Watch collecting has permeated my general consumerism, for better or for worse
Andrew O'ConnorGetting your hands on your first nice watch is often a life-changing experience. It was likely bought as some sort of celebration, even if it was just to mark the ability to buy a nice watch. Aspects such as brand, design, size, and wearing comfort were likely the leading factors influencing which watch to pick. But as you likely go further and further into the watch-collecting rabbit hole, handling and accumulating watches will inevitably lead to developing strong preferences when it comes to various tactile sensations.
Not only does it come down to how a watch feels in your hands and on your wrist, but clicky bezels, satisfying pushers, notch-y bracelet micro-adjustments, screw-down crowns, and solid deployant clasps all play a part in sensory satisfaction. I’m sure many of us have decided against a watch we may have liked the design of because the dive bezel wasn’t satisfying to rotate compared to other watches, or a micro-adjust clasp wasn’t comfortable and easy to operate. As we develop our likes and dislikes, these aspects play a large part in whether or not a watch is added to our collection.
Watch-infused buying decisions
What I have noticed recently is that my watch-collecting decisions have influenced my other purchases. Now, I’m not looking for a pair of sneakers with a clicky column-wheel chrono pusher, but the practice of choosing watches to add to my short list usually involves a process of deciding what features I’m looking for, whether I will be able to use them in my life, and what it’s like to interact with regularly. With this perspective, I think it is easy to see how this process could infiltrate other purchases.
When deciding on features on a watch, I’m sure many of us narrow in on style first (well, likely after budget, at least). Is it a dive watch? A chronograph? A dress watch? Once that is decided, we probably narrow in on form factor and specs. Do we want something small or large? Does it need 100 meters of water resistance? A date window? Automatic, manual-winding, or quartz? Once we’re able to weed out the plethora of watches that don’t work, then you can start to focus on making a decision.
Over-thought purchase #1
I recently purchased my first nice camera in my life, and I found the process of choosing a camera to be very similar to choosing a watch, and likely how first-time watch buyers feel, as I am completely new to cameras and knew absolutely nothing. I didn’t even have a concept of what was an appropriate amount to spend. But I knew that I wanted something that was relatively compact, durable, and able to take videos and some macro shots relatively easily, as I planned on using it for work.
While an all-in-one “point and shoot” camera would probably have been fine for most things, I learned about weather-sealed cameras and cameras with the ability to plug in additional microphones, so most point-and-shoot cameras were out. Wanting something relatively compact also excluded of a large number of cameras, and pointed me towards various mirrorless cameras. Then some brands don’t have many weather-sealed lens choices, so those were out as well. Then there were a plethora of video-focused features I learned about include limitless recording length (some limit video to 30 minutes), in-camera stabilisation, stacked sensors, and a dizzying array of others. With all of this, I managed to narrow my choices down to a fairly digestible number of options.
Similar to watches, once you have your short list of contenders, the only thing left is to go handle some products. I made my way to a camera store where they fortunately had every single camera I was considering, all set up as display units to play with. I proceeded to try to take some close-up shots of my watch, turn off video mode to see how it looked with people walking by, and also just see how each camera felt in my hands. Sure, different lenses outside of the ones being sold as part of a kit would be better suited for different tasks, but as this was my first camera, I didn’t want to go too deep too quickly.
After playing with a number of cameras, I settled on the OM Systems OM-3. It is weather sealed, takes good video, has a mic input and headphone output, and the kit lens could handle some basic macro photography, no problem. It also has an all-aluminium construction and a relatively compact design, making it satisfying to hold in hand compared to other cameras that are made completely of plastic. A few modern cameras geared towards video also don’t have mechanical shutters, something that I realised I really wanted, as the mechanical “ca-chunk” of the shutter closing is incredibly satisfying as you push the button to take a photo. Every switch, dial, and button on the camera feels high-quality. While yes, I’m very happy with my purchase, I started to realise that I was going about my camera buying much in the same way I would go about buying a watch.
Over-thought purchase #2
Watches are also deeply rooted as functional, practical items, even if they aren’t necessary in this modern age. Still, many of us use the variety of watch sub-categories as a way to justify adding watches to our collection. We want a dive watch to be a dive watch, a dress watch to be a dress watch, a racing chronograph to be a racing chronograph, and so on. These various watch categories have made me appreciate having a dedicated tool to serve a specific purpose. Dive watches are great for sporting activities where durability and readability are a priority. Chronographs are great for timing things. GMTs are great when traveling, especially having a “flyer” GMT when crossing multiple timezones. While having something that is versatile has its place, too, sometimes having the right tool for the job makes for an incredibly satisfying ownership and user experience.
When it comes to smartphones, they clearly are a jack of all trades. Calls, text messages, web surfing, GPS, photos, videos, gaming, and a cornucopia of dedicated apps for various tasks, fields, and interests make it as though our phones can very easily, and possibly detrimentally, be the centre of our worlds. While I do greatly appreciate all the things my phone can do, and use many of the features, when it came time to get a new phone, I cared less about having all of the latest tech, and cared more about a satisfying user experience.
For better or for worse, I have been sucked into the Apple product ecosystem, and really have no plans to leave, as the brand’s products work well for my usage. Apple recently released its latest 17 series iPhones. As I stated, having the latest tech was less of a concern for me, so I decided to go to an Apple Store and simply grab each new phone Apple offers and hold it in my hand. It was no contest for me: the iPhone Air was the clear winner, as the weight, thinness, and tactile feel of the materials felt more satisfying than any of their other phones.
With it being the thinnest iPhone ever, and made with a titanium frame, it sounds more like the Octo Finissimo in some ways than a phone, and I’m sure that is a large part of why I was drawn to it. Sure, the Pro series has better cameras, but I now have a good camera that makes taking good images easier than I could ever do with my phone. I want my phone to be a phone (as much as that can be the case with modern smartphones), and I want to enjoy having it as opposed to feeling like it is a piece of disposable tech.
Better off? Or question my sanity?
Ultimately, I feel that watch collecting has taught me to be a discerning consumer: not in a way that asserts any authority over which products are definitively better than others, but by being able to discern why I’m looking at a product, what I plan to get out of it, and ultimately make the best purchase decision for me. Dollars are hard-earned, and life is short, so I want to make sure that I’m getting the most enjoyment and usage out of any purchase I make.
I do think this has resulted in a number of better purchases for myself, and in a roundabout way, less wasteful, both of which I think are a net positive. I do worry, though, that I will no longer be able to go to a store and simply buy a pair of socks ever again without fretting about the materials, where they were manufactured, and how they’re constructed. If you see a man in a department store having a crisis over socks, please send help. At a minimum, maybe divert them to the watch counter.