I've always said handwriting will eventually die as a medium for the masses to communicate. Be it a post card to a friend, a birthday card to your sibling or a love letter, I predict they will slowly but surely be replaced by mobile communication. In a not too distant future snap-chatting a birthday greeting will be retro. This is ok though. Times change and we must run with the medium of the time and not stagnate.
Whilst handwriting may take on the same path as horse riding - only really taken up by the elite due to time and more overly cost, I hope mechanical watch making and repairs do not follow suit. I still want the chance to get my old banger Timex from 1962 repaired or my rust bucket Seiko 7005 from 1970 serviced.
With a classic Triumph Spitfire I still have the opportunity to make lots of noise, look cool but not go really very fast at all (or probably very far). However this doesn't come at a extortionate cost and arguably I will get more attention and conversation than Joe Bloggs in his brand spanking new BMW 1 Series, costing easily 4 times as much. Low-mid range vintage watches can achieve the same effect over say a new Michael Kors, Hugo Boss or a Diesel watch. Whilst there is nothing intrinsically wrong with these new watches, I simply prefer the unadulterated indulgence of digging through a ropey second hand store searching for a vintage gem steeped in history and filled with character. Lets be honest it is just more fun.
The vintage super high end independent wizards dwelling in the sleepy valleys of Switzerland will undoubtedly continue to produce horological marvels, the masterminds able to repair the Rolex's, Patek's and JLC's of the elite will also continue to thrive. I just worry about the currently widely accessible low to middle end of our vintage watch community, I hope we recognise the value in passing on the repair knowledge of sub $250 mechanical watches and our local repair shops stay strong, the average Jack and Jill are entitled to their vintage action too.
That's enough warbling for today, I'm off to get covered in oil.....
ST