Fancy watches are packaging

I'm not complaining  because commerce is based on voluntary relationships.

I am, rather, marveling at the ability of wrist watch marketers to promote exorbitant prices for high end watches.

We see fancy watches in the $200-$500 range that have quartz timing mechanisms and watches in the $5000 range that don't mention their timing mechanism.

Here is the technical facts underlying this issue.  A single factory in Switzerland produces all the quartz timing mechanisms in the world and sells each unit for under five dollars. This factory has been going for 25 years.

All watches that have quartz timing use this under five dollar mechanism. When you pay more for a quartz watch you are paying for the marketing and packaging.

If you pay still more for a watch that is not quartz, you are paying for a watch that has a lower level of accuracy. The highest possible wrist watch level of accuracy is the quartz mechanism.

The Swiss have been selling watches with a common timing mechanism and fancy packaging for over 100 years before the quartz mechanism was developed.

It is fascinating to see a niche in society thrive for this long entirely on marketing skills.