[ghostbrainalpha]

I promise I mean this question honestly and not sarcastic.

But if having a rolex means you have some money but nothing to say... What type of watch do real watch people buy? And what interesting thing are they saying through their purchase?

[dagw]

To be honest it also depends a lot on which Rolex you buy. Rolex makes (and have made) a ton of different watches over the decades and some of them are really cool and interesting and very desirable among 'real watch people'.

At the end of the day what matters to 'real watch people' is that you are interested in and passionate about the watch you are wearing. If you can talk about the watch you are wearing and what makes it cool and why you love it, then people will think it's cool

[aredox]

In terms of finishing, the best is found outside of Switzerland: either A. Lange & Söhne, or the very high-end Seiko (Grand Seiko and Credor).

Otherwise, real watch people buy vintage watches. Universal (tricompax), Longines, Zenith (el primero), Heuer (not TAG Heuer), Minerva (Cal. 48), Omega... And like with old cars, a real watch person accept a degree a quirkyness: less accurate time keeping (but honestly it's not that bad), manual winding every morning, a blemished dial and scruffed case, finding and befriending a watchmaker with the right skills to maintain it every 3-4 years...

It's part of the charm.

Like with cars, the current batch of watches - on top of being luxury items, when in the past it tended much more towards practicality and "toolness" - doens't have the same flair, style, history or fun.

[defrost]

Custom built wooden watch - all wood, gears, complications, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy4tXbm-HN4

Insanely difficult to make well, barely two or three people in the world are capable, requires a high degree of understanding of various wood types to select for springs, regulation, temp and humidty correction, etc.

https://www.keepthetime.com/blog/valerii-danevych-wooden-wat...

What does it say?

Hard to tell - if I had one, for example, it wouldn't say much beyond I appreciate fine craftsmanship, woodwork, horology, and could afford to spend a quarter of a million on a unique piece of functional artisanship.

Personally I have no watches, chains, jewellry, etc - I'm a don't like things that can catch type of person - but I do like timekeeping and have a sapphire cclock for the precision.

https://spectrum.ieee.org/for-precision-the-sapphire-clock-o...

[zappb]

Cooler model Rolexes for one.

[pclmulqdq]

It really depends a lot on the exact watch, since a lot of them have distinct character.

The most prestigious brand is Patek Philippe. The nerds of wall street often wear IWCs. Blancpain, Panerai, Vacheron Constantin, and Breguet all have interesting offerings. The right Rolex (eg a yachtmaster for a passionate sailor) can also say something interesting.

The point is that your watch and its style and complications should ideally reflect what you value and want to show the world. This is kind of the same as car people at this point - there's no right answer, but there are some wrong ones.

[etrautmann]

That seems like a heavy lift for a watch unless we’re deciding that the watch brand and model is a shibboleth for other social groupings.

[pclmulqdq]

I take it you are not into watches.

Watches, cars, ties, and all other kinds of mens' fashion accessories are all the same, it's about communicating who you are through what you wear. Women know a lot about this because it's pretty much mandatory to adopt that attitude about women's clothing. High-end menswear is the same: if you're going to spend the money, spend it on something that fits you.

By the way, nobody who cares about watches will ding you (in terms of social status) for not wearing a watch or wearing a non-fashion watch like an apple watch or a swatch. If you're not into it, you don't have to partake.

[etrautmann]

Yep, I'd describe myself as not into really anything fashion-wise, although when I think about that harder it's inevitable regardless of what world someone occupies. For me, I'd notice things like outdoor gear and computer peripherals as signals (intentional or otherwise), and much as I'd like to pretend those don't exist, that layer is ever present, for better or worse.