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| Yes | 19% | 46 votes | Total: 239 votes | |
| No | 81% | 193 votes |
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Add to FavoritesDesigner watches are, like all watches, functional tools used to tell time. This remains true even if agreement is ever reached regarding precisely what distinguishes and elevates a designer watch apart from any other quartz or handmade automatic timepiece. Anything beyond this basic fact is, admittedly, conjecture including if the rationale for purchase includes an assessment of understood or expected societal implications granted by ownership. For the purposes of this argument, I will define a designer watch as a Swiss made timepiece. Certainly many watchmakers design and manufacture quality timepieces outside Switzerland, but, in today's global image-driven marketplace, Swiss made watches I believe reasonably fall into the general term: designer.
At present, argumentation against purchasing a designer watch quickly becomes one overtly concerned with the monetary costs incurred. "Extravagant!" "Unnecessary!" and "Frivolous!" are quite commonly used to vituperate those who place an emphasis on a quality, albeit, a luxury, item and have the income that allows for it. What is sadly discounted by such a hasty one-word conclusion, often volunteered without further justification, is the expected longevity of the watch.
Implicit in the purchase of a designer watch is not only a business transaction but an establishment of trust with the brand. The wearer trusts that the watch will remain in working order without a seemingly incessant need for repair, or, at worst, replacement. Further, this relationship is firmly situated upon the grounds that the watch will remain in excellent condition functionally to the standard projected by the company and expected by the consumer as the complications (such as the date function or the chronograph) of the watch are put to the test in addition to the general movement.
Movado, Rolex and Omega, among others, make no secret of the fact that their watches have a storied history of working very well in conditions where watches are subjected to conditions seemingly unsuitable for a timepiece. Too often, however, these designer watch manufacturers who built watches to withstand the strenuous demands of the World War II battlefields, and, in Omega's case, the first manned space mission to the land on the moon, are callously besmirched. In spite of the audacious appeal to the fluctuating concept of over-priced exclusivity, the designer watch remains an item of use. While its value to the CEO or well-educated and well-paid individual may be reasonably questioned, it has yet to be successfully contended that if one has the funds to purchase a functional timepiece within his or her means that it is a wholly unreasonable decision to do so.
Impetuously, the nature of the question as to whether a designer watch is worth the full price at a jeweler's becomes one of the ubiquitous conflict (often bloody) between those who "have" and those who "have not". Granted, a designer watch is often a luxury accessory. Some sensibly, and convincingly, assert that watches over $100 are a piece of jewelry. Wherever one classifies such a purchase, or whatever one deems expedient for the purchase of a wristwatch of any caliber, it remains an undeniable truth that the designer watch is one of quality and reliability. And for those who are able to afford it, the purchase price is factored into the expectation that they will enjoy a reliable and well-built timepiece.
Justification is wholly in the hands of the individual who purchases the designer watch. What many who cannot afford them maintain is an abject folly of pretentious rationalization, others may see as a worthwhile investment in an item that will serve them well for its purpose as a tool and one that may very well outlast their very presence on this planet.
Learn more about this author, Tom Chambers.
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No
Watches have a simple purpose: they help you keep track of the time. While some may deem it worth paying a few extra bucks to wear an attractive wristwatch, there is no way the exorbitant price tag of a designer watch is justified, given the marginal utility of buying a designer watch. The watch you pay such a high price for isn't all that more attractive than your standard watch, and certainly doesn't tell time any better or worse than the average watch.
An average watch can cost $20-30. Many attractive watches can be had for $60-100. However, designer brands such as Rolex, Longines or Omega, can cost much more, often $1000 or more. Some of these watches are made with precious metals such as gold, some are hand crafted and rare, and many include diamonds and other rare elements. These are purchased and worn not as timekeeping devices, but as expensive jewelry.
This leads to the question: why not just buy jewelry? Jewelry typically requires far less maintenance. Some pricier watches are often mechanical (rather than battery powered) and spring powered, requiring a pricey watch-winding device (which often costs at least $100, if not more) to keep them operational. Others have delicate glass or other parts that require regular, often costly maintenance. So you're certainly not paying the premium for a better time keeping device, as the watch requires more maintenance, and expensive equipment to do so, to accurately keep time.
Cheaper watches generally aren't all that unattractive. Whether digital or analog (though a nicer watch is almost always analog), an average watch has a reasonably attractive leather or metal band and an attractive crafted face under glass, with the only exception being the bulkier digital watches (though those are in the minority in a store's watch cases). Aside from precious gems or metals, the difference in composition between a typical watch and a Rolex is relatively small. Both have adjustable straps, both have crafted faces that are aesthetically pleasing, and both tell time (and sometimes the date). Many knockoff watches resemble the designer brands, with metal bands and designed faces that strongly resemble the name brands, but retail at a far lower price.
Granted, such an argument will typical fall on deaf ears: rich citizens with large amounts of disposable income will buy what they please for any reason. A $1000 Rolex or Omega watch will hardly break their backs. But for the rest of us for whom such a sum is still a fairly big deal, there's no need to pay the premium for a designer watch. An attractive wristwatch can be had for cheap if your aesthetic standards aren't high. And even if you do want a designer watch, a knockoff brand can do the trick. No one who is reasonable is going to grab your wrist and peer through the glass to make sure your Rolexesque watch is a Rolex. As long as it looks great and tells you what time it is, it's a great watch no matter what name is inside the glass.
Don't break the bank on a nice watch. All it's supposed to do is tell you the time.
Learn more about this author, Steven Gomez.
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