As TechCrunch’s resident watch lover[1] I enjoy a view on markets outside of the typical consumer electronics dreck. I get to see beautiful pieces hand-built by true artisans[2], historical pieces that pay homage to past glory[3], and sexist watch companies who suggest, in no uncertain terms, that dudes are the only ones who do any work.
Bear with me.
A reader of my other blog, WristWatchReview[4], pointed me to a storm brewing in the watch world regarding German brand Nomos. The storm is focused on their At Work[5] series. Described by a spokesperson as “inspired in part by repeated requests from male customers to product larger…watches” the online advertising is primarily focused on men and the good they do as engineers, scientists and programmers. It makes no mention of women at work, even though the watches are essentially unisex discs and squares of brushed metal.
The spokesperson went on to note that certain sizes do tend to be worn by certain genders and cited their 33mm models as an all-girl favorite. The company said that there was no reason a woman couldn’t wear a piece from the At Work series, although they make no mention of this in their advertising.
Who wears the At Work series? There’s Michael Martin[6], 33, of Code and Theory! There’s Eric Kuhn[7], a social media marketer who “swears by more old fashion [sic] business practices: coffee, phone calls, and handshakes.” These lads love watches and they seem very capable. However, there are plenty of women who wear watches and are capable and, I would presume, work at Code and Theory and are social media marketers. Why...
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