Payphones were once the only way to contact people when you were on the move. The Yellow pages were once the gold standard for finding telephone numbers and horses were once the absolute pinnacle of transportation.

All of these things are consigned to the pages of history having been superseded by advancements that make them obsolete.

The same however cannot be said about the wristwatch - which lives on and is thriving despite the fact that I think we all agree, they are no longer about telling the time. 

More than 1.4 billion smartphones were sold globally in 2023 - we all have them, most of us are addicted to them and we never go anywhere without them (cue anxiety at the thought of leaving the house phone-less).

Our smartphones are how we tell the time - they have the time, alarms, calendars, timers, different time zones for those that need it - it is no doubt a more advanced time keeping tool than the traditional watch.

So why are watches thriving in a world that no longer needs them for the only real purpose they have ever had?

It’s simple - watches are not about telling time anymore, they are a fashion item, a piece of personal art, a statement, a part of our personal brands. Watches are what hats once were, a sign of a gentleman - and they are beautiful.

The concept of a wristwatch is very simple - but the design of watches is anything but. 

Complex mechanical movements and precise engineering give you a timepiece that can tell the time to within hundreds of a second and keep an accurate reading for thousands of years.

Then there is the design process - iteration after iteration, prototype after prototype in the pursuit of perfection. Every tiny detail obsessed over, more like a luxury sports car than anything else.

When we think of art we think of Monet, the Tate Modern and the Sistine Chapel. Some might think Banksy or Damien Hurst - but generally speaking we think of art as being on a wall somewhere.

But if art is about the expression of creative skill and imagination then are beautifully designed, expertly crafted watches as much art as anything Mr. Picasso had to offer?

There is another striking similarity between the likes of Omega, Rolex, Patek Philippe and the aforementioned artist of yesteryear and that is appreciation. 

Fine art goes up in value, so too do fine watches. If you buy the right luxury watch then it will be worth more in 20 years time than it is today - making it an investment as well as an accessory. 

They say you should never buy a piece of art unless you feel you “have to have it” - and the same should be said for watches which are, after all, art.