Watchlords

Hawk wrote:It's not about price, exclusivity, endorsements, snobbery or hate.

It's about unabashed mendacity, dancing on the edge of consumer fraud, misrepresentation, preying on the gullible, design rip-offs, morally inept and ethically bankrupt marketing.

It's about oily patches of the internet frequented by those desperate for confirmation bias and willing to put up with insults and derision from an overbearing and demeaning male dominatrix derivative with the only acceptable response being "yes sir! may I have another?" when uncomfortable topics such as Swiss factories or marketing bullshit are broached. It's about mental masturbation while staring at fever-dream induced MSRPs with digital reach-arounds. It's about failure to grasp elementary economic market concepts - hint: if you and 500 of your buddies paid 200.00 for a watch it is, at the very most, a 200.00 watch. It is not, never has been, and never will be a 1,500.00 watch sold for a hell of a bargain.

It's about bogus comparisons, made up words like "tritnite" or "krysterna", the slimy marketing behind things like "alligator embossed genuine leather" or "Swiss heritage".

It's about being, quite simply, overpriced. When Stuhrling or Invicta flirt with actual decent components their "once only" price generally exceeds that of real value brands such as Christopher Ward or Hamilton. Their MSRPs aren't worth the breath needed to utter them. The entire house of cards is built around selling a 29.00 watch for 300.00 while comparing the pos to a 3,000.00 product. No matter how little you paid for a TV watch, you were bent over the trestle value-wise.

The only saving grace associated with TV watches is that if you actually like garish, over-the-top wristwatches featuring Love Canal commemorative mother of pearl, bridge cables, canteen caps, chains, soda cans, fake sandstone, sparkly bits, an overdose of time knobs or generally just enjoy being pointed at or surreptitiously stared at then go for it - just know you overpaid.

By way of illustration, an impromptu grab out of the desk drawer and shitty cell phone pic follows - that guy on the right is a Fossil. I prefer that Fossil to 99.8 percent of all TV watches. It's an honest, decent looking product that manages to not be breathlessly pretentious and doesn't fuck over people in nursing homes. I'm more likely to post the one in the middle in a "WURW" thread but perhaps the Fossil needs a little more love - it does, after all, not make me self-conscious when I wear it quite unlike the average TV watch would - and it's considerably easier on the wallet.

Mark1 wrote:Werd. I'm damn near misty eyed here after reading Hawk's post. Ought to be required reading for budding watchgeeks or freeks.

foghorn wrote:I like yard sales

TemerityB wrote:

foghorn wrote:I like yard sales

I LOVE yard sales. I once bought a cherry 1958 Fender Stratocaster for $55 from some old guy whose kid used to play it ("But it's so old," I bargained).

foghorn wrote:I like yard sales :lol:

foghorn wrote:

TemerityB wrote:

foghorn wrote:I like yard sales

I LOVE yard sales. I once bought a cherry 1958 Fender Stratocaster for $55 from some old guy whose kid used to play it ("But it's so old," I bargained).

Was it in upstate NY by any chance?

TemerityB wrote:

foghorn wrote:

TemerityB wrote:

foghorn wrote:I like yard sales

I LOVE yard sales. I once bought a cherry 1958 Fender Stratocaster for $55 from some old guy whose kid used to play it ("But it's so old," I bargained).

Was it in upstate NY by any chance?

I was in Greene County, NY, yepper. What are you, psychic?

TemerityB wrote:

foghorn wrote:



Was it in upstate NY by any chance?

I was in Greene County, NY, yepper. What are you, psychic?

Illinformed wrote:'China Made,' on my dial, every dial, all day, every day!

Horse Feathers wrote:

Illinformed wrote:'China Made,' on my dial, every dial, all day, every day!

Must be a Wal-Mart customer

jason_recliner wrote:If it's an honest watch with character I'll wear it. Most days I wear something relatively affordable, under $500, because I ride a bike, go to the gym, cook, etc. I don't want to sully a flash watch unnecessarily. And I prefer Japanese watches most days, or at least watches with japanese movements.

Graillover wrote:

jason_recliner wrote:If it's an honest watch with character I'll wear it. Most days I wear something relatively affordable, under $500, because I ride a bike, go to the gym, cook, etc. I don't want to sully a flash watch unnecessarily. And I prefer Japanese watches most days, or at least watches with japanese movements.

Why do you prefer Japanese?