core raison d'etre. With blokes, it's often more complicated. Whether we need it to be or not. If we're honest, we rarely need complex watches. But it's nice to know that they're there.
It's a bloke thing because (most) women don't get it. A watch is just another piece of jewellery. Something to "accessorise" their clothes. Many of them don't understand the appeal of air-cooled Porsche 911's or Spitfires (of the Merlin engined variety) either. Blokes understand the place of such machines in history, and their subsequent right to continue to exist and to be cared for, even revered.
Yes, of course you can tell the time more accurately with a cheap quartz, or from a phone. But mechanical watches have an appeal which has endured. If simple accuracy was all that was required, the quartz revolution of the 1980's would have seen the end of mechanical watches. But a mechanical watch requires an input from the wearer. A connection. An interaction between man and machine, more so than just strapping it on and using it.
That, and not having much of a life.
Regards
Ian
Although no trees were harmed during the creation of this post, a large number of electrons were greatly inconvenienced.
I love mechanical and auto watches and for me having a piece of highly engineered machinery on my wrist is the reason for my fascination.
The wife doesn't get it, but then I don't get the reason why she needs 15 pairs of shoes and 10 hand bags...I guess it's the same thing.
In my job the vast majority of our customers own very expensive watches, I would say that most of them have bought the watch because its a rolex or Breitling, they don't care about the movement and materials etc....so really I guess there's probably only a small number of us watch geeks that actually appreciate the watch for what it is rather than just another fashion accessory or a name.
I'm in an annoying position between the two where I own more than enough pairs of shoes, and handbags (not to mention rucksacks and more utilitarian baggage) - but I'm also into gadgetry and nice watches.
Jewellery for me is something subtley ornamental which doesn't get swapped about much - I very very rarely change my earrings, bracelet and watch - I wear same ones, day and night, every day. But I'd like something more special on my wrist than a battery-operated ticker.
Accepted man jewellery, nice to own something that's nice and flys under most people's radar. Could not care less about the mechanics as long as it keeps good time, although I would not want a quartz as I am too much of a snob.
Because it's better than wasting the money nailing Thai hookers?
I wish I could say it was a bloke/German appreciation for precision, engineering etc blah blah.
But the truth is I like shiny pretty things. I cannot get excited about engineering features in the proper haute horology pieces that don't appeal to me aesthetically. I have other hobbies (cars, motorbikes, photography, scuba diving, shoes, ties, errr...gadgets) all of which are somehow tied to my love for shiny things. But I've got two small kids, and they all need time. A watch I can just put on my wrist.
It's a bit of man bling...! And I love how my watches make me smile when I look down at them on my wrist (rarely to find out what time it is!)