Tag Heuer Monaco – $5,900
“A lot of people say they’ll come back and buy it if they win a jackpot. But I’ve never seen that happen.” That’s what the real nice sales associate at the Tag Heuer flagship in Las Vegas said. And sadly, no jackpot was had, so this is purely hypothetical, but say a jackpot did come your way. Or, you’ve just been really successful. Would you wear a timepiece that costs thousands of dollars? Or is that just too showy, even if you have the cash?
The Case For Wearing an Expensive Watch: Is driving an expensive car tacky? What about living in a larger house? Don’t most women walk around with a grand or two (or more) on their ring finger? What about wearing a real nice suit? If you’re responsible with your money, then there’s no reason not to spend it how you want.
The Case Against Wearing an Expensive Watch: Watches are a bit different. They’re just not as useful as a car, and unlike suits and homes they’ve got the brand name right there on them. They’re just more showy. Maybe it depends on the watch. If it’s some flashy thing the size of a saucer, then yeah, it’s too much. Like driving a Porsche or a Corvette around with obnoxious personalized plates. Maybe it needs to blend in. A stainless steel dive style won’t stand out. But a Tag Heuer Monaco is sort of like fishing for inquiries and compliments. Watches are great. But they do serve a pretty simple purpose, and at what point does a watch get so expensive it becomes less of a good looking tool and more of a pure status symbol? Besides, would you walk around with six grand in cash in your pocket?
If you could, would you? Or is an expensive watch something you just wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing?
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Tag Heuer Monaco Steve McQueen Calibre 11 – Yours for a few grand more.
If I could afford it, something nice and restrained like an IWC, Glauschutte (sp?), or if I really hit it big a Patek I would definitely wear. Something like that monstrosity above though? Definitely not. Same goes for a gold Rolex. It screams baller.
I bought a beautiful Longines for myself after I landed a great new, higher paid job last year (and then waited for a “40% off retail” sale).
It’s as expensive and classy as I’ll ever need, now fleshing out the “collection” with some lower-priced, different styles for all occassions.
Expensive doesn’t necessarily have to mean “flashy”. Some very high end watches that come to mind are the IWC Portofino, Longines Heritage and the Patek Calatrava.
If I had a job where I could afford it or where a really nice watch might be “the norm”, like say a lawyer, then maybe. I think within a few years I might go for a used luxury watch, but I doubt I’d go for new on my salary.
I don’t think that the Monaco is an overly flashy watch…It’s probably the only Tag I would purchase myself. If I were to chose an entry level luxury watch, I would probably start shopping with the benchmark, Rolex.
In my opinion the value of a high end watch does not come from flash, but from heritage, craftsmanship, and thoughtfulness of the movement and the complications built into the watch.
It is certainly true that many watchmakers (Hublot, Tag) are charging for advertising and branding, but the true masters of horology (i.e. Patek, A. Lange, AP, etc.) spend money on reseach and man hours.
A luxury watch will retain value and serve you for considerably longer than a suit, a car, maybe even a house….In 30 years a Patek is still a Patek…Your BMW 5 series will probably be on craigslist for $2000 and RL purple label suit will probably be on the loading dock at a Goodwill 🙂
Just my two cents…
Nice timepieces are expensive because they are well made, hold their value, and are works of art. Though the Monaco does tend to catch the eye, it is a classic style with a long pedigree. Not only would I wear that piece, but I actually am planning on buying it in the next week.
It depends on the watch. I find the one above tacky; however, expensive watches in general can be very nice and I would have no problem wearing one.
When I think really expensive watch, I think $10k+. Rolex, Tag, Breitling, Omega, ect, fall into the “expensive but wearable” category in my opinion. A wristwatch is one of the only pieces of jewelry a man can wear acceptably – nothing wrong with wearing a fine timepiece….unless it’s studded with jewels or is gaudy gold.
I agree with Mike. Depends on the watch. Personally, I find the Monaco too showy for my tastes, but there are plenty of high end watches that aren’t obnoxious if you don’t go for the diamond encrusted version
Absolutely. I own watches- there’s something about them that makes me happy. They’re the most simple definition of precision and that’s how I live my life. I always have loved watches and always will.
I cringe when I bang my Timex on a wall, can’t imagine this feeling with a Patek.
Actually, driving an expensive car or living in a large house are both tacky. Ditto wearing a watch that’s too expensive. All are form of conspicuous consumption that serves no real purpose other than to assert social status.
I appreciate a nice time-piece, but many are sort of douchey (including the Tag above). I’ve got a handful of beat up Timex that are cooler than most 5k watches I’ve seen.
LOL: most higher end watches’ movements are supplied by the exact same 1-2 companies. The “work of art” mojo is good ol’ marketing.
If the artistry and design is something you care about, and you can afford it, go for it. It becomes a problem (read douchey) when you wear them to get noticed. I have nothing against it, per se.
Exactly my thoughts. When I’ve got the financial security I’ll invest in a sub-$10K watch like these, probably an Omega because I like the styling.
I don’t understand the appeal of expensive watches. That being said, life is short. If an expensive watch makes you happy and you can afford it, go for it.
A watch is an accessory that goes with your attire be it casual or formal. The price paid for a watch all boils down to the person. If they can afford it so be it. I have a Flud watch I paid $80 for and it’s a replica of a technics turntable. I wore it with a suit and it was quite the conversational piece. I have a more expensive watch diamonds, gold..etc it’s stylish and more on the classy style but I bought that simply because I liked it and I bought it when I first started my career so it was like a landmark purchase for me.
So in the end it all comes down to the person and if you’re a gent that pays attention to detail then the right watch with the right attire will be important as the right pocket square and lapel pin.
If I talk you out this, let’s just split the money you’ll save.
If I made Romney money then I suppose I wouldn’t have an issue with wearing a 6k watch. But it’s like getting a $5 milkshake. There better be bourbon or rum in it. It’s got to be something more. But all it does is tell time. That’s all it should do. You can find a really nice looking watch for $100-$200. Spending much more on a watch just means you’re missing out on bigger picture needs.
Okay, fine with the watch and house (assuming you don’t have 5 kids or something to warrant the extra room), but an expensive car can get you additional features that are value-add. Guaranteed there are some diminishing returns on this (depends on your defn of an “expensive” car–e.g., BMW 5-series vs an Aston Martin), and certainly items you don’t really need, but there are also better safety features, better driving experience, etc. that come with upgrading from an entry-level vehicle.
I wear a limited edition PVD Panerai on the weekends. As much as I’ve tried to treat it with kid gloves I’ve banged it around a bit. Since its a PVD, it’s not so much a dressy watch but I’ve paired it up with slacks and dress shirt on business casual Friday or in rare instances with a suit. Always received compliments on what a nice watch it is or something to the effect of, “I’ve never seen a Panerai like that before.” I say if you got the means to buy a fancy watch, do your best to take care of it but don’t fret over beating it up. In my opinion is a tool and one would use it as any other tool.
For me, an expensive watch really brings the law of diminishing returns into play. Sure, a Patek Philippe is going to be nicer than a $100 Seiko, but is it going to be $50,000 worth of nicer?
My only “luxury” watch is my Hamilton Jazzmaster Viewmatic. It’s plenty nice for me, and even at less than 1/100th the price of a $50k PP, I sometimes wonder if I spent too much on it. The only other “luxury” watch I want to get my hands on is the Rolex Submariner my dad bought in Hong Kong as a Marine infantryman in the mid-70s. (And yes… we know it’s authentic because he’s had it serviced at an authorized Rolex repair shop.) It currently lives in a gun safe in the basement but I wouldn’t mind wearing it, even if it is a bit of a cliche.
Tacky are the people that wear them to impress. If you don’t show it off then wear whatever you like.
Living in a large house and driving an expensive car is tacky and serves no real purpose? I believe the purpose woulld be comfort…
Off topic here, but an important point to remember-Very, very few watches will hold up as “investments” if purchased new, so if you are buying for that reason, forget it.
I would say if you can score a good price (and not have to live on ramen noodles to afford it) on a Blancpain, Franck Mueller, Patek Phillipe or the like go for it.
Some interesting info. here:
http://www.chronocentric.com/watches/brands.shtml
Interestingly, they have Tag Heuer listed as Pseudo Luxury watches.
The really high-end, true luxury watches genuinely do hold their value. The watch I’m wearing today, for example, is a Panerai; cost $7k new, but because of limited availability, as long as I take care of it and keep it ‘like new’, it will never drop to below about 90% of that value, and after 10-15 years should actually begin to appreciate.
Contrast that with my first ever pseudo-luxury watch–a perfect term for Tag Heuer etc, the chart on that website is pretty spot on–which I bought for $1,500 and sold a few years later for $400.
Obviously I fall in the pro-expensive watch camp but its for me, not to show off, and it certainly wasn’t my first priorty when I started earning, and only came after the apartment, savings, wardrobe staples etc. Now a nice watch every other year or two is my one indulgence!
There’s expensive and there’s tacky. Those two are not mutually exclusive. The watch in the picture is loud and ugly, no matter the price. If I had the money, I would probably spend a little extra on most clothes and accessories, watches included. But it would never be something loud or covered in gems.
Watches always seem larger in photos
I accidentally posted that. What I meant to say is, watches always appear larger in photos and macros. I think people who are complaining that the Monaco above is flashy or gaudy wouldn’t actually think so in real like. In fact, most watches go hardly noticed by other people, no matter what. I generally treat watches like I do the motto of this website, fashion vs style? To me, especially in the sub-$10k range, its best to go with pieces that are iconic – like the monaco above. Its association with McQueen make it pretty much the stand-out in the Tag line. Same goes for pretty much any watch in the Rolex line because they’ve changed the designs so little over the years.
Every ‘nice’ watch I’ve bought, I have bought a homage watch of it beforehand. $50-$100 to see a facsimile of it on my wrist and see if I actually dig it. I’ve got sub, explorer, navitimer, yacht master, and a load of other homages… not all of those turned into buys. Still fun watches to wear to work.
Lastly, on Rolex especially, go vintage. It holds it’s value + appreciates over time and when it does get noticed there is nothing better than telling the person how old it is and then pondering the adventures it might have seen in its past life. One of my favorite watches in a DateJust from 1964. I purchased it for $1k but people who see the Rolex name assume it was more than that. When you mention the age its easy to get lost in wondering what Don Draper of a dude bought this thing new and the places it has seen.
Also, never buy new. Like cars – buy from a reputable shop, used. Let the first person take the huge depreciation hit.
A classic Rolex or Omega is fine with me. The Monaco is a little much for my tastes.
That Monaco is like a McMansion for your wrist. As for the “diminishing returns” versus “holding their value” question: it’s still about being able to say you’ve got a few thousand dollars on your wrist. “Holding its value” just means that you can still say you’ve got a few thousand dollars on your wrist 10 years from now.
Even Romney doesn’t “make” Romney money.
/Begins PoFlaWa
If you could pick up the Monaco on whim, because you like the way it looks, then it’s probably not going to be tacky on you because everything about you is going to betray your net. If you’re scrimping to get it, it’s going to look out of place on you and therefore tacky or like the tell of misplaced values. Everything in scale.
In my opinion a watch is meant to be a gift. It is meaningless when you purchase it yourself. So you might want to buy a watch that serves as a fashion statement rather than a status symbol. But believe it or not, status symbol does serve its purpose in business. It could be a reassurance that your financial or business status is stable.
Monaco is an ok watch, but I don’t think it would last for daily wear. The leather color would also limit your fashion options. You might be better off with Stainless Steel watches like Rolex submariner for your daily beater watch or similar steel diving watches. Something you’re not afraid of abusing. For status symbol business purposes, platinum watches from Lange, Patek, or Jaeger would be better options.
Now… the question is, who could you trick to buy you Lange 1 platinum for your birthday gift? 😉
I’m in the “spend your own money how you like” crowd, but there really is no way to rationalize spending what people do on a car aside from trying to look cool. The gains in safety are the best rationale, but I really doubt that you gain that much more safety in a $300,000 car over a well selected $20,000 one. If increased social status was not the ultimate goal of spending copious amounts of money on a car, I would expect that the most expensive generally available consumer automobile would max out around $70,000 and those would be purchased by people who are building nuclear bomb shelters in South Dakota for the 2012 apocalypse.
The Monaco is the hallmark of the coolest man to have ever lived, if he wore it it is tasteful. Additionally, a classic automatic watch is always tasteful. Today’s 44mm+ sizes require careful consideration, however, and if you are not a big guy look for 35-42mm.
I have 2 Heuers (pre-tage) a vintage Autavia I inherited from my father and a Carrera I bought for myself when I graduated law school. They are 42mm and 38mm respectively and always garner positive comments without looking tacky.
I have a number of other automatic, vintage and new, and some “blingy” sport quartz chronos as well…its a hobby.
I find that the only watch that makes a negative impression on me is a Panerai.
You’ve obviously never had to clean a large house.
Agreed with 20k vs. 300k, but what about, for example, a $15k Kia vs a $40k Audi A4? I’m not advocating super lux/performance here…
Wearing 6 grand of man jewelry on your wrist is pretty crazy, in my opinion. I can’t really tell the difference between this watch and a timex. But then again, I’m not a watch guy. Never really understood their purpose in the modern world.
http://www.nomos-glashuette.com/index.php?id=475&L=1
*drool*
I love collecting watches. It’s a gift for myself that makes me happy. For me, it is about admiring the history, the mechanism, the movements, etc. of the watch. I like speaking with others who have the same passion. In the end, what is ‘expensive’ and ‘tacky’ is relative/subjective to each individual… right? At the moment, anything above the $500 range is too much money for me, I have other financial priorities. However, I certainly have a few watches in my bookmarks that are in the 5k to 12k range. For me, I don’t like Panerai watches. I am more of a vintage ‘Omega Constellation’, ‘Omega Seamaster De Ville’, Seiko Grand Seiko’, etc. kind of guy.
For me, it’s not necessarily a monetary/financial investment but an emotional investment. I guess I fall into the “you never actually own a ________ (insert fine watch brand here) You merely look after it for the next generation” category.
Not sure about the “hold value” bit either… but I still like a great watch on my wrist.
Well said – and a careful buyer can easily get any of those (except a few of the Rolex models) for well under 10K. A great Omega or Tag (Heuer before Tag if you’re really old school cool) for less than 5K.
100% Agree about vintage Rolex. The new stuff? Meh.
Come now. When the hell was the last time you’ve seen a Monaco foreclosed on? I’ve been looking in pawn shops. NOTHING 🙂
Totally agree about watches appearing larger. They are hard sons of guns to photograph.
If by “monstrosity” you mean “big” (which, maybe you are, in part? Maybe not?) than I think it’s worth pointing out that the Monaco is 39mm in diameter. Wears a big bigger, but, just looks larger on camera. So, it’s not enormous or anything.
Try photographing with the camera farther away from the watch. Trying to get a close-up of the watch by holding the camera right above it produces the optical illusion that the watch is much larger than it really is, relative to everything else in the photo.
Certainly, there are gains when upgrading from a bare-bones entry level vehicle. My point, which I didn’t say directly, was that these rational reasons probably don’t account for the majority of vehicle upgrading.
My ultra-simplified version of how to justify expenses is to put money where it counts for the most, in things which affect me the most.
Example: I spend 15 hours a day in shoes and good ones can be had for around $50-100 more than bad ones and will last much longer. At the same time, I could spend $10,000 extra for a more comfortable ride in a car in which I spend 1 hour a day. In my mind, the car only wins over other expenses if I am concerned about what people see me driving.
The monaco is flashy, and at 5K, overpriced. Get something more subtle from Ball, IWC, or Omega. The point should be to have a quality timepiece that means something to you and will last for your lifetime, not to have something that looks flashy and will beg people to ask about your watch.
I guess I should mention that I am all for wearing a watch that costs thousands, however, in my current role as college student and bartender, anything over several hundred isn’t quite appropriate.
And that’s what is missing here. You like it. Isn’t that enough?
Not to worry, Ben. Your father’s Rolex is not a cliche. It is good fortune. If my father were in to such things, I would be honored to wear such a piece.
The ironic thing is, my dad isn’t into watches at all. He bought it because it had radium lume so bright he could read his maps with it at night. Radium watches were already illegal in the US at the time. But the radium faded after a decade or so and and except for a servicing, the watch has been sitting in a safe ever since. These days he wears a quartz Luminox and occasionally a low-end G-Shock to time things.
I have over 30 watches in my collection for which I spent about less than one expensive watch like this would cost. I see no value in owning an expensive watch. That being said I do have a Tag Heuer 2000 chronograph ($1300) and an F1 chronograph ($700) but I consider them good values.
Nothing wrong with expensive if you can afford it or if it’s a gift to yourself for accomplishing something. If expensive is tacky, then what do you call the opposite end of wearing completely terrible and cheaply made stuff? I don’t judge a man solely by his wallet or his watch, but I believe in dressing for success. You have to look at the bigger picture. A symbol of success like an Omega can help you emotionally and mentally work harder and strive to make money. America is a capitalist society. Consumption is encouraged and necessary so money can flow.
There’s a reason why the haters aren’t wealthy people. They need to spend more time asking themselves what they are doing wrong in their life and why they aren’t successful enough where they can simply throw down $10k for a watch without blinking. But most people would prefer to criticize why someone needs an expensive watch. You never really need anything except food and water; a watch is something you just want.
I’m OK with paying more for a luxury item like a watch, but only if it is discreet and it doesn’t call attention to itself. As an analogy, If I had the money to buy a fast car, I would much rather have a Cadillac CTS-V than any Ferarri or Lamborghini. Not that the Ferarri or Lambo are not great cars, but they just attract attention too much, like it or not. Most people wouldn’t look twice at a Caddy.
And I hate to burst people’s bubble, but Rolex watches are all factory made and the internal parts aren’t even made by Rolex themselves anymore. You’re paying for the name, which definitely says “LOOK AT ME, I’m wearing an expensive watch”. If I saw someone wearing one, I would think “douchey”. If they then told me that it was a vintage model with a handmade movement, that would be excusable.
Alright, here’s my take.
1) As far as tackiness goes, bad taste and/or personality are completely responsible for that. You can just as easily buy a “tacky” watch for $50 as you can for $50,000.
2) In the mid-luxury range (sub $10,000) is where most of the “not worth it” watches are. There are some exceptions, but as mentioned before, most “luxury” watches contain the same movements purchased from the same couple producers. So you aren’t paying for craftsmanship (because there is no craftsman), you aren’t paying for superior design/aesthetics (because almost all major designs trickle down and are closely replicated by the cheaper brands), and you aren’t paying for quality/durability because some of the toughest watches are the cheaper ones. The only thing left that you could be paying for is status. And that’s where point number 1 comes into play.
3) Beyond the $10k mark and all the way up to RIDICULOUS amounts of money, are the truly special watches. The ones that take 100’s or 1000’s of hours of hand-craftsmanship to create. At this point in the spectrum, you have hand-built, hand-designed, high-quality mechanical works of art. For 99.9% of the population, a $50 quartz watch will be at least as useful, but that’s not what it’s about at this point. Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” and a $10 print from Target both fill an empty wall equally well, but the premium is paid out of respect for the artist’s work. If you appreciate that, then buy a $50,000 watch, WEAR IT (because that’s what it was designed for!), and don’t worry about whether the guy next to you knows the difference. If that’s not you, then buy the Timex. Just don’t hate the guy that chooses to own an FP Journe instead of a second, third, AND fourth home. Yeah, they’re that expensive.
All that to say, Yes, I would wear an expensive watch, and I would do it because I liked it, not so my coworker would notice. Personally, I tend to be more of the “everything or nothing” type, so I wouldn’t pay the $$ for a watch unless it was a truly special one… And most of them aren’t truly special until they cost as much as a house. So unless I win the jackpot like the article says, it’ll probably be a while (if ever) before I own one.
Ugly
I only wear Timex…
7K isn’t technically “really high-end”. Today I’m wearing a one of a kind Bulgari Tourbillon, cased in titanium and a true masterpiece of horology. Bulgari makes everything under the one roof, right down to the minute blued steel screws. Currently it’s insured for $350K, yet despite it’s value I still wear it in regular rotation with my IWC, Cartier, and Patek’s. That, my friend, is a true high-end, ultra luxury watch.
I can’t comment on Bulgari watches, but I can definitely recommend Bulgari cologne. Always a hit with the womenfolk. I got laid so many times wearing that shit that with the money I saved on prostitutes the bottle paid for itself one hundred times over.
Just sayin’
Well, I’m glad we got THAT important business cleared up.
My wife bought me a stainless date-just as a wedding present. I like it because it’s not huge/tacky and people still notice it. I don’t wear it as often as I probably should, but I do wear the citizen nighthawk she bought me quite often. Yeah, she’s a keeper.
(Love Tags) But I could get all the functionality in that watch for something a tenth of the price or even way less. And most of what a watch does a cell phone does more. Watches sadly enough have been relegated to more aesthetics than functionality. I still do wear my watch and I don’t leave home without it. I am more likely to leave my cell phone than my watch.
Thanks for waving your dick around, Mark.
Put on a Patek, and suddenly you don’t bang your watch on a wall.
Should do your research before posting.
Rolex along with a few other high-end Swiss watch companies like Patek, JLC, VC, make their movements entirely in-house.