Timing is Everything
Trying to decide between a Rolls-Royce and a Lamborghini? They are two decidedly different marques, and you need to do your homework. But that’s actually the fun part.
Buying a watch is the same thing. There are dozens and dozens of watch manufacturers out there, and if you’re trying to decide between a Patek Philippe and a Rolex, you need to get all of the facts, and all the important information that will help you make a prestige purchase. But it can also be a difficult process.
Until now. (Like I said, timing is everything.) Finally, at last, there is a new a watch website for everyone and especially the next generation of watch lovers who are looking to buy their very first “serious” watch, without any particular knowledge of horology. The Watch Pages -- https://www.thewatchpages.com/ -brings together 160 leading brands, thousands of watches and all the essential information together on one platform. This unique website allows you to search, compare, discover and find your next watch – all in one place. Decidedly different, this is the first watch website that targets the general public. It has been designed for non-aficionados by watchmaking professionals and includes the most complete watch database to date, and one that is constantly growing.
The concept is to help everyone looking to buy a brand-new watch by offering the possibility for them to search, compare and discover thousands of watches in one place, with prices, while also exploring and learning about the wonderful world of watchmaking.
The site brings together 160 leading watch brands together on one platform -- thousands of watches to discover in an impressive database, along with interesting and entertaining articles that are accessible to everyone. The site targets people who aren’t necessarily collectors or experts, but anyone who is looking to buy a new watch for themselves or a loved one.
The objective is to make the purchasing of a fine watch easy and fun. It should create the same pleasure as buying a new car, an elegant purse, a pair of shoes or a brand-new suit. How does it work? It is very simple to use. Users can search by budget, by color, by material or function. All they need to do is enter in their criteria and the website will propose a choice of models. It is a unique online experience without ads or pop-ups – just watches.
Where did the idea come from? The two founders, Sophie Furley and Susanne Samuelsson, have been working in the specialized watch media at the heart of the Swiss watch industry for over 20 years. Recognized for their expertise in the field, people are often asking them “Which watch should I buy?” or “What do you recommend?”, which inspired them to create The Watch Pages.
The watch brand websites are very well done, but each site is a world in its own. Consulting website after website, page after page, takes a considerable amount of time, especially when you don’t know what you are looking for. People often turn towards Google, where they can stumble across everything from the official sites to second-hand sellers, technical websites, forums, blogs or dodgy dealers.
The Watch Pages has everything – professional high-definition photos, technical information that has been verified and classified, only models that are currently available on the market and prices in CHF, EUR et USD. All this great information gives users the opportunity to make new discoveries thanks to algorithms that will propose different brands and different watches for each search, without being influenced by advertising.
Whether users are looking for a “serious” watch, or something more “fun,” The Watch Pages is as easy as finding a luxury hotel room, a private jet charter, or a new pair of designer sneakers.
IT’S ALL IN THE WRIST
I personally had a blast reading the website. Topics, for example, include:
• Watches that will blow your socks off
• Dive watches you can really scuba with
• Best gifts for watch lovers (which are not watches)
• The best watch deals on the planet
• How to spot a counterfeit
• The 10 most expensive women’s watches
One of the topics on the site is about “watchspotting” in the movies.” You’ll discover, for example, where top brands have been featured in Hollywood. For example, as one of the leading watch brands in the world, Rolex has found itself on screen so many times it’s hard to keep track. Here are just a few of the highlights: The Color of Money, Network, Marathon Man, Titanic, The Deep, The Usual Suspects, Apocalypse Now and many more. Rolex is also the sponsor of the Academy Awards, which ups the brand’s visibility in Hollywood, according to the website.
Omega has been on James Bond’s wrist for many years, and this brand has also been in many other movies, including Apollo
13, La La Land, Event Horizon, Minority Report, Ronin, Seven Years in Tibet, The Right Stuff, Gotti and is regularly on the wrist of screen legends George Clooney and Nicole Kidman, who are brand ambassadors.
IWC supports film festivals around the world, ones like Tribeca, Beijing, Zurich, London and Dubai, and has been featured in such movies as The Bourne Legacy and TV shows like House of Cards.
As a stalwart of racing, TAG Heuer is often featured in movies re-lated to the sport. One of the most famous is Le Mans with Steve McQueen, who was wearing the TAG Heuer Monaco. TAG has also been in The Bourne Identity, The Living Daylights, Breaking
Bad and The Wolf of Wall Street.
What’s on trend this year? A wide variety of watches including those that are small; ultra thin; blue-faced; in shades of green; and vintage.
Best of all, the site offers great tips about things collectors say they wish they had known, before they started acquiring timepieces.
The advice is valid, including such recommendations as 1). Only buy what you really want, and 2). Try before you buy.
Out there, somehow, somewhere, the Patek Philippe Calatrava – in my opinion, the world’s most elegant watch – is calling my name.