The Tide is Rising, But Where’s The Moon?

Written by Christian Zeron 

Can you pinpoint the moment when classically certainly antiquated hobby than any decamillion dollar marketing sized Rolexes, Datejusts and Day-Dates, became “too small” for men in the eyes of pop culture? The moment that we all forgot that Churchill, Reagan and Dr. King, hell, even Tony Soprano, men that were far more masculine than the lot of us, felt just fine in these conservative Oysters? All while pummeling their opposition, I might add.

Do you remember not so long ago when steel sports watches, after decades of being somewhat looked down upon by the luxury world, became the toast of the town? Booming, in so many cases, 200-400% over their retail price? And now, just a few years later, isn’t it funny how they’re inexplicably somewhat passe? Now, watches that embody decadence, many of which were for years melted for their gold weight, seem to be back in vogue, don’t they?

Trends are funny. They can seem as beyond us as the tide once did to fishermen, I know, but there’s always a moon. Actually, there are always a few, a few forces, sometimes from unexpected corners of the market, pushing and pulling us out to sea. And there’s a new trend in the market - one we’ve been pining for since time immemorial - the renaissance of women’s watches.

Now, that’s not to say that women are strangers to the watch industry. Jaqueline Kennedy and Princess Diana are among the most influential tastemakers in the genre’s history, man or woman.

For years, the industry has spewed platitudes about its desire to grow the space, to “include” women, which really just means, of course, to add them in droves to the bottom line. But the strides that’ve been made on that front in the last decade were not corporate at all, they were made by independent content creators. Passionate minds often, relatively speaking, with little to gain beyond satisfaction and a dose of well earned clout.

Sure, product has improved as of late. It (almost) always does. But the pieces and collections that’ve been so flocked to in the thick of this renaissance haven’t been so innovative, have they? Cartier’s Panthere and Tank have only hardly changed since their introductions to the world, Rolex’s Lady Datejust and Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak the same. And yet, they’re found on the lovely little wrists of womens now more than ever. So, if not the product, what has changed so considerably? The messenger and (her) message, I’d say.

A new generation of, predominantly but not exclusively, female social media influencers has emerged. And they, like wildfire on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, have seen more success in indoctrinating women far and wide into this rather expensive and effort executed by the world’s leading brands in recent years. Brynn Wallner, owner of popular instagram account Dimepiece, is a perfect example. Among the most popular influencers in female watch culture, Wallner’s recipe is so simple it seems maddening. She speaks in relatable language and makes culturally relevant allusions while sharing photos of predictable, and reliably beautiful, wristwatches on the wrists of always bold, often stylish women. Why hadn’t this been done before? I’ll ask this again in a moment.

One example of the simple brilliance of her approach was her collaboration with graphic designer Darian Newman. Together, they published a series of horological horoscopes, pairing popular models with astrology signs. While not something that would compel the traditional base, myself included, the importance and influence of this campaign, both in practice and as a principle, should not be underestimated. It demonstrated a real understand- ing of the interests and sensitivities of this emerging community. What a scotch and a cigar is to many, horoscopes and jewelry are to a whole, albeit distant, world.

In retrospect, it’s obvious. The old guard of watch writers, with their long, technical and didactic essays, were always niche and destined to reach a low ceiling. The vast majority of the public has no interest in reading data pertinent to their lives, nonetheless research papers that wrestle with the complicated history of micro-mechanical timekeeping. And to think the opposite, to attempt to continue to grow the watch enthusiast community in such an exhausted manner, is insane. A horoscope, while not everyones cup of tea, is a new tactic, a new lure.

So - why weren’t any number of the passionate men that’ve long dominated this industry able to expand the industry base into the female luxury world? Is it so difficult to speak to women? Well, maybe. And that can seem disheartening, but I don’t think it ought to be. Third parties, well intending, even intelligent, onlookers can bring perspective that informs a landscape, sure. They can, and do often, see the answers. But does that mean they have the ability to parlay their knowledge into messages with impact?

Denzel Washington, once in an Interview on SiriusXM that I’ll never forget watching, touched on this pickle. After directing August Wilson’s ‘Fences’, he spoke to the unique ability that exists in us all to resonate with the communities from which we came. No one, he felt, could study another culture closely enough to understand its texture, its nuances, like a native. And in that, no one could touch emotional notes in a demographic audience quite like someone that shared its roots.

“Spielberg could’ve directed Goodfellas, Scorsese could’ve done a good job with Schindler’s List” he said. But it’s the deep, native cultural understanding that added dimension to those pieces. It’s not that men can’t compel women, God knows they invented many-a-product that’d demonstrate the opposite. But there are limitations, and the watch industry’s failure to achieve its goal of adding droves of women to the bottom line is, in and of itself, evidence that its limitations had been met. It was time for new blood, for new mouse traps, and I, for one, am glad the call was answered. And let’s not forget, gentlemen, among the perks of the now expanded base, a whole world of us with mental filing cabinets full of horological history might have a bit more material for our next meet cute. 

Christian Zeron is a partner at New York based marketing firm LMFNYC. In his leisure time, he champs at the bit for the next meal with his family and maintains his irrational loyalties to United and Belgian Shoes, no matter the quality of service.