Why do people pay millions of yen for a Rolex? Wristwatches are devices that show "meaning" rather than "time."

If all you want to do is tell the time, a cell phone is enough. Yet, many people still pay hundreds of thousands of yen for a Rolex. This price difference cannot be explained by accuracy or practicality alone.

The key here is the perspective presented by French sociologist and philosopher Baudrillard, who interpreted modern consumption as the act of buying "signs" rather than the objects themselves, and watches are no exception.

A cell phone is enough to check the time, but a Rolex also shows you who you are.
Before we knew it, wristwatches had become a device for visualizing one's self-image.

The watch has evolved from a tool to a symbol

In the past, the value of a wristwatch lay in its functionality, such as accuracy, water resistance, and durability. However, today, the main motivation for purchasing a luxury watch, especially a Rolex, is more about self-image than functionality.

• Wanting to be seen as successful (a symbol of trust, status, and achievements)
• I want a sense of accomplishment, like "I've come this far."
• I am conscious of how others see me (social evaluation)

In other words, a Rolex is not just a tool for measuring time, but rather functions as an act of wearing a symbol of success, trustworthiness, or belonging to a certain social class .

People pay for "difference" -- differences stimulate desire

In a consumer society, human desires continue to be amplified by differences (differences from others). In the world of watches, even if the difference in practicality is small, people are strongly attracted if there is a difference in meaning.

People don't pay for performance, but for how they look and how they express themselves. A watch is the perfect item to embody that difference.

Social media has accelerated "symbolic consumption" to the limit

With the advent of social media, the symbolism of watches has been decisively strengthened. Posts of purchase reports, photos of people wearing them, and posts of them paired with luxury cars or high-rise apartments—watches have become symbolized as signs that are presented and evaluated by others in the digital space .

• Consumption is made visible (remains as posts)
• Reactions are "quantified" (likes and comments)
• Comparisons are "constant" (constantly flowing on the timeline)

As a result, the emphasis on watches is shifting from "personal satisfaction" to "satisfaction based on the gaze of others." To put it in extreme terms, the strength of symbolic consumption lies in the fact that even if something has little practicality , it can be used to create the impression of "being different from others."

Nevertheless, signs of a shift away from symbolic consumption are beginning to appear.

In recent years, we have begun to see signs of change in the world of watches regarding "consumption as a symbol." At our store, we have seen an increasing number of customers who previously considered so-called "flashy" models that make extensive use of diamonds shift their interest to slightly older Rolex watches, such as semi-vintage and vintage models .

In fact, attention is being drawn to models that have a different appeal from the current flashiness, such as the semi-vintage Submariner Date Ref. 16610 , the vintage Submariner Ref. 5513 and Explorer Ref. 1016 , and even the ``hand-wound Daytona.''

These watches are not flashy and easily recognizable on social media, nor do they emphasize obvious status. Rather, they are chosen as objects to enjoy for the "accumulation of time," the "aesthetics of their construction," and the "stories that include individual differences." This is not simply a change in fashion, but a sign that the values ​​people seek in watches are quietly beginning to shift.

Sign 1: Deliberately removing "easy-to-understand symbols"

• From a classic model to a more understated one
• Avoid consumption behavior that appears to be "showy"
• Even if you own a Rolex, take it off depending on the occasion.

This does not mean that they are "rejecting luxury watches," but rather it can be interpreted as a move to distance themselves from the pressure of symbols (fatigue from being seen in the wrong way).

Sign 2: Emphasize "context" over brand

Digital natives in particular tend to place importance not only on price and name recognition, but also on context, such as "Why is this model so popular?" and "In what historical context was this design created?" In other words, they want to "choose their own meaning."

Sign 3: Move from "owning" to "connecting" (reducing the number of books and using them for longer periods)

• Narrow down the number of items and choose something that will last a lifetime
• I value the satisfaction of using it over resale value.
• The background is sustainability awareness (avoiding overconsumption)

We are moving from an era of competing with symbols to an era of choosing based on values.
A quiet shift is beginning to take place from "watches that show" to "watches that tell a story."

What will watches tell us in the future?

In our consumer society, wristwatches have been a symbol of distinction, but from now on, their role is changing to one that quietly expresses the values ​​we live by and the choices we have made .

Taking a step back from the flashy symbolism competition, the watch is a statement of intent that says, "I still choose this." Perhaps then, the watch will once again become a "tool" that connects people with time .