Let me be completely honest: I hate engineers. As a customer, that is. They are just too smart.
Here is a classical scenario, played thousands of times, on my dealers table:
"So, Nick, I appreciate your help, and showing me all those watches, but
here is a question: Why should I invest in a $10K Rolex or Omega, when
my $10 Bali watch operates on the same principle as the most expensive
Swiss watch?"
And they are right. Both the cheap replica and an expensive original are
powered by the old fashioned spring, wound by a straight forward auto
winding system; both watches show the time in the same analogue way, and
both have a little heart, a mechanical oscillator which generates
'ticks and tocks'. Yes, there is a huge difference in the quality of
workmanship between the two, but at the end of the day, there is
literally no difference in core engineering. Selling a mechanical watch
to an engineer is like selling Windows 3.1 to Generation Alpha.
And for that reason alone, a smart dealer never opens a conversation
with 'what is your budget' or 'what is your favourite brand' but 'what
do you do for living?’ Avoid engineers whenever possible, as soon as
possible.
Luckily, there is a way to sell a high grade watch to engineer. "Let me
show you this one: It is a Seiko Astron. Powered by the Sun,
synchronized by Global Positioning satellite System. Accurate to one
second in 100,000 years. With 6 months power reserve, self-adjusted to
correct time - and time zone - twice per day. Water resistant to 100m
with overcharging power protection. And a flight mode, of course. Housed
in a surgical grade titanium case. Completely and entirely made in
Japan."
Sold.
An Astron to the inquisitive, engineering mind is what 'Queen of the
Night' is for Mozart worshipers. Astron is a watch engineered for smart
watch enthusiasts who want the best, the latest, the most advanced
horological technology known to humans, at a price even a stingy
engineer is happy to pay.
Just a few weeks ago, Seiko released the latest Astron powered by their
3X62 calibre movement. In a nutshell, a mechanism even smaller and
thinner than the previous generation, which allows even more efficient
solar charging throughout the dial. A watch of even smaller dimensions
(41.2 mm case, 12mm thick). The highlight: a single subdial which makes
the watch 'dressier' than a classic sports-looking Astron. A watch for a
modern man, a traveller, a man who cares about his appearance while
thoroughly understanding and enjoying the cutting edge of engineering.
A couple of years ago, when I first started selling Seiko Astron
watches, I asked Seiko to send me a broken Astron, so I can pull it
apart, and show my subscribers 'the guts'. Talk in detail about the
micro motors which drive the hands, provide photos of antenna, GPS
receiver, solar power unit and the rest of electronics. To this day, I
am still waiting for such a watch to arrive. Why? Certainly not because
SEIKO does not care about you and me - but because they simply don't
have any broken Astron. In a rare occasion that an Astron fails to work,
the watch is sent back to Japan, repaired to 'Japanese' standards,
quietly, fuss-free returned to the customer, in as good as new
condition. As a watchmaker, I find that to be the greatest miracle of
all.
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