Ya, I looked but couldn’t find any thread about it. So here it is.

Choose your preference(s), not what you will “accept.”

Ya, I know “it depends on the dial” : the overall design of it; where the date window is located, “but it’s a Glashutte Big Date so STFU!” etc.

But what I am looking for is general aesthetic preference all things being more or less equal.
I think almost nobody is on the fence about whether…

DAY + DATE. DATE only, or NO DATE

The premise is as follows:

1. The watch is “OMG IT’S BEAUTIFUL !” (to you) – so don’t bring in that “it all depends on what you like” baggage

2. Made by the SAME “respectable” brand that you admire – so don’t bring in that “homage” / clone / knockoff baggage here.

3. TWO watches are identical in every way — in appearance and in performance, including the way the seconds hand sweeps.

4. Price difference: 10 x more for the automatic version. (Example: USD $300 (quartz) vs $3,000…

Thought Experiment: 2 watches IDENTICAL in appearance. Same maker. HUGE price disparity

I can’t believe we don’t have a thread in this category!
Well, let ‘er rip.

I’ll kick it off with…. the many moods of this little booger:

Most military watches have them.
Ya, I get why they are there, but I do wonder if they are REALLY necessary toTHAT extent.
Do they REALLY make it easier to read the time at a glance?
Don’t other factors affect legibility more anyway?

I used to love those ZENO-BASEL watches when I started out: those with ALL 12 numbers in bold all around the dial.
Like this:

But now? Meh.
Of course, some designs are SO established, that there is no point in fighting…

All 12 (or more) Arabic numbers — as info and/or as decoration

I see a lot of smaller brands on social media.
Some are “micro-” some are more established, even if still smallish.

I’ve noticed that they all have one thing in common, namely, the tendency to project a certain air of “seriousness” and all that talk about “commitment,” “drive” and “passion.”

Me, not a big fan of that same old corporate talk.

People will say: “it’s just normal business practice.”
Ya, I get it, but I always get the feeling that they all kinda want to project more…

Brand “Seriousness” vs Humor in Image, Tone, Name, Aura, etc