What type of watch enthusiast asshole are you?

Last week I saw a forum post from a guy asking if people would rather wear a fashion watch or no watch at all.

His story:

My nephew, 29 years old, asked me to replace his quartz watch battery. I was surprised to see that, although he generally dresses pretty well and has good taste in clothes and shoes, he was wearing a crappy (but somewhat eye catchy) Tommy Hilfiger watch. I asked him why he wasn’t wearing a better watch, since I knew his dad had a few nice watches. He said “but I’m not even looking at it; all I care is to be clean and to show the correct time in case someone else looks”.”

Now I’m here thinking about his nephew like…

He knows these things are just functional bits of jewellry, so he’s happily picked the shiny thing he likes the look of most, and wisely kept himself out of this expensive, addictive, endless hobby/obsession that we’ve inflicted on ourselves. So why the hell would this guy’s uncle feel the need to say to his nephew “Why don’t you have a better watch?” ?

Wear what you love right? The guy just wanted a battery change, not a watch-roasting.

But the more I think about it…. the more I see the uncles side in this….

If you see a loved one making a mistake, should you step in to stop them?

Should we all aim to be the watch equivalent of that best friend who will absolutely tell you if your bum looks big in that outfit?

Does our dark knowledge of the abyss of wrist based horology burden us with the task of spreading the laws of the watch? Or should we remain stoically silent and allow others to make their own mistakes and find their own path?

WWYD?

First, let’s take the example above…

A family member comes to you for a battery change and you see they have a watch of such poor quality it’s destined to fall apart in the next 12 months.

Do you say anything? Are you really helping them by letting them continue to think that all watches are much the same, and all £200 watches are only destined to last a year or two anyway? If you say nothing then the next time he needs another £200 watch he may well make the same mistakes. Perhaps you should you point out that there may be better options out there that last longer? Or is it better to just think ‘He’s wearing what he loves’ and keep your mouth shut?

Another example, a guy shows you a picture of a 60mm, 16mm thick beast on his 6inch wrist and asks “What do you think??”

Do you point out that he is going to twat that watch on every door frame, car door and small child he walks past, and perhaps he should try a smaller size to see if it’s more comfortable? Or do you respond with the classic “If you like it, that’s all that matters. You do you bro.”

Lastly, a friend wants you to camp with him outside the Swatch store for 3 nights before they drop the SeaSwatch X 007 because he’s desperate for the Goldeneye edition.

Do you tell him it’s a colossal waste of time because you’ll be able to pick them up in a few months anyway without having to catch pneumonia or brush your teeth in the Macdonald’s toilets? Or do you say…

Are we the asshole for not using our knowledge to save others from going through the mistakes we did?

Or are we the asshole for presuming they are mistakes at all?

Kaysia