BDLJ
4653
Well put.
Thanks again for taking the time to clarify.
Clearly, I am too young to have experienced the era when Swiss watches were held in that regard. But I know enough about their history to shake my head in dismay over some of the outlandish PR claims. When I can, I point them out (eg. the AP forged case thread), I sometimes feel like a know-all for doing that, but facts are facts, no matter how a Marketing Division spins it. (and I don't mean to pick on AP here) Fundamentally, I think it is insulting and cynical on the Brands part to play those games.
As for scepticism versus cynicism, the former is healthy in certain doses, the latter rarely is.
Healthy skepticism is a good thing, but is it possible to take it too far?
Hi, When does skepticism become cynicism? Is there an important distinction, relevant for hobbyists and aficionados? I am seeing more and more a tendency, even propensity, for certain individuals to play the cynicism card quickly and frequently. And it se...
Thoughts...
Hi Thomas, Skepticism and cynicism are very different, at least to my mind. I am very skeptical about many of the claims about the supposedly performance-enhancing complications as there are virtually never hard figures to back them up, and this leads me ...
It is possible to be a part-time cynic.
In my view, the watch industry has to a large extent bifurcated itself. While all watch companies rely on both "quality" and "marketing" to make their products desirable, most companies have made decisions to be either primarily quality-driven or primaril...
excellent comments and defining of the framework, thanks!
Hi, MKVC, Well made points, and I agree with the ideas! Regarding your last point about community commentary - I touched on this once or twice before, recently; in one case, it quickly went astray and really drew out lots of projections and unexplicated a...
Sometimes a difficult distinction to make in my head
I am, somewhat by nature, a skeptical person. I have become quite skeptical of anything that appears in company press releases, not because I think that they are lying to us, but because what I think of as "reality" somewhat conflicts with PR. PR is, in s...
Interesting point..
Though, I do think using the word "newbies" is a little dismissive. Personally, I find it amusing that so many of the manufacturer's claims go unchallenged. Spurious history, banal processes and materials renamed to glamourise them, unfalsifiable claims.....
"newbies" not meant to be dismissive...
Hi, I did not intend to use "newbies" in a pejorative or dismissive sense, any more than I am a "newbie" myself because I don't understand the depth of feeling held by Chinese abused by Japanese, or WWII Jews by Germans. (strong metaphors used intentional...
Very interesting question, Thomas! It hits the mark.
First, the main difference between skepticism and cynicism: skepticism is always justified, cynicism only in certain cases. So ideally, skepticism should be an attitude and cynicism a conclusion. Alas, were it always so! It's interesting to see from your ...
the mechanical wristwatch has become a disposable commodity
Modern manufacturing techniques have rendered any meaningful horological advance to be frivolous at best. We live in a world of $500 tourbillons, and that reality has come with impressive speed and finality. What you construe as skepticism or cynicism are...
$500 tourl.....
No I can't spell. lol. I've seen the same add advertising a $500 tourliben in Newsweek, yes I'ma news junkie. Let's think about this and analize what we are seeing. Possibility one. The ad is telling the truth and they aren't trying to rip you off. Seiko ...
Swiss horology vs. American
Sadly we've lost most of our watch industry, especially after the 1970s. I'm usually the optimist. So the Swiss have been very good at passing skills on and developing effective apprenticeship programs. Our local jeweler who just retired just shuttered th...
