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[Question] What’s the most expensive watch you have purchased and did you experience any buyers remorse?
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This is something I’ve found interesting, some luxury watches that are 15k, 50k, 125k etc, for those of you who have purchased them, did you experience any regret in the time after purchasing them?
The chase of hunting down an expensive watch is fun and all, but in the days after, did you secretly contemplate that maybe it’s not all it cracked up to be when it does the exact same thing as, say a Casio etc
What do you guys think about it?
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37.5k euro gold/green speedy. Regrets. Green isn’t as nice once you don’t have the shining lights on it from the store.
Should have gone for an ed white or a “regular” speedy and gone for another heavy hitter.
What is everyones most expensive watch? your favorite watch? and your daily driver?
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Reply to this post in the comments, im genuinely curious.
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Expensive: Breitling Chronomat 44, yellow dial limited to 250.
Favorite: watch my daughter gave me that has OUR picture as the dial with us fishing together. Its something off Etsy but means everything to me.
Daily Driver: Seiko mm300 w/strapcode oyster band.
[Question] Why are watches so expensive?
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Genuine question. What makes a (good) watch so expensive? I love seeing all the watches on here just to look them up and see they’re thousands of dollars and I will never be able to get one. Just makes me curious as to why the prices are so high.
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Some good points here. I think that the most telling thing is when you look at how much watch prices have increased for the same models, with very little change to them.
The Speedy for example - that has gone from a £1600 watch in 2010 to a £6400 watch in 2023. Adjusting for inflation it should be a £2,500 watch now (at most). That has very little to do with quality and R&D and everything to do with market demand and profit.
Why do people buy expensive watches like Rolex?
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Some of them can cost $50k.
I know it’s a status symbol but a $20 plastic Casio watch is just as accurate in telling time.
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I know it’s a status symbol
Yep.
Expensive watches, why?
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A lot of times I see incredibly expensive watches recommended as a gift for a man. Expensive ranging from $100 US on up in my mind for a watch. And I hear watches that cost thousands of dollars touted as a good gift for a mans birthday, or engagement, or graduation, or whatnot. I don't see the point... Honestly I'd be a bit irritated if someone spent over a grand on me and all they got out of it was a watch.
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$100 is not an expensive watch. $1000 and up is. An expensive watch simply feels better. It's solid, but not heavy. It's quiet, it looks timeless, and it should last you a life time.
Acceptable/desirable Net Worth to buy an expensive watch - What do you think?
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Hi there guys. I have been wanting for a long time to purchase some nice timepiece, haven't decided which one yet, but I'm guessing the value to be around 10k. That being said: in your opinion, what sort of money should you have to your name, to spend such a "high" amount on a watch? It goes without saying, I woulnd't be getting into debt to buy one. I'd appreciate your opinions as well as personal experience before doign something -potentially- stupid! Thanks!
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Totally personal. But lets say an "average" watch is $50, and average U.S. household income is about $50,000 (hard to use average net worth, because it's so low and hopefully not representative of a responsible person). So that's spending 0.1% of income on a watch. Extend that to a $10k watch, and that implies a household income of $10mm a year. So if you're making $10m a year, it's equally financially responsible to buy a $10k watch as an average person buying an average watch.
Obviously that's a fairly terrible comparison, but it's never really a "should" to buy a fancy watch.
[help] philosophy behind expensive watches
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Here is a pretty simple but yet very deep discussion about to begin. I see a lot of times when some folks come here with a question should i buy those hella expensive watches for 5-10k? And a lot of times they get responses like dont buy it, instead get cheap watches for 100 usd. But how about if the reasons for buying those expensive watches are relative, and we shouldnt force our own ideals on others? What if he gains confidence from buying those watches, what if it makes him happy. Its like same saying like dont buy Gucci or Louis Vuiton instead go for Wall Mart clothes. Do u rly think that wall mart clothes for 10$ gonna provide him with same level of satisfaction as Gucci? Your 100$ watches advice might work on some guy who is not into watches at all, however, if one comes here and asks such question, he rly believes that it might give him the level of satisfaction he needs.
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Nothing could be more shallow than gaining confidence or happiness from something external to yourself, regardless of price. And to think that the higher priced object would necessarily provide the wearer with something greater only means marketing works. Yes, those higher priced objects often have more craftsmanship, design and higher quality materials that may justify the price, but at the end of the day nothing outside of yourself is going to improve you in a truly meaningful way.
[Discussion] Pressure to buy expensive watches
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Mods, apologies if this belongs in the simple questions thread. I thought it was something that a lot of people visiting the sub might be interested in.
Judging by the subject matter of this sub I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume most of you guys are fairly successful in your careers.
So do you guys feel an awful lot of pressure to keep up with your peers?
I work in a bank and of the senior level men I’m the only one without a watch. It gets mentioned jokingly every now and then, so it’s not just me who’s hyper aware of my naked wrist.
Initially I was planning on waiting until I was 30 to get a proper watch, but I work like crazy and with bonuses coming up soon I figured screw it. I mentioned that to the guys in the office and before I knew it they were swarming my desk telling me what to buy.
They’re suggesting these £15-20k Rolexes, one guy even mentioned Patek Philipe, telling me I MUST buy this and that, anything else and I may as well go with a plastic digital watch.
I was balking at the price because virtually all of the suggested watches were well over ten thousand pounds and I’m kinda worried about what my girlfriend and family would say if I blew half my bonus on something that’s basically useless.
I mentioned Breitling and it was met with “I guess they’re nice”, now I’m left wondering if I should even bother. I want to fit in but I’m 28, still haven’t bought a house (I rent), youngest senior by a few years whereas these guys have been making good money for ages, and I know my friends who haven’t been so fortunate in their careers will judge me harshly.
I thought this was a side of luxury watch buying that never gets mentioned in online articles. I can’t find anything on the sub either.
What do you guys think?
Am I making a fuss over nothing? Is this even a real problem? Has anyone else been in a similar situation and what did you do - I’m considering just waiting a year and buying an expensive watch but if it was just me I’d be happy with a nice Breitling that cost a third of that.
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Don't feel pressured to get one now, the right watch should be with you for the rest of your life so take your time and make sure you choose the right one.
[Question] How many of you like to go try on expensive watches knowing you can never afford them?
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I just tried on a really gorgeous $90k Patek at Tiffany's today, and i've done the same for many watches at many different boutiques. Am I an asshole for doing that? It's almost fun to play a little pretend, and I don't think it really harms anybody. Somebody tell me you do the same thing to make me not feel like a conning douche.
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Nothing wrong with watch shopping. Nothing assholish or douchey at all.
My favorite place to shop for watches is Vegas. They have everything, I mean EVERYTHING, and you can try it all on.
[Question] The Moral Dilemma of Buying Expensive Watches
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Hi r/watches,
I've been lurking on this sub for the past few months and stewing about my first 'real' watch purchase. I'm 21 and my most expensive watch is my $200 Eone Bradley (which I love). However, I'm considering spending up to $4000 on a watch at the end of the summer (probably a speedy pro).
The idea is that I would buy this watch to commemorate my first job offer, and I would definitely make enough money to pay for this watch and have a significant amount of money left over. At first, I was really excited about the idea of owning such an awesome watch, but the more I think about the purchase, the less sure I am of it. I just can't help but think there are better uses for $3-4k.
I want a mechanical watch and I want to buy something truly worth having for a long time, but I can't shake the feeling that it is a waste of money. I know I am asking a biased crowd, and I know there are people on this sub who own watches that are much more expensive (and those who don't and still love their watches to death). How do you all justify your purchases and deal with the fact that the $6k you might spend on a Rolex Submariner could easily go to something more "important"?
Cheers!
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Dont buy it mate, if you can think of other things to spend the money on then do so. But remember there will always be something more important than a watch. End of day its your money. You don't have to justify it. Why pay 10k for a car when a 2k car could be reliable and fine? Why buy a 3 bed house when you only need a flat? Why have that Starbucks when you van make your own? We do these things for the enjoyment. It's the same with watches.
[Question] Expensive Watch Purchase Jitters
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I own a handful of watches, almost all in the $400-$600 USD range. Currently I'm looking at pulling the trigger on a $2,500 USD watch. That's a lot of money for me, and while I can afford it, I'm still semi-terrified. Any advice for me? I'm curious as to how other collectors felt when they made their first large price point jump.
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Yeah don’t get it if you’re already experiencing cold feet right now. You’ll project that feeling onto the watch and it won’t make you any happier when you look upon it. I just bought a 400 dollar seiko and even though I love it, I still see it as a missed visit to Disneyland with my wife and kid or a new smoker for the house. The difference is 400 bucks for me isn’t very much in the long run, so I can rationalize. If you’re terrified, maybe give it a month and if you still want it, go for it.
[QUESTION] Are luxury watches worth the asking price?
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I know this will not be a popular post, but I don't know who better to discuss this with.
I followed this subreddit for over a year, I followed several online watch blogs, I watched youtube videos, I read about the history of horology and the different brands, I learned about the re-positioning of Swiss watch making, I learned all that I could about mechanical watches. I grew to love them and the refined craft behind them.
Eventually, I wanted to meet these works of art in person. So one day I took a trip to midtown Manhattan, first stop: an authorized Rolex dealer. They were very kind and allowed me to try on anything they had in stock. Next I went to the Omega boutique, same deal. I went to the Seiko boutique and had a blast, I loved talking to the sales reps. All in all, everyone was very kind even though I was dressed like shit.
But all the watches that I tried on did not live up their their personas online. Firstly, they were smaller than they look online - many on this sub takes close up pictures with their phones, distorts proportions significantly. (Not that this was not a problem, I don't have big wrists, I would prefer smaller sizes anyways). The bracelets jangled more than I expected, felt just like bracelets on cheaper watches that I owned in the past (wasn't expecting that given the constant talk of special steel used in construction), the watches were much lighter than I expected (for comfort reasons, I guess) making them feel hollow, They weren't as impressive as I was led to believe, flat out. I was very underwhelmed. Let's face it, you don't buy these watches to tell the time. You can do that on a $10 Timex or your phone. You buy them for luxury, and they didn't feel luxurious.
It's still OK. They were still great pieces. But I they didn't feel like they were worth what they costed. Anywhere from $6-10k????? For a watch??? These things had better inject heroin into my bloodstream at that price point.
If I can offer my perspective, In my South Asian family, I grew up toying with nothing less than 22k gold jewelry. Call me crazy, but pure gold feels like low frequency condensed lightning. It has gravity and commands reverence. It has a surreal feeling. It's soft but heavy. I understand why people have valued it for thousands of years and fought over it for maybe just that long. It feels like it had inherent value. This ongoing experience set the bar very high. I even handled a rose gold AP royal oak and even that felt toyish compared to my mother's far cheaper 22k bangles. A Rolex Submariner is sold for more than its weight in pure gold, holy crap.
You know,
I really liked the Omega Speedmaster Mark II. I really liked how the bracelet felt. Rounded links, lovely and unique. Very comfortable. Also more affordable.
I was very impressed by the Seiko spring drive movements. I could watch the movement under a loupe for hours. Also somewhat affordable.
If you gave me a well-regarded luxury watch to hold while I was totally ignorant, I would never guess in a million years that it was worth 7-8 thousand dollars. I would just say, "Oh cool, it's a Rolex." They just don't seem that special to warrant the price. It seems like the price is just artificially manufactured and inflated. If they were cheaper than they are currently I wouldn't be writing this post. It seems like watch prices have far outpaced inflation even within past few years. There's that famous video of the army vet who got his 1960 GMT appraised on antiques roadshow. He bought his watch at around $120, placing it at around $990 in today's money. Holding a steel GMT, this makes a lot of sense. It seems like it would be worth around $1000-$2000, not freaking 10x what they used to cost.
What do you guys think? Any opinions? Criticisms? Just trying to open conversation.
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Exactly this. It's a luxury good. It's jewelry encasing an intricate engine.
The car analogy is a very good one.
(I want that clasp too, but man is it pricey).
[Question] People with average income and luxury watches - Do you feel your earned it?
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Hello fellow watchlovers
I’m having a weird dilemma; I’m lurking after the Black Bay forever, now with smaller BB 58 released, it is even more tempting.
I have a regular job (Junior Position, first real job after my masters degree) with an above average income for the country I live in. The BB 58 would be more or less 15% of my annual net income. I have the money for the watch + savings on the side, so I could afford it.
The weird dilemma: I don’t feel that I “deserve” it? I don’t know if I would feel a bit uncomfortable wearing a 3.000€ watch. My family isn’t wealthy at all and I don’t know if I could tell them that I spend so much money on a watch. (Probably now one would ask because nobody would recognize the brand). Plus I don’t feel that I have “achieved” anything in my life so far which could justify the reason to buy a watch, e.g. when people get promoted at their job, or are going to get married, born a child or whatever event in your life is to buy a luxury item.
Imagine if would have a son (or a girl) and I would want to hand them down the watch “Here kid, this watch I bought without any special reason, I like watches and I like spending money, there you go, it is yours now”.
It is a bit difficult to put in words what I am feeling, I don’t if it’s understandable for you girls and boys, but has anyone else has the same concerns when buying a luxury watch? Do I just have stupid thoughts?
EDIT: I don't have any other fix cost except the rent for the appartement I live in. I don't own a car, I don't have any other financial obligations, I don't own anyone money. I have the savings for the watch and other savings for the "Oh shit" scenarios.
Top Comment: Recently I was turned onto watches through browsing this sub so the search began for mine. I am a young professional with low cost of living and in turn have built up some savings. Sure, I too drooled over the Tudor, Sinn, Omega lines and I could have splurged to get one. I just couldn't justify dumping that kind of money into something that I might not even enjoy wearing or feel stupid for wearing such an expensive ...
[LINK] Expensive Watches are Completely Pointless
Main Post: [LINK] Expensive Watches are Completely Pointless
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Eh, I feel like most people in this sub understand that on some level luxury watches are a extravagance. A $30 Casio quartz tells time more accurately than a $30,000 Rolex or AP etc. That's not what it's about. It is about history, engineering, craftsmanship, everyone has a "thing" something they are willing and enjoy spending too much time and money on. For some that is watches, if that's not you the don't worry about it. If that is you, enjoy the hobby as much as you feel you can, and don't worry about what others say.