Why Own a Luxury Watch?
It's a wonderful time to be a watch owner. With the rise of capital crowdfunding, watch brands such as MVMT and Adexe London have enjoyed huge success over the past couple of years.
Men have graduated from the odds and sods draw, (that paraphernalia stuff now gets sloshed around window sills and shoe boxes that gets tossed without taxonomy under the bed) to a fully-fledged watch draw brimming with all kinds of boutique and often, unheard of brands.
But it all feels a little vacuous without that special luxury watch. The Excalibur every man dreams of unsheathing once he opens his draw. But why have a luxury watch in today's modern climate when the standard of entry level watches are so good?
Put simply, there are some fundamental truths in life, one being there is something quite incontestable about owning a luxury watch. The notion of craftsmanship, the complexity of complications, the sublime harmony and symmetry that only come from a luxury watch foregoes the most palpable of gratifications.
Whether it be a Rolex that makes you feel aligned with 60's era James Bond, an IWC that reflects your affinity with the lustrous Bradley Cooper, a Patek Philippe for the paragon of irrefutable masculine chic, or a Jaeger LaCoutre simply because it sounds sexy, a luxury watch says something about you.
It omits a certain aura and as the saying goes, one can read a shape of a man’s character by the company he keeps on his wrist. Or as Rocky Balboa more eloquently puts it, 'You want to have a good time, then you're going to need a good watch'.
Recently I had a great compliment on my dress watch, that came from an unexpected source who's critique in men’s fashion I deeply admire. Having laudatory comments bestowed upon you from your peers is unfathomable.
A luxury watch is an investment that typically holds its value, and we haven't even spoken about the sentimental value one can accredit to a family timepiece. It's why Tom Hanks gives back the pocket watch to Helen Hunt at the end of Castaway, even though she gave up on him and married the dentist.
It's why Bruce Willis goes back for his father’s watch in Pulp Fiction and chances perilous consequences, some too colourful to delineate here.
A luxury watch if nothing else could be your legacy. For all the materialistic-skeptics out there, it could be the greatest thing you do.
Founder of this eponymous blog, focusing on men's fashion & lifestyle.