Why a classic wristwatch is the smarter choice
Forget the Apple Watch, stylish women from the Duchess of Cambridge to Rihanna prefer traditional analogue timepieces to the latest tech, says Charlie Gowans-eglinton
As a general rule, new technology is always better technology when it comes to sales – a fact proven by the thousands who queued up to buy the new £1,000 iphone X last week.
By that logic, the wristwatch should have long been redundant. Why add an hour by hand when your phone will automatically note daylight savings, or switch time zones when you step off a flight? Should you want to wear something on your wrist, smartwatches will count your steps, check your emails, remind you of your mother’s birthday. But do you really want them to?
In 2017, page views for analogue watches outstripped digital three to one on global fashion search platform Lyst, with searches up 28per cent on last year. And of the top 30 watches viewed – everything from Rolex to high street label Olivia Burton – not one was digital.
“A wristwatch isn’t made redundant by advancing technology,” says Philippa Durell, Tatler’s jewellery and watch editor. “If anything, it’s an even more covetable piece of luxury that people want in their daily life. This movement towards the traditional style can’t be pinpointed exactly, but in times of economic uncertainty we often see fashion trends veer towards the traditional and utilitarian, which could answer for this movement in the watch market.”
Certainly, a classic watch isn’t likely to go out of style: Cartier’s square-faced Tank design is a century old, and has been worn by former first ladies Jacqueline Kennedy and Michelle Obama, as well as Diana, Princess of Wales. The Duchess of Cambridge wears Cartier – a gift from Prince William – but it is Rolex that is leading the pack in terms of sales. According to figures published by Watchpro,
the industry magazine, last month, Rolex (worn by young celebrities including Rihanna
and Rosie Huntington-whiteley) accounted for 26per cent of the £1 billion of UK sales made by the 10 leading brands in 2016.
And while usually, talk of “investment shopping” is nonsense – bar, perhaps, a Hermes handbag – some luxury watches are so desirable that there will always be demand – and therefore, value – attached. Though prices are still high, shopping on the second-hand market may bear fruit, so long as you do your research.
“I chose vintage as it’s cheaper,” says journalist Pandora Sykes, who chose a vintage Rolex as a 30th birthday present from her parents. “It was less than half the price of a new one and was in mint condition.” Sykes sourced her Rolex from Open for Vintage, a luxury vintage website. “They had been hunting via their sources in Japan for one for a while, as my parents had a much smaller budget than the typical £8,000 Oyster price tag or whatever they are new.”
With the technology behind digital and smartwatches constantly being developed, “they devalue by about 50per cent as soon as you buy them, like a car,” says James Loftus, co-founder of Open for Vintage. “These components will fade over time; they will eventually be worthless. In today’s market, people are always looking for the next great thing. What they are increasingly finding with watches, though, is that it already exists – and if you are clever about which piece you buy, they are usually excellent investments.”
Rolex, Omega, Breguet, Patek Philippe and Chanel are some of the most popular on the site.
“Over the past few years, we’ve seen a significant increase in female customers buying watches for themselves, rather than receiving them as gifts,” says Helen David, the chief merchant at Harrods – though with Christmas on the horizon, they’re worth bearing in mind. David says she has noticed a trend for “old as new – collections inspired from brands’ archives, and a vintage or heritage theme”. Bracelet models are proving more popular than those with leather or fabric straps, with yellow gold the most popular metal.
Of course, we don’t all have the pockets – myself included – to shop the luxury market. My own watch – a yellow gold, woven-metal bracelet style – is by Scandinavian/london brand Larsson & Jennings. On the high street, as well as Olivia Burton (sold by Topshop and Asos) Cluse and Skagen offer good bracelet options, and Michael Kors and Armani do them well in the contemporary bracket.
However deep your pockets, the point is not to reach into them for your phone the next time someone asks you for the time, but to flash a well-adorned wrist instead.