Does Buying A Fashion Watch Make Me A Bad Person?

I hope you sense the humor in my title there. Let’s go ahead and answer that one first and foremost- no, I don’t think buying a fashion watch makes you a bad person.

But in the world of watch aficionados, fashion watches can be a little frowned upon because they usually lack the elegant machinery luxury watches are known for.

That doesn’t mean fashion watches can’t be fun and worth investing in.

In this guide, I want to talk about what fashion watches are and things you may want to consider when looking to invest in one. After reading, you should know whether or not a fashion watch is the right time piece for your collection.

What Exactly Is A Fashion Watch?

mvmt watch

Unlike most of the other classic men’s watch styles, the fashion watch doesn’t have any specific guidelines or rules discerning what it has to have to be considered such.

A fashion watch can be as simple or complicated as it wants to. It can have any color scheme, shape, or size that the brand sees fit.

Simply put- a fashion watch is one that is designed by a fashion company for the sole purpose of looking stylish.

You see these watches all the time. Most popular clothing brands have their own fashion watches to compliment their clothing lines. Brands like Gucci, Armani, and Hugo Boss all offer watches with their name on it.

The problem is, these watches tend to use cheap materials.

Expect low-end quartz movements and plastic or fabric bands. Cases are usually made out of plastic or light weight steel. Don’t expect to see any sapphire crystals either- nope, most will come with cheaper mineral crystals that can scratch more easily.

You aren’t going to find any mechanical movements in a fashion watch- that would drive the manufacturing cost up too much. In fact, most fashion watches are produced in bulk and cheaply in China.

But since these watches are sporting whatever luxury fashion brand name it might have on its dial, we’re supposed to pay hundreds of dollars for them.

This is why serious watch collectors tend to look down on these watches- they aren’t worth the cost we usually have to pay for them.

They’re also lacking they engineering and precision that make nice watches so special. Not to mention the history. Fashion watches can’t compete with the history that comes with a name like Rolex, Omega, or Tag Heuer.

Some people may think that a Rolex is only expensive because it’s a “Rolex”, putting it in the same league as a fashion watch.

These same good people might not realize that Rolex has been around since the early 1900’s and has provided the world with numerous innovations, including the first water-proof wrist watch and the first automatic movement.

My point is, there’s a big difference in quality between handcrafted Swiss timepieces and cheap battery operated fashion watches.

A Rolex costs what it does because of the quality of the materials used, the sophistication of the components operating it, and the history behind it.

A fashion watch costs what it costs because the fashion brand is hiking the price up as high as they think reasonable individuals are willing to pay.

The hope being, that the recognized brand name will justify paying the increased price for a cheaply made watch.

Should I Buy A Fashion Watch?

fossil watch

 

Ok. I feel like I was just brutally honest on what these watches are. Now, with all that said, I want to admit that I currently own several fashion watches and wear them regularly.

The truth is, there’s nothing wrong with wearing a fashion watch.

Even though these watches can’t offer much when it comes to craftsmanship, they can still look good and be fun to wear. I would argue that many are stylish and do look good, especially for the price.

And speaking of price, it’s true these watches are significantly marked up from what they’d be worth based on the materials they’re made of, but we’re talking hundreds of dollars here, not thousands.

Let’s be real- not everyone can afford a classic Swiss watch.

One of the more affordable Swiss watches out there, Tag’s Aquaracer, is still gonna cost you roughly $2000 (and yes, that’s affordable when it comes to Swiss watches).

A nice looking fashion watch might run ya $200. There’s a big difference there.

If you ask me, the best thing about buying fashion watches is that it allows us guys that can’t afford to collect Swiss timepieces the ability to start a watch collection.

At $100-$200 a piece, owning multiple fashion watches is a lot more doable.

And I’ll admit it- I think Fossil watches look pretty good. I like their leather straps and many of their watches come with clean, elegant dials that work well for a casual look.

I currently own 2 Fossil watches- one with a brown leather band and another in black. The combined cost for both would be around $200.

I’ve had mine for years and they both still work well. I have to replace the batteries every few years, no biggie. And knowing that these watches are pretty cheap does add a little peace of mind- if they get damaged, it wouldn’t be that big of a deal to replace them.

Just because these watches aren’t technically advanced or backed by decades of history doesn’t mean they aren’t worth buying.

If you’re looking for an affordable watch to match your style, fashion watches can work well. Just know that these watches aren’t on the same league as fine Swiss timepieces.

And don’t be surprised if you have a hard time trying to sell your fashion watch down the road- unlike luxury watches, nobody’s gonna want a pre-owned fashion watch.

If you’re still interested in getting a stylish fashion watch after reading all this, I say go for it. Here’s a list of popular brands to help you along your search:

  • Fossil
  • MVMT
  • Tommy Hilfiger
  • Hugo Boss
  • Michael Kors
  • Swatch
  • Daniel Wellington
  • Armani
  • Gucci

 

 

 

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