The Real Luxury Is Time
The closest thing we keep to ourselves is our time — and a watch is the quiet reminder of just how fleeting and precious that time is.
Time is life’s purest luxury. Unlike anything we own, it can’t be saved, paused, or duplicated. And watches — so close to our skin — are more than accessories; they’re silent witnesses to our days, our decisions, our milestones. That’s why I believe watches carry a meaning deeper than most clothes or objects ever could. They’re not status symbols. They’re timekeepers of memory.
I love watches. I’ve only recently started my collection, but I’ve already fallen for the stories they tell — not just from the brands, but from my own life. I often find myself browsing, reading histories, tracing the roots of heritage houses. One day, in London, I walked into a luxury watch boutique and asked to be taken on the journey of their brand. The sales associate looked at me and asked, “What do you have in your collection?”
It wasn’t the first time I’d heard that. And truthfully, it made me feel a little out of place. I had only two watches at the time. I didn’t want to seem inexperienced. But then something clicked. I remembered why I’d started this journey. I remembered the stories behind those two watches. And I simply answered.
Like many, I began with the classics. My first watch was a Casio, gifted by my uncle when I was a schoolboy. “Take this,” he said, “now you’re ready for school.” That moment stayed with me — not because of the brand, but because of what it meant. It wasn’t about the watch. It was about inheritance, about being seen as ready. That ritual of passing something precious marked the beginning of my love for timepieces.
My second watch came from my first hustle. I chose a piece that mirrored the one my father wore — almost like reclaiming a part of his story for myself. Others were gifted to me at important milestones, and each carries a memory: a place, a person, a version of myself.
That day in the boutique, the sales associate unknowingly did his job brilliantly. His question brought me back to why I’m drawn to watches. I don’t collect for prestige. I collect to time-stamp my life.
Watches are more than beautiful machines. They’re like Dumbledore’s Pensieve in Harry Potter — each one holding a memory, a lesson, a version of who we were. My collection lives not just in a drawer or a display case, but in a timeline of moments — my own private archive.
We’re often tempted by what lies ahead — new models, new obsessions — but once we know who we are, the watches we choose begin to reflect us naturally. It’s no longer about the trend. It’s about alignment.
As I left the boutique that day, I made a quiet promise to myself: Let each watch I choose be a compass — not just of style, but of where I want to go.
