Had a young guy (20ish) in a cloths shop only the other week in Hawaii notice mine and drooled a bit. Picked it straight away as i was going through some t-shirts. Got chatting and mentioned hes a watch guy without a budget to be one and would have a Speedy one day. Commented on my NATO choice also. Nice you guy and commented on his flare for conversation which is always good in sales
I was just telling someone the other day, wear a Rolex and you make a statement to everyone. Wear a Speedmaster and you make a statement to those who really know & care
I bought my Speedy triple date on a Saturday, wore it to work the following Monday. A colleague walked into my office and the first thing he said to me was “Wow, that’s a beautiful watch”. Good start, right? Well, that was in 2008. It’s the only comment I have ever got on that watch, or any other. And I am just fine with that. Honestly, I don’t want people to notice my watches.
I will always try to compliment someone on their watch, especially here in Stockholm Sweden. People tend to look horrified that I've entered their personal space to speak to them, it's quite fun.
Rarely but occasionally. Usually is a good conversation when they do... ideal outcome as far as I’m concerned.
The boss (my wife) has commented that she likes “that” watch out of the others in the collection. That’s an important comment since she controls the purse strings. Otherwise not a lot of comments on any watches although a cashier at Trader Joe’s told me he liked my JLC Memovox Deep Sea....I think I’m so cynical and paranoid that if some stranger comments on my watches I’m either thinking they’re wanting to steal it or try to strike a conversation (of which I don’t want to engage).
Agency meeting in London a few years back. I was complimented on my 2998-6. The complimenter was wearing a Chronoscope which I had never seen before. Post meeting watch nerd discussion ensued. I now own a Chronoscope as a result of that conversation.
Had only 1 comment coming for me a few years back when wearing a Rolex Batman. I think it was the blue/black bezel that made it. Usually it’s me commenting other peoples watches. When not owning a Speedy (had 2 different the last 5 years, and the Apollo 11 50th probably on it’s way) I wear mostly a Rolex Explorer 1. That watch is going under everyone’s radar unless I comment their timepiece. We norwegians usually don’t comment other peoples outfit or watches, but when I’m on business meetings in central Europe (Switzerland, Austria etc) it’s more usual to comment other peoples timepiece and have a great conversation about it.
Circuit instructor, on friday: " Nice watch" Me: " Thanks, seemed most appropriate for today " CI: " Indeed" Fin.
Happened more frequently when I was wearing more colorful editions like the Japan Racing or the TinTin. With regular Moonwatches, anyway, 99,8% of people you meet don’t even look at what you have on your wrist and now out of the 0.2% how many can distinguish a 20-years of Apollo XI or a Premoon at glance? And my percentage takes in account I live in Switzerland
I own a Seamaster, not a Speedy, but I think people are the same towards both. They don’t really care what’s on your wrist. You know well they don’t care even for bigger things in life ... so why would this be different? I bought the watch for myself, and it makes me smile whenever I look at it... for me it has the “wow feeling”... that’s all what matters.
Girl: "Ooh thats a nice watch...!" Me: "Its a 2998-1. Made in late 1959, look at the BASE1000 bezel, its very rare - those extra numbers make it worth so much that people try to counterfeit those little metal rings, but most especially look at the chocolate dial! It is literally flawless! Its so rare in this condition, and look, the sub dial indices are short! Of course I hardly need mention the SWISS MADE marks, and this watch may well have a lot of Radium....." Girl: "I like the strap"
On the flip side, if you -want- the watch to stand out and get noticed, stick it on the most obnoxious coloured NATO/Perlon/leather strap you can find. Something in flourescant neon yellow, orange, green, pink etc. Should do the job. They'll be so drawn to the strap they'll notice and look at the watch itself. Virtually every watch I ever see is on a steel metal bracelet or black/brown leather strap so anything else makes me take a look.
Met a guy the other day in an Omega store in London. Guy was wearing the latest Daytona but mentioned the Speedmaster gets more comments. I received a lot of compliments for my JLC reverso but only if I wear it with the side that has the salmon guilloché dial. Zero comments when using the black dial
Something similar...but a young waitress, he excused himself and asked me what watch I was wearing...once I said what it was, he followed by saying that he was looking to buy a similar Tag model..I suggested he should check out Omega's offerings.. In another instance, my PMC asked me about the Speedy I was wearing as we chat about a potential broken rib (after a fall while riding my bike ) if the watch I was wearing was a good value.... absolutely! was my response.... better yet, by the end of the examination he concluded the odds for a fracture rib were very low
Never, well not by Joe Public, staff in watch shops ask about it but that's all. The only watch anyone has ever commented on in the street is my TC1. It has a lit of wrist presence.