The blog boys are already going crazy. Baselworld 2019 hasn’t even officially kicked off yet, but a visit to Watchville will tell you that it must be that time of year. With article after article of regurgitated press releases singing praises of a watch that the writer has put his hands on even less than he’s put his hands on the finer sex, it’s high season for kissing ass.
Over the next week plus, we’ll see tons of articles heaping praises on watches that aren’t even in full production mode yet. Watches that no one outside of the brands has really handled at length. So it’s time for a friendly reminder:
Don’t listen to any of the hype.
Most of these blogs run on ad revenue from the very companies these guys are writing about. It’s an unholy alliance and there might not be any other way (though I hope to prove that statement wrong one day). What this means is the blogs, whether explicitly or not, often act as extended PR arms for the brands and their hot new releases.
For example, why do you think you have to dive into the watch forums to read about an all-too-common issue with last year’s hot release, the Tudor GMT? Come on, you really think a blog running ads from the venerable Hans Wildsorf Foundation would run with a story like that?
And honestly, the only two watches I remember from Baselworld 2018 are the Tudor GMT (and click the link above to read about the supposed issues with its date function) and the Tudor Black Bay 58 (yea, I bought one). Sure, I think there was a Patek Phillipe perpetual calendar chronograph in a new case and some new Nautilus I can’t afford, as well some new Rolexes that now have waitlists stretching into 2030. So those don’t really count.
The watch industry is predicated on selling us things we didn’t know we wanted and don’t really need. And that’s fine: if you’ve had some success in life and can afford a nice watch, more power to you. But don’t be a lemming and decide you want something because you saw a blog post and a couple nice photos. Have your own taste, follow your gut. You’ll have more fun if you do.
So enjoy Baselworld 2019, and just remember to take a breath before you buy that latest release. And then if you really like it, go right ahead. You deserve it.