At the risk of sounding provocative, I do not understand the popularity of divers, pilot watches, driving watches, etc.
Unless you are a diver, etc, why would you actually wear one??
Fine, I can see how the rotating bezel can be used as an egg timer, and it's good to have a waterproof watch if you ever take a swim with it, or forget to take it off in the shower...
But whoever uses a tachymeter? Or does anyone ever rely on their watch as a rudimentary compass?
My feeling is that the nature of truly utilatarian watches has been corrupted, and that this corruption has given birth to a somewhat dubious aesthetics - a bastard child if you will...
There is a certain irony to the fact that what in other times would have been relatively cheap, rugged and functional tools designed to take a beating have now become luxury items!
At the risk of sounding provocative, I do not understand the popularity of divers, pilot watches, driving watches, etc.
Unless you are a diver, etc, why would you actually wear one??
Do you really think anyone buys a watch with a leap-year indicator, or moon phase, or 500m of water resistance because they will use the feature? Of course not. It's because it's fun to look down at your wrist and see that you have this cool little specialized machine.
Dunno really. You might ask why I have dress watches since I usually look like something the rag and bone man forgot to take away. Using necessity as a criteria it would be hard for me to justify owning a watch at all. Fortunately need and want are two totally different things.
Conversely the designs of many high end dress watches are boring to me. Call it a classic or perfection all you want but the Patek Calatrava bores me to tears.
I also can't fathom why some people can't seem to understand that some people have different tastes than them.
It lets you interact with the watch on some level. After you set a watch there's nothing else to do on it except admire it. A bezel or chrono or tachy lets you play with or interact with your watch, even if you're just spinning the bezel or starting the chrono for fun.
Because form follows function is appealing. A fancy gold watch with a decorated movement, blued hands and patterned dial can look beautiful but wearing it every day is just too much I think. I mean look at the graphic design nowadays. Material design is the trend because it's easy on the eyes. Same with tool watches. They have very legible dials. They are durable. They go with pretty much every outfit. They are perfect for daily wear.
I wear a divers watch and I don't even know how to swim
I'm a designer so I really choose my watches mainly on aesthetics. Something that matches what i'm wearing. I'll be honest where i'll pick aesthetics over movement.
I can totally undertsand that but with tool watches, the watch's aesthetics are somewhat limited by its intended function... Diving watches have common characteristics which limit the creativity of the designer.
Personally, it bothers me wearing a watch that screams I am a pilot, when I'm not.
I wear a tool watch for the durability. I have a job that's hazardous to watches and my hobbies all involve things being impacted. I know a Gshock would fit the bill but I like machines and machinery so a tool watch is more to my liking.
Because I have two kids (4 and 7). While I rarely fill the bathtub with 500 meters of water, it's nice not taking off the watch at bath time because I'm worried about ruining the leather or water damage. Also, the lume on these watches are perfect when putting kids down and keeping the house dark after 8.
For me it's the utilitarian nature of the tool that attracts me. Whether it's a diver or chrono (or gun or sauté pan or kitchen knife or wrench) it's the function that gets my interest first. If someone can take a tool and make it beautiful, like a Rolex Sub or Omega Speedmaster, that's a bonus. And that explains why my small collection includes a Marathon GSAR, CSAR and Rolex Sub.
Frankly, I don't quite understand why someone would choose something beautiful but functionally superfluous over something that was beautiful and utilitarian. I guess that's why a diving bezel seems infinitely more attractive to me than a moon phase complication.
i love wearing a tool watch. I use the bezel to time my browsing at work or doing laundry. The chono when im taking the bus and most of all i can bang it against the wall and not care if i scratch the bezel or chip the glass.
Good question. Wrapped around a knuckle, the sportsman watch packs a stronger punch than the typical Calatrava. Fluted bezels are particularly good for opening up cuts.
At the risk of sounding provocative, I do not understand the popularity of divers, pilot watches, driving watches, etc.
Unless you are a diver, etc, why would you actually wear one??
I like pilot watches because of the high contrast and easy readability you usually find with them. That's pretty practical.
I think for most people, watch companies have found that they can sell a lifestyle by styling a watch a certain way. Ultimately, they're all devices that tell the time, but if you can mix in a sense of adventure people will feel much more passionately about the product.
Because they are darn pretty!
Aside from my two dress non tool watches I have a dual time for travel, one diver to take swimming (soon to be two).
My pilot and my two chronos... well I have them to... mmm... because they are darn pretty!!
Why do I wear a tool watch? Because I'm a tool, duh!
I get your point. That's one of the things that makes "affordable" watches more attractive to me. I think they're more honestly priced, but that's a discussion for another day. We all buy what we feel most comfortable with.
Aesthetics, ruggedness, look ok when scratched up. I work in a non office environment and divers hold up pretty well. Dresser stuff doesn't look so slick with gouges and scrapes like a diver does. They just fit my style.
Why is understanding important to you? If you don't understand the basic premise of different strokes for different folks, is there an explanation that will satisfy you? And what will that change in your life? Maybe you're just bored and can't think of anything else better to contemplate, so you just made something up on the fly to pass the time. Not to be provocative, but I don't understand why you would wonder about such a thing as why people like different watches.
Oh! In answer to your question. I have a dive watch because I dive, but I don't use it to dive. I use a dive computer when I dive and a dive watch the rest of the time. Makes perfect sense to me.
i wear watches that i find attractive and cool.... not any other reason
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