Re: Are Watches An Endangered Species?


Bo Williams wrote:
> John S. wrote:
>
> > Are watches an endangered species - no, not in my experience. Just
> > look at the shelves of watches for sale at almost every conceivable
> > retailer. Many women have several watches of coordinating colors, etc.
> > Guys engage in similar collecting, but they dress it up in the name of
> > horology because some of them have an understanding of what goes on
> > underneath the dial.
>
> I grabbed all the Sunday paper circulars that I thought would contain
> watches for some, um, "errand" reading recently, and I was appalled at
> the homogeny. Everybody's selling all the same stuff. Anyone reading
> this knows that a potential watch consumer who gets all s/he knows about
> what's available from department and jewelry store selections in the
> U.S. has NO idea.
>
> One of the things I really enjoy about being "in the know" is having
> something on my wrist I know I won't see on someone else's wrist in the
> course of my day. But it's almost too easy.

But hasn't homogeneity always been part of the watch scene? Watch
makers are like lemmings when it comes to style. Just look back at the
Elgin/Hamilton/Waltham pocket watches so popular from the turn of the
previous century. Those round timekeepers with a stem at 12:00 or 3:00
are a ball to collect and enjoy. But they are notable for how similar
they really are: White porcelain dial with roman or arabic numerals,
spade hands, carved case, etc. Are there small differences - sure,just
as there are small differences in todays watches.

.

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