Gearheads vs Watch Guys: How to Tell the Luxury World’s Nerdiest Collectors Apart
One likes his machines big and loud, the other prefers them small and mostly silent. But otherwise, this Venn diagram is closer to a perfect circle: Both Watch Guys and Car Guys are infatuated with outmoded 19th-century technology, both like to say “in the metal,” and both are existentially triggered by batteries. In the contest between the luxury world’s nerdiest collector communities, the ultimate question isn’t which reigns supreme, but how to tell one from the other.
THINKS HE LOOKS LIKE More from Robb Report
Steve McQueen | THINKS HE LOOKS LIKE Paul Newman |
ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE Steve Coogan  Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images | ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE Randy Newman  George Pimentel/WireImage |
FAVORITE NUMBERS 911, 16.4, 250, 300, quattro, 935/78, 12, 5.0 | FAVORITE NUMBERS 6241, 1518, 311.30.42.30.01.005, 20, 5711, 222, 6236, 1/1 |
HOPES YOU NOTICE HIS Vintage Coco Mats ball cap  Supplied | HOPES YOU NOTICE HIS Vintage Gay Frères bracelet  Eric Wind |
IS SURE YOU’RE WRONG ABOUT Tesla, patina, continuation cars, how you’re pronouncing “Porsche”  Michael Cole/Corbis via Getty Images | IS SURE YOU’RE WRONG ABOUT Rolex, fauxtina, date windows, how you’re pronouncing “Jaeger”  Rolex/Cédric Widmer |
DOES HE LIKE A FLAT FOUR In a WRX STI, Alfasud, or old 356 for sure, but in the 718? ARE YOU F#&%!NG SERIOUS? | DOES HE LIKE A FLAT FOUR Bro, on that Kermit Submariner? Siiiick.  Josh Harrison/Alamy Stock Photo |
HOW OFTEN HE THINKS ABOUT LUGS Only during tech inspection.  Rolling Stock/Alamy Stock Photo | HOW OFTEN HE THINKS ABOUT LUGS Constantly |
PRETENDS TO LIKE / IS ASHAMED HE ACTUALLY LIKE Double-clutching / Self-driving technology  Fairfax Media/Getty Images/Michael Ventura/Alamy | PRETENDS TO LIKE / IS ASHAMED HE ACTUALLY LIKE Seiko Credor / Seiko milsub mods  Supplied |
OTHER HOBBIES HE’S ANNOYING ABOUT Watches | OTHER HOBBIES HE’S ANNOYING ABOUT Cars |
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