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It's not a status thing...necessarily. There are a lot of people, myself included, who enjoy collecting mechanical watches and don't flaunt them. If you're wear
by dsacco 10y ago
It's not a status thing...necessarily. There are a lot of people, myself included, who enjoy collecting mechanical watches and don't flaunt them. If you're wearing a Rolex Yachtmaster, yes alright maybe it's a status thing. If you're wearing a Patek, Lange, or VC it's probably for legitimate appreciation though. They are understated and virtually unknown outside of collectors or people who know collectors. You'd be very disappointed if you were wearing them for status - almost no one would recognize them on you.
Try not to compare peoples' hobbies to "pouring champagne on the floor." You may not think they're legitimate, but that doesn't make it so. I'm happy to admit that mechanical watches are inefficient and poor timekeeping devices compared to modern technology. But they're supposed to be a form of art that you personally enjoy that happen to tell the time. Comparing mechanical watches to electronic ones on the basis of utility is missing the point (and so is calling them a status symbol).
- microcolonel 10y agoMy original response is not about it being a valid hobby or not. I'm simply saying that there's nothing about mechanical watches which should seem particularly attractive to a software developer, which was the original assertion of lunaru.
- Cookingboy 10y agoYes, because your taste represent all software developers right? I'm a software developer, I've worked at YC startups as well as big companies like Google, and I have a degree in Computer Engineering so I know the hardware side of things as well. And I freaking love, love mechanical watches.
- walshemj 10y agoA "Developer" should have an appreciation of quality engineering in any form - At my first Job at CIT one of the other tenants had a side biz in rebuilding spitfires and we used to all go out a watch when they where showing it off - if seeing and hearing a spitfire doesn't make your heart sing then I am sad for you
- marvelous 10y agoI am not into mechanical watches at all, but I see a big point that is common with software: the incredible scale of the complexity that can be reached by a craftsman. You often have to go into large scale engineering to find that in other fields.