Invitational watches?
Discussion
Would be interested to know what the ph consensus is on wearing watches that have been made for a group that you aren’t in.
I ask as a friend of mine is in quite a specialist part of the police and most years he is offered to buy a department specific watch. Couple of years ago was a Bremont last year was a Brietling and this year was a Tudor. He kindly offers to get one for me if I ever fancy one.
I have quite liked a couple of them but always never go through as seems a bit off for me to wear a special watch with his unit and number on it when I have never even been near a Police station. Let alone do what he does.
However he recently pointed unsurprisingly with glee that the used market for the watches he gets offered is pretty mega. He stands to make about 80k when he sells a couple of them. Which obviously indicates there is a demand for this kind of thing. I assume it’s the rarity value?
Should I get over and take him up on the next one I like the look of or is it a bit off to do it?
Just to be clear I would never intend to sell a watch if he got me one. I was just shocked that they where in such high demand.
I ask as a friend of mine is in quite a specialist part of the police and most years he is offered to buy a department specific watch. Couple of years ago was a Bremont last year was a Brietling and this year was a Tudor. He kindly offers to get one for me if I ever fancy one.
I have quite liked a couple of them but always never go through as seems a bit off for me to wear a special watch with his unit and number on it when I have never even been near a Police station. Let alone do what he does.
However he recently pointed unsurprisingly with glee that the used market for the watches he gets offered is pretty mega. He stands to make about 80k when he sells a couple of them. Which obviously indicates there is a demand for this kind of thing. I assume it’s the rarity value?
Should I get over and take him up on the next one I like the look of or is it a bit off to do it?
Just to be clear I would never intend to sell a watch if he got me one. I was just shocked that they where in such high demand.
I personally think if you haven't been in the position to "earn" the right to wear the watch you shouldn't be doing so but I do get that they have some value to collectors as part of a wider collection and they have value to some people who want to go walter mitty and pretend they were part of something (Not suggesting you are doing that at all OP) but it's quite a common thing I believe with people claiming to be Special Forces.
Jamescrs said:
I personally think if you haven't been in the position to "earn" the right to wear the watch you shouldn't be doing so but I do get that they have some value to collectors as part of a wider collection and they have value to some people who want to go walter mitty and pretend they were part of something (Not suggesting you are doing that at all OP) but it's quite a common thing I believe with people claiming to be Special Forces.
Well this is thing isn’t it. Totally different thing but when I was involved in an Olympic sport in my teens. You could buy all the GB team gear if you wanted to. But it was an absolute mega no no amongst us to buy any of it. The only way you should have it was through selection.
I probably won’t buy one. Just interesting to hear other views. I was quite shocked that people will fork out such huge sums for what is otherwise quite modest watches relatively speaking of course.
Practically all sports watch advertising is selling you an adventure or the idea of an adventure.
If you have a vintage watch with a particular provenance (Paul Newmans Newman being an obvious example) then it’s more of the same, a fantasy that you’re some how closer to that person or all the things that watch has seen.
You can extend that to how basically everything is marketed. It’s all cos play on some level.
It doesn’t sound like your friend takes any of this too seriously, so not sure I would either.
If you have a vintage watch with a particular provenance (Paul Newmans Newman being an obvious example) then it’s more of the same, a fantasy that you’re some how closer to that person or all the things that watch has seen.
You can extend that to how basically everything is marketed. It’s all cos play on some level.
It doesn’t sound like your friend takes any of this too seriously, so not sure I would either.
From a collectors point of view, it's always nice to have something away from the norm. I've got 2 Oman Rolex given to me by my father and an Oman Police Seiko.
If anything they are a good talking point with other collectors or watch enthusiasts. If you like it, then go for it, maybe it will also be something you can pass on to your kids when the time comes.
I tend only to wear mine for special occasions anyway due to the sentimental value.
If anything they are a good talking point with other collectors or watch enthusiasts. If you like it, then go for it, maybe it will also be something you can pass on to your kids when the time comes.
I tend only to wear mine for special occasions anyway due to the sentimental value.
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