I was recently sent the impeccable A. Lange & Söhne 1815 in rose gold, and I wore it around town for a day or two, allowing its exquisite good looks to be plainly in view. On one occasion I actually called attention to the watch, explaining its magnificent German heritage and quality. When inevitably I was asked how much it costs there was an audible gasp, followed by one simple, incredulous question: “Why?”
Meanwhile, writer Matt Meltzer from Miami investigated what would happen if he wore a luxury timepiece, by hiring one for $150 a month from Eleven James.
The writer found that he received extremely different treatment with a pricey watch on his wrist, with first-class upgrades, dinner invites and flirtatious women among the perks. Really? There was no suggestion of an upgrade, a perk, or a single privilege, let alone any amorous women wishing to gaze admiringly at my wrist or any other part of my anatomy while sporting the aristocratic 1815.
Over the course of the social experiment, Melzer wore an $10,500 Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe, a $3,900 Bell and Ross 03-92-S and a $5,523 Breitling Superocean Heritage Chronograph. None of which come close to the value of the Lange & Söhne 1815.
Summing up his investigation, Meltzer wrote: ‘Over the course of the summer, the way I was treated while traveling generally improved. Hotel front desks actually seemed to care when my internet didn’t work. Flight attendants gave me whole cans of soda. When I got first-class upgrades, the people I sat next to actually talked to me (watches, I later learned, are how regular first-class flyers can tell the real money from the upgrades).’
Alleged lady killer: Bell & Ross 03-92-S worth $3,900.00
Meltzer said it was not the most costly of watches that got him the most compliments. The watch people commented on the most was a Bell and Ross 03-92-S with a leather band. It retails for about a third of what his first watch – the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe – sold for.
Meltzer said one woman ‘above his league’ approached him at a rooftop bar in Rhode Island and proceeded to flirt with him as she held up a ladies version of the Bell and Ross.
Currently Eleven James, which we have featured here before, carries men’s and unisex watches and is only open to customers in the U.S.
The company was founded by Randy Brandoff in 2013. A message on the subscription service site reads: ‘Our members enjoy an unprecedented selection of the world’s most exquisite watch brands and style.’
But just before you dash to book your high-end watch with Eleven James, a well grounded reality check. My daughter, who cabin crews for a well-known transatlantic airline and has seen more than her fair share of high rollers, states: “This is bull. Anyone can request a full can of soda on board, with or without a watch. And no woman I know likes you because of your watch, or if they do you’re with the wrong woman.”
No luck with the ladies: A. Lange & Sohne 1815 in rose gold worth $24,400.00
I can’t vouch for Mr. Melzer’s experiences, but my daughter’s statement is borne out by my own somewhat subdued experience with the considerably more elite Lange 1815.
Have you worn a watch that has got you noticed by women? Let us know.
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