﻿Can You Spot The Difference ($100 VS $10,000 Watch)
[0:00:00] All right, gents,
pop quiz. Do you think you can spot the difference between a $100 and $10,000 watch?
First up, contestant number one. Just look at that watch, beautiful. Look at the shine, look
at the build, look at the design. Good looking watch. What do you think? $100 or $10,000?
Next up, contestant number two. Look at the lines on that watch, beautiful,
right? Wouldn't you love to have this one on your wrist? Absolutely gorgeous.
But don't count out contestant number three. Oh, yeah, look at this watch right here. Isn't she
beautiful? Just look at the curves on her. Were you able to spot the difference?
One of those watches was well over $10,000 in cost; the other two, under $100.
Now, gents, before I reveal how much each of those watch costs.
I want to share with you a dirty secret in the watch industry. The vast majority of the world
would not be able to differentiate the difference in a $100 nice watch and a $10,000 luxury watch.
Seriously, I'll even go out on a limb and say if you had the brand hidden, the vast majority of men
that own one or two watches would not be able to tell the difference between those luxury watches
and the lesser expensive homage watches. So, how can you then go about spotting
the difference between a $100 and $10,000 watch? Well, gentlemen, that's the subject
of today's video. [Music]
Time for the reveal. Did you guess it? What do you think? Watch number one?
Watch number two? Watch number three? Which one was the luxury watch that cost well
over $10,000? [Drum roll sound] Number two. Now, I'm sure some of you guys knew because
you're familiar with the Rolex Yacht-Master. But, if you weren't familiar with Rolex,
if you didn't have that brand recognition, and you didn't know that style,
would you have been able to spot the difference? Well, here let me show you some of the details
that you could have zeroed in on that would have revealed, yeah,
this isn't probably a high-end watch. One of the first outside indicators we see of
a luxury watch is a unique design, a signature style that is all their own. A great example,
Panerai. Look at this watch right here. Look at the unique design, the look, the overall size of
the watch. Look at how that crown is protected. These details make it easy to spot a Panerai.
Now, this one's not as in your face, but it's a classic military dive watch and
that's the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. Look at this watch, classic in design, but it's just
beautiful to look at and it has a long stored history with military divers.
And, of course, let's look at the Rolex Submariner. Unless you've been living
under a rock, you know this watch because this is the iconic Rolex. When people think Rolex,
this is the watch they think of. Now, earlier I talked about homage. What does
that mean? Homage means to pay respect to. But, in the watch world, it's paying respect to by copying
the design of. And that's what we see a lot of lower-end manufacturers do is they see, hey,
these designs are working and we can sell them for a fraction, 1/100th of the price.
A lot of these homage watches are dead ringers for the original. Seriously,
I've had both the Submariner and the Loreo right next to each other in my hands
and I can tell the difference, but it's close. Another thing you're going to see with lower-end
designs is they take original designs and they try to improve, they try to add something.
They try to add some colors, they try to change up the style just slightly. But, for
some reason this always throws the watch off. Anyone that understands design knows that less
is more, that being able to get the perfect design and sometimes just cutting away till all you have
left is perfection. And a lot of these lower-end manufacturers, they don't really hire the best
designers. So, yeah, they throw in some colors, they throw in a date here or there that just
shouldn't be there and it doesn't look right. Now, in today's video, gents, is brought to you by
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description of today's video while supplies last. With that being said, let's get back to talking
about watches. The next big difference between a luxury and a $100 watch is the movement. So,
the movement in a high-end luxury watch, this is something the brand is going to pay a lot
of attention to. [0:05:03]
In fact, it's artwork. The guys the artisans that work on this stuff, they got like 40, 50
years of experience. They do everything in-house the most higher-end manufacturers. So, basically
what that means is they're not outsourcing this. They're not buying a movement and bringing it in.
And, the materials that make up the movement, they're using the best materials.
They're using joules, so that they can reduce the amount of friction, so that you can have
a movement that lasts for years with no issues. You're also going to find the movements in these
luxury watches are incredibly accurate. Maybe they're going to be off one to two seconds every
24 hours. Compare that to a lower-end movement, it's going to be off four to sometimes ten seconds
every 24 hours and that adds up quite a bit. Also, when we're talking about movements,
let's look at the sweep of the second hand. This is a big deal. People want to be able
to watch that sweep just these are watch enthusiasts. They get off on watching that
second hand just sweep smoothly around the dial. Now, a $100 watch movement on the other hand is
not a work of art, but it is a mechanical piece that gets the job done especially if it's quartz.
Quartz watches use a battery, they run a little bit of electricity through a quartz
crystal and that's how they accurately tell time. In fact, they are more accurate than mechanical
watches. But, the thing about a quartz watch especially for watch enthusiasts, they feel
that they're soulless, that, yeah, there's a few -- there's no moving parts. And, basically,
this right here is such a simple design. Yes, mechanically, it gets the job done, but it doesn't
feel like it has the history of a real watch. Now, there are inexpensive mechanical watches and
the vast majority of the time, they do not make the movement themselves. The watch manufacturer
outsources this. He buys from oftentimes the lowest bidder because they want to make money.
Point being, it's going to work, but it's not going to last as long as the higher-end
and the materials, everything that they do in there, it's not a work of art. It's just simply
a mechanical piece that gets the job done. Next up, let's talk about the material that
the watch is made from. So, on the higher-end the luxury side, we're going to see luxury materials.
We're going to see gold, we're going to see white gold, you're going to see platinum,
you're going to see just a variation of different steels that have different
types of metals mixed in with them, alloys. And so, you get this really just unique -- and
each brand like Omega is going to have their own type of steel. With Rolex right here,
we've got this [rollisser] gold, which is unique only to this company.
Now, on the other side, the $100 watches, you're not going to see that because
simply, you know, the cost of the material would be much more than a $100. You will see good
variations of steel, but in general they're not going to be made at the same level.
They're probably going to be more prone to crack. Although, personally,
I've never had an issue with a $100 watch, but you do sometimes hear those horror stories.
Now, what about things like titanium? You will find that in mid-range watches. I don't
see it used in luxury watches nor in really inexpensive watches. Titanium, very hard,
much harder than steel, but also very difficult to work with. Hence, why you see it on watches in
about the $500 to maybe $1,000 or $2,000 range. Now, gents, if you've ever felt the pain of
putting on your beautiful watch and nobody notices, nobody gives you a compliment,
yeah, let's commiserate together. Do me a favor and smash that like button.
Guys, I appreciate it when you interact with these videos. It lets the YouTube
algorithm know that these videos matter, that you want to see more like them.
Next up, let's talk about the dial. Most people won't see much of a difference,
unless they look under a microscope. And then, they look at those higher-end luxury watches and
they see where they paid attention to the detail. From the way that everything, the markings are
crisp are clean, every word has a meaning. That there isn't anything superfluous on the design,
isn't anything superfluous in what they're seeing. Every single
piece of the dial is there for a reason. Next up, let's talk about the loom. That's
basically a paint that's applied that allows you to be able to see the watch in dark conditions.
Once it was exposed to light, it's going to maintain, it's going to give off a glow.
You would expect on a luxury watch to have a very strong loom. They should be
using super – Super-Luminova, I believe is what it's called. There's also Chromalight,
which is going to be specific to Rolex. Basically, once exposed to light, it should retain and give
off a glow for about one to two solid hours. On the flip side, the less expensive watches,
we're going to see that they don't use things like that and that the loom sometimes will
only last a few minutes. Now, on a true dive watch,
you have a unidirectional bezel. That means it only goes in one direction
and that's so that you don't overestimate how much oxygen you have left in your tanks.
But, whenever you're moving a bezel, a high quality bezel, you should feel it. It's on there
securely and it just moves smoothly. It just feels good in the fingers. You shouldn't have to force
it. It shouldn't -- you have about 120 points over, you know, the entire watch face for it to
make a complete circle versus a lower-end bezel. What are we going to feel? All of a sudden,
there's going to be a give -- a little bit of give and play right here. Notice how this one
isn't fully -- I mean, it's connected, but it feels like it's a bit loose.
Also, this one only has 60 points, so it's going to be much snappier and it's just not
going to feel the same. It's not going to feel as smooth or as accurate. Also, the bezel should
line up perfectly at the 12 o'clock point. If it doesn't, that's not a great indicator of quality.
[0:10:05] Next up, let's look at
the glass. On higher-end watches, they're going to use a sapphire crystal and they're going to have
a non-reflective surface. This is just going to make it easier to read the watch at any angle,
but it is going to be more expensive. On the lower-end watches, they're going to use
mineral glass, which isn't going to be as strong, more likely to break and crack. In addition,
they're not going to have the non-reflective surface most of the time, so it makes the watch a
little bit difficult to read at certain angles. Now, when it comes to functionality especially
with dive watches, flight watches, field watches, all of the higher-end luxury types
of these watches should be very functional. That is initially what they were used for and they
are -- it’s prized that a watch is functional. So, in the case of a dive watch, it should go
down to at least 200 meters. You're going to see some dive watches, I think Omega's got one
that goes down to 600 meters. Point being is it should work in what it was intended to do.
On the other hand, the cheaper dive watches, those -- it's for looks a lot
of time. They know that the vast majority of men are never going to dive with them,
so they don't make them to those specifications. All that being said, some cheap dive watches are
perfectly functional as dive watches, you just have to know what you're looking for
and make sure that they've got the right specs. The next difference you want to look for between a
$10,000 and $100 watch, the way that the strap is made.
So, we're going to start here with metal straps. What I can immediately tell on a luxury watch
is it is just smooth. There isn't really much give. The thing -- I mean, it just simply
feels good. You can tell that each of the links were made to fit perfectly with the other.
The strap and clasp also has a double locking system. That's going to make a little bit more
expensive, but it's going to keep the watch a bit more secured on the wrist. In addition,
it's got a number of micro adjustments. That's important because you don't always want to be able
to -- you don't have time to take a link off. But, let's say you're going to put on a wetsuit
and you want to be able to still wear this watch, you want to have a micro adjust system that allows
you to make the watch a bit smaller or a bit larger depending on what your needs are when
you're going to be wearing the watch. Now, with the higher-end watches,
you're also going to see leather and rubber straps out there. Silicone is probably going to be more
common with the higher-end. You want to make sure you're not getting a cheap plastic. That's
a clear indicator it's a lower quality watch. With the higher-end luxury watches, you'll often
get options. So, maybe it'll come with a leather strap initially, but they understand, hey, if
it's going to be a dive watch, you probably want something that's going to be made in silicone,
so that you can dive with it or maybe they even give you the metal bracelet option.
If you're going to pay those big bucks, you want to have the options. Because to replace a
strap especially if you want a good quality bracelet or you want to go with, you know,
something like here with a leather, this could cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
A single link for a high-end, let's say Grand Seiko or maybe a platinum Rolex,
that right there could be hundreds of dollars and very difficult to locate.
Next up, let's talk about warranties. If you're buying a Rolex from an authorized dealer,
it should come with a five-year warranty. You should get all types of papers. Basically,
they are going to stand behind the watch. Now, if you're buying it from a gray
dealer -- and that's the gray market, if you're not familiar --that's where they
resell them or you're buying it used. You want to actually make sure, hey, can I get the papers,
are there like two years left on that warranty, can you get a warranty from the second-hand buyer
that, you know, if it's a shop or something? Now, when it comes to lower-end watches,
I'm not actually I find a lot of them come with a one or two-year warranty. Occasionally,
you'll see like some manufacturer no one's heard of and they'll have like a three-month
or six-month warranty and – but, you got to send it in. It's going to cost you your own money.
So, be careful and just understand that is a risk, but I find that there's a lot of great companies
out there like Seiko or Citizen that have, you know, a two-year warranty and it's a great
watch that you can find at an affordable price. All right. So, straight up, I know some of you
guys are saying, “Come on, Antonio. Tell me, is a $10,000 watch a hundred times better than
a $100 watch?” And the answer is, no, it's not. So, why would you ever buy a luxury watch? Well,
I know for me, it was about celebration. It was I had my first million dollar year with my
company and I wanted to buy something that would symbolize for me forever of the success we had.
I ended up buying another Rolex Explorer because I was exploring the world with my
family. I also bought a Rolex Datejust because I wanted to remember the Menfluential Conference.
So, for me, buying these watches was a bit of I wanted to remember these, they're heirlooms
that I could pass on, and, really, they are a bit of status. It's something that I enjoy
wearing them. I just love the fact that I own something that is kind of the apex of when it
comes to watches, the best of the best. That being said, nothing against $100,
$200, $300 watches especially when you find something like, you know, you go with a Seiko,
you go with an Orient, you go maybe even with a micro brand, tons of them out there.
And I love these micro brands because you buy from people and you understand they're trying
to get these up off the ground. Are they always the best quality? Not always. Is it something that
you're going to be able to pass on these hundred dollar watches? Actually, in some cases, yes.
And that's the thing is go out there and find what you want. Look at your budget,
look at what – maybe, I know people that have always wanted a Rolex. And in that case,
if you could earn the money, if you can put yourself in a position, why not go for it?
So, what video to watch next? How about my ultimate guide to buying a Rolex watch? I talk
about all the different styles, all the different types of Rolexes. It's my ultimate guide. I think
you guys are going to love this video. I'll link to it right here. I'll link to it
actually down in the description. But, I think if you click right here, it will take you right over
to it. Great video, guys. Go check it out. [0:15:24] End of audio