Watch Snob: Are CEOs Setting Bad Standards?

Cyrus

“Cyrus comes across as the brainchild of a trio of guys who probably dress up in gladiator garb on the weekends and brought in a star watchmaker to build their fantasy watch.“

CEOs Going Digital

Dear Snob,I recently saw AOL CEO, Tim Armstrong, in a photo wearing a Timex Ironman with a blazer. This is not an uncommon thing with many powerful CEOs — wearing cheap digital watches with suits. What is the message they’re trying to send, if any, and what does it mean for the average watch buyer?

Money can’t buy taste and if certain captains of industry are trying to send a message by wearing a plastic sweatshop-made digital watch, it may be time they re-examine that message because people are starting to care about quality and craftsmanship again. Perhaps they’re trying to convey their lack of pretension, bootstrap work ethic and frugality. But really, who are they trying to fool? These guys pull down millions in stock options per year and everyone knows it. Would it hurt them to buy an $8,000 Rolex Datejust? I’d rather have these men embrace their power and wealth and look the part. Nothing is more painful than seeing an Indiglo Timex dial poking out from under a tailored suit jacket sleeve.

What does all this mean to the average watch buyer, you ask? It means you probably have better taste than the men who run some of the biggest companies in the world. Wait a minute, did you say AOL? Was the photo you saw from 1997? That would explain a lot. I didn’t think AOL existed anymore.

The Watch Snob On Cyrus Klepcys

I am a longtime reader, but this is my first time writing in. Most of my real knowledge of watches comes from your column. I wear a Jaeger-LeCoultre Slim Moon Phase and happy with it. I thought I’ve heard about most of the high-end brands, however recently a watch called Cyrus Klepcys I came to hear about. And there is only a single trustworthy source of information that satisfies me, so what do you think of it.

One would think that a company that asks $200,000 for its timepieces might be able to explain its guiding principles and working theories. But a visit to the Cyrus website revealed the following to me: the history of the conquest of Babylon, the significance of the number three to the company’s owners and the name of a tightrope walker who is the brand’s top ambassador. This is too bad, because the Klepcys, which sounds all too much like a venereal disease, is actually a very interesting timepiece.

The watch was designed by a titan of the watch industry, Jean-François Mojon, who helped conceive IWC’s Portuguese Sidérale Scafusia and features a retrograde hour display and minutes and seconds on rotating discs, as well as an innovative moonphase display. Sadly, all Cyrus has to say about it is something about it being inspired by the Tower of Babel. Maybe if they touted its horological feats a bit more I might be interested. Instead, Cyrus comes across as the brainchild of a trio of guys who probably dress up in gladiator garb on the weekends and brought in a star watchmaker to build their fantasy watch.

Is it worth the asking price? Maybe to bored Russian billionaires who want to add to their collection of obscure, oversized, one-off complicated timepieces. To me, it will remain an oddity that no one will be talking about in a few years.

Question from a Watch Knob

I am trying to buy a watch for my left-handed boyfriend. He already has a TAG Heuer and I want to change his accessories a bit, including a leather band watch. I have tried to research left-handed watches, but have had ZERO results — well other than the cheap-looking brands.

You’ve set the bar awfully high for this purchase — leather band and for a left-handed person. Let’s see if I can rise to the challenge. First of all, I assume your boyfriend wears his watch on his right wrist. If true, nothing is preventing him from wearing any watch, and I’m sure he does just fine with his current TAG Heuer.

There are some so-called “destro” watches that have the winding crown on the left side of the case for access with the left hand. But unless your boyfriend has need to wind or set his watch while it is on his wrist, this is pointless. In fact, a crown on the right side will be less likely to snag on things or poke into the back of his hand. But if you insist on a reversed-crown watch, Panerai can accommodate with its PAM00219. And you’re in luck — it comes with a leather strap!