Method Or Madness: Things Watch People Do That Normal People Find Insane

I know we are among friends here on Fratello, so this is a safe space. And since we are safe here, perhaps it is time to admit that we watch people are an odd bunch. We display some behaviors that non-watch people may struggle to understand. And unless your partner is a watch geek too, you probably know what I mean by “that look.” My dear Fratelli, we have to talk…

I am not going to tell you to change. On the contrary, I love our collective oddness. Consider this some lighthearted self-reflection to arm ourselves against the cold outside world of non-watch people. They just don’t get it, Fratelli, always remember that. It’s them, not us.

Watch people sharing #WOMW

This is one for the watch people on social media. I know that’s certainly not all of you, but it has become a significant part of the hobby for many. Quite a few of us have dedicated accounts for our watch passion, through which we connect with like-minded people. We happily go down the rabbit hole so deep that the algorithms stop catering anything but watches to us. If you are like me, you are sometimes surprised to see how many people show a blatant disregard for what is on their wrists on the streets. Wait, what? Weren’t we all watch people? It’s a bubble, man, it’s a bubble.

This alone is reason enough to get “the look” sometimes. My fiancée will casually glance at my phone, only to see me scrolling endless watch posts on Instagram. She lovingly decided she would be supportive, so she hides it well, but I can still feel her rolling her eyes, at least in her mind.

And then there is #WOMW, or What’s On My Wrist, with over 2 million posts and counting. Watch people tag each other on social media to ask what watch they are wearing. Oh, and to share their own, of course. Seriously, I always thought “What are you wearing?” was a bit of a creepy question. Apparently, though, as watch people, we have collectively decided it’s all right. You can tag me, by the way, but I won’t respond. This is one that even I find a little too much. Our own Daan, Morgan, and Nacho are happy to send you their #wristshot (>3 million posts) when prompted, though. Go ahead, try them. They will bring the fire with some real #wristporn, another hashtag that outsiders probably have something to say about. Over 3.5 million photos carry that last hashtag at the time of writing.

Watch people photobombing tourist attractions with watches

Let me paint you a scene: you’re on vacation, sightseeing the iconic tourist spots of wherever you are. You see herds of tourists take pictures of the sight. Some raise huge iPad Pros to take that snapshot that is already all over the internet, just slightly less nice. But there is this one dude raising his non-smartphone arm and sliding it between the lens and the attraction. That is the watch guy.

Because, for watch people, photos of iconic locations aren’t interesting enough. For watch people, the simple truth is that there needs to be a watch in the picture to engage us. It might be a watch relevant to the scene or it might not, as long as there is a watch. We just cannot focus on images for more than two seconds unless a watch is included. It’s not insane; it’s selective attention. We focus on the truly important things in life.

I think we should go one step further, Fratelli. To raise horological awareness, we should photobomb other tourists. Just approach silently from behind as the unsuspecting tourist raises his or her camera. This is easy as everyone’s facing the same direction. Wait until the camera is aimed squarely at the attraction. Swiftly slide your watch in front of the lens while peeking over his/her shoulder to see if you’re properly in the frame while the shot gets made. I’m sure your fellow tourists will thank you for your kind service. I am quite convinced.

Spending inordinate chunks of our income on watches

Luxury watches are made for a particularly wealthy clientele. Interestingly, most watch aficionados I know aren’t particularly rich at all, possibly even thanks to their watch passion. Everything is relative, but let it suffice to state that many of us will not feature in target-audience analyses at Rolex or AP, socio-demographically speaking. But we buy them nonetheless, even if it means spending an inordinate chunk of our income.

And what about watch people among us who do have a sizeable income? Well, we just scale up. I reckon what connects watch lovers of all economic standings is the tendency to spend just a little more than we feel comfortable admitting — not so much as to put us in financial peril but just a tad more than we know we should.

The result? Another one of those looks from our partner. Unless he/she is the same, that is, in which case, you are probably broke. Let me put it like this: if there is more money in your watch box than your savings account, non-watch people will likely think you’re insane. But you’re safe here, friend. Many of us are similar financial geniuses. Our day will come. Surely, my Seiko SKX will be worth €40K in two decades, effortlessly funding my pension gap. You see? I do have a plan.

Don’t worry, watch people; they will come around

I could go on. For instance, watch people will pretend-naively ask, “Hey, is that a Rolex Datejust you’re wearing?” when we know perfectly well that the person in front of us is wearing a ref. 16030 with a tapestry dial on an aftermarket nubuck strap. It is just a courtesy. We need to have our ways to connect with people too, you know? We can’t go around talking about the weather or something.

I would like to hear from you, Fratelli. What watch-related things do you do that land you the occasional frown from a lover or a friend? Let us know in the comments below! Feel free to share openly and honestly, this is, again, a safe space.

Please do remember that it is them, not understanding us, that is the problem. There is absolutely nothing insane about our shared passion. Just think about it. What is better than a picture of Mount Everest? A picture of Mount Everest and a Seiko. I cannot see any fault in that logic, I am sorry. A fact is a fact. Rock on, watch people. They will come around eventually.