Jewelry has long been associated with wealth, with the ancient Egyptians adorning themselves and their palaces with gold and the royal families of today wearing jewel encrusted crowns to their regal events. Those who are wearing high quality jewelry are deemed to be of a higher class and are seen to rank higher in the social hierarchy.

But what about the watch? Does your watch symbolise your status? In short, the answer is yes, but let's take a look a little further into the reason why a watch can be a symbol of status.

Watches and social status

There are many watch brands which are associated with luxury and when you see someone wearing one of these brands, you immediately presume that the wearer is successful and wealthy. You might also question whether the watch is genuine. With a lot of copies being made of high end watch brands, one would form an idea of the social status of someone who would wear a replica.

There are a lot of people who opt for a selection of quality timepieces so that they have a choice depending on the occasion for which they plan to wear them. Somebody who owns a collection of beautiful watches will be seen as a figure of high social ranking.

Another way to associate a watch with status is how the piece is powered. Those who opt for an electrical, battery operated watch are not seen to have as good a status as those who wear a mechanical timepiece. This type of watch requires a much more intricate manufacturing process and is therefore much more expensive.

The material of a the watch can symbolise the status of the wearer. Somebody who wears a plastic watch on a faux-leather strap might be seen as someone from the working classes and of a low social status. However, a person who wears a watch made from precious metals, perhaps also with precious stones embedded, would appear to have a much higher status.

A good quality watch could be a legacy. If the owner of an expensive, high-end watch were to leave such a piece in a will, this would speak incredibly about their social status, proving that a watch can by a symbol of status even after the owner has passed away.

Many people opt to buy a luxury watch as a gift for a special occasion such as a milestone birthday or a retirement. A gift of this kind of extravagance can imply the status of the gift giver.

History of watches as status symbols

It is not just in this current day that watches are symbols of status. This has long been something which would set apart the rich from the poor and the working class from the high society. In the years gone by, when watches were first invented, they were considered a luxury item and so the very act of simply owning a watch set you apart from the rest.

Conclusion

To sum it up, the type of watch you own can imply your social status. This is due to a number of factors from the material from which the watch is made to the way that it functions. Certain brands of watch are more closely associated with wealth and success and these are highly sought after.

Wearing a luxury watch which has been well crafted and is well looked after will definitely be a clear status symbol for all to see.