{"id":536392,"date":"2026-01-13T11:40:49","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T00:40:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/?p=536392"},"modified":"2026-01-13T11:40:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T00:40:54","slug":"gen-z-analogue-obsession-luxury-watches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/watches\/gen-z-analogue-obsession-luxury-watches","title":{"rendered":"Gen Z\u2019s New Offline Obsession Could Be Luxury Watchmaking\u2019s Best Moment Yet"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Gen Z\u2019s shift toward analogue living is quietly turning wristwatches into a cultural status symbol again.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Watches benefit because they remove phone dependency without forcing a full digital detox.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>From microbrands to haute horology, the appeal is the same. <\/strong><\/li><\/ul><p>I don\u2019t entirely know how they do it, but if the Gen Z tastemakers decided tomorrow that millennial beige, skinny jeans and ankle socks were cool again, we\u2019d all morph into some 2010 version of ourselves overnight. <\/p><p>Such is the cultural sway of the modern gatekeepers of cool that we follow their every move like mildly self-aware disciples. Too much? Maybe. But with their latest offline obsession set to define 2026, a return to analogue that openly spits in the face of the digital world, it\u2019s hard not to pay attention. <\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1400\" src=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Man-Pocketwatch-1400x1400.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-536396\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Man-Pocketwatch-1400x1400.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Man-Pocketwatch-960x960.jpg 960w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Man-Pocketwatch-640x640.jpg 640w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Man-Pocketwatch-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Man-Pocketwatch-480x480.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 640px) 600px, (max-width: 768px) 700px, (max-width: 1024px) 800px, (min-width: 1025px) 1000px, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Gen Z dream. Image: Clark Family Photography Collection<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Warm corners filled with books, journals and high-quality canvas paper, inevitably ordered on next-day delivery from Amazon, are replacing the endless white river of the infinite scroll.<\/p><p>A quick Google search reveals the unofficial bible for this new analogue world order. Read more fiction. Listen to records. Dust off your Ottolenghi cookbook, you know the one. Buy a DVD player. Wake up for the sunrise. Run without Strava. Shoot on film. Keep a calendar. Journal daily. These are all tangible ways of stepping out of the loop we somehow sleepwalked into.<\/p>    <div class=\"content-subscribe\">\n        <div class=\"subscribe-box\">\n            <p class=\"subscribe-title\">Curated news for men, <br\/>delivered to your inbox.<\/p>\n            <form class=\"subscribe-form\" method=\"POST\">\n                <div class=\"subscribe-input\">\n                    <label class=\"screen-reader-text\" for=\"subscribe-email\">Email:<\/label>\n                    <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" id=\"subscribe-email\" placeholder=\"Enter your email\" required class=\"form-control\" autocomplete=\"on\" \/>\n                    <button type=\"submit\" class=\"button button-primary subscribe-button\">Sign Up<\/button>\n                    <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"source\" value=\"article\" \/>\n                    <input type=\"hidden\" id=\"_wpnonce\" name=\"_wpnonce\" value=\"e2df992756\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536392\" \/>                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"form-result\"><\/div>\n            <\/form>\n            <p class=\"subscribe-copy\">Join the DMARGE newsletter \u2014 Be the first to receive the latest news and exclusive stories on style, travel, luxury, cars, and watches. Straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <p>But chief among them is one we\u2019ve been preaching for the better part of two decades. <a href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/watches\/watches-under-500\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy a wristwatch<\/a>. You\u2019ll feel better for it. The Gen Z barometers of cool have spoken. Perhaps <a href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/watches\/watch-trends-we-expect-want-to-see-in-2026\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">trends really are cyclical<\/a>, because they\u2019re about to make a generational comeback like never before.<\/p>                <div class=\"row row-center collapse\">\n                    <div class=\"column\">\n                        <div class=\"dmg-ad\"><div id=\"incontent-1710761387\" class=\"ad-container\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var load_62268874 = function () {googletag.cmd.push(function () {var slot_62268874 = googletag.defineSlot(\"\/1017963\/DMarge\/incontent\",[[250,250],[300,100],[300,250],[320,100],[336,280]],\"incontent-1710761387\").addService(googletag.pubads()).setTargeting('refresh', 'true');if (gamData && gamData.sizeMap && gamData.sizeMap.hasOwnProperty('incontent')) {slot_62268874.defineSizeMapping(gamData.sizeMap['incontent']);}googletag.display(\"incontent-1710761387\");});};adsQueue.push(load_62268874);<\/script><\/div><\/div>                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/luxury-lifestyle\/gen-z-spending-habits-are-changing\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gen Z Spending Habits Are Changing The Rules Of Luxury\u2026 Brands Need To Listen<\/a><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Cartier-Santos-Titanium-dial-1400x933.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-536397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Cartier-Santos-Titanium-dial-1400x933.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Cartier-Santos-Titanium-dial-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Cartier-Santos-Titanium-dial-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Cartier-Santos-Titanium-dial-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Cartier-Santos-Titanium-dial-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 640px) 600px, (max-width: 768px) 700px, (max-width: 1024px) 800px, (min-width: 1025px) 1000px, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From affordable field watches to hand-wound Swiss icons, the analogue appeal works at every price point. Image: Cartier<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Because here\u2019s the thing no one really talks about. Checking the time is the gateway drug. You lift your phone to see if you\u2019re late and ten seconds later you\u2019re knee-deep in an untimely doom scroll, wondering how to improve your forehand or whether that loveless couple can really renovate a dilapidated ch\u00e2teau in the French countryside. I swear the algorithm knew I\u2019d just turned 30.<\/p>                <div class=\"row row-center collapse\">\n                    <div class=\"column\">\n                        <div class=\"dmg-ad\"><div id=\"incontent-237332119\" class=\"ad-container\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var load_480287104 = function () {googletag.cmd.push(function () {var slot_480287104 = googletag.defineSlot(\"\/1017963\/DMarge\/incontent\",[[250,250],[300,100],[300,250],[320,100],[336,280]],\"incontent-237332119\").addService(googletag.pubads()).setTargeting('refresh', 'true');if (gamData && gamData.sizeMap && gamData.sizeMap.hasOwnProperty('incontent')) {slot_480287104.defineSizeMapping(gamData.sizeMap['incontent']);}googletag.display(\"incontent-237332119\");});};adsQueue.push(load_480287104);<\/script><\/div><\/div>                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <p>You didn\u2019t need to check X. You didn\u2019t need to clear a notification from an app you forgot you downloaded. The wristwatch quietly shuts that entire chain reaction down. Time. Glance. Done. No algorithm. No dopamine tax. Just the almost-forgotten act of telling the time.<\/p><p>That\u2019s why this analogue revival feels different to the vinyl boom or the film camera renaissance. A watch isn\u2019t a hobby. It\u2019s a daily utility. One that doesn\u2019t remove you from the world in the way reading a book does, or dedicating an evening to candlelit portraits of your better half.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1400\" src=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/date-night-portraits-Reddit-1400x1400.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-536398\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/date-night-portraits-Reddit-1400x1400.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/date-night-portraits-Reddit-960x960.jpg 960w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/date-night-portraits-Reddit-640x640.jpg 640w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/date-night-portraits-Reddit-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/date-night-portraits-Reddit-480x480.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 640px) 600px, (max-width: 768px) 700px, (max-width: 1024px) 800px, (min-width: 1025px) 1000px, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Analogue date nights are making a comeback. You\u2019ve been warned. Image: Reddit<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Unlike phones or full digital detoxes, watches don\u2019t ask you to opt out of modern life. You still need maps, payments, messages, tickets. This isn\u2019t about becoming a monk. It\u2019s about removing just enough convenience to stay human.<\/p><p>That\u2019s why I feel like watches will outlast (and ultimately benefit from) this particular analogue moment. Rather than a reactionary trend, they\u2019re a solution hiding in plain sight. The original single-purpose device, doing one job well, long before anyone thought that was revolutionary.<\/p><p>It also explains why the appeal spans everything from a $300 microbrand field watch to a five-figure hand-wound Swiss flex. The motivation is exactly the same, and it\u2019s accessible at any price point.<\/p>                <div class=\"row row-center collapse\">\n                    <div class=\"column\">\n                        <div class=\"dmg-ad\"><div id=\"incontent-1106962809\" class=\"ad-container\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var load_1972433386 = function () {googletag.cmd.push(function () {var slot_1972433386 = googletag.defineSlot(\"\/1017963\/DMarge\/incontent\",[[250,250],[300,100],[300,250],[320,100],[336,280]],\"incontent-1106962809\").addService(googletag.pubads()).setTargeting('refresh', 'true');if (gamData && gamData.sizeMap && gamData.sizeMap.hasOwnProperty('incontent')) {slot_1972433386.defineSizeMapping(gamData.sizeMap['incontent']);}googletag.display(\"incontent-1106962809\");});};adsQueue.push(load_1972433386);<\/script><\/div><\/div>                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <p>Luxury brands benefit because <a href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/watches\/future-of-luxury-watch-market\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the conversation around luxury has shifted<\/a>. Loud consumption feels a bit try-hard right now, especially amid a global cost-of-living squeeze. The next generation is more selective, more sceptical, and far more willing to question what they\u2019re paying for.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Vacheron-Constantin-222-1400x933.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-536399\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Vacheron-Constantin-222-1400x933.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Vacheron-Constantin-222-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Vacheron-Constantin-222-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Vacheron-Constantin-222-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Vacheron-Constantin-222-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 640px) 600px, (max-width: 768px) 700px, (max-width: 1024px) 800px, (min-width: 1025px) 1000px, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The infinite scroll trained us to check our phones constantly. A wristwatch offers time without distraction, and that difference matters more than ever. Image: Vacheron Constantin<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>A mechanical watch fits that mood perfectly. It\u2019s slow by design. It needs care. It asks you to meet it halfway, to wind it, set it. You build a small ritual into your day that doesn\u2019t involve unlocking a screen.<\/p>                <div class=\"row row-center collapse\">\n                    <div class=\"column\">\n                        <div class=\"dmg-ad\"><div id=\"incontent-1939255718\" class=\"ad-container\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var load_1815087807 = function () {googletag.cmd.push(function () {var slot_1815087807 = googletag.defineSlot(\"\/1017963\/DMarge\/incontent\",[[250,250],[300,100],[300,250],[320,100],[336,280]],\"incontent-1939255718\").addService(googletag.pubads()).setTargeting('refresh', 'true');if (gamData && gamData.sizeMap && gamData.sizeMap.hasOwnProperty('incontent')) {slot_1815087807.defineSizeMapping(gamData.sizeMap['incontent']);}googletag.display(\"incontent-1939255718\");});};adsQueue.push(load_1815087807);<\/script><\/div><\/div>                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <p><a href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/watches\/luxury-watch-sales-are-down-but-these-ones-keep-selling-out\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Microbrands, meanwhile, are having their moment<\/a> because Gen Z and younger millennials aren\u2019t allergic to spending money. They\u2019re allergic to feeling like they\u2019re making an ill-informed purchase. And are <a href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/watches\/what-your-watch-brand-says-about-you\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more conscious of what their watch says about them<\/a>. <\/p><p>A well-designed watch from a small, opinionated brand scratches the analogue itch without worrying <a href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/watches\/rolex-2026-prices-revealed-as-steel-watches-hit-breaking-point\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">about the latest price hikes<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/watches\/rolex-waitlists-are-finally-cracking\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">waitlists and boutique theatre<\/a>. It feels like buying something because you genuinely want it, not because Instagram decided it was time.<\/p><p>So yes, read more fiction. Light a candle. Cook something from a book instead of a browser tab. But if you\u2019re going to start anywhere, start with the thing that lives on your wrist. It won\u2019t change your life overnight, but it might just give your attention back, one glance at a time. The Gen Z have spoken. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gen Z\u2019s analogue turn is quietly making wristwatches cool again. Less scrolling, more intention. From microbrands to Swiss heavyweights, watches thrive in the post-scroll era.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101107,"featured_media":536395,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stopmodifiedupdate":false,"_modified_date":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[249],"tags":[],"coauthors":[146353],"class_list":{"0":"post-536392","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-watches"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536392","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/101107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=536392"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536392\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":536401,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536392\/revisions\/536401"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/536395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=536392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=536392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=536392"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=536392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}