If you wear a modern diver on a steel bracelet the chances are rare that anyone will comment on your watch. Perhaps, someone wearing the same brand will make the connection, but it is rare, even for Rolex bros. However, if you wear a vintage watch and you have a long interaction with someone you have a better chance of a “watch interaction”.
Most people who comment on my vintage watches think that there is some family or sentimental connection for my watch. There are only two that fit that criteria. If I know the person asking I politely tell them that it is just a purchase and that I like vintage styling. If I don’t know the person I will sometimes tell a tall tale:
When I was six I visited my great-grandfather was in the hospital. He in the last throws of a terrible wasting disease that he had acquired as a missionary in the Congo basin. He was not in pain, only in an extremely weakened condition. As my family stepped out to talk to the doctor outside of his presence, he raised his withered arm as though to make a motion. He was wearing an old gold watch. I could tell that it probably contained a Felsa 690 Bidynator. I quickly took it off of his wrist and stuffed it into my pocket. And that’s how I came into possession of this watch….
(This is just a test post.)
The Escapement Room 