but the quality of watches are in general better then a decade ago...perhaps the fun is to separate the chaff from grain.
to me, my greatest peeve is those brands like Linde Werdelin who use generic movements warehoused on so so case, and selling at INFLATED prices,without much brand history or heriatge, costing alot more then a superb product, say the above mentioned Omega chrono.
then there is the unlimited limited editions commanding a premium of basically a colour coded change of an easily available original. cosmestic versus intrinsic.
and reference to your example of art watches....you know i am a big fan of MBF, owning the HM1, HM2.2, HM3 and lately the LM1....but i dont like the HM4, at least not at the price point it is being sold. if i want a sculpture, I BUY A DAMN SCULPTURE!!! so even within same brand, there are hits and misses, in my eyes.
alot more to say, but its 5am here, and my eyes are sore and teary from a night of alcohol induced debauchery.
best,
Horo