In a new Watch Hunter series, “LIKE THIS? BUY THAT”, budget-friendly watches will be compared to more expensive models from well-known manufacturers. It’s like saying “if you cannot own THIS watch right now, then THAT watch might work as a satisfying alternative”. Many watch lovers must make responsible choices based on their budgets, and some hot models are hard to get.
Substituting a “big name brand” for an “affordable brand” is nothing new. My parents were masters of stretching a teacher’s salary to clothe and feed four kids. They replaced the Nikes that we kids put in the shopping cart with generic K-Mart shoes. We called them Bo-Bo’s, but that name was not a compliment. At least the “off-brand” Bo Bo’s paired well with Huskies corduroy pants that were popular in the 1980s.
Fortunately, watch collectors will not suffer as much as we did with classmates laughing at our cheap shoes. In fact, most of the replacement watches that I’ll suggest will be desirable and collectible in their own regard. Even if you get the brand name watch, you might want to keep the affordable one too. Sometimes price has nothing to do with how much you like a watch.
Even if they are similar, no two watch models will ever be exactly alike. Watch designers may borrow styling cues from other watches that came before them or from other brands. I hope the readers to keep an open mind when I make these sometimes-ludicrous comparisons. This is just for fun anyway, and no real watches were harmed in the thought experiment.
Realistically, no budget watch is ever going to compete on the same level as a luxury watch. That is a fact-based on quality, materials, workmanship, brand caché, and the movement inside. Some cost-cutting measures must surely be taken to attain an affordable MSRP on the cheaper watch. The point of these articles is to make visual comparisons between brands and models. In other words, don’t take me too seriously when I compare a $10,000 Rolex Submariner to an $80 Invicta Pro Diver. It just might happen!
