I like tacky watches. To put that in context, I don’t consider Richard Mille watches tacky. They’re ugly and pretentious. Expensive too. While the Jacob & Co. Fast & Furious Twin Turbo is plenty pricey, it’s wonderfully, gloriously, unabashedly tacky. Tasteless? Some might say so. But these people fail to appreciate the artistic genre known as kitsch, best defined by Jeff Koons’ stainless steel faceless space bunny “balloon.” Entitled Rabbit, it sold for . . .
Watchmakers from Longines to Audemars Piguet are busy raiding their archives, creating upsized, modernized versions of classic designs. At the same time, the vintage market is exploding, catering to customers who want a watch with Wabi-sabi and patina. So why would anyone want a new fake old watch that looks like it got the crap kicked out of it? Hell if know. But that’s what Timex is selling with their Timex X MadeWorn American Documents. And I have to say . . .
“If you catch a con-artist in the act, should you involve the police?” timeandtidewatches.com asks. They pose the question in response to the “controversy” surrounding Gautaman Senivasan, a Singapore watch collector claiming to be the almost victim of a watch swap scam. I repeat, claiming. How do we know Mr. Senivasen was an almost victim if he didn’t report the incident to the police? As a Rhode Islander, my default reaction to any news news story is yeah right. What’s the real story? Especially when I read something like this . . .
“As the vintage watch market booms and savvy collectors sell particularly in-demand models for a hefty profit, the engagement watch is beginning to emerge as an appealing alternative to the traditional engagement ring,” hypebae.com reveals. Wait. What? What does the “booming” vintage watch market have to do with the idea that men are buying their beloved a watch in lieu of an engagement ring? I’ll save you the click. Nothing. As for the “engagement watch,” is that even a thing?
The Grand Seiko SBGY007 isn’t a limited edition watch. Not exactly. Come July 2021, you can buy a Grand Seiko Omiwatari at Grand Seiko boutiques and “select” retail partners. Or not. When all the usual suspects revealed Grand Seiko’s latest time-only Spring Drive watch – no date window or power reserve indicator – GS retailers’ phones lit up like a Christmas tree. Does Grand Seiko have a new “it” watch?
