Lost Horizons

Material World

Firstly, I would like to share this photograph I took from my balcony, yesterday evening. We were blessed with an uncharecteristically clear evening.

Spike said something in his comments yesterday about people judging you on your appearance, and I want to come back to that in a later post; but, it made me think that buying a watch is not going to be as straight forward as it seems, and that I need to do some research into what to buy.

Forest Gump said, "Momma always says there's an awful lot you could tell about a person by their shoes. Where they're going. Where they've been." The question is: can the same be said for a watch?

Well it seems there is. According to Askmen.com a leather strap "is a sign of your taste for delicate art, while a metal band indicates your boldness and taste for life, especially if you wear it loose around your wrist. A watch designed for deep sea diving establishes you as an adventurer while a sporty Omega would certainly associate you to the likes of 007 as it's James Bond's timepiece of choice."

Ebay advises "Your wristwatch says a lot about you. This is one item of jewelry that you will see on men and women, young and old, and you will notice that each person expresses his or her true style with these timepieces. You can see buttoned-up bankers sporting flashy titanium pieces and elegant ladies wearing chunky sport watches."

Anastasia, in an article on the website jewelry-fashion.info, suggests that a dress watch is worn by a person who is easily captured by refined items and is quite sociable, but is punctual and pedantic in his work life. An expensive watch is worn by a person who knows how to organise his own time, and values his personal time as well as time of people around. Watches with complicated features usually win the hearts of easy-going individuals who enjoy owning everything new and unconventional. They are sure the world belongs to such exploring natures as theirs. Watches with roman numerals are worn by people who prefer owning classically styled things, and keep things tidy; they are inclined to a classical lifestyle, where as people who wear watches with normal numbers support realistic ideas and avoid pipedreams, a watch without numbers is favoured by people who are inquisitive and forthright.

Askmen.com, also say "The brand is quite important ... A Rolex will set you among the elite while a TAG Heuer will speak of your taste for the technological innovation. On the other hand, a Timex or a Swatch will be a signal that you don't waste your energy on such triviality."

Watch branding seems to be a big industry at the moment. Stroll through anywhere with advertising posters to see famous celebrities sporting a certain brand. Of course Patek Philippe eschews nouveau riche celebrity endorsements altogether. The slogan for their men's line goes, "You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation." Ha! I should bloody well hope so; have you seen their prices? And what their slogan fails to tell you is that a Patek's movement is so fragile that it may be knocked off kilter by the g-force of the average golf swing.

Rolex pioneered celebrity endorsements for watches when Mercedes Gleitz wore one as she swam the English Channel in 1927. But now on celluloid, Bond has given up Rolex for an Omega Seamaster, and this is the way we think of him: The icy eyes of the new 007, Daniel Craig, glimmering from the ads of Omega — a watchmaker that has the Hollywood endorsement thing down pat. Other watchmakers are catching on fast; Baume & Mercier has Meg Ryan for women, Kiefer Sutherland (as well as Sinise) for men. Rolexes are endorsed by seven tennis pros, 24 golfers, four equestrians, three yachtsmen, one skier (Hermann Maier), two race-car drivers and a polo player. The assumption is, we will choose the celebrity we most admire, and then pick their watch. Unfortunately, I can find no rhyme to the reason why Rado picked Nobu Matsuhisa, the sushi chef, to represent its watches, while Longines chose both Harry Connick Jr. and the Chinese men's gymnastics team.

So which is the best designed watch TagHeuer have just been awarded the the iF product design award for 2007, for their Monaco Calibre 360 LS (Linear Second) Concept Chronograph. Right I do like Tags, but do I need accuracy to a 1/1000th of a second?

I am going to the airport this afternoon and may check out some watches there

posted by Luke @ 5:28 AM