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That's "n'importe quoi", as french said...

A cheap digital piano can usually tell the time. A Bösendorfer Imperial can't.

Spot On!

Proud owner of a Bösendorfer 280VC & a covey of Patek Philipe watches

From left to right:

Patek Philippe 5140, Perpetual Calendar, Gold, Black Alligator w/ Deployment Buckle

Patek Philippe 5134, Calatrava Travel Time, White Gold, Black Alligator w/ Deployment Buckle

Patek Philippe 5127, Calatrava Self Winding, Rose Gold, Brown Alligatot w/ Deployment Buckle





~Lucubrate

Wow, after Lucubrate, I probably should just not bother.

I still love watches and wear one 24x7. I even wear a watch with a fitness tracker on my right hand because as useful as they are Apple watches are just pure ugly. I have several TechnoMarines that I enjoy and I can swim with one and still keep track of time. I got a Movado dress watch I enjoy. I’ve been wearing my Citizen Ecodrive that’s sensational because it uses any sort of light to keep ticking. No movements that need care and cleaning or batteries that need replacing.

Every other month or so, I wish my watches were perpetual calendar.

A couple other thoughts. At least with expensive Swiss watches, you can flash them at a dinner party and “show it off” whereas it’s pretty silly flashing pictures of your new Steinway or Sauter at dinner. Or I guess when other guests are showing pictures of grandkids, you can show pictures of a new piano but most people have no clue.

That was also my thinking about expensive watches. Most people in my circle of relatives and friends wouldn’t know the difference between a Patek Philippe and a Bulova. That’s true even with executive management where I worked.

I love watches (and all other aspects of mechanical timekeeping).

I like the idea that a watch that costs as much as a concert grand should be worn discretely, so that nobody else at the dinner party should be any the wiser.

If you flash pictures of your piano (be it a spinet or a concert grand) at a dinner party and people aren't interested, it's only because they're ignorant savages. 😀

Does anyone have any comments about the validity of the piano/watch comparison in the first post? Although I know nothing about watches, that's actually what I was interested in and thought posters would comment on when I made the post. Which comparisons do you think are good or bad and why?

I bough my ex-wife an Audemars Piguet back in 1997. One of the worse purchases of my life. 🙄(Not the watch! 😂)

The Steinway and Rolex similarity is an obvious one, especially the position of both brands in the public consciousness. However, Rolex isn't really a high-end manufacturer. Steinway is higher up the piano ladder than Rolex is up the watch ladder in terms of snob appeal. It's a bit like Louis Vuitton vs Hermès. Rolex is more Louis Vuitton. However ignoring the price difference...

Steinway: Rolex

Bösendorfer: Patek
Bechstein: Audemars Piguet
Blüthhner: Vachheron Constantin

Fazioli: Lange & Söhne

The holy trinity of PP, AP and Vacheron are the watch equivalent of the three Bs in the piano world. Lange is like Fazioli. They're not Swiss and the modern company was started fairly recently.

There is no need for all these subcategoires, I think we can just use:

Piano : Useful
Watch: Not

I imagine that somewhere on watch-forum.com there is a post that says
Big difference between watches and pianos is that a cheap Yamaha or kawai both just hit a string with a hammer as good as a Steinway or a fazioli. On the other hand a high-end chronograph Patek doesn't just tell time, it can tell you the state of the stars and planets in the universe and help you soar to heights that you never thought possible.

Well the comparisons that I know both watch and corresponding piano is the Rolex Steinway, the Bösendorfer to Patek Philippe and the Tissot to Estonia. Those seem right. Having never tried a Steingraeber or Sauter or Fazioli the other comparisons are lost on me.

some similarities I can think of...
both have a small no. of brands that non watch/piano people think are the top, and know nothing about others (steinway, rolex, patek philippe vs. e.g. bosendorfer, f.p. journe)
non watch/piano people cannot think why anyone one would need more than one “good” one.
The traditional acoustic/mechanical market was almost destroyed by digital.

As others have noted - IMO, The Rolex/Steinway comparison is the most apropos

To the general public, Rolex probably represents to many, the epitome of a high-end, expensive watches. To watchmakers, dealers, aficionados, repairers, etc - They tend to have a different or more expansive view

Likewise with pianos, to the general public, Steinway probably represents to many, the epitome or ideal, in high-end pianos. For those who are piano manufacturers, dealers, turners, etc - Generally, they might have different opinions on the matter


~Lucubrate

There are other similarities with acoustic pianos and mechanical watches. Both are incredibly complex mechanisms that are expensive to make and even more expensive to buy. Mechanical watches need to be kept moving if they’re not being worn, with something called a watch winder and do need to be cleaned to keep them running properly. The cost of cleaning exceeds the price of a quartz watch. An acoustic piano has even more pieces and parts than a fine Swiss watch and also requires regular tuning, voicing and regulation. Yes both of these items lost a huge market share with digital. But....after everyone had digital/quartz watches, suddenly the mechanical watches enjoyed a rebirth of interest.

That's funny. I just happen to own a Seiko and a Kawai.

But we need to find a match for Citizen watches, too. My father (a watchmaker by trade) was fond of them. Perhaps match it to Yamaha and find a European piano to match with Omega instead?

I would be interested in a match with an Apple watch. Maybe a Spirio Steinway.

Let's see, I have
a Movado
a Skagen
a Seiko Lassale
a Bulova and
two Citizen Eco Drive watches.

Anyone care to match a piano with any of these?

Regards,

Curious if Anyone has a good comparison of a Piano to Franck Muller watch

Images of Franck Muller Watches

Although I don’t own a Franck Muller watch, I’ve always enjoyed Their particular style


~Lucubrate

If You don’t mind Me asking - How does technology like Spirio, affect Your work, as a Piano Technician


~Lucubrate