Patek Phillipe advertisement asserts thus: You never actually own a Patek Phillipe; you merely look after it for the next generation. A beautiful line, no? And a beautiful promise.
The line promises an enduring desirability and value. It's not just that Patek Phillipe watches last forever. Many things last forever, like plastic bags. It's that these watches are desired and valued forever. I can't speak for the future, obviously, but if you bought a watch in 1950s, it would be roughly as desirable in 2010s. In fact, it might as well break, but your next generation will want to fix it.
Fact is, you don't really need to shell out tens of thousands of dollars for something enduring. A good Seiko watch costs about $500, and has roughly the same property. If you bought one in 2000, that watch value would stay roughly the same in 2010 or 2014. Obviously, it starts out $500, so it won't look like a $50,000 in 10 years; but it won't look like a piece of junk either.
Contrast this with, says, an Apple Watch. Middle of the line Apple Watch costs also about $500. And how long will it look and feel desirable? Similarly, an iPhone costs roughly $600 - $800. How long will that iPhone keep its value?
By the way, it's not just about the new software. A 2-year old iPhone looks dated. A 20-year old Patek looks just as nice as a brand new one. Rolex famously sell more or less the same Oyster watch for about 90 years now.
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Modern world offers a lot. It's cool in the summer, warm in the winter; its water is clean, drinkable, and fights against cavity; its food is abundant; its transportation is fast and cheap; its entertainment is endless. We probably are living in the best time in history. Lots of things to appreciate.
However, there is one thing that modern world does not seem to offer: durability. Just about every new invention and product seems to rush through its life cycle and heads toward the trash. Producers, for all their affordability and creativity, force products down into consumers' throats. Meanwhile, consumers are so addicted to the act of acquiring that they must throw away their own possession. Why fix things anymore? Buying new is faster, easier, more fun, and sometimes cheaper.
This goes beyond mere electronics. I once took business classes. Modern management and business practices emphasize on the disposability of products. A product must die, in a timely manner. Manufacturers these days can estimate down to the day that their goods die; generally speaking, that's the warrantee period. Products must die, so that consumers can go back and buy more. Without this, how can business grow? Well, more correctly, how can business grow fast enough to satisfy the investors?
And thus, everything for stickers to cars to washer to cellphones have ticking time bombs in them. They must die. They must die so their younger siblings can shine.
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Many a time, I wonder if mechanical watches are worth their price tags. I mean, you can get the precise time with your phone or your laptop. Yet, people shell out thousands (occasionally tens of thousands) of dollars for these toys. And the watches don't even keep time that well!
However, all of them offer something else. A romance. A feel of permanence. A timelessness. An escape from the never ending cycles of acquiring and disposing. An expensive romance, sure. But, how can one price romance and love?
Sometimes, I also wonder: how can we modern engineers put the same romance in our own products? How can we make goods that endure? Goods that we merely look after for the next generation.
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