Making sense of watch enthusiast sayings
When something is repeated often enough, one can start to believe it’s true. And with the watch collecting community certain phrases or collective commentary can make something that is otherwise trivial into a major statement. Getting obsessive about the minutiae is part of the fun of our hobby, but have you ever stopped to think about some of the statements/comments watch collectors make online or in conversation?
I wanted to break down some of the comments I’ve really noticed getting popularized in online comments, articles, YouTube videos and podcasts.
Photo by @kix_tagram
“A great watch for everyday wear.” This one I get for a car. It’s a practical fuel efficient automobile that would be nice, but not too flashy. For watches this term is tossed around from anything from an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak to a Casio G-Shock DW-5600. To me a daily wear watch is the one that gets the most wrist time. I rotate all six of my watches regularly, so to me they are all daily wear watches with nothing that gets pulled out only for special occasions. But I guess the overall sentiment here is: an everyday watch is one that one wouldn’t mind putting some wear on, a watch that can be worn without care, yet look good in a wide range of settings. I don’t own one, but certainly a classic Datejust might fit the bill well for many of our tribe.
Photo by @everestbands
“It’s a strap monster.” Unless it has a special lug connection like an Oris Aquis Date, I don’t see that many watches that couldn’t be a strap “monster.” I know some purists like their Rolex watches to stay on their OEM bracelet, but in reality a Sub on a NATO or strap looks pretty good. Need proof? Check out the Talking Watches episode with Howie Kendrick.
Photo by @wornandwound
“What a fun watch.” I think this just means a colorful watch with unconventional design features. I image a DOXA Professional with its orange dial. Or that Worn&Wound designed Zodiac that Zach Weiss designed with inspiration from sneakers. Any Swatch watch or G-Shock to me is fun. What is a fun watch to you? Now that I think about it, watches in general are fun, even a Cartier Tank. It’s a fun hobby.
Photo by @world_wrist_watch
“Great beater watch.” One man’s beater is another man’s safe queen. In my true interpretation of this term only a G-Shock would fit this role to me because the base models are not pricey and you can actually drop them and they will still work fine, not true for most mechanical watches in my experience.
Too big?
Photo by @watchdaily.ru
“If only it had a ceramic bezel or if it were only 40mm instead of 41mm.” Umm… OK. Just pick a different watch. I see this all the time in the comments section of watch reviews. There is enough variety out there to obtain a watch with your own personal spec requirements. I get where these types of comments are coming from, but sometimes I just think the fact that a watch is not perfect for me just saves me some money, closes the door for one model only to open the door for a future discovery.
Only 3 micro-adjustments here
Photo by @knarjewellery
“The bracelet is horrible. It only has three micro-adjust settings.” I did sell a watch once because it didn’t have any micro-adjustments nor a half-link, but other than that I find most bracelets relatively easy to get a good fit with, but again I’m not as sensitive as some people about bracelet fit.
Does that 22mm lug width bother you?
Photo by @blt0918
“It’s a nice watch but the fauxtina is a dealbreaker for me.” (or fake rivets, 22mm lug width) To each his own of course, but sometimes I think the watch collecting community starts criticizing a watch for any reason and suddenly it becomes the only opinion that’s acceptable. I kind of link the actual color of fauxtina. Off-white or cream sometimes is a good color.
What are your favorite watch nerd cliches or expressions?
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