> all high end watches are mechanical.
No, most high end male jewelry are mechanical watches (and much of women-oriented jewelry as well).
High end watches are such a solved problem we don't even talk about them anymore. Either the G-shock, the Garmin watches, or the Apple Watch run circles around mechanical watches in terms of functionality with each satisfying a different niche (100% self-contained, long lived smart functionality, glance-oriented integration with full-stack personal tech ecosystem).
I think most people when they hear "high-end watch" picture some sort of mechanical jewelry watch. When G-shocks, Garmins, and Apple Watches are a few hundred dollars and well-known luxury watch brands start at a few thousand, it's reasonable to consider the latter more "high end".
Personally I'm not interested in owning a luxury watch, I like the Garmin ones.
I think they were specifically bristling at the implication that 'high-end' was mainly relating to price as opposed to functionality. The most expensive watches are expensive for reasons of fashion while being inferior in terms of functionality.
My Apple Watch has 3 days of battery tops.
You don’t buy an Apple Watch for its battery life, you buy it for its many other features.
If battery life is important there are other much better options.
Garmin venu series has 10 days which I love.
That's what "high end" means.
> The most expensive watches are expensive for reasons of fashion while being inferior in terms of functionality.
... and for reasons of money laundering and tax evasion, similar to artwork but even better suited. No customs official anywhere will flag and interrogate you about the watch on your wrist, the younger ones probably won't even know if you're having a watch worth six figures on your wrist or some cheap knockoff.
I don’t know why you’re being downvoted. Any dense, non-perishable store of value will be eventually used in this way.
> When G-shocks, Garmins, and Apple Watches are a few hundred dollars and well-known luxury watch brands start at a few thousand,
The price of the most expensive Garmin a quick internet search gave me is $3,100; the most expensive G-SHOCK €8,800 ⇒ IMHO, G-SHOCK definitely is a luxury brand.
Apple Watches, relative to those, are cheap at €999 max.
And regardless, Apple products aren't "luxury" anything. They're just computing products, with a range of buildout from low to high. Not a single thing Apple has ever made has been in the luxury category.
They're more like VW. A range of products low to high, but more expensive than domestics.
Luxury cars, luxury products are typically hand made, extremely niche. Apple is certainly not niche market.
> not a single thing apple has made has been in the luxury category
Well, maybe exactly ONE thing
https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/2/23900158/apple-watch-edit...
Well... your high-end is not my high-end.
Truly high-end luxury watches are priced in many multiples of 100,000 $ and are all mechanical.
I will never be able to afford any of them.
For example, this (pre-owned, good condition):
https://www.chrono24.com/patekphilippe/platinum-perpetual-ca...