Just wrapped up reading a pretty entertaining editorial article on Hodinkee:
https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/twelve-mistakes-new-watch-guys-make-how-to-avoid-them

Most salient to this thread title as well as speaking volumes of truth quoted below:

"8. Citing One Post On One Forum (Or One Instagram Comment) As Fact
You know who can make a post on a forum and declare themselves an expert? Anyone. Literally anyone on this planet. You know who fact checks them? Nobody. So, citing a single post or thread on a single forum as fact is something that doesn't make too much sense, just practically speaking. You have to remember that the world is full of people trying to take advantage of you, and the man you know only by his avatar could very well be a dealer, or a less-than-honest seller who may have invested heavily in one vertical or another. I've seen people make six-figure decisions based on literally the opinion of one person whose legal name they do not know. Trust experts whose names you know and who you know will be there to support you if something goes wrong – not the random guy on the forum. They are littered with mis- and disinformation, and while forums at times can be fantastic resources for watch lovers (my favorites include Timezone, The Purists, Omega Forums, On The Dash, and VRF), I'd strongly encourage you to consider who exactly is on the other end of the comments that are driving your purchasing decisions. Same thing goes for Instagram comments – a few thousand followers does not an expert make"

*Bold and underline emphasis by me in above quote*

I wanted to link this article as a shout out to all our friendly and helpful resident experts here. You guys help make this forum not only better for us mere enthusiasts but the greater watch community as well. Keep doing what you're doing and know you're appreciated. Cheers!

 

Nah, the real wisdom:

4. Not Owning (Or Never Owning) An Omega Speedmaster
Come on, how can you call yourself a watch guy and not own a Speedmaster? I'm not saying you have to keep it, but I really think each man or woman that loves watches owes it to him or herself to own a manually-wound, three-register Speedmaster at some point in their lives. It may not be for everybody, but I'd venture to say it is pretty much the most satisfying watch in the world.

 

Sort of fun, but I think he could have cut out the pet peeves, such as the entries on deployants and Bakelite, and added some more meaningful noob mistakes... first and foremost:
1. Compromising overmuch on condition.


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Calling a deployant a deployment clasp is a noob mistake!!

 

Many experts in many fields who's name I knew have let me down and proved wrong.
It is difficult to gather those likes.

 

It's also completely irrelevant.

 

The best was where they call out the clowns who are down on Rolex.

Entertaining article for sure.

 

Well...

I wonder who convinced me there...

 

13. Assuming that Hodinkee has a clue about anything. They've even had typos in headlines, and sell the products (at ludicrous prices) they're supposed to be objective about. They know much about marketing, but nothing about basic journalism (or even composition). But who cares, right? They have a valid "business model."

 

There are many sour grapes , and it is unfair to think people have a fiduciary duty to serve the world. Everyone has to make a living, there are some exceptions but those are few and far between. I think hodinkee is in the right balance but somehow people seem to want to take a jab at them whenever they seek to make a living too.....

 

Spellcheck and autocorrect are as much to blame as noobs or ignorance on this one. And I agree, quite irrelevant!

 

This is the where we are these days, apparently. If you let really obvious spelling and grammatical mistakes make it to a published version of something, it's clearly not being proofread. And if they can't even get the basics of publishing right, what kind of fact-checking do you think they're doing?

 

I've been called on this before but here I go. Hodinkee is in the business of buying access to the rich and famous, watch manufacturers, collectors, etc. without it they don't get the clicks and the money. Having to produce something every day drives your behavior. Are they blatantly dishonest, I don't think so. Do they throw softballs? Oh, yeah. It's good work. Traveling the world tax deductible (I said it again) is a great way to go thru life. People want to believe somebody because, as the wildly stupid saying goes, no one can be an expert on every watch. I would add, within a watch brand. Why not invest in Hodinkee. All those clicks can't be wrong. So my friends, drink the Kool-aid and spend your money. If you think big watch deals will last forever, or be a good investment, think again. Unless you can absorb the body blows at whatever your level of investment, get a 401k. Your spouse will be happier and your kids will have a chance. Ciao

 

Personally I'm sick of people bagging on hodinkee. They get good prices for what they offer so deal with it. Yeah they make mistakes sometimes but who doesn't. They have good reach and a decent content creation team. Congrats to them for getting the money they do on watches.

 

You know who can create a watch blog and declare themselves an expert? Anyone. Literally anyone on this planet. You know who fact checks them? Doesn't matter, because if someone does so and posts it in the comments, those comments get removed...

 

For same reason I bought a TinTin speedmaster Moonwatch. Unless you own one for a month at least, you can't understand the logic behind this statement I believe.