The best watch story ever told is the story of the Omega Speedmaster, the first watch worn on the moon. That’s true. Another fact is that luxury is not generally about selling products. Rather, it’s about emotions. That’s certainly the case with luxury watches in the post-Quartz crisis. The key to successful mechanical watches in a world where there are no functional, practical or instrumental needs is to create engaging brand and product stories and communicate emotional resonance and empathy at every customer touchpoint. But is this kind of detailed emotional storytelling, including the brand’s history, the founding watchmaker genius, and the incredible admiration of watches, appealing enough to capture today’s audience? Are such origin stories still relevant? After all, we live in a world dominated by fast social media content.
The inspiration for this thought work comes from an introductory article on the Light Blue IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Miramar Watch. Apparently, the IWC is the color of the T-shirt worn by top gun instructors under flight suits. I asked myself whether it was storytelling or simply an excuse explanation. “We really wanted to make something cool in light blue that is fashionable and summer-friendly, but we didn’t know how to justify it for the Top Gun Watch.
IWC Pilot Watch Chronograph 41 Light Blue Ceramic and Steel Version Top Gun Miramar
Is Storytelling still selling watches in 2025?
As for the two new IWC pilot watches, I think two light blue pieces should talk for themselves. Yes, the ceramic limited edition watch has a technical heritage dating back to the 1980s, with the dial layout being an instrumental type with nonsense and form-following features with military history, but the light blue twist is too fashionable and seasonally timing to benefit from anecdotal stories about t-shirts of the same color. I will raise the question in the heading of this article. With the latest IWC chronographs, I don’t think storytelling sells these novelties. Their colours are.
This may not seem to be a problem, but it may be. Sales of cool, hip, and exaggerated products differ from sales of luxury products that can withstand time and trends. And that’s exactly what mechanical luxury watches are. This is a timeless product that stands in a long tradition and tells the story of innovative, craftsmanship. The parallel universe of luxury watches is held together by storytelling. A great story makes you believe that luxury watches deserve hard-earned cash.
IWC Ingenieur Automatic 42 Ref. IW338903
A fleeting story
Luxurious watches have created a world where they make sense. However, the story must be told repeatedly and new chapters must be added. It’s not anecdote, it’s solid storytelling. Otherwise, the value of the product will be eroded. And great storytelling is nothing more than social media content. Social media can be fleeting to make a long-lasting impression. Also, watch the brand dilutes its identity to appeal to a larger audience or relies solely on product features. This leads to uninspired, interchangeable messaging. When the story is clear, consumers will leave.
GMT-Master Ref. 16750 – Image: Bulang & Sons
When I say “Pan am,” what do you say?
But what about brands like Rolex, Ardmer’s Piguet, Richard Mill, Patek Philippe, and more, as they exist primarily due to their presence on social media and Instagram? Rolex will always do well, whether it’s social media or not. Rolex is an unruly icon. That audience buys watches with crowns on the dial, as they are status symbols. This is because the brand founder Hans Willsdorf strongly believed in the power of marketing. His message spoke about the pursuit of excellence, and he confirmed that the brand’s clients not only learned about his ambitions, but also experienced it. It worked, and with Willsdorf’s efforts, Rolex became a global symbol of achievement, a successful story of achieved ambitions, and a source of customer inspiration.
Rolex GMT-Master II ref. Advertisement from 16710. 2000
Countless Rolex stories have influenced generations. When you say “Mount Everest” or “Pan am,” many Frater’s readers know the inspirational stories behind the words that aim to be a clock that can do great things. However, millions who want “Pepsi” for the many hours they scroll on Instagram don’t know what the nickname means, or the history or functionality of the watch.
Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on Mount Everest
The connection has been lost
It can also be said about the gorgeous sports watches made by Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe, as well as the wild creations of Richard Mill Atelier, which bring public attention to the wrists of Formula 1 drivers, NBA players, artists and influencers. The story of how “it” products were central and how it did it is not interesting to them. It’s easy for a brand to be OK with this, but it shouldn’t. It’s all about the product and whether it’s related/hip/advertised or not, it may lose its future relevance and the brand may continue.
Richard Mill RM 16-02
Contradictions are also confusing factors. One day, the story is about a watch winning a famous car race, and the next moment, it’s about a video game. Brand stories are often volatile and when brands are about every moment and a ton of accessibility, it disrupts consumers. Not only that, it will also undermine reliability.
Tags Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf Ref. CAW218G.EB0393
Non-negotiable reliability
Authenticity is unique. The brand is either authentic or not. It has a reliable and reliable reputation, and is a valuable asset for luxury watch brands. It takes a long time to establish trust between a brand and the public, but that trust can almost immediately be destroyed. Inconsistency unjustly breeds trust-broking, making both the product and the purchase experience feel-good and emotionless. Certainly, the experience that comes with purchasing a luxurious watch is just as essential as the watch itself.
The story of the clock is what turns it into an object of desire for decades rather than seasons. Without storytelling, it’s difficult to explain the numbers on the price tag. Buying a luxurious watch means believing and trusting in storytelling, bringing the right amount of value exactly to justify the price.
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 126500LN-0002
FOMO and DOUMSCROLLING
If a brand cannot communicate to the public why it matters beyond price or fame, it cannot capture and maintain people’s interest. The hype around high-end integrated bracelet sports watches and almost every Rolex in the current catalog is fueled by the instant status that these watches seem to offer, and the idea that luxury watches must be an investment. These are not elements that the watch-producing brand promotes. However, only strong brands with equally strong storytelling must deal with this phenomenon.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26240BA and 15550BA
Prosperous elderly brands such as Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet became a symbol of success at a fierce speed when exposed to millions on social media. Before social media, these brands were less well known as the media they appeared in were so selective. Advertising campaigns from these brands offer a carefully selected target audience a glimpse into a rich, resonant, emotionally fulfilling universe that will allow you to step into their world, share values, and feel a warm sense of belonging.
Patek Philippe Cubitus refs. 7128/1G-001 and 7128/1R-001
Guardian of Heritage
The famous Patek Philippe slogan “You don’t actually own Patek Philippe” is quite a line. Introduced in 1996 as part of the brand’s “generation” campaign, we can see that the Geneva brand is selling legacy rather than watches. Patek emphasizes the idea of heritage and passes on precious possessions. With a Patek on your wrist and a slogan behind your head, you become a guardian of precious heirlooms, a symbol of generations.
Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 5960/1A-001
This is the exact opposite of how the “it” watch appears on Instagram. If you make a certain number of watches a year, but have a million audience online, you can talk about excessive exposure. You are seen by many, but you don’t see who you are. As a brand, you are judged based on small insights. Doomcrawls of past gorgeous watches on your Instagram feed erode the meaning of those watches, as they lack historical dimensions and context.
Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 3700/1a
Difficult tasks
Social media platforms such as Tiktok and Instagram are intentionally designed to tune your brain to consume content in small bite-sized pieces. The short form of content on these platforms can be extremely addictive. Given that the average human attention span on social media is often only 8 seconds, how can a luxury watch brand tell its full story in such a paced environment? If a post, reel, or story isn’t fascinated right away, the user goes through it. Interestingly and reassuring, this is not necessarily a sign of poor cognitive abilities. Our brains adapt to filtering and prioritizing information in a fast-paced digital world, but can take on long-term content and detailed storytelling. Social media is not the place to do that.
Omega Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualification Ref. 332.10.41.51.01.002 and two vintage predecessors
Brands must find other ways to communicate their value and explain their products. They don’t reach the millions that social media does, but a more targeted approach often gives better results. Lifestyle magazines that do more than showcase unique background stories of professional online and offline watch media, fall 2025 trends, different kinds of fascinating events, and more, are all part of simple, emotionally resonating storytelling. Create a brand story strong enough to allow consumers to experience it as an inspirational event. This is extremely rewarding for both brands and consumers.
Cartier Tank Américaine European Limited Edition Ref. WGTA0367
I ask again, is Storytelling still selling watches in 2025?
To put things together and answer the main questions in this article, my answer would be “almost not enough.” The brand is a short-term strategy and is too focused on products that don’t focus well on long-term strategies, including detailed storytelling. It is storytelling that binds prices and products by authentically and transparently explaining the origins, values and vision of a brand. In a parallel universe of gorgeous watches, a watch is by no means enough. The story behind it creates real value. Without that story, even the most iconic brands risk obscure decline.
Modern and vintage Yeagirl Call Reversos
If it’s just how the watch is made, what historically and technically special, but what the watch looks like, and what the brand represents, then a gorgeous watch is hollow hardware. This is a mute object with a heavy price tag that has no voice. That’s not a desirable situation for brands and watch enthusiasts. We want a clock that “tells” great adventures, the pioneering technical wizards who created them, and other inspirational stories. In other words, we want a story worth remembering.
