8 signs you’re becoming a watch snob
Watch enthusiasts do not always share the Swiss philosophy of neutrality. Being enthusiastic about something inevitably leads to hot takes, strong and stubborn opinions and, in turn, some snobbery. On the wrong day, I am definitely guilty of it myself – we’re all human after all. The reality is this niche hobby becomes less welcoming when we, as enthusiasts, dismiss others, especially when it’s already intimidating enough due to the nature of luxury products and their prices. Here are eight signs you’re becoming a watch snob. You dismiss quartz as “not luxury” In watch collecting culture, quartz has gotten a bad name, thanks to the quartz crisis almost killing the mechanical watch industry. There is also the fact that many judge a movement based on how and where it is fabricated – with a new emphasis on “in-house” (a whole other discussion in itself). The fact is, many people assume the craft of watchmaking is limited to movement manufacture. This is simply not the case. External components are also created and finished by artisans with years of training in the craft. Take the Royal Oak from Audemars Piguet as an example. While the movements are stunning, a lot of the…
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One of the more surprising watches of 2019 was Chopard’s Alpine Eagle. Based on the Swiss outfit’s St. Moritz wristwatch of the 1980s, here was an entirely new take on the luxury stainless steel sports watch with integrated bracelet. It was, and still is, an important timepiece for Chopard as it’s the watchmaker’s best attempt yet at taking it to the stalwarts of the industry who dominate the steel sports watch space. Now, more than a year after the collection’s unveiling, Chopard has added to the Alpine Eagle family with this – the Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chronograph. From launch, there will be three different iterations available – steel with blue dial, steel with black dial and two-tone steel and rose gold with black dial – and judging from the on-paper specs and press photos, they promise to be exciting timepieces. So, let’s take a bit of a closer look. The case While the overall case shape and design language remains the same, these new chronos have swelled in size considerably, now measuring 44mm across and 13.4mm thick. Water resistance remains rated at a versatile 100 metres, which is impressive given the chronograph pushers are not of the screw-down variety,…
Jean-Claude Biver and his team bought Hublot 24 years ago. At that time it was a tiny brand, big in Spain, but netting $24-million. But Biver considered that it had reached less than 20% of its potential and could be a mega-brand, with its youthful re-casting of luxury in a more casual, sporty and fun context. In 2019, it made $700m. In this extraordinary interview – like I said in the Friday Wind Down yesterday, this is a very different conversation to the usual narrative – Biver spells out the 11 keys to his success, and how he still believes he could do it again today, with any brand. It is conducted by our new European Editor, Mike Christensen who did an absolutely sterling job. Much of the credit for Biver’s frankness and full disclosure goes to Mike! The 11 ways Jean-Claude Biver built Hublot to be a $700m mega-brand 0:26 BY SEEING THE NEED FOR A “LUXURY SWATCH” TO REDEFINE LUXURY 2:33 BY BUYING A ‘WEAK’ BRAND WITH A STRONG CONCEPT FOR A LOW PRICE 4:42 WITH GOOD HEALTH AND HEALTHY DOUBT 6:10 BY GOING AGAINST LUXURY TRADITION AND SHUNNING PRECIOUS METALS 7:44 BY WRITING A SIMPLE STRATEGY THAT…
Editor’s note: Well, things haven’t exactly slowed down at G-Shock in the months since this story was published – the Japanese firebrand has been churning out more awesome and absurd watches than the rest of the Swiss watch industry combined, and it’s left us all thinking, “What will they come up with next?” Most recently, G-Shock have dropped a watch celebrating one of the biggest animated children’s TV shows of all time – Dragon Ball Z, and they’ve also collaborated with Bamford Watch Department to create a limited edition watch that sold out in six minutes! Needless to say, enthusiasts have never had more choice for whacky and wonderful digital watches … and that’s a very good thing. G-Shock have been going hard in 2020 — really hard. That’s right, not only have they released dozens of new watches across a range of different collections since the beginning of 2020, but many of those are pretty remarkable in their own right, some tracking heart rate or surf beach conditions, with others paying tribute to Kung fu legend Bruce Lee or representing streetwear label KITH. There is genuinely something for everyone, so let’s take a look at five of the coolest…
2020 has definitely been a chaotic year with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic worldwide. Blockbuster films have been delayed, major music festivals cancelled, but at least one American pastime managed to go on relatively unscathed – NBA Basketball. Twenty-two teams participated in the 2020 NBA season, held within a quarantined bubble that both players and staff had to remain inside of throughout the duration of the season. At the end of an exciting series, the Los Angeles Lakers took the championship title home after their Game 6 win over the Miami Heat. While not necessarily the first question on the minds of NBA fans, for us watch enthusiasts one burning question comes to the forefront: what do NBA champions wear on their wrists? After scanning clips of press conferences and paparazzi shots, one thing becomes very clear – many of the Los Angeles Lakers lean towards a sole and prestigious brand: Audemars Piguet. LeBron James As the expression goes, it’s good to be the King. LeBron James is a known ambassador for the Audemars Piguet brand, so he may be responsible for the fact that many of his teammates have opted for their haute horology timepieces. Being an ambassador, and one…