A real problem with women's watches is they're fashion accessories, so much more than men's watches. Well, wait a minute. Let me rephrase that. So when a dude buys shoes, they're going to look like shoes. They're going to come in shoe-like colors, and be shaped fundamentally like shoes. They might be boots. They might even be cowboy boots. But the variation from shoe-to-shoe is going to be pretty minimal. More than that, the majority of a man's shoes will match the majority of a man's wardrobe: All of his dress shoes are likely to match most-or-all of his suits. All of his athletic shoes are likely to match most-or-all of his athletic gear. Women's watches are like women's shoes. A guy can buy a watch and wear it with almost anything. He can buy several watches and mix'n'match. A girl doesn't have that luxury. I can see why "opting out" is a much more efficient solution.
Yeah. Fashion can become an extremely personal choice and I know I myself have strict color rules I follow (no brown with black, no navy and black) which may seem nonsensical but adhere to my personal aesthetic. It is interesting, making sure I am wearing the "right pair" of shoes with a given work outfit. It's not necessarily something I naturally am inclined to care about but at work in a professional environment you kind of have to. I got called out for not wearing matching socks at one job. Makes you really aware of social conditioning. Personally, I don't care if my socks match so long as they feel about the same but gosh, do other people care. I wear the same earrings every day, ears, nose and eyebrow, unless it's a special occasion or I am "dressing up." I'm in general a big favor of maintaining simple, repetitive life routines - my diet is similar. It would infuriate me to spend an hour getting ready for work. Thank god for my current employer - there are other companies where people would actually care if I have visible tattoos or am wearing makeup. My mother still insists that makeup makes one look more "professional." I don't want to deal with it. I don't want to blow dry or style my hair. I try to keep it as simple as possible and STILL find myself at the last minute switching shoes, etc, because "these don't match." I can't understand women who change purses to match their outfits. Invariably i forget to move important things from one to the other. I buy something that works with everything and I use it Til it dies.
I did a lot of searching before I bought my wife her watch. The one that I bought for her can be worn in both formal and casual circumstances, it's feminine but also looks strong and well built. If it were a "shoe" it would be the kind you could wear to a black tie affair or a casual lunch, the only shoe it wouldn't be is a tennis shoe. It's definitely not made for exercise. Also, per your other comment, I am definitely interested in owning a Shinola watch. I like them and I like that they're so heavily tied to Detroit.
This is the watch that I gave to my wife when she graduated from med school. My thought is that someday it can be handed down to my daughter when she graduates from med school, or when she plays carnegie hall for the first time. Either one. No pressure though.
Well, there's a reason I didn't post the photo and just the link. From a percent to purchase standpoint, it will likely retain it's value more than any other watch in this thread. Therefore, it's less frivolous than it may seem. Should we ever fall on hard times, that thing can fetch us some mortgage payments, a Casio.. not so much.
I remember you telling me the story of how that watch came to be in your possession. -couldn't really have a watch thread without that link.