Horological Meandering

Pulled out a Seiko 5 SNK803 today. Have not worn it for four years - mea culpa (took the strap off to use on another watch and somehow didn’t reassemble it afterwards 🤦🏻‍♂️). The watch cost less than US$40 new from the big online store back in the day. Yo...  

There is a whole world out there that I discovered recently known as "AliExpress" watches, some of them look ok like this brand Source: Google Images These types of makers are taking over where others have moved upmarket ...  

And it might well cover part of the need / demand. Bit to the larger question - will our children or the next generation more broadly still find any appreciation of these baubles of ours or has that ship sailed? 🤷🏻‍♂️

Source: lionsandpilotsandbots Merging the classical with the latest tech will keep things relevant imho ...  

The question remains if it will be a cohort or ageing effect - do they grow into watches at some point or in case they did not grow up with them they never will 🤷🏻‍♂️

Hi Here's mine - worn slightly more frequently than yours, but not much! I think you make a good analogy with motorbikes, but that may be a more extreme example. Though while there's less of an introductory pathway to bikes, I think there is a broader one...  

Plus we already have a handful that are likely to last 😉👍🏻 As for the car industry, by and large it operates at a very different scale than watches so not sure if there will be useful analogies. Whenever the car industry tries that - aka Mercedes under Kä... 

After recent service, going strong, although it always worked well for many, many years without a service. Cost me equivalent £12.63 plus £3.15 UK import duty! Wore it regularly for about four years. I am amazed the "5" is still in production. I now never...  

And a likewise cool story to go with it! Or sure any of the wearables nowadays will be bought by owners that will still remember them decades into the future, let alone be working so far down the line 😊🤷🏻‍♂️ Thanks for joining in 👍🏻🙏🏻 ... 

Not a dive or tool watch but will do all that’s strictly necessary without trouble and even if it gets a ding or a scratch you will not much care 😁

A mall I frequent has a number of high end boutiques and one department store that carries some entry level options where a decent mechanical watch now seems to be at least a few hundred dollars, often more. Seiko 5s are in the mix along with Bulova and C...  

On occasion wear a watch without setting it 😉🤦🏻‍♂️ Very interesting observation though - would not have thought that’s the case with younger people. Thanks for adding your experience 👍🏻🙏🏻

But today it’s the same as yours! Even a display back… Apparently I bought this a long long time ago, as my pictures go back to 2005! Mike ...  

It also appears that the line was often added by people already far up the food chain as far as watches go, which is interesting. Difficult to make solid arguments without access to data and then again not sure the watch brands have a complete grasp of it... 

My old SKX… ...  

Manual transmissions are indeed dead. I will still hope to be able to teach my kids to drive stock, when the time comes, though. Just like tying a tie, there are things their old school father thinks they need to know 😂😂😂 Nice SKX 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 ... 

Other basics, like navigating with a physical map or driving a manual are skills not necessarily of frequent utility but of still some value. Maybe o al simply getting old 😉

Yes, I have a paper (well, plastic coated) map of my current home state as well as a larger format map of the United States in my car. I can’t imagine not having either. I also use a Dictionary and Thesaurus at home.

It’s been many years since I have had a Volvo European Road Atlas in the car (would be badly outdated even if I could find it (probably still in the Volvo 😂🤷🏻‍♂️). But looking at options for some exciting road trips ahead, so could go for one again 🤞🏻👍🏻 ... 

Mike ...  

In light of the topic, out of curiosity - had implies it has a new owner now. Just curious what type of owner it ended up with 😊

But find the Sistem51 Swatches quite accurate, actually 👍🏻

...fun pieces and hardy And a larger green version Those were the days ...  

I guess years of hanging out here create some special type of memory for individual photos 😂 Thanks for joining in with three specimen 👍🏻🙏🏻

What I love about our hobby is that we appreciate all watches no matter the price point, and especially when they have personal meaning. This PRX, gifted to me from someone special, I always enjoy wearing and certainly puts a smile on my face whenever I l...  

And a nice PRX on a cool strap 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

As bleak as I feel or more positive? 😊

I agree that average entry level models are much higher in price, yet are becoming much more competitive in what they have to offer, both in terms of design and function. I think that the watch industry sees both an ever rising number of collectors/aficio... 

At least not from the mainstream brands. As you say there are many micro brands nowadays but where I am not sure is if they have a reach to people not yet interested in watches or if they are catering more to people like us, converts already 🤷🏻‍♂️ ... 

… Hard to tear one’s attention away from social media (or WPS) long enough to glance at a wrist (maybe wearing a watch on the inside of the wrist would allow viewing both watch & tweet simultaneously 🤔

The mobile phone comment is super insightful and the inside of the wrist one doubly funny 😁👍🏻

One of my many “Entry-level” Seikos ...  

Chose the right material for the second decade of the 21st century, too 😉👍🏻👏🏻

Like any type of proselytizing it is largely not welcomed with open arms 😂🤷🏻‍♂️

>So like we nowadays do not really have much time for the pocket watches and clocks the previous generations appreciated and collected, is the watch world going down the same route? The industry has mostly followed the money. And it’s the older folks like... 

And events we may vaguely remember or remember through our parents but that our children emotionally have little attachment to. How would you have followed up on the MoonSwatch?

I would have let Swatch designers have more leeway in both design and cost budget. Encouraged but not forced to find something interesting from the ETA catalog. Did you know ETA has a dual layer big date like Moser? ETA has a quartz perpetual calendar? Ma... 

Thanks for these thoughts and ideas - sound interesting for sure 😊