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Expensive Watch Appeal?
- Thread starter JurgenWigg
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It is interesting what will tip people off when you're in a foreign country. The flashy fancy watch can be a detrement to remaining inconspicuous.
Thus said, there are a lot of fakes around. I know a guy who loudly protests anytime we say that his "Big Gold Rolex Submariner" isn't genuine, but then six months later, he will brag about how he got a fake Rolex for his wife for such a great price from a wandering New York City Street Vendor.
A $14,000 one for himself, but a $30 fake one for the wife? Yeah, suuuure.
-hh
It's all relative. A $2k watch is a cheap watch to some people. My ex bf used to collect watches, and they were all in the $20k+ range. $2k certainly isn't an outrageous price for a good watch.
That said, it is all relative, and for a college student living on parents' savings it does seem a bit extravagant. Saving up for grad school or other permanent investments seems more prudent. There are nice watches to be had in the $400 range.
That said, it is all relative, and for a college student living on parents' savings it does seem a bit extravagant. Saving up for grad school or other permanent investments seems more prudent. There are nice watches to be had in the $400 range.
Nothing wrong with being into nice Swiss watches, JurgenWigg. I'm a Tag Heuer man myself. Look at it this way: If you buy one now, then many years from now, your Omega will still be on your arm, functioning just fine, while all the cheaply manufactured digital watches sold today will be forgotten, and in the landfill somewhere.
Take Sun Baked's advice seriously though. A nice, pricey watch is tempting target for thieves and drug thugs, just like laptops. Since you are on a college campus, you need to take some precautions and be vigilant. Good luck with your planned purchase.
Take Sun Baked's advice seriously though. A nice, pricey watch is tempting target for thieves and drug thugs, just like laptops. Since you are on a college campus, you need to take some precautions and be vigilant. Good luck with your planned purchase.
Yes I agree with this statement, which is why we should be recommending $500 laptops to every student in this forum, rather than extravagent Apple 'bling' computers.
In fact, for the price of the 15" 2.4GHz MBP, you could have a cheap PC laptop AND a $2K Swiss watch
You do realize that your cellphone is more of an extravagance than a watch, right? An expensive one is properly over the top, but how can you say that having a watch at all is extravagant? A cellphone's retail price is like $100-$600 dollars, while you can get a watch for ten bucks. Which one's an expensive way to tell time?
That said, the watch I'm currently using cost me RMB70, or about $8 USD. It's a simple square watch face on a thin brown leather strap that fastens with a sort of peg through the leather. It looks very nice, very simple and vintage, and it works fine. Also, people don't try to steal it.
The most expensive thing my parents have ever bought for me is my university education, and then my iMac. But those are all necessary things that i need to live a normal life. While you may have worked for that $1000 in your bank account, pissing it away on an expensive watch is irresponsible and ridiculous at your age and in your situation. When you've got at least a couple hundred thousand put away in the bank, then you can think about it.
Oh yeah, I paid for my watch myself too.
I think that the above poster brings up a good point though, that just because nice things attract thieves doesn't mean that you have to dress cheaply to avoid them.
Again, i've decided against getting this watch and putting my money to better use elsewhere. I opened up a retirement plan (never too early! Did you know that 55% of americans have little to nothing at all saved for retirement?), and because my parents are paying for college means I'm on my own for any higher education, so hopefully i'll be able to find a job that will send me back for a masters or an MBA.
And the comparison of a watch to a computer, well, macs are functional and so on, but apple is still charging a premium for black macbooks around the tune of $250 if i remember, and still people buy them. When it comes down to it, sometimes you choose one thing over another based on looks, not functionality
Again, i've decided against getting this watch and putting my money to better use elsewhere. I opened up a retirement plan (never too early! Did you know that 55% of americans have little to nothing at all saved for retirement?), and because my parents are paying for college means I'm on my own for any higher education, so hopefully i'll be able to find a job that will send me back for a masters or an MBA.
And the comparison of a watch to a computer, well, macs are functional and so on, but apple is still charging a premium for black macbooks around the tune of $250 if i remember, and still people buy them. When it comes down to it, sometimes you choose one thing over another based on looks, not functionality
Sort of sucks these days, but on campus (or near it), telling/bragging to anyone is an invitation for them to steal something from you.
And it usually ends up being somebody you know (or one of their scummy friends) that will steal from you, or sell the info on for quick cash.
What really sucks is that sticking the money in a savings bond is likely a better investment that taking the money to campus as an expensive toy.
I'm not saying that. I was just bringing up the point that buying something extravagant that you don't need runs the risk of it being stolen, unless the people you hang out with already have $1000+ watches. See my point? Since you said "in-state" tuition, I'm guessing you're going to a state school. Do you have any idea how many kids are gonna want to steal your watch?
And I don't dress cheaply at all. Neither do my friends. I'm a Canadian expatriate living in Shanghai. This place so many unbelievably wealthy people it appalls me. My father's company pays for our living expenses, but some people have to pay themselves. Going to an international high school costs $21,000 USD a year.. rent costs at least $3500 a month for a nice apartment. A lot of my friends have more money than they know what to do with, but... none of them have $1000+ watches. Maybe $1000+ suits, but that's understandable, and it doesn't attract thiefs.
Only problem with Movado is that they are veryyy easily replicated. Although, I suppose these days thats true of many, but I've seen more fake Movado watches than any other.
Edit: I was thinking, the simplicity of many of Movado's designs kinda goes well with a Mac
. I'm still an Omega man myself
21,000 dollar high school! Wow! I guess it's the price of going international. Must be a really cool education though.
But as a previous poster brought up, Omega isn't exactly a brand of watch that people can easily identify. It's not as well known (at least yet) as like Rolex or as recognizable as the Movado design, but granted that at any college, i don't think it matters whether it's a state school or not, there's going to be theft, and it's not a good time to own expensive things. A savings bond though, that's an interesting idea...
But as a previous poster brought up, Omega isn't exactly a brand of watch that people can easily identify. It's not as well known (at least yet) as like Rolex or as recognizable as the Movado design, but granted that at any college, i don't think it matters whether it's a state school or not, there's going to be theft, and it's not a good time to own expensive things. A savings bond though, that's an interesting idea...
well a watch if you think about is a fairly low theif item. Reason being is unless it is stolen out of your dorm room (which even then it is hard) you will be wearing it. Also to a lot of people a watch is just not a item worth stealing and resaling.
I can see clearly you want a nice watch. I will say spending 2k for an Omega is over kill but go to a jewery shop and look at citizen and Sekio watches both are very nice watches and people will clearly know they are not some cheap Fossil watch. They will last a long time and yes something you can be proud of while not breaking the bank. For my 2 citizen watches cost was around 300 for each and they will last you a long time. I know for Citizen watches you will NEVER have to replace the battery they are solar powered.
On a side note what does an 2k+ watch offer than you can not get out of a lets say 400 dollar watch. I know their is a huge difference between a less than a 100 and 300 but after that I just do not see a huge difference.
I find Watches to be a very personal thing. Some people use them, some don't. Some people spend a lot of money on them, Some just won't.
A Daytona that I got for about $10,000.
I also have a Citizen Eco-Drive Dive Watch that I use when I dive or don't want to take a chance with the Rolex.
As far as I'm concerned, I will never need to buy another watch and they are something I will pass down to my children. They are also good investments, as Rolex most of the time go up in value over the years...
Gromet
A Daytona that I got for about $10,000.
I also have a Citizen Eco-Drive Dive Watch that I use when I dive or don't want to take a chance with the Rolex.
As far as I'm concerned, I will never need to buy another watch and they are something I will pass down to my children. They are also good investments, as Rolex most of the time go up in value over the years...
Gromet
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Perspective
Someone once told me this story:
A young man had just purchased a new, very expensive, watch and was showing it off to folks in his local bar. He bragged how many thousands of dollars he had spent on it, as people "Ooooh"-ed and "Ahhh"-ed over it. An older gentleman at the bar asked to see the watch. He looked at it, laid it on the bar, and took off his watch, a Timex with a plastic band and face. He laid the Timex on the bar next to the young man's expensive watch.
"Nice watch, but I can do something with mine that you can't do with yours."
The young man chuckled. His watch was loaded with features and there was no way it could be outdone by an old Timex.
The old man picked up his beer mug and smashed it down on both watches as the young man shrieked in horror! The room went silent as the young man stared at the pieces of his watch scattered on the bar.
The old man, "Now, I can replace mine... "
Someone once told me this story:
A young man had just purchased a new, very expensive, watch and was showing it off to folks in his local bar. He bragged how many thousands of dollars he had spent on it, as people "Ooooh"-ed and "Ahhh"-ed over it. An older gentleman at the bar asked to see the watch. He looked at it, laid it on the bar, and took off his watch, a Timex with a plastic band and face. He laid the Timex on the bar next to the young man's expensive watch.
"Nice watch, but I can do something with mine that you can't do with yours."
The young man chuckled. His watch was loaded with features and there was no way it could be outdone by an old Timex.
The old man picked up his beer mug and smashed it down on both watches as the young man shrieked in horror! The room went silent as the young man stared at the pieces of his watch scattered on the bar.
The old man, "Now, I can replace mine... "
My response to being told this story is... what a stupid ass story and piss poor way to attempt to show logic.
I have an Omega Seamaster Diver Chronometer.
I was wearing it and a t-shirt yesterday in McD's as I ate a Happy Meal (actually, my shoes are OK).
Do you think my t-shirt and happy meal will protect me from mugging?
Attachments
I got a really nice pen as a birthday present, and while I don't know how much it cost, it's been a fantastic present and served me very well. I totally didn't anticipate its usefulness...
I don't think they will, but in the event of a mugging you can hide underwater until your assailant leaves – and your watch will be fine.
Personally, I don't wear a watch – I always used to end up wrecking them anyway so I never bothered with expensive ones.
As a word of caution. When buying nice watches for significantly less than retail at a non-approved retailer you run the risk of buying a real Omega, Rolex, Tag "outer casing" with off brand (Seiko, casio, etc) parts. The only real way to tell is to have someone open it and check the engravings/parts inside the watch...
