So You Want to be a Member of the Watch Cognoscenti?

 

Comments

[Lee_K]

Thanks again, Jeff, for the thought-provoking video response to points I made in previous comments.

The concept of Watch Cognoscenti is a fascinating one. Even though I have only recently been a member of the Watch Obsessive community for a short time, I have noticed that there is a common understanding about those who love watches that determine which watches are "good" and which watches are more about fashion than an appreciation for horology. This is what guided me to Seiko automatics and I am greatly appreciative of that. Even better, I like being aligned with those "in the know". To the common man, you show them an Orient Ray and they kind of shrug and wonder why you didn't buy a Swiss watch like an Omega. But to the cognoscenti, the Ray is a cool watch.

I promise this will be my last comparison from the automotive world. There is a saying amongst Piston Heads concerning an automotive enthusiast's yearning is: "The answer is always a Miata". A Miata, you say? That little chick car that would blow over in a wind storm? Yes, that very same MX-5. To the non-automotive world, it's a toy for housewives who want a convertible but can't afford the expensive German offerings. But to an enthusiast, the MX-5 is the modern update of the great British sports cars of the 50s and 60s (MG, Triumph, Lotus), except with reliable electronics, sublime handling due to a perfect 50/50 weight distribution, hydraulic steering that allows the driver to communicate with the road, and most importantly a brilliant manual transmission that responds instantly to the driver's organically-applied commands. There is a huge community of people who race Miatas for this very reason. They may not be very fast, but they are tremendously rewarding Momentum Cars.

I feel that the Seiko SKXxxx divers are the watch equivalent to the Miata. There is no way one would know this unless you were exposed to a Congnoscenti and for that you have to do some research to find their wisdom. The Congnoscenti can guide a young Padawan to the subtler pleasures of watch collecting, and separate the wheat from the chaff.

You Jeff are a member of the Cognoscenti, whether you agree with that or not. You cause your viewers to think about their purchases, to understand the motivations, and to share in the very small but still perceptible joys of owning an automatic watch from Seiko or Orient or Citizen. For that, I thank you, as I can understand it completely.

[herculodge]

Lee, interesting that you mentioned the Miata. Steve Irwin of Autoblog podcast said after driving the 2015 Miata it's the best car he's ever driven and its HP is low.