Snob is a loaded, and sometimes divisive word in horology. Being called a snob, or calling someone a snob, is a quick way to draw blood by attacking someone?s particular approach to enthusiasm. As an enthusiast who cherishes the community aspect of this hobby, I?ve always been proud that my foundation in this hobby was built on the absence of snobbery. Or so I thought. 
I?m a frugal guy, and enthusiasm on a budget is a common theme in most of my articles. A keen eye for value shaped my early days in the hobby- an approach I haven’t managed to shake. For years, I assumed that embracing watches in all price brackets was enough to rid myself of any snobbery. 
But the more I ?learned? about watches, the more I noticed snobbery seeping into my opinions, and in some cases stopping me from experiencing some truly awesome watches. I?d fawn over the latest Lorier release, only to question how a Hesalite crystal would hold up to an active lifestyle. Or I?d opt not to experience a 5 ATM field watch that I truly liked, instead compromising for 10 and 20 ATM alternatives.
A quartz crystal, a small part of which is bound for a Grand Seiko 9F caliber

I?ve since gone through an un-learning process thanks to a handful of watches that challenged what I thought I knew and allowed me to expand my horological horizons by kicking some snobby tendencies. For the next few installments of Selling Points That Don’t Sell Me, let?s explore some selling points that DO sell me a...