[SkyPilot]

My wife and were at a hotel that sold very high end jewelry, watches, perfume, handbags, etc. I was amazed that Rolex, Cartier, Brietling, etc still sold their high end watches. These watches are status symbols above any true innovative functionality. At their core, they all use a variation of 15th century pocket watch technology.

[Swordmaker]

When I was in college, I bought a white gold Longines Wittenauer Chronograph. This was in 1968-1969 era. That watch retailed for about $1000 then. I found it on sale at a jewelry store going out of business in Petosky, Michigan for only $500, so I stretched to buy it.

Several months ago, I did a search of completed auctions on eBay for the same watch. I found several of the exact same model from the period. The average selling price was over $4000 in about the condition mine is in. Such watches hold their value.

I have never appreciated the value of Rolexes. I think they are a blah watch and that stupid magnifying lens to see the date is, well, stupid. It's a kludge to do something that should not have been necessary had it been engineered better in the first place. I appreciated my Sturhling because it kept excellent time, looked good, was in 14k rose gold, and had a meteorite metal dial, and had a alligator strap. I just liked it.

I appreciate my Apple Watch for many of the same reasons. . . And for the excellent engineering and thought that has gone into it.

There are some watches that are sheer works of art in both jewelry and engineering that are a wonder to behold. They are beyond status symbols because no one can know what they are by just seeing them on your wrist. If one can afford them, one buys them for the appreciation of that art. They are literally unique.