04/03/2013 12:54
A watch or a time keeping device or a time piece. They are all referring to the same thing. When we talk about watches, the de facto meaning we are talking about is wrist watches. Initially invented as a way to tell time and help us, humans, organize among ourselves, wrist watches have grow into much bigger than merely a time keeping assistant. While the basic functionality of keeping track of time still remains, watches have turned to become a symbol of personality, character and flair of taste.
Because of the role that our watch plays other than a time keeper, hence the term fashion watch is coined. What does fashion watch mean? How does it different from ordinary watches? You can view the answer from a rather simplistic point of view. Today's world is a divided world. Each and everyone of us has our own unique taste. We have different definition when it comes to almost anything in life. This is the basic nature and this is what defines us as humans. And it is this fundamental traits that sets us apart from other creatures. It is our differences that makes the world dynamic, vibrant and non-homogenous.
In the world of watches, there is of course the group of people who are deeply passionate about watches. There is always the group of people with unwavering interest in the core technologies that makes a watch tick. To these groups of people, the quality and components that go into a watch is above everything else. These groups of people have very different definition of what is considered a real watch and what is considered a 'toy' watch.
On the other hand, there is always the group of people who are deeply passionate about look and fashion. This group of people are highly sensitive towards fashion and styles. The color of your clothes. The matching tops and bottom. The hairstyle. The nitty gritty every small things attached to your body. To these people, a watch is part of the overall fashion accessories and it has to be matching with the rest. To strike a balance between the two extreme, then comes the term fashion watch to describe such watches.
Fashion watches are usually sold by renowned designer labels with the likes of Emporio Armani, Michael Kors, Guess, Nautica and Armani Exchange watches. Each designer label has their own pool of followers and even cult-like fans. Such brand loyalty could be due to the marketing message or it could also be due to individual experience with the brands. It could also be due to the style and cutting of the brand. Therefore, if you are a fan of the A|X brand, you would look out for Armani Exchange watches if you are looking for a new watch. The reason is pretty simple. You are familiar with the brand. You like the image coming out of the brand. And you are somehow confident that the watches produced by the brand will be of good quality.
Some of these assumptions are true and some are not. For example, the common misconception that a fine clothing label would definitely make fine watches is utterly baseless in my opinion. So when you are looking for a fashion watch, be mindful that even a watch that bears say Armani Exchange label on it, may not be made by the brand itself. In this case, it is good to know that Armani Exchange watches are in fact manufactured by Fossil Inc.
This might sound like a simplified argument to a complex issue. But the same analysis can be applied to generally any fashion watch brands and I bet you will end up with the same conclusion.
