How Luxury Brands Change You For Better or For Worse

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The term “luxury” can of be interpreted very differently and can vary person to person, even its definition being vague in and of itself, and for each of us ever changing. In my own journey, I believe luxury can be found in watches of over $1,000 and not always being of the Swiss variety however, often found in that category.

As collecting watches has evolved and blossomed, your goals change. What you once thought you would have acquired in your journey, has diminished due to differences in habits, budget, lifestyle, or simply taste. When I began collecting watches back in 2021 and collecting with intention (and I use that term loosely), I started with watches in various colors, styles, complications, and then continued into movements and brands. I always aspired for the big-names but with no real plan to move in that direction. 

In a previous article, I discussed the inadequacies I felt from not having names such as Omega, Rolex, Tudor, Longines in the watch box. Even more so, having been at the that time a new husband and parent, spending $3-$4,000 or more on a watch for no real reason other than wanting it didn’t make much financial sense. Since that time, I don’t feel those inadequacies as much and having spent some time with more “luxurious-feeling” pieces, gave me a new understanding of what the word meant to me. 

Spending some time with Christopher Ward’s Super Compressor gave me this initial feeling when it came to the bracelet with it’s toolless micro-adjustment and superb finish that slid on your wrist like butter, every time (thanks for Denny at 3D Lanes for the loan). For the price of $1,200 USD the quality far surpassed its value. Then it was the Raymond Weil Maestro Moon Phase my parents gave me as a birthday present. I was familiar with the brand, but by no means an expert. With a workhorse Sellita SW200 movement underneath a beautiful dial, in a plated rose gold case all in a Swiss made package around $2,000 became my most expensive watch and definable as my most luxurious. 

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And then at this year’s Father’s Day my wife let me know that my gift was running late but was indeed imminent. With each passing day, my over analyzing brain thought of the possibilities from LEGOs and Hot Wheels to watches and clothes, and my wife throwing me off the scent by saying “I thought you had all the watches you wanted”. In the infamous words of Robert Muldoon, “Clever Girl” – and believe you me, I fell for the trap. 

On the Thursday following Father’s Day I opened my brand-new Tag Heuer Carrera Date as my first Father’s Day gift with “I Love You Daddy” and my daughter’s name engraved on the clasp. I was blown away with the gesture alone, and as I took the watch out of the box, I was surprised to find how lightweight and comfortable it felt. Combining high polish and brushed finishing throughout the case and bracelet, 39mm in diameter and only 11.5mm in thickness and that black monochrome dial just ticked all the boxes. And if you would have asked me 5 years ago, I would have said the date placement didn’t matter but I absolutely love the date window at 6 o’clock. 

After owning the Tag Heuer for a month now and having worn it over half of that time, I find myself questioning the rest of my collection. Yes, I have worn my other watches and have enjoyed them, but most do not elicit the same emotions with the Carrera. Firstly, I will acknowledge that having the name Tag Heuer on the dial does excite me a little, knowing I’m wearing a undeniably luxury name in the watch world. The Carrera Date retails for $3,800 on their website but my wife was able to get a few bucks off which is always great. 

The only dislikes or rather differences in preference I have would be that there is no micro-adjustment but there are half-links but in the end in some moments it will wear a little too loose and other times a little too tight. Lastly, the bracelet finishing scratches very easily as there is not much scratch resistant coating as found on other watches in the same pricing – and many well underneath that price range ie. my Seiko SPB143. 

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But this is not meant to be a full review of the Tag but an analysis of what a luxury watch can do to the collection and what it has done to me. It has me rethinking many other brands and instead looking at only a couple with the realization that ‘this is the kind and quality you get when you spend this amount of money’. Yes, the movement isn’t anything spectacular – the Calibre 5 is at its heart a re-tooled Sellita SW200 with some hammer finishing and 38 hours of power reserve. But where this watch really shines is the quality in the dial, indices, bracelet, and case design attained by this premium price tag for many of us. 

This is not to say that beauty and quality cannot be found in micro-brands, independents or in watches of half the price – it’s just harder to find. And more so begs me to question, is it worth it? Or maybe the better question is, WHAT is worth it? Do we go for another Seiko, try for a Traska, or do we go big and get the Tudor Black Bay 58, the Longines Spirit, or the Omega Speedmaster?

In recent months I have been itching for watches from micro-brands like Brew, Venezianico, Maen, Serica, and Furlan Marri. And many enthusiasts can agree that a few of those names garner large amounts of respect in the watch world and rival the big names in the industry, but as we approach this luxury pricing the question arises again, is it worth it? And what is worth it? 

-Cristian