Thork is getting a Swiss watch

Thork · « **on:** May 08, 2016, 03:46:30 PM »

I've never really owned a nice watch before. I mostly wear no watch and just use my phone. But I just felt the impulse to get a reasonable dress watch for looking nice and telling the time.

I got

It has a see through back so you can see the workings.

And yes, it was pretty fucking expensive for a watch I'll wear occasionally.
full specs http://www.hamiltonwatch.com/collection/khaki/navy/pioneer-auto/h77715553-khaki-navy-pioneer-auto

Its about the same as an apple watch, but it isn't going to become obsolete when iOS10 comes out.

xasop · « **Reply #1 on:** May 08, 2016, 04:02:43 PM »

Quote from: Dr David Thork on May 08, 2016, 03:46:30 PM

Its about the same as an apple watch, but it isn't going to become obsolete when iOS10 comes out.

Buying things that are already obsolete is an interesting strategy to avoid obsolesence.

Thork · « **Reply #2 on:** May 08, 2016, 04:11:53 PM »

Are you suggesting a wrist watch is obsolete? Because I would argue it will still be telling the time in 30 years, unlike an apple watch.

Thork · « **Reply #3 on:** May 11, 2016, 07:05:12 PM »

It arrived. It is now on my wrist making me look less cheap.

Fortuna · « **Reply #4 on:** May 11, 2016, 08:18:41 PM »

How many Fs did it cost?

Thork · « **Reply #5 on:** May 11, 2016, 08:36:38 PM »

Dunno, but in US dollars, about 1000.

Lord Dave · « **Reply #6 on:** May 11, 2016, 08:55:06 PM »

So it's as much as an apple watch, does less, and no one will know how much it costs with a glance.

Thork · « **Reply #7 on:** May 11, 2016, 09:42:49 PM »

that is about the size of it.

But it doesn't need charging every day like an apple watch. In fact it never needs to be charged ever, it is an automatic and charges from the kinetic energy of my wrist. (yes yes, jokes about powering a small town from the kinetic energy of my wrist etc etc.)
It will also tell the time pretty much forever. It won't stop telling the time when apple decide to stop supporting its OS.
It is an analogue watch. It is not going to look old fashioned ever. This is the same with anything analogue. Avionic dials in aircraft, dials in classic cars, dials on any kind of machinery. Dials always look fine.
Digital stuff always looks horribly dated in about 5 years. Mobile phones, casio watches, video recorders, TVs, personal music players, games consoles ... pretty much anything that has a chip and pixel screen gets old fast. Anything well made with gears and dials will look awesome for all time and become classic.

But yes, this is an obscene amount of money for a device that only tells me the time. A function my mobile phone that I always have on me does just fine.

Jura-Glenlivet · « **Reply #8 on:** May 11, 2016, 09:43:46 PM »

There is no way off knowing whether Apple crap, with its built in obsolescence will be worth anything in the future (see Tamagotghi's) but I would bet on a good watch.

Thork · « **Reply #9 on:** May 11, 2016, 09:54:00 PM »

Actually, my watch is likely to be worth fuck all in the future. There are really only 2 brands that retain value. Rolex and Patex Phillipe. Everything else is set to lose money unless it is something very obscure and of some landmark significance to the watch-making industry.

Its obvious really. Let us say you want a Brietling watch. If a new one is £5000, how much will you pay for one that is 20 years old and has been on some other fella's wrist for all that time? Old watches tend to have higher maint costs as well.
You aren't going to pay more than £5000, that is for sure. You likely won't be interested in paying more than £1000.

The only reason you'd buy that watch is to collect it. And collectors want Rolex and Patek Phillipe. And really not very much else.

If I had unlimited money, I'd get a watch from these guys
http://www.mbandf.com/machines/

I love the legacy ones.

This watch is over $150,000. But it will lose value fast too.

Fortuna · « **Reply #10 on:** May 11, 2016, 10:56:31 PM »

If I had the money I'd probably spend a hefty amount on a really nice analog watch too. The craftsmanship that goes into the top quality ones is pretty insane.

Roundy · « **Reply #11 on:** May 11, 2016, 11:10:19 PM »

There's nothing wrong with wanting a nice quality watch. Saying they are obsolete is ridiculous. I've been wanting a Movado myself for years, I just haven't been ready to shell out the money for it.

beardo · « **Reply #12 on:** May 13, 2016, 07:23:33 AM »

Real sirs use pocket watches.

Thork · « **Reply #13 on:** May 13, 2016, 07:57:41 AM »

Quote from: beardo on May 13, 2016, 07:23:33 AM

Real sirs use pocket watches.

I'd like one, but have absolutely zero clothes that go with a pocket watch.

Pete Svarrior · « **Reply #14 on:** May 13, 2016, 08:35:36 AM »

Why is everyone (well, Thork and Roundy) so upset about wrist watches being obsolete? Of course they're obsolete. That's in no way a bad thing. People can still enjoy obsolete things for non-utilitarian reasons.

xasop · « **Reply #15 on:** May 13, 2016, 09:23:29 AM »

Quote from: SexWarrior on May 13, 2016, 08:35:36 AM

Why is everyone (well, Thork and Roundy) so upset about wrist watches being obsolete? Of course they're obsolete.

I didn't mean to imply that wristwatches in general are obsolete, only that expensive analogue watches are obsolete. You can spend less on cheap digital watches over a lifetime, replacing each one as it stops working, than Thork just spent on a single watch.

Blanko · « **Reply #16 on:** May 13, 2016, 09:36:44 AM »

Quote from: Parsifal on May 13, 2016, 09:23:29 AM

Quote from: SexWarrior on May 13, 2016, 08:35:36 AM
Why is everyone (well, Thork and Roundy) so upset about wrist watches being obsolete? Of course they're obsolete.

I didn't mean to imply that wristwatches in general are obsolete, only that expensive analogue watches are obsolete. You can spend less on cheap digital watches over a lifetime, replacing each one as it stops working, than Thork just spent on a single watch.

Watches are fashion accessories. Didn't you buy an ugly-ass hawaiian shirt for like eighty bucks?

Pete Svarrior · « **Reply #17 on:** May 13, 2016, 09:38:56 AM »

Quote from: Parsifal on May 13, 2016, 09:23:29 AM

I didn't mean to imply that wristwatches in general are obsolete, only that expensive analogue watches are obsolete.

Yeah, I sacrificed some detail for the sake of brevity. The point stands - just because something is obsolete doesn't mean it's a bad thing (and I'm pretty sure you didn't mean to imply that it's a bad thing, either).

Fortuna · « **Reply #18 on:** May 13, 2016, 05:17:50 PM »

Quote from: Parsifal on May 13, 2016, 09:23:29 AM

Quote from: SexWarrior on May 13, 2016, 08:35:36 AM
Why is everyone (well, Thork and Roundy) so upset about wrist watches being obsolete? Of course they're obsolete.

I didn't mean to imply that wristwatches in general are obsolete, only that expensive analogue watches are obsolete. You can spend less on cheap digital watches over a lifetime, replacing each one as it stops working, than Thork just spent on a single watch.

You can also spend less on cheap booze and still get drunk just as easily.

Thork · « **Reply #19 on:** May 13, 2016, 05:50:03 PM »

I'm not really sure if we can agree an analogue watch is obsolete.

Are earrings obsolete? They perform no function other than as an item of jewellery that looks nice. How is that different to a watch? It just happens to tell the time as well. A decline in women wearing earrings might be a sign of changing fashion trends, not that an earring is obsolete. It could be that watches have declined as a fashion accessory BECAUSE the fashion is digital, or because wearing one not so long ago suggested you couldn't afford one of those fancy new-fangled smart phone things.