• Speaking of watches …

Like German automobiles, Swiss watches are one of many ways a person make up for his or her insecurities. A subtler way of telling people that you’re on your way, not exactly arrived yet mind you, is an expensive watch on your wrist. A Rolex, Omega or Tag Heuer kinda makes you feel like you belong to the budding elites. That’s the kind of snob appeal those brands buy you.
When I was asked if I had five grand to spend on yuppy timepieces, which Swiss-made watch would I go for? My response, “a Seiko,” brought out a look of disbelief on my friend’s face. “Dude, my 10-year-old kid brother wears a $50 Seiko watch to school,” he said. That’s what most people think of when they see a Seiko I’m afraid. Like Toyota, Seiko produce watches that belongs in the Lexus level. But Seiko plainly calls it Seiko with a “Grand” prefix.  A $5000 Grand Seiko buys you a fine mechanical watch able to keep time with unbelievable accuracy surpassing Swiss-made watches several times more expensive - minus the snob appeal.