The Fourth Wheel, Issue 66

An Essential Etiquette Guide For All New Watch Collectors

Hello and welcome back to The Fourth Wheel, the weekly watch newsletter that at the time of writing, has not been acquired by Rolex. Not even had an approach, which, now that we know Rolex is interested in industry-changing acquisitions, feels a bit rude. News of the Bucherer take-over broke as this issue was already mostly written, but it’s one of those topics on which everyone else has frantically spewed forth copy, and in that kind of scenario I always find it’s better to hold back, write something silly, and make sense of things in the cold light of day. I’ll offer the most lukewarm of takes: it’s going to be an odd time to be either Brian Duffy or the CEO of any mainstream brand. Rolex already exerted an almighty influence on its retailers’ actions; imagine the conversations about Omega’s next order-to-buy.

Ok I can’t help myself; a couple more thoughts. Bucherer sells Tudor online: does this open the door for Tudor to embrace e-commerce itself? Secondly, although this was prima facie about acquiring a retailer (something no-one expected Rolex to do), it seems that at the same time, Rolex has also acquired Carl F. Bucherer the watch brand. What to make of that I’m not sure, other than the fact it was not mentioned in the press release at all. If it has, does this mean Rolex is now a ‘luxury group’ player?

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I am concerned. As my esteemed colleagues in the press have noted over the last couple of years, the world of watches has experienced an explosion in mainstream popularity. Pop culture associations, the pandemic and numerous other factors - hello MoonSwatch - have attracted thousands of newcomers to the horological world. I am concerned, not at this influx of ingenues, but that none of us established watch enthusiasts¹ has seen fit to extend a proper welcome. It is our duty to take this new intake of freshman collectors by the hand and give them a basic primer in how to conduct oneself. Here, then, is a guide for aspiring watch geeks. The do’s and don’t’s of our little world, some useful etiquettes, and some help avoiding the most common pitfalls.

An Essential Etiquette Guide For New Watch Collectors, 2023 Edition

So, you have decided to become A Watch Guy or Girl. It can be confusing, and a degree of social and cultural adjustment is absolutely necessary. You have entered a universe in which Ed Sheeran is cooler than Thom Yorke; in which people outside the USA know who John Mayer is; in which the Grand Prix isn’t a motor race but a competition between men in blue suits to win a golden figurine of a prostate examination. Welcome to a world where a dozen new limited editions are announced every week, but the watches everyone really wants are the base models from the top five brands. A world in which people will tell you that what really matters is hand-craft, tradition, mechanical engineering and a reliance on materials of the highest quality, but the biggest-selling watch of the last decade is a plastic-cased quartz watch that leaves a blue smudge on your wrist. It’s a good job The Fourth Wheel is here to guide you on your way.