Luxury Writing Instrument Brands

[sirgilbert357]

Singapore would be closest where I am... yep 180% import tax so you're paying 280% plus another $40-70k for Certificate of Entitlement (you bid at public auction for right to own that car for 10yrs) plus registration fees and road tax and... Etc etc etc

 

In Australia a Camry is driveaway about A$30k.

 

A Camry is Singapore adds up,about S$160k.

 

Stuck in traffic at the lights in said Camry in the middle lane of 3, surrouded by 9 other common cars... one meets realisation that there's easily a million dollars worth of motor vehicles surrounding oneself.

 

One Million Dollars.

 

Then a McLaren goes past, followed by an Aventador.

 

Crazy Rich Asians indeed.

 

 

Yeah, that's probably the country I was thinking of then. A Camry for $160,000. That's just offensive...LOL.

[sirgilbert357]

This is a bit of an exaggeration - rolexes will be hand assembled. Hell, I'd reckon even a $250 automatic seiko is hand assembled though. It's a necessity of automatic / mechanical watch movements. That's why the swatch system 51 was big news- because it was the first totally robot made movement. There is a lot less handwork than you think going on in grand seikos, and a lot more than you imply going on in rolexes. Id say GS still likely has more - but the gap isnt as large as you are implying.

 

 

Uh, no. Sorry, you are just wrong. The Rolex Sub is assembled by robots. Quality control is handled by humans. ONE MILLION watches a year are made -- just of that model alone. They aren't doing that by hand my friend. The robots are operated by humans during the steps, though...I'll give you that.

 

The Swatch movement was revolutionary because it is REGULATED by machine, not humans. The Rolexes are still timed and regulated by humans -- its part of the QC process. This is distinct from assembly.

 

Grand Seiko absolutely are made by hand, start to finish, by ONE person. They even sign the warranty card themselves and if there's ever an issue, it goes right back to THAT person for servicing. Timeless Luxury Watches here in north Texas has hosted several events where a Grand Seiko master watchmaker has come to their store and sat down and assembled a movement, in person, from start to finish for all to watch -- the old fashioned way, with no robots.

 

Sorry, I see a vast difference here between the two methods. You are welcome to disagree. Doesn't make me wrong. I'm done here before this gets off topic.

Edited January 16, 2020 by sirgilbert357

[txomsy]

I agree, luxury is in the eyes of the Beholder.

 

For Demostenes, luxury was sunbathing. For Alexandros, conquering the World.

 

A friend of mine who had worked in Tokyo stock exchange told me he was once treated to a luxury dinner where they had $1000 bottles of Sauternes... the same one I could have for ~50 in France at the time. And, surprise, even less in EU countries with lower alcohol taxes.

 

Price is relative, but sadly that is what defines luxury for the vast majority. Those who know will take a given good, set a huge price and sell it as luxury. If it cannot be ordered for less, then it will be luxury.

 

Because luxury is what sets apart one from the others: gold has traditionally had little non-ornamental use, but has been treasured by powerful people for millenia, because this set them apart. Red was in many cultures a dressing color forbidden to commoners to set the powerful apart. There is nothing inherently "better" on it either, but red clothes would be luxury in those cultures. Ditto for Yellow in emperor's clothes.

 

I've brought the best coffee from Kenya, Costa Rica, the best teas from Ceyland, and other goods in my trips. They are "luxury" here, with exceedingly high price tags, I wouldn't think of buying it here, but they cost me the same or even less than normal coffee at their origin. You can pay 20$ for half a litre of extra-virgin olive oil in most places, and only 4$ in Spain or Italy. And you can buy blueberries by gallon buckets for a buncf of $ in Canada or Nordic Countries and pay 5% for 100g in the South. Here, you can get cherries at 4$ for 2kg on summer, or at 100$/kg in winter.

 

You may argue that a luxury brand has higher production costs. But quality-wise, most of the time the practical advantage over the rest is, say 5%. Usually, attaining that 5% improvement costs as much as the other 95%, truly. But that doesn't warrant a 10x price increase. What warrants it is that the good is only available to those few who want to pay for it. And those who are willing to pay that price are because few other will, and this will set them apart, identify them as an "economic elite" which, in the modern world is a "virtue" to pursue.

 

The point I am trying to make is that "luxury" is a perceived concept. And is not restricted to specific brands. It may associate to any brand or good, scarce or abundant, available or not. You can find "luxury" pens in any brand, and brands that try to only sell "luxury" pens to maximize their margins.

 

What makes it "Luxury" that it gives you a special satisfaction.

 

For the vast majority that means "set you apart, specially as a member of an economic/power elite". For a few, it means just that, a special satisfaction, like things well done, a ray of sun or a warm meal. For some, being "honorable" is a luxury to treasure, or being famous, or being admired... again for most, these seems to be associated to income, but in reality, it does not need to.

[Charles Rice]

I think that for the man on the street, ALL fountain pens are luxury items,

[txomsy]

Why?

[praxim]

Because each one costs more than the 6.9¢ one pays for a pencil on Amazon, purchased in a handy box of 576 #2 HB.

 

After that, luxury is in the appraisal of the beholder and the contents of their wallet.

 

I considered writing in your own blood but decided that, all things considered, that was higher cost though notionally free.

 

We have plenty of burned sticks around here at the moment.

[txomsy]

Well, I see your point, and I think I can accept that. It is sad, but may be factually true. Though I do not know many people who still uses pencils to write, I do know lots who use disposable ballpoint pens, and FPs have an aura of mystery around themselves for a lot of people. Can't deny that.

[seoulseeker]

Uh, no. Sorry, you are just wrong. The Rolex Sub is assembled by robots. Quality control is handled by humans. ONE MILLION watches a year are made -- just of that model alone. They aren't doing that by hand my friend. The robots are operated by humans during the steps, though...I'll give you that.

 

The Swatch movement was revolutionary because it is REGULATED by machine, not humans. The Rolexes are still timed and regulated by humans -- its part of the QC process. This is distinct from assembly.

 

Grand Seiko absolutely are made by hand, start to finish, by ONE person. They even sign the warranty card themselves and if there's ever an issue, it goes right back to THAT person for servicing. Timeless Luxury Watches here in north Texas has hosted several events where a Grand Seiko master watchmaker has come to their store and sat down and assembled a movement, in person, from start to finish for all to watch -- the old fashioned way, with no robots.

 

Sorry, I see a vast difference here between the two methods. You are welcome to disagree. Doesn't make me wrong. I'm done here before this gets off topic.

I'm sorry but 10 seconds of googling will show that yes, rolex watches are mass produced, but yes, they are also each assembled by hand.

 

I'm not claiming GS are not assembled by hand. I'm claiming that things like the Geneva stripes on the movement are not hand applied. The movements are very, very definitively machine finished.

[seoulseeker]

Uh, no. Sorry, you are just wrong. The Rolex Sub is assembled by robots. Quality control is handled by humans. ONE MILLION watches a year are made -- just of that model alone. They aren't doing that by hand my friend. The robots are operated by humans during the steps, though...I'll give you that.

 

The Swatch movement was revolutionary because it is REGULATED by machine, not humans. The Rolexes are still timed and regulated by humans -- its part of the QC process. This is distinct from assembly.

 

Grand Seiko absolutely are made by hand, start to finish, by ONE person. They even sign the warranty card themselves and if there's ever an issue, it goes right back to THAT person for servicing. Timeless Luxury Watches here in north Texas has hosted several events where a Grand Seiko master watchmaker has come to their store and sat down and assembled a movement, in person, from start to finish for all to watch -- the old fashioned way, with no robots.

 

Sorry, I see a vast difference here between the two methods. You are welcome to disagree. Doesn't make me wrong. I'm done here before this gets off topic.

https://www.thewatchcompany.com/blog/where-are-rolex-watches-made/

 

"Additionally, each of the movements is assembled by hand."

 

"It is quite interesting that Rolex assembles its Jubilee and Oyster bracelets by hand"

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/10-things-every-rolex-owner-should-know-2015-1

 

"Rolex uses machines in the process for sure. ... Most of these machines are still human-operated though. And everything from Rolex movements to bracelets are assembled by hand"

 

https://www.fratellowatches.com/grand-seiko-readers-journey-part-2/

 

"The finishing on the Grand Seiko (and 8L35() movements are all being done by machines. Striping, engraving etc is being done in separate departments in the Morioka building. All can be witnessed by visitors behind glass. There’s little that is being kept secret or hidden from visitors"

[seoulseeker]

Uh, no. Sorry, you are just wrong. The Rolex Sub is assembled by robots. Quality control is handled by humans. ONE MILLION watches a year are made -- just of that model alone. They aren't doing that by hand my friend. The robots are operated by humans during the steps, though...I'll give you that.

 

The Swatch movement was revolutionary because it is REGULATED by machine, not humans. The Rolexes are still timed and regulated by humans -- its part of the QC process. This is distinct from assembly.

 

Grand Seiko absolutely are made by hand, start to finish, by ONE person. They even sign the warranty card themselves and if there's ever an issue, it goes right back to THAT person for servicing. Timeless Luxury Watches here in north Texas has hosted several events where a Grand Seiko master watchmaker has come to their store and sat down and assembled a movement, in person, from start to finish for all to watch -- the old fashioned way, with no robots.

 

Sorry, I see a vast difference here between the two methods. You are welcome to disagree. Doesn't make me wrong. I'm done here before this gets off topic.

And, per the swatch group:

 

"SISTEM51 is the first and only mechanical movement with fully automated assembly"

 

https://www.swatchgroup.com/en/swatch-group/innovation-powerhouse/industry-40/sistem51-mechanical-revolution

 

Feel free to have a read