Most places I've lived and worked if someone caught you eyeing their watch they'd assume you planned to mug them.
Only time I really take notice of a watch on someone's wrist it would be a very old rectangular or lozenge shaped watch.

 

I'm fortunate to be married to an exceptionally beautiful lady. Most men are so busy checking her out it gives me time to notice their watch.

 

How can you post a statement like that with no pic??

 

Before I moved out of Calif. Saw a vintage Omega speedy on a casher at a REI store in Fremont. Then last year a vintage Rolex Submariner at my Barber Shop in Bozeman MT. And that's about it but I don't make it a point to look at wrist some one mite think I am weird so mite of missed some.

 

My buddy and I was standing in the bar a couple of weeks ago. I was just wearing a t-shirt and my Submariner 14060m. Suddenly the lady next to me says "nice watch" and showed her wrist, she was wearing the brother (or sister) 16610. We ended up talking watches for almost two hours, while my buddy talked to her friend. Turned out she was a big Rolex fan owning several, Subs and GMTs.

Even though the Sub is a man's watch (or intended to be) it sure does look good on a slim lady wrist.

 

Reading a few stories thought I might add one from a few years ago.

Two years ago whilst on a holiday in Denmark I was catching a train up north (4-5. hour trip ) Having to do a stint on a bus and not being able to sit with the misses I ended up sitting next to a little old lady wearing a Omega. Commented on her watch and was gobsmacked when she mentioned she was a watchmaker on her way back from some Omega training. Had a great chat at she was saying how easy it was to fix men's watches compared to woman's. Misses was sitting a few seats behind and couldn't believe why I was talking to this lady for so long then couldn't believe how of all the people you get to sit next too I happened to get a watchmaker.
Bought our engagement ring at a antique jewellers in Den Hauge that used to be a watchmaker also, owner was looking at my constellation so I took it off to show him, he gets up and walks out the back. Came back from out the back with a vintage buckle swapped with the plain one and a spare NOS one in the packet.

I had a few GTGs with members in Holland and Denmark so it was a fun watch trip mixed in. ( still getting kudos off the misses for @Northernman advising to go to the Tivoli for the Christmas lights )

 

Rarely do I see something other than a bare wrist, a blank-face, fitbit-type gadget, a Casio or Timex digital display, or a $280 department store watch (Citizen, Bulova, Seiko, et cetera).

 

I work in IT and I have seen people mostly wearing smart waches or some kind of quartz watch.
My coworkers think my Speedmaster is some nice looking quartz watch and some even suggest me to have instead put in a little more money and buy an Apple Watch .
I then tell them, yeah I am lookikg for some discounts on it..

 

At my Buddies planning a road trip, he has just acquired a Breitling B2,. its too busy for me but I get why he likes it. Heavy watch though I think I would change it too a strap.

 

Reminds of when me and the wife were on Holiday in Sri Lanka a few years back. There was a woman wearing a vintage tissot watch, I asked her about it and She told me she was given it to her by her old boss. It turns out she was a secretary to George Daniels for some years.

 

Happy Christmas all to those that celebrate it. Happy Monday to the rest of the world.

I have seen only one Rolex Sub in the wild. Talked with the guy about it as he also recognized my Speedmaster Pro as a fellow traveler.

I have a theory on why we see so few “nice” watches in the wild but “billions of dollars” worth have been sold. And honestly it’s a pretty awful theory but it’s early here and I’m waiting for the madness to start this day.

I think many people who own a watch worth $3,000 or $5,000 or $15,000 or more might feel it’s too nice to wear. They could be afraid of loss, theft, or damage. They keep it at home safe. My dad has a day date Rolex. Bought it when he turned 60. Never wore it much. Now says he prefers the Apple Watch. And feels the Rolex is too showy or makes him a target for theft It’s his only nice watch IMHO. So others may simply keep the nice ones at home to enjoy. Possibly....

 

Quite possible. I wear vintage Omega pretty much every day but the lovely gold Connie in my avatar only on special occassions, 2-3 times a month.

 

My first experience was at work, and I commented to him about how I had always wanted a Omega, when I purchased my first Omega the same person commented how he couldn't afford one like that. I didnt say anything else to him i left it alone.

 

I wear my Railmaster everyday,never take it off even if chopping wood for the fire,I take it off to race dirt bikes as it'd probably get torn off. I always look at people's wrists but usually if it's something it'll be a massive bling Brietling, my brother has a Rolex sub that treats his the same as me.never taken off. I'm going to get a speedmaster but that'll be my dress watch

 

I have a couple of colleagues at the school where I teach who are watch aficionados; one has a Sea-Dweller as well as an Aqua Terra, and the other wears a vintage Datejust. Then there are a few of the students who are into watches ...

I took this a few weeks ago, when I noticed one of my students wearing the 1016 (the modern Sub is mine). The young man is 18, and has an encyclopedic knowledge of several major brands. He actually wants to find a way to get into the industry for a living. At least he appreciates what he's wearing.

 

Always on the lookout, but alas to few and far between. More people seem to notice what I’m wearing at the time.

 

My part-time job as a high-performance driving instructor puts me in a lot of exotic cars belonging to folks with much larger disposable incomes than myself. I don't make a point of checking out their wrist hardware, but when I do notice, Rolex and Breitling seem to predominate. Strangely, I have yet to notice anyone sporting a Speedy, though I have had a couple of folks comment on my Seamaster (and I expect Tintin will elicit a few comments too).

 

At the airports all the time. Guy next to me at the Sanits/Tampa Bay Game had a JC Deepsea on and I had my Black Dial Deepsea on. We took a pic I will have to find.

 

Honestly ... I find it creepy to look at peoples wrists.. Watch sales are brisk again. Last weekend I was at my local and very unique electronics mega store and their watch department was so crammed with Rado, Hamilton, Shinola, Ball Victorinox , Tissot etc shoppers it was hard to move. I have to assume those watches get worn. In my world Panerai and Rolex and Nautilus are hard to miss. Anything else is just too subtle to stand out.

 

Played in a local poker tournament today and the woman seated next to me was sporting a vintage Lady Hamilton Ventura I complemented her on it and she said it was an engagement gift from her husband. I thought it too weird to ask for a photo of the watch so....