Culturally speaking, there is just something about watches that make people have more or less respect for the wearer depending on its looks. On that train of thought, most think that the costlier the watch, the more respect they get. Although that might be true, stylish, affordable watches for men can accomplish just as much for less, much less money. Allow us to explain to you how.
Where Does the Demand for Affordable Watches for Men Come From?
As individuals within a society, we are eager to stand out from others, to show off our personality. While someone getting to know you would usually involve a long conversation, an image, a look, it's worth a thousand words and more. Hence, why we like to dress up on occasion.
Which shirt, pants and shoes we choose when going to certain places can either get us good or bad looks from those around us. However, one often ignored accessory that can both show off your personal style and complement your outfit even more, it's the watch.
Fashion-conscious men all over the world know that the right watch makes it even more likely for you to stand out. If it happens to be a particularly fitting model, it might catch the immediate attention of those around you and gain you some respect.
Do You Really Need to Spend a Lot for A Great-Looking Watch?
While expensive watches could do this automatically, they are, well, expensive. Lots of up-and-coming men eager to make a name for themselves in the world have not the funds to match a price tag like that. Yet, they still would like to look the part all the same.
Many men that cannot afford it yet, want to be able to look just as fashionable all the same, that where affordable watches for men come in. Luckily for them, said watches can be just as stylish as big brand names but less pricey due to the wonders of strategic sourcing.
That is, the right brand can source most of the same high-quality components to assemble a stylish watch at a fraction of the cost big brands incur in. The end results? A watch that functions and looks just as good as theirs but with a much smaller number written on the price tag.
What Is It About Watches That Commands Respect?
Not so long ago, a watch was no more than a tool we used to tell time. Nothing else, nothing more. Yes, a certain sector of the affluent did already have a taste for the finer, more ostentatious things in life. That extended to their pocket watches and then wristwatches as time went by.
Upon looking at a gentleman carrying a watch comparatively more ornamented than those of the common man, one felt understandably impressed. It was a sign you were seeing someone with pull, someone that maybe had a lot of influence and economic power. Little has changed since then.
Watches first began as a necessity during the dawn of the industrial revolution due to workers needing to make it to work on time. At the dawn of the 20th century, however, the growing watch industry took notice of something:
Artists, business magnates, heads of state, and a lot of people who either had someone else tell them the time or could not care less about being on time were keen on wearing elegant watches.
They saw that a change was happening; more and more people that looked up to them also started to see watches that way. The watches started to slowly but surely become a fashion accessory which the masses of people sought after.
Seeing that demand was rising, watchmakers decided upon making more high-end, elaborate watch designs. The basis for this was:
'If the common man saw people admire wearing these; they would surely want to get one as well as a way to feel closer to them.'
The ploy worked. But what about affordable watches for men? When did they become a thing?
How The Smartphone Made Watches Exclusively Fashion
As demand soared, high-end brands became a thing, as did watch collecting. Auctioned watches from decades ago went for millions of dollars to the highest bidder. All because people wanted a bit of the status those timepieces provided, time-telling was a distant second thought, if anything.
Still, some people did continue to use their watches to tell time for a while. That was until they began to have their hands full with something else.
While the first cellular phones did tell time, it was the smartphone that really glued itself to people's hands. With potentially limitless entertainment at their fingertips, people hooked into it much more than with the 'dumbphones' of old.
So, if your hands were mostly busy tapping a touch screen that already showed you the time of day, why would you look upon the watch on your wrist? You would not; the watch just became not something to tell the time for most. It became a fashion accessory for the majority.
As a consequence, watch enthusiasts became even more conscious of just how important it was for their watches to be stylish. That was great because it just so happens that, for the most part, a watch needs not be expensive to be stylish. This was when affordable watches for men started to become a thing.
The Cost of a Watch
There are a couple of factors that are determinant in the final number on the price tag of any watch out in the market. Think of these as the most important out there:
- Which materials went into it.
- Just how complex is its design (think of mechanical vs. digital).
- The name of the brand.
This is how they influence its price tag:
Materials
As a general rule, the most expensive watches that you can find in the market often incorporate precious and rare materials in their design. Watches that have platinum, gold, and diamond stones in them would fetch a higher price than watches made mostly of stainless steel.
The former type of watches can easily rack up thousands of dollars in price at the very least. Yet, that does not mean that the latter can’t also be stylish.
Design Complexity
The complexity of the design, on the other hand, is something that we can intuitively grasp. The more time and effort go into it, the more valuable it becomes if and only if the design actually works and there's demand for it.
Swiss watchmakers have already centuries of mastery over the craft, so they know all about intricate designs. Mechanical watches are a great example of it. Since they need all the hundreds of tiny pieces to be high quality and durable to withstand the constant calibrations so much care goes into it.
That in contrast with digital watches which circuit board pretty much rolls off an assembly line already made. The former usually has a higher price than the latter, with hybrid models falling in the middle.
Brand Name
Tied up with the last point, brand name it's also a hugely influential factor. The work of Swiss watchmakers with more than a century in business it's usually more appreciated than that of younger brands.
A simple online search would tell you how decades-old models from those brands rack up in the millions during auctions. That is in great part because it has that brand's name etched into its design. Younger brands who design a similar watch would still have a hard time matching its value. Luckily, they don't have to since affordable watches for men are a thing.
Megalith and Its Affordable Watches for Men
'The mature men's first watch.'
That slogan is what defines Megalith Watches and its mission. As a brand, we are committed to offering the just-starting men of today a collection of stylish, affordable watches for them to choose from.
More often than not, those men are eager to make a name for themselves, to have the world take them seriously. Although wearing high-end watches whenever they go out would certainly make them stand out, those are likely a bit too expensive for them. That's when we come in.
While just as stylish as a high-end brand, we are able to offer our curated selection of affordable watches for men at a fraction of their price. This is possible thanks to our privileged position within the Guangzhou watchmaking scene, the watchmaking capital of the world.
Through it, we are able to source materials from the best makers at the best prices, something we gladly reflect in our price tags. Thus, allowing us to provide for the up-and-coming men of today an elegant, affordable way to show off their style and get noticed.
If that sounds like you, feel free to swing by our shop, there's surely something there to complement your style.