Wristwatches have been around for centuries and are produced in different shapes, sizes, and even colors. Each watch is designed to offer a particular function that is suitable to different lifestyles. However, many people wonder why watches are so expensive and often consider them being overpriced.
Many brands in the market offer several types of watches from basic to luxury level timepieces. All these watches come with different price points that are either considered cheap or very high. These watches are often worn as a fashion statement on big occasions or events. So if you are looking for fashionable watches, here are the best Gucci watches for men that are great investments.
In this article we will explore some of the reasons why watches are so expensive:
Development
Even though these watches are tiny that fit perfectly on your wrist, they are highly advanced. Now, these advanced watches often take years of research, development, innovation that contribute to a well-functioning watch.
Luxury watches take hours and hours to build a fully functioning movement because each timepiece has thousands of tiny parts that work together efficiently. The goal is to develop a watch that is not eye-catching but also works accurately at all times.
For example, the Grandmaster Chime took around 8 years to develop and design the movement of the watch that has over 1300 parts working together effortlessly. Brands are constantly trying to innovate and create intrinsic designs to meet the needs of the people, so you should consider the development stage.
Purpose
We know that there are several types of watches in the market that are designed for specific purposes. Certain watches are specifically created for people in high magnetic areas, underwater, people in combat zones, or even in space.
These watches are designed to survive the various types of environments that would normally stop your watch. For example, quartz watches are one of the most popular watches as they are cheap, reasonable, and simple but if the temperatures were to change or go extreme, they will simply stop functioning.
Likewise, these professional watches are mainly suitable for people living or involved in those particular lifestyles. That’s also one of the reasons why these watches are not mass produced as brands keep a high-quality control on their timepieces and because of it, the prices are high.
Materials
If you are passionate about watches you will have noticed that they are made from different kinds of materials. Whether it is steel, ceramic, plastic, or other unique metals these watches are manufactured to attract all sorts of wearers from around the world.
Most of the cheap watches out there are often made with plastic and considered economical for daily wear. Steel is another economical material that is found in all sorts of watches. But when it comes to mechanical watches they often consist of ceramic or precious metals, are exquisite timepieces, and have a high price point.
While gold, silver, or platinum are considered luxury watches and cost a lot of money. These watches can get even more expensive if there are gems or diamonds added to the bezel, case, and sometimes even the movements. The material used to create and design your watch can play a huge role in the cost of your beautiful, classy, and stylish timepiece.
Limited Production
Expensive or luxury watches are mostly made in limited numbers which means that only a few thousand or hundred people in the world can own one. As mentioned above, these watches take years of innovation and development to create a watch. The amount of effort and work put into producing these watches is not an easy task.
Limited edition watches are always in demand as people love having unique watches. Some brands like Casio produce millions of watches that can be found at any given time. Whereas brands like Tissot, Rolex, maintain quality and material control. Some brands create as little as 10-15 watches that are sold only to a few people. Over time, these watches when sold can help you achieve a massive profit.
If you love luxury watches, Patek Philippe recently announced that they are making 170 special versions of the Ref, 5711 to honor the partnership of Swiss watcher and Tiffany, check it out here.
Craftsmanship and Detail
Each brand has a team of people who are constantly looking for ways to improve the different movements they have to offer. These teams consist of highly skilled and experienced watchmakers that understand the working of a watch inside out. Keep in mind, there are only a few people who can make these highly complicated watches.
Luxury brands spend a lot of money in gathering these experts as they become the foundation of the timepieces sold by the brand. These experts tend to have a high wage as they sometimes spend years designing movements, dials, cases using a variety of materials.
If you are interested in becoming a watchmaker, you would probably need a degree in Horology, the study of watches. But the best place to learn and grow in your skills is to connect with people who are already in this field.
Conclusion
These are just some of the reasons why watches are considered expensive but the debate is highly subjective. Above all, when buying a watch you must look for quality, craftsmanship, reliability, and style.
There are many reasons why a watch can be expensive so the best way to know why is to compare and review different watch brands to know which is the most suitable for you.
