Fratello Talks: Guilty Pleasure Watches
Welcome, dear Fratelli, to this latest episode of Fratello Talks. Today, Nacho, Lex, and Thomas spotlight some of their guilty pleasure watches. Everyone has at least one; most of us can list at least a handful. These are watches that, though we like them, we aren’t too quick to admit it. This can be due to a number of reasons, whether it’s a brand’s (arguably undeserved) reputation, a particularly eye-watering price tag, or even just a case of off-the-wall design. And though we often highlight carefully curated lists of favorites, we rarely reach into the back of the shelf for these oddball picks. But before we check those out, let’s see what guilt-free watches are on the wrist today.
Wrist check
We kick off today’s wrist check with Thomas, who is wearing a watch that could not be more guilt-free; it’s his very own VPC Type 37HW. This dove-grey-dialed sample has been making the round across the watch media scene but has now found its way back onto Thomas’ wrist. For those of you who don’t know, Thomas is the founder of VPC, and the Type 37HW is his take on the perfect GADA watch. You can read all about the brand here.
Lex, on the other hand, is feeling a small pang of guilt, as he’s sporting the 42mm Hublot Classic Fusion Essential Grey. Jorg recently reviewed this latest addition to the brand’s Essential Grey collection, but now it’s Lex’s turn with the watch. And though it may be short-lived, he’s making the most of it. It also foreshadows a couple of the first guilty pleasure picks we jump into in this episode.
Nacho is wearing his RZE Resolute Pro Contour, tying a bow on this grey trifecta. This limited-edition watch released earlier this year provides guilt-free pleasure in spades. It’s not just relatively affordable (under €1000), but it’s also packed with all the features you might want from a great everyday sports watch. Inside its titanium shell and beneath a flat sapphire crystal, the meandering weave of its carbon dial gives this RZE a ton of character. You can read all about this LE model here.
Fratello Talks: Guilty Pleasure Watches
Guilty pleasure is a term we are all familiar with. But what does it imply? The Merriam-Webster definition of guilt is “a feeling of deserving blame for offenses.” Therefore, guilty pleasure is derived from taking pleasure in something that produces a feeling of guilt. It can be a song, a TV show, a favorite snack, or, in this case, a watch. What’s important is to understand that guilt comes from feeling that you’re doing something wrong. It stems from a conscious betrayal of personally (or socially) established guidelines for normal conduct. But how wrong can it be to like a functional object like a watch? It’s pretty silly, really. Yet we all understand the feeling.
These timekeepers have become such personal objects that we almost allow them to define their wearer. And just as with our taste in music or our choices in personal style, we align ourselves with those we feel best suit our character (or what we aspire to be). Yet, sometimes, there are exceptions that clash with the image we build for ourselves. Whether it’s a metal head with a soft spot for Taylor Swift, a haute cuisine-loving gourmand who really craves a Whopper from time to time, or a high-brow cinephile who will find themselves binging reality TV for hours at a time. The same applies to watches. And we’re here to say it’s ok. Everyone should embrace these quirky exceptions. They make this hobby and passion of ours a whole lot more fun.
In this episode, we list some of these outliers that we’d usually keep to ourselves. And we encourage you to do the same: let us know your guilty pleasure watches in the comments section below. As always, tune in next week for a new episode of Fratello Talks.
