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End of the Wrist Watch?

Is this the beginning of the end for the wrist watch?

I didn’t want to believe it but the more I read the more I agreed, in fact when I read it again I started to think that I was actually one of those people the Matthew was talking about.  All those digital gadgets I have, I love them, and I am addicted to them.  I want to see how cool they are and what envelopes they can push.  Maybe I don’t need this wrist watch I am all part of this digital revolution.

However sitting back thinking that I had sold my soul to the digital devil I realised that no I am a wrist watch person.  I love these things.  I can even tell you the day that is all started, Christmas Day 1985.  My first wristwatch (albeit digital) and I loved it.  I sat there all day playing with that thing, changing the date, the alarm, the stop watch; this was the greatest gift I had ever received.  It started from there as I got older the watches changed and improved till eventually I graduated to mechanical watches.  Now I couldn’t image my world without a mechanical watch.  But I can see that a digital watch today for a kid doesn’t really excite and the future could indeed be bleak for the wrist watch.

However a good client just walked in as I was reading that article and reaffirmed my faith that the wrist watch will survive for years to come.  He loved the look of the new Oris RAID Chronograph and told me that his uncle had a Jaguar XK 120 and he loved that car.  It was right then that I realised that childhood memories will drive people to watches.  Now it may not always be a motor car it could be an aeroplane, motorbikes, jazz musicians there are a world of influences on the design of mechanical watches that draw people in.  The Laird mentioned James Bond, there too is another example of influence on watch branding and design that people want to be associated with.

Perhaps I will be proved wrong and the world of wrist watches will disappear but I think not.  With all these great influences around the world of wrist watches will continue to evolve and improve.  Those digital gadgets have their place but unless you have an original Apple Mac computer you are never going to hand that piece of digital equipment on to the next generation.  Digital has a time limit, a used by date.  A mechanical watch transcends time and carried with it memories for the next generation.  Fulfilling childhood memories and inspiring visions of greatness all from your wrist watch.  Oh yes the wrist watch is here to stay.

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