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What do you say when someone asks "Nice watch, how much did it cost"?

56K views 324 replies 223 participants last post by  SethThomas 
#1 ·
I just don't feel comfy telling anyone that I spent over 10k+ on a watch, including my own family..... Is there a way to diffuse this? This happens often at poker tables, and yesterday my neighbor and I were chatting and she said she spent $2k on a watch and her husband freaked out, then she asked me how much mine was.... I deflected, distracted and left....
 
#3 ·
Not sure I agree, I bought my wife a Patek about 5-6 years ago, her 2 best friends asked her how much, when she told them the truth, there was a very clear distancing in the friendship. Then we bought a GMC Youkon soon after, and when they asked what our payments were, we said we paid cash, the friendship all but disappeared... now they were friends since 15 years old... I assume they think our finances are too different that they cant be friends, but my wife was devastated.... she is so understated and would never brag about anything to them... I don't get it
 
#6 ·
Just tell them "one million dollars" while doing your best Dr Evil impression.

Seriously - if question is innocent, I just tell people that I treated myself to something nice and shift the conversation without mentioning actual #.
For those who are similarly WISs or collectors, or for someone who is genuinely in the market shopping - I can comfortably give the price as they likely know the range anyway.
And for all others - well it 's none of their business and is not an appropriate question. Nothing good can ever come from sharing such detail - as it can lead to wrong perceptions or just general issues in friendship\relationship.

Chin Nose Forehead Photo caption Jaw
 
#7 ·
My mother ask me this all the time bc she thinks my habit is ridiculous. I almost always lie and tell her they cost less. She has now learned to double whatever I tell her. At this point it's a running family joke.

I used to just tell her they were fake!
 
#324 ·
just say "you dont wanna know, son" or "it was a gift from my _ (gramps, dad...)" or "its a heirloom so i have no idea". most people will disapprove even if it was 800$ watch let alone 10k $.
Agree with the suggestion that most people who ask are likely to disapprove. Also pretty safe to assume that people who share your interests and would appreciate your choice already know how much it cost (more or less). This question is a real lose/lose, it is almost never appropriate be perceived as flaunting wealth, even among others of similar circumstances. And you risk undermining trust if you deflect or lowball - no one will believe that you really don't know. Watches are even worse than expensive cars and jewelry in this regard, because fewer people identify with the value. Difficult/awkward as it may seem, I think the only answer is to be straight up and (depending on the situation) say "I prefer not to talk about that" or something like "I don't discuss price, but I will tell you my favorite thing about this watch..."
 
#12 ·
I never really had a problem telling people it was a 6k watch if that's what I paid.

But I just bought my first 5 figure watch and decided I'm just going to drop a 0 from the price if and when people ask.

They never know the brand unless it's Rolex so they'd never know the difference anyway.
 
#14 ·
People won't understand, that is why I would just rather keep a low profile. I was like that before. I think I said why the hell would you buy a $600 phone or buy expensive rims and exhausts. Later on I ended up buying a phone for more than $600 so I was a full hypocrite. :-d

I still don't understand why you would rice up a civic instead of using the sum total on a Lexus or BMW, instead but hey. Different priorities.
 
#16 ·
Suprisingly...this happens to me often. I'm not entirely comfortable with discussing it. Especially in public. Because..."non-WUS folk" can't comprehend paying 1K...for a WHAT? DON'T YOU HAVE A PHONE MAN?!? LoL they don't get it...and, I certainly don't want to waste a good life explaining it to them. Plus, appearing to be a "braggard" isn't kewl. Or, being a "cheap bastard" either. xD I'm always grateful for the compliment... then, cheeringly, deflect the question with "Hey, check out the website...". Everybody has Google in their back pocket. If they're interested...they can find out easily. Then, maybe they can understand why ANYONE would pay what we do for these things.
Maybe then they can remind me... xD
 
#20 · (Edited)
A stepwise educational approach might work. I'd start with describing the most expensive Patek ever sold at auction (and never paid for), describe a few tourbillons, dial it down to the average price of a high end complicated watches, mention the list prices for Rolex or Omega, then Tissot and finally the quartz watches at the drug store. You can take them back and forth through some of these levels depending on their interest.

At the end of this exercise the roller coaster of valuations will probably have made any point of reference seem subjective and they may judge you slightly less harshly if you do tell them the real number.

Otherwise, just quote them some Jay Lo: Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got...
 
#24 ·
Most of the time if they must ask it means they are not interested enough to know beforehand...which means I don't tell them. If they have a Patek and ask me then I tell them it's better priced than the Patek and then of course...if it is someone genuinely interested in acquiring one, I give them a rough retail price and then they can work it out with the seller.
 
#28 · (Edited)
I say, "Thank you. It cost more than it should have."

If I'm in the PRC, I'll tell them the list price. Asking how much something cost seems not to have the same cultural overtones there that it has in the West.

All the best.
 
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#103 ·
I say, "Thank you. It cost more than it should have."

If I'm in the PRC, I'll tell them the list price. Asking how much something cost seems not to have the same cultural overtones there that it has in the West.

All the best.
Exactly right. Very different cultural values. They want to hear a high number...
 
#29 ·
None of my friends is a watch lover like me. They know that I am crazy about watches. They rarely notice my watches that I wear. In the rare occasions that I have been asked, I simply tell them. One of them the other day said that he loved my Zenith. When he asked me how much it cost me and I told him the price, he was shocked. It did not bother me at all.
 
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#30 · (Edited)
When this happens, I deride the person for asking such a low-born question and explain that to answer would not be fitting for a gentleman. I then slap them across the face with a velvet glove and challenge them to a duel for sullying my honour.

If they win the duel then I tell them the price but I knock 20% off to make it look like I got a good deal
 
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