Obsessions: Affordable watches
At Umbrella we appreciate the details. So we understand when our readers are into something – really into something. In this instalment of our regular Obsessions feature, Joshua Clare-Flagg reveals his love for entry-level timepieces.
When I look at a watch, the last thing I see is the time. Of course, that sounds pretty preposterous doesn’t it? But isn’t every obsession?
A watch is a timepiece – you use it to tell the time. But for me, it’s more than that. It’s an extension of your personality.
In a world where watches can be replaced by mobile phones, I like to feel (like so many other watch-obsessives) that I’m a champion of the traditional mechanical watch – a beautiful, remarkable piece of machinery that becomes your number one companion.
I’ve got a particular focus for this obsession, and that’s affordable watches. I’m an average man with an average salary. Although I’d happily drop thousands on a timepiece, I don’t have that kind of money. That’s why I love hunting down great watches under the £500 mark.
What exactly is a great affordable watch? It’s one that offers the specifications of a timepiece worth much more than it costs. For instance, you’d definitely want sapphire crystal rather than mineral, as it’s second only to diamond on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, and almost impossible to scratch.
You’d also want a decent movement. If you’re looking at an automatic (AKA self-winder), you’d want a Swiss manufacturer, such as ETA or Sellita. If that’s not possible, one of the better Asian manufacturers, such as Miyota or Sea-Gull, would do. Oh, and the build quality has to be top notch, too.
So what does this affordable watch obsession mean for me? Well, firstly, hours of research on watch forums, and time spent finding new brands on social media. It also gives me a heightened ‘wrist sense’, that ability to work out what watch someone is wearing in a fraction of a second. It’s fairly easy to recognise an Omega or Rolex just from a glimpse of their bracelet or clasp.
What have I done about this obsession? Unsurprisingly, I’ve fed it – and set up my own blog, Watch it All About. As a web designer, this made perfect sense. I could build it myself, so there’d be no cost involved. It would also give me the perfect excuse to buy and sell watches over and over again. My wife even thought of the name. Sometimes I revel in the genius of it all.
The site currently receives over 15,000 visits a month. I’m not a brilliant writer, but the level of detail I go into, plus my fairly decent pictures and video reviews help to make it popular. I’m even getting manufacturers sending watches to review, so I don’t have to spend any money. I do have to send them back, though.
Currently, I’m living in a fairy-tale land where I can look at watches all day long thanks to my self-sufficient obsession.
After reading this, perhaps the next time you see a watch the last thing you’ll see is the time, too.