What are your favorite and least favorite things that watchmakers use to set their brand apart from others? Could be logos, features, finishing, cases, whatever.

Best:
Omega Seamaster Sword Hands- timeless classic IMO, although the skeleton swords are starting to look a bit dated.
Honorable Mention:
JLC Reverso- Art Deco cool while never looking old.

Worst:
Rolex et al 'Mercedes' Hour Hand- There's no affiliation with the brand and it looks silly regardless.
Dishonorable Mention:
Corum- Enough with the signal flag hour markers. Seriously.

 

Favorite:
GSOM Omega symbol lume on crown..
DSOM & PO LMLE dials. Looks like it's wet, so glossy!
Dislike:
Rolex cyclops on crystal.. Looks so much better without it...

 

Dislikes:

Snot blobs on RLXs

Anything on an Invicta

 

Used to kind of like Breitlings, then John Travolta started advertising for them. Ugh.

 

Worst. Really really awkward or silly watch names. I think I had a top 5 from basil 2015. Sone of them had me rolling on the floor. [emoji1]

Not being culturally aware or horologically in tune is my possible problem, but some if the model names made me weep. Darn. Wished I could find them now.

 

Rolex by far

 

Rolex. One of the most frequently copied watch brands in the world! One of the worst product identifiers? Could all those people who copy the Rolex, all of the people who buy the copies, and all the people who buy the real thing, be wrong? Sign me Rolex lover! Who couldn't love a face like this?

So, somebody doesn't like Mercedes hands! Try these for size!

The worst? Mont Blanc, Oris!

 

Best: Broad Arrow Hands
Worst: This big knobbie thingie on the side of some of the Omega dive watches that does nothing for %99.999999 of the users but create questions that most don't know the answer. Hangs out there just far enough so you can knock it off on your counter or doorway.

 

Interesting that Travolta advertising for Breitling is an issue considering he is an actual factual pilot that owns several aircraft from a fighter to a commercial jet. Lol. I was involved in the design of the aircraft hangar at his house among other things. So, I gotta give him cool points for having a runway for a driveway. I think it actually beats the other actors including those that play a pretend character such as bond. I know what you mean though...

Best:
Real tools used by real people and classic looks that make a statement without saying anything or being too obvious. Speedmaster, Daytona, submariner, and even datejust. They are pretty iconic beyond marketing. They are obvious I know, but they are obvious for a reason. History. You know the bezels, dials, bracelets, shapes, and finishes across the room.

Worst:
Bling bling look at me gimmicky pieces of the moment. Car branding/product associations (beyond sports sponsorship), and do nothing actors. I have to say I am a bit over AP right now being plastered all over red carpet events, the cardisians, and every rapper screaming the name saying look at me you can't have one of these..

 

They're one of the most frequently copied brands in the world due to the types of people who seek out those copies; vapid, uninformed types who are hoping to impress someone with a brand. And the product identifier they are hoping to imitate is the Rolex name as well as the Rolex Crown, with the Mercedes hand just happening to be the most readily identifiable part of the dial.

Additionally, that Speedmaster you posted doesn't have the aforementioned Mercedes hand, so it hardly seems appropriate to the argument I put forth.

 

Well,...... technically, since he owns it, it is a private jet. Sorry, just had too, please don't shoot.

 

"Additionally, that Speedmaster you posted doesn't have the aforementioned Mercedes hand, so it hardly seems appropriate to the argument I put forth."[/QUOTE]



Shows what you know about Rolex Daytona Cosmographs! No! It doesn't have Mercedes hands. Like a large proportion of Rolex production! SPEEDMASTER! INDEED! Look at it again. Don't use words in the wrong context, when you don't know what they mean! (Oh! And by the way- Rolex Daytona Cosmograph! Eat your heart out!)

 

Not sure why you are having such trouble following what I wrote and then taking me to task for my choice of words. To the latter, had you bothered to include the rest of the synonyms listed you would've seen that 'vacuous' is one, along with the listed 'uninspired', which would line up with what these people are. They lack any passion/intelligence/insight/conviction about watches and are thus consumed by brand.

To the former, two points; my comment about the Cosmograph was facetious (am I using that correctly, sir?) as it has more than a passing resemblance to a Speedy (a reverse-Panda, but still). Secondly, as I previously stated but for some reason(s) you ignored, that the Daytona lacks the aforementioned Mercedes hand (like the Submariner/Sea Dweller, their 2nd most popular model) means it's hardly germane to what I wrote and therefore doesn't represent a cogent argument on your part. For some reason I am led to believe that's something of a thing for you, right?

Anyway, have a good day and thanks (more sarcasm) for threadcrapping on what could've been a fun topic. Mods, feel free to lock/trash this one up.

 

"Threadcrapping?" Simply defending a brand I like in view of your very negative comments! Is this not an open forum?

 

+1 for the use of "threadcrapping".......especially as one word!

 

1. It's true that Rolex is the most copied watch in the world - but Wetworks has a point: It's not necessarily because Rolex has superior design, but rather because Rolex has spent so much in advertising that their watch designs have become what the average person associates with a luxury watch.

2. There are more brands out there than Rolex and Omega and you guys should know that the design of the Rolex Cosmograph is not groundbreaking - that it's follows the same design cues of other brands from the period.

 

Was at a airport somewhere (might have been Hawaii) a few months ago and they had a Shinola stall set up.
Way overpriced bikes and watches.. "Saving American manufacturing", signs everywhere.....

 

I looked at the makers offering sometime ago. At that stage pricing seemed fair. Has something happened?

 

Corum's symbol has always been a key - or at least it is on their classic styled watches. I kind of dig that. Not a fan of the yachting flags myself though.

Can't stand the Rolex wart..... or snot blobs as previously mentioned above.

I really don't like oversized crowns or crown guards of any type. It's not about looks since some Panerai's are damn nice in their simplicity, it's about protruding so much they dig into the back of your hand.

JLC's logo is cool. Vacheron's Maltese Cross is even cooler because of the back story.