How to respond without sounding like an elitist snob? Lets just say that Rolex sells about 600,000 watches a year. Yes they are good watches but they are about as common as say Denon or Bose receivers. Not saying that Rolexes are as over hyped as Bose, but they do spend quite a bit on marketing and have cultivated very strong brand equity over the years. The smaller boutique watch houses such as IWC, Jaeger, Patek etc, put out far less volume and use old world craftsmanship and engineering that watchfiles will appreciate. Yes "cool" is in the eye of the beholder, I think watches are cool, others may not and don't see the purpose when a $20 Timex probably keeps better time. I don't wear a watch because I want people to think I'm wealthy (and I'm not), I just love the way it looks and how it feels on my wrist. To put it into your terms, some Agon members may drool over a $85,000 Kondo amp, but the general public will think you're quite insane.
