If you wear the watch it will get scratched, I promise you. And the first time will be heartbreaking. Here’s how I think about it.
It’s a luxury watch and for many of us a serious purchase that makes us a little uneasy—that’s part of what’s exciting about owning such a thing. But if you take a step back and think objectively about it, you’ll see that these are mass produced objects that aren’t at all rare or hard to replace or fix. Really, in the grand scheme of luxury watches, these are nothing at all special in terms of the quantity produced, or the quality or materials of production. I’m not dinging my favorite brand here; just saying, it’s ok to enjoy these things. You’re not scratching a one of a kind platinum Patek here. (Think Volvo, not Bugatti.)
The special thing that you’re actually preserving isn’t the easily replaced object, it’s your relationship with it. And that’s not compromised by a scratch—it’s commemorated by one. Wear. Scratch. Make memories. Then leave it to someone who will treasure every scratch as a legacy of you. The watch is just a metal thing for which you overpaid.
