More timelessness

Posted by Rob Walker on November 17, 2008
Posted Under: DIYism,Update


Here’s the latest chapter in my ongoing coverage of counterfunctional watches — meaning watches that do a bad job telling you what time it is, or no job at all, but have some kind of other aesthetic and/or identity payoff (see related Consumed; related Murketing posts; related links):

It took me a minute to figure out what was going on here, but Etsy seller belleslettresFake Watch Collection is made of magazine images of watches, laminated, with a snap closure. It’s a wearable picture of a watch. Obviously they don’t tell time, but at $15 or so, are cheaper than the real-world Rolexes and so on that they depict.

Via The Storque.

Further diversion may be found at MKTG Tumblr, and the Consumed Facebook page.

Reader Comments

I think this is a great way of clearly stating what all these designer watches and expensive counterfunctional items really mean to the creator of this bracelet. This is an obvious illustration of the direction our society is heading in. Within the last ten years, it seems that the idea of mass consumption is losing its strength, and movements such as fair trade awareness, organic foods, and sweat-shop free clothing, people are starting to care less about the aesthetic quality and value about products they buy. Consumers are becoming smarter, and more concerned about what societal and environmental externalities result from their demand from that product. This magazine watch cut out is saying it doesn’t care how much this watch costs; the actual customer value is that of a piece of paper. Instead of just steering away from the products one cannot afford, this is a clear statement of insult as well. This is the new customer rebellion against marketing and mass production. “Not only will I reject your products, but now I’ll wear them in mockery” Maybe companies should take into consideration the true value of their products, and what customers are willing pay during a recession like this, especially companies that sell luxury items.

#1 
Written By Farheen Jahangir on December 17th, 2008 @ 3:56 pm

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