And suddenly there was the question that arose during a discussion with a befriended watch journalist. That intriguing thought and consideration: do you select a watch the same way you choose a life partner? That choice may be conscious or subconscious. It may be based on the head or the heart. In the blink of an eye or after careful deliberation, but the question remains the same.
You choose a partner for a night or for life, to put it in extreme terms. And if we are being extreme, those extreme considerations could apply equally to the way in which you choose a watch. You’re likely to get fed up with that brightly coloured, oversized ‘diver’ after just one wild summer, but that perpetual calendar made by a certain Geneva watch house is something you don’t buy for yourself but preserve for the next generation. For erudition and entertainment, let’s list some attention points. A mini survey to determine whether the watch you have your eye on is a ‘flirt’ or a ‘long-time love’.
- Does the look appeal to you?
- How long do you expect to be enjoying the watch?
- Do you look better with the watch on your wrist?
- Do you want to introduce the watch to your friends, family and critical fellow watch lovers?
- Are you comfortable spending time alone with the watch?
- Do you think the watch will play a role in the future of your child(ren) as well?
- Does the watch make you a better person?
You will understand that the more positive your answers to these questions, the longer you expect to enjoy a watch. You will also understand that if this survey is about a Casio G-Shock the answers will be vastly different than in the case of a platinum Rolex Day-Date you may be considering. Obviously. But even watches in the same price category can have vastly different characters. A Graham Chronofighter Oversize Superlight Carbon and a Breitling Navitimer GMT are really only comparable in price and not much else.
Detrimental consequences
And then comes the moment you have chosen a watch. A serious watch. Maybe a Royal Oak ‘Jumbo’, a watch that scored high in the survey and yet, after wearing it for several years you start to feel an itch in your watch heart. You may have seen a very exotic Roger Dubuis Excalibur. Not exactly a conservative and stable choice, but the occasional gamble keeps life exciting. What to do? Say goodbye to the ‘AP’ and move on with the Roger Dubuis, or (secretly) take on the flamboyant Excalibur on the side and wear them alternately? The latter of course! Although there are similarities between choosing a watch and choosing a partner, at least you can possess and wear several watches alternately without detrimental consequences. The life of a watch lover can be so uncomplicatedly beautiful.
