Intro:
First things first, if you're not a pompous little f*ck you'll read this over... if you are one... well you can jog off. Obviously I think the watch is worth $600 or I wouldn't have purchased it myself, dont be an idiot.
All my life I have been a "watch guy”; I wear a watch to sleep for Christ sake, there is something magical about the subtle ticks sweeping me into my dreams. I went to school for design, I studied countless designers & their methods, I know all about the golden ratio, not to be confused with a golden shower but equally as powerful if you're into that sort of thing. I have read and continue to read books by the greats, I have even designed some watches myself… As much as I would love to blow my load of qualifications all over both of your ears, it wouldn’t matter. You might at most be intrigued, but intrigue is never enough. What I am asking you to do is spend your money on something you dont need for a reason that isn't 100% tangible… this is tricky, maybe even tacky… but it needs to be done because no one is talking about the most important side of Astor & Banks.
Purchasing Potential:
Everything amazing comes from nothing, for example this is my first blog… and it is, as you guessed, amazing. All of the major watch brands you get a chubby over were once nothing but a steaming pile of idea. Why am I telling you this when you know it? Spoiler alert you're not keen enough to see that you dont want to see the truth, so here it is.
It is undeniably the consumer who makes famous a watch brand, it has nothing to do with the movement, nothing to do with design, nothing to do with creating the first watch to go to a moon... blah blah blah NOTHING. I mean Daniel Wellington has made a fortune because millions of consumers didn't know better. Rolex, Omega, Panera Bread, & every other large commercially advertised watch in the bloody world would be nothing had not a handful of individuals seen that they were purchasing into potential. Don’t get me wrong, seeing is believing, it’s why I own a Fortitude in the first place, but so many of you tiny little ants can only see the now and it is ruining all the fun... its why you're reading this in the first place, because you cant truly see what you're buying, so you need me, a nobody just like every other annoying watch reviewer to tell you so...
On the Fortitude, I’m not going to smear you with top notch photos, you get one singular image (shameless plug you can find more on my watch-instagram) I'm not going to bore you with redundant details about the watch, its all listed on their website, and I am most certainly not going kiss your ass & beg you to give Astor & Banks a chance, I would rather save the ass kissing for one of my products… I am encouraging you to be apart of something larger than what Astor & Banks is now, I am asking you to be apart of what they should be, and if I am correct, which I always am, you're not going to want to miss out on this.
Take a leap with me into seeing something generational, I dont think this sh*t is going to work itself out overnight but I do see it working itself out. Right now there is a watch company that is striving to do all the right things when it comes to design, quality, and timekeeping… for the slower people reading this, the key word there is striving. It means Astor & Banks is trying to move forward and provide something very valuable at a real price; a quality wrist watch that looks f*cking smooth, keeps decent time, and isn't some cheap crusty marketing gimmick. The moment I put this watch on, I knew that Andrew Pereze (founder) meant business... and what more could I want from a young ambitions watch designer???
There is lots of great things the Fortitude brings to the table, in simple words, it just works. It feels good, looks good, and works well. It is a $600 watch that is going to be a small chunk in the history for A+B if they dont f*ck it up.
Go buy the watch, it's functional, powerful, timeless, and it empowers Astor & Banks to make more and to make better. News flash all those tiny little details that a lot of people on the internet are focusing on can only get worked out with time and money... thats where the consumer (you) come in.
If you want to wear something near perfect on your wrist, go purchase a Nautilus...
Thank me later
-JJ