Can The Average Dude Pull Off A Watch Like This?

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The Watch Snob is in.The Watch Snob OnCloisonné Dials

Dear Snob,What are your thoughts on cloisonnédials for a dress watch? I favor traditional finished dials, particularly a subtleguilloche pattern that Breguetseems to do so well. Is it just too flashy to wear a vivid cloisonné dial with arose or yellow-gold case with my very conservative work wardrobe?Congratulations for using both “guilloche” and“cloisonné” in the same email. Your question comes like an oasis inthe desert, and I am happy to linger on it before moving on through the endless stream of“What watch can I get for $1,000” offal. For those readers who think “cloisonné” might be some sort ofFrench dessert, let me enlighten you. It is actually a type of watch dial that isexceedingly difficult to create and thus a craft on the order of an haute horlogeriemovement. To create a cloisonné dial, the artist creates small patterns on thedial by manually bending strips of silver or gold and then filling in the spaces betweenthe strips with enamel, which is then fired, thereby changing the color. The result ispure art. Now, to address your question,cloisonné dials on dresswatches are perfectly acceptable and will harbor respect from anyone who knows what he is looking at. But I have never found the full cloisonné dials of a brand likeUlysse Nardin particularly wearable, with the bright colors and patterns clashing withmost shirtsleeves. But certainly if you are enough of a dandy to pull it off, I encourageyou to do so. There is one timepiece that risesabove the rest: the Patek Philippe 5131, which manages to be not only a perfectlyproportioned dress watch but also houses a useful world time complication. This watchfeatures a tastefully exquisite cloisonné dial displaying the continentssurrounded by the world time city ring, which adds a further element of interest. If youmanage to acquire such a piece, you will accrue even greater respect from me than youalready did by just asking this question. Are Grand Seiko Watches Worthy Of Respect?

I think you've touched on this before, but I would like to know your opinion on theGrand Seiko watches. Lexus automobiles are seen asthe convergence of high luxury, performance and reliability. Yet often the first thingyou’ll hear a Lexus dealer talking about is how it compares to a Mercedes or BMW.You’ll never hear a Benz dealer comparing the S-Class to a Lexus. Why is this?Because only a generation or two ago, the same company that builds the LS460 was toutingits tinny Corolla for its affordability and fuel economy. The identity crisis lives on,no matter how good the Lexus is. In fact, Toyota had to create a whole new name for itsluxury line. The same holds true for Seiko. Thebrand revolutionized watchmaking with the quartz movement in the 1970s but at the sametime created an image for itself as a maker of cheap battery-powered watches. Even withthe word “Grand” in front of Seiko, most people outside of Japan will never see this line as anything close to what the Swiss build. And that’s a shame becauseGrandSeiko watches are some of the finest in the world, easily contending with the bestfrom Switzerland or Germany. The innovations, build quality and level of finishing areexcellent, though their aesthetics are rather banal. To those in the know, myselfincluded, of course, Grand Seiko watches are worthy of great respect. Would I ever buyone? No, there are just too many comparable or better Swiss and German timepieces outthere. The other problem is that, in addition tothe “Grand” line, Seiko maintains its high-volume production of cheapdisposable watches for the unwashed masses. This means that the Wall Street executivewho’s proud of his $10,000 hand-finished Grand Seiko will potentially be subject toawkward bonding moments with the hot dog vendor with his $100 drugstore watch. Question from a Watch Knob

Mr. Watch Snob, I own a 1960s Zenith. Do you have an opinion? But please don’t be so hard -- it belonged to my great grandfather. I do own some finewatches. Well, that’s my opinion. I love watches. Period.The 1960s were 10 years long last time I checked, and Zenith made many watches in that time. So not knowing which one your sainted forebear passed on to you, Ican neither insult nor praise him for his choice. So if you insist that I render anopinion, I can only say that your question is rambling, poorly constructed andvague. I am happy to learn, however, that you lovewatches. Period. Continue Reading

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