Commit TV Yagi Column ~ Introductory Series: 5 Things That Surprised Me When I Joined the Watch Industry ~

As part of my introductory series, I would like to share five things that surprised me when I entered the luxury watch industry .

Following on from our last article - Explaining unfamiliar terms and abbreviations in the watch industry - we hope that this article will resonate with those who have recently become interested in watches, and that even those who are well-versed in watches will be able to reminisce and reminisce about the past.

5 things that surprised me after joining the luxury watch industry

① Mechanical watches and quartz watches

For those who are just starting to become interested in watches, these two words may be new to some of you! When I first started learning about watches, I learned about "mechanical" and "quartz."

First, the latter "quartz type" is generally called a quartz watch (battery-powered watch), and as the name suggests, it is a watch that runs on a "battery". An easy-to-understand example is probably the CASIO G-SHOCK, which many of you are familiar with.

One of its features is its high accuracy, as it is battery powered.

*Casio: G-SHOCK GW-M5610-1BJF Quartz

In contrast, a "mechanical" watch is a watch that is powered by the unwinding force of a wound mainspring.

In addition, there are two types of mechanical watches: automatic, which uses the movement of the human arm to wind the mainspring, and
There are two types: "manual winding" and "hand-wound" in which the mainspring is wound by manually winding the crown.

Many luxury mechanical watches can last a lifetime if properly maintained.

*Rolex: Daytona Ref.116500LN Automatic

*Rolex: Daytona Ref.6263 Manual winding

Back when I used to wear a quartz watch, I found it a hassle to have to go to an electronics store when the battery in my watch ran out, but when I discovered mechanical watches, I remember being impressed by their mechanism and manufacturing process.

②Rolex isn't the only luxury watch

Before I entered this industry, when I heard about luxury watches, the first thing that came to mind was Rolex. I also had the impression that many of my superiors and superiors who were concerned about their appearance wore Rolexes.

That's why I also vaguely thought, "I'll buy a Rolex someday!"

However, once I entered this industry, I found that there are many brands that make luxury watches, including the world's three biggest watch makers, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin, and the characteristics of each brand were very interesting.

To be honest, at first I was even struggling to remember the brand names (laughs).

However, the more I looked into the brand's history, beliefs, and signature models, the more I realized how deep it was, and every time I held a real product in my hands, I was thrilled by its beauty, and it's now a fond and nostalgic memory for me.

3) Premium prices on the secondary market

Next, I'd like to talk about the premium prices on the second hand market, and the correct way to put it is, "I was shocked!"

In the second hand market, popular models, where supply cannot keep up with demand, are traded at prices higher than the list price. The most common example of this is Rolex's sports models.

Let's take the Rolex Daytona 116500LN as an example, which clearly shows the premium price.

Domestic reference price: ¥1,387,100

This price is on the second market.

↓↓↓↓

Purchase reference price (unused)

[White dial: ¥3,550,000- Black dial: ¥3,100,000-]

,,,???,,,what do you mean????

To be honest, I didn't really understand it at first (lol). The only things I've ever been unable to get in my life, no matter which store I went to, were "Tama○tchi" and "Hyper Yo○yo" (lol).

However, Rolex sports models and models of the world's top three watches known as "luxury sports" are now hard to find at official stores, and are actively traded on the secondary market at prices higher than the list price. I remember being genuinely surprised by this.

4. Watches are "references" rather than "model names"

Reference 14270, Reference 114270, Reference 214270...

This string of numbers...?

Actually, this is the model number of the Rolex Explorer I. I'll be honest, it was really hard for me to remember it, and at first it sounded like a spell (laughs).

Appraisers use this spell in conversation as if it were the most natural thing in the world. (laughs) This is also really cool.

Naturally, new works are being released, and I am still studying hard, but I think this is the fate of being in this industry. (Laughs)

Of course, not just Rolex, but many luxury watches have a "reference" which is the model number.

All brands...

The rest is up to your imagination. (laughs)

⑤The "year and year of manufacture" of the watch is "alphabetical"

Appraiser: "When did the Ref. 14270 begin production?"
Me: "1990-2000!"
Appraiser: "Numbers E through P."
I :"???"

Just when I was starting to get more confident after learning the references, I noticed that we were calling each other the model year by the alphabet... (I was thinking to myself, "Are we repeating a spell?" lol)

As many of you may know, in addition to the model name (reference), watches have a number called a "serial" that identifies each individual watch.

In the case of Rolex, watches manufactured between 1987 and 2010 are assigned a number consisting of one letter of the alphabet and six digits, with the first letter being used to refer to the year of manufacture. The year of manufacture is very important for a watch, as the characteristics of the watch change depending on the year, which in turn affects its value.

Of course, the reference number and serial number of a watch are only known within the industry, so when you are looking for a watch, please ask for a Daytona from around 1994, rather than a 16520 with a W serial number. (laughs)

summary

What are the top 5 things that surprised you about entering the luxury watch industry ?

For those who are already knowledgeable about watches, this is a path that everyone has taken at least once, and I'm sure it brought back some nostalgic memories for you.

And for anyone who wants to learn about luxury watches, this will definitely be the first step.

"...It seems like it's going to be really difficult."

I'm sure there are many people who have similar opinions, but what I want to convey most is that this depth is incredibly fun .

"It's simply cool," "The attention to detail in the craftsmanship is amazing," and "It's also a valuable asset."

I don't see any reason why people wouldn't be interested in luxury watches. (Laughs)

I hope that many people will learn about the greatness of luxury watches and enjoy their watch life. Please tell the people around you too. (laughs)

see you!!