Shown here are the last two watches I’ve bought. Please excuse the fact that one is not an IWC –I’m showing it to compare it to the IWC and to make several points about design, function, and value.
The watch on the left is a Swatch, but not an ordinary one. It is the first automatic chronograph watch produced by Swatch. The movement basically is in-house although it is an ETA Caliber C01.211 that has been used by Tissot The case is an especially sturdy black plastic, and the dial is contemporary. To me the best attributes in that the watch is that is a supreme engineering achievement given its under 400 USD price point. It’s also a useful watch, as a “beater”.
On the right is an IWC, which of course in the Portofino Vintage Collection moonphase in platinum. Its retail price is more than one hundred times that of the Swatch. Of course, there are huge differences between the two, starting with platinum versus plastic.
Both watches, at least to me, look nice., Both watches keep time, although my IWC is marginally more accurate. The Swatch, being a chronograph , has more functions and is more complicated. There’s a small porthole in the back where one can see part of the movement –it’s not exactly finished with any finesse. But it works.
To me, the Swatch is only a sports watch. With its black plastic case, looking remarkably like ceramic, it is inherently sporty. The chronograph is primarily a sports function –most used for time action-- although of course there are “dressier” models and other uses. I bought it as a “beater”, although even my beaters have to have, at least for me, something special. The first automatic chrono from Swatch so qualifies.
What I dislike most about the Swatch is that it stands for nothing, aside from Swatch itself. Its dial, while pretty, is a me-too dial. The cut-out hands, the sub-dials surrounded by metallic rings, the layers and red accent -- it's what everyone is doing now. It’s soooo 2010. Pretty but derivative. And it represents nothing.
On the other hand, the Portofino is a classic, and stands for something. It is not, in my opinion, just a pretty or a useful watch or even valued becaused of the metal.. Its clean dial is based on pocket watch dials –sure, and one can claim that’s “derivative” as well, but it is something classic. But to my thinking, this watch represents the pocket watch tradition. It is about the value of craft. This watch represents IWC’s heritage and to me it stands for something. It has withstood the test of time.
There is a difference is materials and craftsmanship, of course, but to me the Portofino also stands, and will continue to stand, for something meaningful. To my thinking, the value of all mechanical watches is what they represent. They are essentially anachronisms, and I believe that there real value is as symbols. The finer craft may produce a longer wear, but the real value of craft is for crafts’ own sake. The platinum case may be slightly sturdier than the plastic, but the real value is for what the precious metal represents. And the watch itself has value, I would contend, as a symbol. To my thinking, I believe that fine mechanical watches should stand for their tradition and represent that in every way.
The Portofino has value to me because it stands for something. The Swatch keeps time and looks trendy. I like it, and consider a black watch with a me-too dial to be fine as a beater watch, I’ve bought both, but I believe that there’s a huge difference, and it’s all about what they represent. It’s about more than price, and for me it’s a more than a one hundred-fold difference. It's about real value.
Regards,
Michael
