Horologically Happy

With Watches and Wonders behind us, there were some superlative releases from many brands, and some controversial ones, like Rolex’s left-handed “Riddler” GMT-Master II, that created plenty of chatter. But all of them paled in comparison to the impact of the collaboration between Swatch Group superstars Omega, and that purveyor of fun Swiss made plastic quartz watches, Swatch. The community has nearly torn itself asunder in the recent week, with many being vociferous fans of the collaboration, seeing it as a fun exercise in democratizing luxury–at least as a concept. Many others have been decidedly unimpressed, offering equally passionate vitriol and disdain that a luxury brand of historic import would besmirch itself with a cheapening move solely for apparent short-term publicity and little else.

As an admitted fan of the collaboration, what I find interesting, is less the watches themselves, but the reactions they’ve provoked and the scuttlebutt they’ve created within a community that’s grown stagnant with never-ending valuation and scarcity discussions. More specifically, I find myself questioning what those reactions say about what we ourselves value. Is this hobby an inclusive one, or a good ol’ boys club for high-net-worth individuals and established players? Is it just an opportunity to get some photos on social media and move on? Is it a place one can learn and grow in, or be forced to admit you just don’t belong? I suppose it depends upon whom you ask, but it’s fairly clear that watches are not as readily attainable, in material reality, or even a topic of welcoming discussion, as they were even a short decade ago. Can the Omega MoonSwatch right that wrong? I think it can, possibly, or if not, at very least begin illuminating the way to a better place…a place we were not so terribly long ago. But I digress.

While my own interest in all things horological began in my early teens, it wasn’t until I began hanging around authorized retailers, talking to watch collectors, reading books on the subject, and through some fortuitous circumstances, getting my first couple “serious” pieces (from Rolex and Patek Philippe) that I really became really and truly hooked. This time period was a rather glorious one for budding and long-time watch lovers alike: the internet community at large was as fresh and new, with forums everywhere bursting with fresh energy, and decidedly enthusiastic discussions about all aspects of watches, from brand historical paths, to the smallest decorative minutiae, and functional and technical nuances. Stalwarts like Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and even lofty Patek Philippe–still largely word of mouth at that time amongst cognoscenti, and not a pop culture phenom like it is now, as hard as that may be to imagine for newcomers to the scene–were compared and contrasted against then new and rapidly emerging luxury brands (many now sadly gone), as well as craftily and creatively revived ones. Well-known examples of the latter included Blancpain, which had been re-imagined by the brilliant Jean-Claude Biver, and then sold in the early 1990s to the Swatch Group, who now had an in-group high end competitor to their already topmost star, Breguet. New and exciting brands headed by superstar virtuoso watchmakers such as the late Roger Dubuis also joined the fray. Tourbillons, minute repeaters, and perpetual calendars proliferated from brands across the alphabet, as did the sizes of watches, to house the seeming never-to-end proliferation of innovation, complication, and sybaritic audacity.

This period of fruitful abundance would of course eventually lead to the excessive glut of luxury watches seen just before the economic debacle of 2008/2009, but that’s looking at things with the luxury of hindsight. You might compare it to the innocent days of “free love” and drug experimentation in the early 1960s before things got much uglier, existentially confused, and more cynical towards the start of the 70s. However you slice it, though, the late 90s and early 2000s were a wonderful time to be alive in the watch world. Arguments happened, to be certain, and egos got hurt on occasion, but conversations were ever abundant, there was a strong sense of community, and people of all watch collecting genres seemed to genuinely enjoy sharing their passion for things that ticked, regardless of escapement type, power source, brand, or price point. Watch Get-Togethers were a common occurrence in major metropoli, with stunners from A. Lange & Sohne, and Patek Philippe cohabiting happily at the table with (then!) run-of-the mill Rolex Submariners, Zenith El Primeros, the odd pre-LVMH Hublot, vintage pocket watches, an occasional independent masterpiece, and even digital watches like Casio and Citizen. If that weren’t enough to miss, Authorized Dealers of all major brands were comfortably stocked with watches, modest to occasionally generous discounts could be obtained on most models from even the most aristocratic marques, and one seldom had to wait terribly long to obtain a grail watch, once funds were ready….oh sure, you might have to pay a bit of a premium for a new watch in the glow of post-Baselworld hype, to be an early adopter, but with a few model exceptions you could get what you wanted relatively easily, without fuss or politicking, and be treated well by sellers even if you weren’t an oligarch or one-soon-to-be. It truly was an age of glory, sort of a watch collecting version of King Arthur’s Camelot before the destruction of the round table, and a kingdom’s fall from grace.

But, like Camelot, this moment in time was as brief as it was shining, and one which has passed into nostalgic memory. Watches have become speculative, grossly materialistic in all too many cases, and shallow vessels of the most base speculation. As the exploratory fun has been gradually siphoned away in the past decade, so too has the community which once participated waned in numbers and atrophied. As the most coveted brands become less available, and ever higher priced, customers steadily yet relentlessly migrated to other competitors, and so on, and then from one model to the next with the same cycle repeating itself (witness the values progression of the Patek Philippe Nautilus to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak series, to finally, the Vacheron Constantin Overseas line, as a stark example) Finally, we are at a stage wherein Rolex dealers are now entirely devoid of any stock, and even once ho-hum model lines like the venerable but not terribly exciting Datejust in two-tone configurations are suddenly white hot “must haves” selling for well over list price, as buyers desperate for social media viewers moved on from the impossible-to-acquire sport models, and began frenzy feeding on the base ranges.

With this dire situation only growing in scope, some collectors and would-be enthusiasts shifted to small micro-brands and independents to assuage their longings, while others decided to sit things out, and yet more gave up the watch hobby entirely in disgust and disillusionment. While there is no dearth of watch fans both established and new who enjoy their watches even now, this ledge of diminished experience is largely the precipice upon which we stand as 2022 marches on. And yet, this same year, one watch more than any other made the community look up, and reevaluate…perhaps even smile and laugh. Yes, that would be the MoonSwatch, this delightful, silly, possibly even profane and utterly ridiculous collaboration between Omega—a titan of classical Swiss watchmaking lore–and Swatch, a longtime purveyor of inexpensive fun, provocation, and the much more democratized aspect of the storied land of Helvetia.

But back to the MoonSwatch, and what it is…or isn’t. I do understand the concerns that a marriage between Omega and Swatch could cheapen the Omega brand, specifically the all-powerful icon in the latter’s brand palette…the eternal Speedmaster. There is definitely some validity to this, and I think a lot there depends upon how long the collaboration goes on, and how deep the connection runs into the model range. Omega, and its Swatch Group sibling, Swatch, should tread carefully here, far less for the detriment to Swatch–which stands to benefit–but the old stalwart Omega, who’s name carries quite a bit of nobility, despite more than a few missteps over the years, including far too many limited editions that have diluted brand equity compared to laser-focused arch-competitors such as Rolex. Despite that, Omega has, for me at least, done more than perhaps any other brand to remain a beacon of impressive watchmaking innovation and horological prestige that somehow seems attainable and for lack of a better word, humanistic. The Speedmaster Professional itself, possibly more than any other watch ever made, is less a refined mechanical chronograph than a vessel of the best impulses of collective Mankind, a talisman that reminds us that despite our ages-long savagery, the human creature can collaborate, innovate for the greater good, and strive far beyond to transcend the very bounds of our planetary bond. That combination of mechanical virtue and civilized intangibles is one of the primary reasons I cherish my own 3861-powered Omega Speedy Pro, and find enjoyment in it all out of proportion to its cult status as a classic hand-wound chronograph.

With that established, could there be a better watch model for such a globally inclusive collaboration than the iconic Speedmaster design? I think not. Multiple things can be true at once…and indeed, the naysayers may be correct in their assessment that this is merely a marketing coup for Omega and its parent company to garner publicity in the shadow of Rolex, or even, a gateway drug to capture a new generation of watch lovers that don’t yet have the budget for “the real thing”, or whatever. Others have pointed out that the mindblowing lines seen in Swatch stores at the historic product launch were made up less of the truly passionate watch fan, but the same flippers and profiteers that have ruined everything else, eager to take their $260 battery-powered quartz watch and turn it into a quick $2,000 + online, all to supply the click additions of social media addicts who simply can’t wait for the Swatch online release at the accessible retail price. And yet, in my heart of hearts, I feel the frenetic post-launch hype will subside soon enough and the MoonSwatch will capture its proper audience in earnest—the passionate lover of watches, who regardless of budget, simply wants to rediscover joy in actually wearing, and sharing, a cool wristwatch with a near-mythic backstory.

It is beyond past the time to bring some passion back to this hobby, to let people discuss the origins behind models and brands, and get newcomers and those who’ve long been around the scene alike to questioning and feeling what it was–and is–that excites them about these strange little timekeeping machines that play shockingly little actual role in our high-tech world, yet create such sense of connection and passion. The discussion itself–beyond what the watch is or isn’t–can only be to the good, I suspect, and possibly ignite a much larger, and lifelong interest in watchmaking at large for a new troop of WIS. Perhaps from there, a gradual trickle-down will occur that triggers an eventual return to comparative reality for brands across the spectrum. Excessive idealism in a very complex global economy beset with issues far beyond luxury goods on their own merits? Quite possibly, but….one can dream!

The status players and speculators in the hobby may never understand, and that’s perfectly fine. There are many valid reasons to collect watches, statements of wealth and prestige signaling included, and we all must recognize that. Yet, admirers of watches who simply find excitement in all things horological, will find no threat in the MoonSwatch, and possibly much to love. Judging by reactions around the globe, the positive vibes have come from all ends of the net worth continuum. To that end, the Swatch/Omega collaboration, and their controversial product in all of its celestial variations, may just in fact be the sort of horological hero we need in these difficult times, even if it wasn’t the one we expected!