No, you do not need the new thing.

Most watch media is trying to push you to buy something. It could be a “review” that is thinly veiled advertising, or someone who is banking on you unknowingly buying via their affiliate link. It grinds my gears that it’s not more transparent, but I think it exposes a deeper issue. Do you really need the thing that someone tells you that you do?

Words Matter

Words matter, and I try to pay attention to how people use them. I also try to be specific in my language, as it’s easy to miscommunicate.

Needs and wants are something that you (hopefully) already understand. However, I want to explain it in the way that I see it.

A “need” is something that has to exist for the action to function. You need water to live. A want is something that does not need to exist for the action to function. You “want” an ice cream cone after dinner.

When it comes to watches, I think that we can all agree that they fall, as a whole, under the category of “wants”. We’ve got plenty of other ways to tell the time (like the thing that you’re using to read this). However, there may be functions on the watch that you need to have, or you won’t wear the watch. I know that I need my watch to have the date on it, since it’s a function that I use daily. For you, it may be a chronograph function, or a way to track elapsed time.

So, watches are not a need. If watches are not a need, why do so many people tell you that you need a specific one?

Infuriating Words

With paying a lot of attention comes the issue of noticing a lot of bullsh*t in the world. With watch media, this especially rings true. How often have you heard phrases similar to these?

• “Your watch collection is incomplete without this watch!”
• “You need this new hot dial/case/bracelet!” 
• “You need this watch to do XYZ activity.” 

Whenever someone is telling you that you need something that you know to be a want, a red flag should go up. Well, it’s really a green flag, green for the color of money. In the watch & watch accessory market, transparency in advertising is not very present.

This is what I lookout for when seeing watch media:

• Is the person being paid by the manufacturer or a retailer to advertise the watch?
• Were they given the watch for free, in exchange for a positive review?
• Are they making dosh from you buying it via their affiliate link?
• Are they actually a watch seller, and the video is a way for them to directly advertise and sell the watch?

I’m a cynic, and I default to creators trying to make a buck by advertising watches. The horrible thing is that it’s extremely common these days. There are more and more advertising and paid promotion alerts that YouTube and websites are putting before a piece of media, but that just means that you know that you are about to see a financially biased view on the watch. I’m not anti-making money, I just much prefer to see it done in ways that don’t involve selling out.

In the current day, being an informed buyer is more important than ever.

Do I Really Want It?

So we understand needs vs. wants, and have dodged the shills. When should we buy something that we want? Well, that’s entirely up to you.

This may sound dumb, but I have a question for you. Do you actually know what you like with watches? Are those “likes” something that you could put into words, or is it a “know it when you see it” kind of thing?

I ask that, as it’s important to know what you like when thinking about making a purchase. Why would you look at buying something that you don’t like? Are you trying to branch out? Is it just keeping up with the Joneses?

In addition, we should try to avoid impulse buying. For any watch purchase, give yourself some time between seeing the watch, and clicking the “Buy Now” button. Maybe you were itching to buy, and that carrot was dangled in front of your face. Does the watch that you want have the necessary functions that you require to actually wear it? A night or two to think on it may save you some money.

Our watch purchases should require thought and deliberation before buying.

The Verdict

I’ve already written one article here at The Escapement Room about watch-collecting thoughtfulness.  This one is certainly more targeted about the consumerist part of the watch market.

I’ve written for another publication since 2018. Since 2022, I’ve written about a dozen un-sponsored, un-shilled watch reviews. During that time, I’ve never gotten a penny from a company to say nice things about their watch, nor have I been given any freebies. I’ve also never told the reader that they need the watch that I’ve reviewed.

Being “in the media” has made me dislike much of it, due to how blatantly money driven it is. There is a serious lack of transparency in much of the watch media, and hopefully this rant has made you a little more aware of it.

Do you need the new thing? No. Do you want it? Maybe. Should you buy it? That choice is up to you.

If you’d like to check out my other works for The Escapement Room, follow this hyperlink.