Higher end watches, something I am unable to connect the dots on

One of my all time favorite watches was a made in Japan Seiko 5 automatic with a recessed crown at 4 oclock. It was a very simple and inexpensive watch but I wore it daily for many years until it got destroyed in a MC accident. The Seiko high beats are a masterpiece and worth owning if you ever come across one.
They started making the high beats again - but they’re like most “luxury” watches in price. You pay for the precision of that movement and the case in which it comes.

https://www.grand-seiko.com/us-en/collections/sbgh301g
 
I have a Tag Link I received a wedding gift, a Rolex Justdate that was bequeathed to me, a Citizen I purchased myself, and a Tudor BlackBay I purchased myself. My guess is serous buyers are contacting their local ADs to see what's in stock and few people are window shopping for a +$5K watch.
 
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Some people think the Apple Watch is grossly expensive. I find mine to be a good value. I wear a Series 9 during the day, Series 7 at night, continual health monitoring.
I think they're expensive, partly because I have the Ultra 2. I like big watches and my moderate cataract vision made it easier to read also. I had a Series 6 initially. Cataract surgery this week and 2 weeks later so it may really pop after that. I'll upgrade it if/when they ever add reliable glucose monitoring, or if/when it konks out on me. Or maybe around Ultra 7/8 just because.
 
Jewelry for men. Its no different than a diamond necklace or natural pearl ear-rings. So yes, the mall and branding and service are all part of the luxury.
Mall?

Not all watch retailers, particularly high end ones, are in a mall.

I would much rather go to a local jeweler than a mall. Much rather a dedicated retailer, like those on Bond Street on London, or those in Geneva.

So, for me at least, the “mall” is a huge negative in the shopping experience.
 
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Mall?

Not all watch retailers, particularly high end ones, are in a mall.

I would much rather go to a local jeweler than a mall. Much rather a dedicated retailer, like those on Bond Street on London, or those in Geneva.

So, for me at least, the “mall” is a huge negative in the shopping experience.
Well yes, I wouldn't go to Northwoods in North Charleston for anything, nor the strip mall down the street. However this is in a foreign country. My experience is downtown malls in developing countries have exclusive addresses, and there the place to be "seen". Probably like Beverly Center in Beverly Hills, but I haven't been there in a couple decades so maybe its changed also.

Maybe @GON can confirm?
 
I have to step in and shill for Aragon again. :ROFLMAO: They are another good source for reasonably-priced automatic watches, like this one: Aragon Concept S

One caveat, Aragon tends to like to make larger-sized watches, the smallest that I've seen is 40mm. But if you like what you see there, they're usually pretty hard to beat.
 
Well yes, I wouldn't go to Northwoods in North Charleston for anything, nor the strip mall down the street. However this is in a foreign country. My experience is downtown malls in developing countries have exclusive addresses, and there the place to be "seen". Probably like Beverly Center in Beverly Hills, but I haven't been there in a couple decades so maybe its changed also.

Maybe @GON can confirm?
That’s a good point. Shopping just isn’t my thing - but I’ve been to a couple of big malls in the Middle East, and they are the “place to be seen” with stores like Omega, Breitling, Patek Phillipe, and Rolex, and they include things like indoor skiing, and, of course, a Starbucks.
 
That’s a good point. Shopping just isn’t my thing - but I’ve been to a couple of big malls in the Middle East, and they are the “place to be seen” with stores like Omega, Breitling, Patek Phillipe, and Rolex, and they include things like indoor skiing, and, of course, a Starbucks.
Did you check out the starbucks? My guess is it was many times more expensive than here.
 
Casio F91W. The choice of Presidents and Terrorists. Both Obama and Osama had one. Cheap, reliable, accurate and makes a dandy bomb timer.

Paco
 
Casio F91W. The choice of Presidents and Terrorists. Both Obama and Osama had one. Cheap, reliable, accurate and makes a dandy bomb timer.

Paco
Better get two, just in case..... ;)

91.webp
 
Well yes, I wouldn't go to Northwoods in North Charleston for anything, nor the strip mall down the street. However this is in a foreign country. My experience is downtown malls in developing countries have exclusive addresses, and there the place to be "seen". Probably like Beverly Center in Beverly Hills, but I haven't been there in a couple decades so maybe its changed also.

Maybe @GON can confirm?
Yes the mall is a higher end mall, but not anywhere near the level of Rodao drive in Beverly Hills.

I have never been to Beverly Center, nor Beverly Hills, so only knowledge of the area is what I have seen on TV.
 
Typically luxury goods don't run their businesses like a commodity grocery stores. I don't buy luxury stuff for this particular reason. Why would people pay for luxury watches? The same reason they buy a dream truck that they never intend to tow or go off road: it makes them happy.

It doesn't cost that much to make the watch, and they are definitely mechanical as quartz means mass produced and not crafted. Why do they appreciate in value over time? The same reason like many other collectibles: demand and supply, and the brand images and reduced / ended supply means they go "up" in value over time if you pick the right one.

Chronograph watches go up in value more than others, despite them not being any different, and nobody buy them thinking that it is the precision they are paying for (your smart watch is more precise and your obsoleted Garmin GPS is more precise as it is powered by an atomic clock in the sky). You are paying for the limited capability to certify them and the reduced supply.
 
Some people think the Apple Watch is grossly expensive. I find mine to be a good value. I wear a Series 9 during the day, Series 7 at night, continual health monitoring.
I got my daughters the AW SE because I don't want them to get stuck with a screen but still need to call and message them. It was only $200 each and $7 / month for LTE connection.

It is the dumb phone of 2024.
 
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