What on earth is a watch, when all is said and done?

  As the saying goes, look at a man'swatch, and a woman's bag, implying the importance of these two items for men and women. They reflect a person's wealth, social standing, taste and overall image, acting as a calling-card-like tool. I do not know who coined this phrase, nor do I wish to criticise it, but I am fairly certain it originated from some fashion media guru, subsequently revered as a golden rule by a bunch of so-called “ social climbers ”

　　Does this saying make sense? Yes! But I think its most classic aspect is the analogy drawn between watches and bags. In the current social environment, it is nothing new for an item to be endowed with multiple meanings, and watches and bags share many common attributes. For instance, both items possess a certain practicality, and their price ranges vary enormously—you can spend a day's wages or a year's wages on them. They both emphasise design, aesthetics, materials, and craftsmanship. Furthermore, they share too many common characteristics, such as being portable. As to why men look at watches and women look at bags remains unknown. At least from my perspective, such a claim is somewhat overly sweeping.

　　TakeRolex watchesTo put it simply, can it truly reflect a man's wealth, social standing, taste and image? I think to a certain extent it can, particularly regarding wealth. However, you should not treat it with blind faith, which would be as absurd as looking at horoscopes to determine one's destiny. After all, not everyone shares the same consumer motivations. People buy mobile phones for convenient communication, but watches are not bought merely to tell the time—just how many people purchase watches to use as a social tool? Therefore, watches do not possess a fixed attribute like many items, bought solely for one specific purpose. So why on earth do you buy a watch? What is a watch in your eyes? Is it a time-reading tool, a social calling card, or simply an ornament for your wrist?

　　What exactly a watch is depends on what we treat it as.