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DirtyDozen12
·Yes, of course.
People often express this sentiment when others are unsure about whether or not to use a given watch. Sometimes, people try to illustrate the point by drawing a comparison with cars. What's the point of having a car if you don't drive it?
The simple answer to these questions is that using an object for its intended purpose is not the only way to enjoy it. While I would want to drive my Ferrari 250 GTO, others might derive more satisfaction from admiring it in a garage. Is it a shame that no one will be able to hear the V12 bark? Arguably, yes. But this apparent loss does not negate the enjoyment that such a "garage queen" might bring to its owner.
To digress, I would contend that cars and watches are significantly different in at least one major way: driving a car requires almost constant action, whereas wearing a watch is predominantly passive. The difference in experience between looking at a static car, and driving it, is massive. On the other hand, the difference in experience between holding a watch, and wearing it for the day, is much smaller. While it is true that some watches require or afford more active engagement (e.g., manual wind movements, chronographs, alarms, repeaters), the comparison with cars still seems to be a stretch.
An additional question for the "intended purpose" line of argumentation is, to what degree must one use an object for its intended purpose? Should every Rolex Sea-Dweller regularly descend hundreds of feet under water? Should all Longines Lindbergh watches be used for air navigation? This seems to be an arbitrarily high bar that entirely misses the reason why most people buy watches in the 21st century: because they like them.
At scale, watches are no longer a functional necessity in order to keep track of the time and date. Instead, they are worn voluntarily by people who like them. The explanations that people offer for enjoying watches are diverse, and I think that it should come as no surprise that such diverse explanations will result in a diversity of practices.
Rant over.
People often express this sentiment when others are unsure about whether or not to use a given watch. Sometimes, people try to illustrate the point by drawing a comparison with cars. What's the point of having a car if you don't drive it?
The simple answer to these questions is that using an object for its intended purpose is not the only way to enjoy it. While I would want to drive my Ferrari 250 GTO, others might derive more satisfaction from admiring it in a garage. Is it a shame that no one will be able to hear the V12 bark? Arguably, yes. But this apparent loss does not negate the enjoyment that such a "garage queen" might bring to its owner.
To digress, I would contend that cars and watches are significantly different in at least one major way: driving a car requires almost constant action, whereas wearing a watch is predominantly passive. The difference in experience between looking at a static car, and driving it, is massive. On the other hand, the difference in experience between holding a watch, and wearing it for the day, is much smaller. While it is true that some watches require or afford more active engagement (e.g., manual wind movements, chronographs, alarms, repeaters), the comparison with cars still seems to be a stretch.
An additional question for the "intended purpose" line of argumentation is, to what degree must one use an object for its intended purpose? Should every Rolex Sea-Dweller regularly descend hundreds of feet under water? Should all Longines Lindbergh watches be used for air navigation? This seems to be an arbitrarily high bar that entirely misses the reason why most people buy watches in the 21st century: because they like them.
At scale, watches are no longer a functional necessity in order to keep track of the time and date. Instead, they are worn voluntarily by people who like them. The explanations that people offer for enjoying watches are diverse, and I think that it should come as no surprise that such diverse explanations will result in a diversity of practices.
Rant over.
