Has anyone else noticed how difficult trolling on watch forums has become?
Gone are the days when trolls could tell people to ‘save up for a proper watch’, casually remark that homages are fake watches for fake people, or drop comments that Tudor owners secretly wished they could get a Rolex.
Try that most places now and you’ll get your comment deleted and account banned quicker than you can say ‘sell all your watches and get something decent’.
Trollin’ ain’t easy.
But what if I told you there is still a way to troll without getting banned AND actually have people agreeing with you?
The secret to this nirvana of hate spreading is to master the art of ‘punching up’.
Punching up is a concept that originally came from the world of comedy and refers to the fact that it is socially acceptable to make fun and ridicule those that are more powerful and privileged than you. In theory these people are in such a position that poking a few comedic jibes in their direction is unlikely to cause them much concern, and can actually work to highlight issues and disparities within our society.
Doing the opposite however, punching down, belittling those who are already marginalised, lower in the social hierarchy or power order, does nothing more than reaffirm these unjust dynamics in society and is simply distasteful and crass.
So, does the rule of punching up and down apply to the watch world?
Absolutely.
Let’s take a look at a couple of Fratello articles you may have seen.
It’s a pretty innocuous sounding title from first glance, but the content hidden behind this tame facade sparked so much backlash the author needed to write another other article just to apologise.
The basics of his argument were that he didn’t like the fact it was cheaper to swap out an entire watch movement in some of the budget mechanical watches, rather than getting it serviced…
“Swapping out the entire movement feels a bit like taking the soul out of the watch. In that case, wouldn’t it make more sense to get a quartz watch instead?”
“Of course, it’s nice to see these watches as something you can have fun with for a while. But is it worth it to spend your money on them in the long run?”
Brave move … calling all mechanical watches less than £1000 ‘fun for a while’.
Well…. IT. KICKED. OFF…. because the guy made the mistake of punching down. Not even a punch really… more of a slightly limp slap.
The article has so far received 272 comments, which is a big number for Fratello.
Here are a few…
“are we saying anything with an H10 or 6R35 in it is trash? Funny how everyone raves about the Murph or Alpinist then – will you be retracting any positive articles for sub-€1000 pieces?”
“I don’t see how belittling watches under an arbritary price point helps anyone, nor that the price point indicates any sort of watermark of quality. You think my 62mas is going to fall apart on it’s third anniversary because it’s not a Tudor?”
“Clickbait! Then you accidentally offend your audience and instead of coming clean on a faux pas, you try damage control with a supply chain smokescreen and insider parlez.”
“”There’s something romantic about wearing this thing on your wrist for years without having to think about a battery change.”
Yeah, right here’s your problem. Most are not in a position to hold a romantic view of spending hundreds on a service every few years.
Meh. It’s exactly this kind of attitude that turns me off about this hobby.”
….which then got it’s own set of backlash from his supporters crying out “Don’t apologise!”
It’s a difficult line to walk, but it’s always safer to not punch down.
So what does punching up look like in the watch world?
Have a look at this other piece from the Fratello team:
Now, in this article a different author laments over the fact that Ed Sheeran’s and other celebrities tastes in watches doesn’t match his own…
“In 2007, together with fellow Italian Andrea Tamburini, he (Marco Mavilla) presented a watch that looked like it was the result of smashing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak into a Patek Philippe Nautilus. The name Genius Genta Legacy and the watch were an objective travesty. Still, Sheeran, the owner of several watches designed by Gérald Genta, wore a watch that looked like an insult in public. It shows that money doesn’t buy taste, knowledge, or culture, which applies to everybody.”
(Honestly, I quite like it, but maybe that’s just me loving the thought of wearing a watch other people think is an ‘insult’ and a ‘travesty’.
This is the art of punching up.
You can quite happily call a watch a travesty and tasteless, and say the owner has neither knowledge or culture, as long as it’s aimed up.
Can you imagine if he had written the same article questioning the taste, knowledge and culture of G-Shock owners? Ha!
This article so far has a total of 29 comments.
Some brave souls did comment on the slight hypocrisy between preaching ‘buy what you love’ on one hand and ‘…as long as what you love conforms to our ideals of good taste’ on the other…
“Maybe Mr. Ed Sheeran just wanted a laugh.. It may be nothing more than his equivalent of a MoonSwatch. Stop judging, wear what you like.”
But they were quickly shut down…
“Who is judging? And why should anyone stop discussing anything? No-one said Mr. Sheeran can’t wear what he likes. And it’s not at all wrong to judge peoples’ poor taste, motivations, etc. either. Especially when it’s people who work for an entertainment corporation so are actually just a figurehead for a corporate organisation who have an army of marketers and psychologists trying to figure out how to affect us the audience in order to further their publicity and their sales of their sponsors’ products.
Stop trying to censor, stop putting words in other peoples’ mouth, stop judging people taking part in a conversation.”
The moral of the story: Punching up is fine… applauded even.
You can argue that in the watch world it works to even up the status quo between the budget and luxury ends of the spectrum… but honestly… isn’t it more likely just another way of trolling and giving fiery opinions without sparking the backlash that will get you cancelled?
Future articles in ‘The Watch Lovers Guide to Being an Internet Troll’ series…
How to Give an Unpopular Take on Watches Without Being Banned:
“We’re all allowed an opinion bro!”
The Definitive Guide to Passive-Aggressive Trolling:
“I wish I could be as happy with a budget watch like yours! I’d save so much money! 😊👍”
The Art of the Subtle Flex:
“Poll: Which beater watch should I take on our camping holiday? Daytona, JLC Reverso or Royal Oak?”
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1 thought on “The Watch-Lovers Guide to Being an Internet Troll: The Subtle Art of Punching Up.”
Bravo! These days it seems every comment that isn’t the equivalent of a participation trophy is considered offensive.
Recently had a comment I posted regarding pin & collar bracelet systems, “the person who invented pin & collar should be burned at the steaks,” removed and I was threatened with a ban for “advocating violence.”
Jeebus, sweet fancy Moses.
My new way to tell someone to F.O. Is toe reply, “I like French fries.” I know what it means, a few forum members know.
The Escapement Room 
Bravo!
These days it seems every comment that isn’t the equivalent of a participation trophy is considered offensive.
Recently had a comment I posted regarding pin & collar bracelet systems, “the person who invented pin & collar should be burned at the steaks,” removed and I was threatened with a ban for “advocating violence.”
Jeebus, sweet fancy Moses.
My new way to tell someone to F.O. Is toe reply, “I like French fries.” I know what it means, a few forum members know.
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