I was walking down Bond Street the other day, when my eyes spotted a gorgeous yellow gold Day – Date Rolex in a shop window and I thought, “Why not at least try it on?” Of course I knew, as well as my bank details, I was far from getting one any time soon, however as every man knows, an expensive watch is definitely on everyone’s classic bucket list. I entered the store with a bit of hesitation, as at the end of the day I knew I was going to leave the store without it and with a cheap – same as my current watch – excuse, I spotted a young gentleman with his wife that had literally just bought a matching pair for him and her. It was not an anniversary present, it was not a birthday present, it was just shopping. An item which I will probably have to work years for to own, for someone was just as simple as buying a t-shirt from H&M. I paused for a minute, I gave it a glance but I certainly didn’t try it on since I was embarrassed to even take off my watch and leave it on the store’s expensive massif wooden table. On the way home, I was thinking a lot of different things. The different relationships that people have with money as well as the concept of luxury. Do I want this watch due to its craftsmanship and detail or do I want it just for the sake of the brand? Should a watch be in my bucket list while other people don’t even have a place to stay for the night?
In an ordinary dictionary, luxury is defined as "a state of great comfort or elegance, especially when involving great expense". But does this definition encapsulate the essence of what luxury really is?
Luxury is an entirely abstract concept yielding an almost limitless range of potential definitions. The relevance of luxury’s definition can be investigated, however not answered, through the social, political and economic conditions and networks that determine how value is created, under what circumstances it is appreciated and how it can change.
Nowadays, we are constantly being bombarded by the – as the media calls it – “extremely luxurious” lifestyle that celebrities live through pictures and videos that appear on our social media newsfeeds. From Justin Bieber’s brand new customized Lamborghini to Dan Bilzerian’s brand new private jet. Most of us scroll, liking all these unaffordable goodies we are envious of, however are we envious due to their detail and craftsmanship or just because we would like to show off our social status by owning some of them?
For instance, a Vacheron Constantin watch is a very expensive watch that would certainly brag on your wrist about your economic status, however is it luxurious because of its cost or the fact that in order to master its craftsmanship a time frame of 11 years is needed? Society has created this perception that luxury relies on the cost of things, therefore the more you spend the more “luxurious you are”. However, isn’t there the cheesy saying that goes, “Money can’t buy happiness”? Well, it’s definitely better crying in a Ferrari rather than a studio apartment, on the other hand the shallowness of money – thus luxury – can make you take a step back and appreciate every day little things which you take for granted. Luxury is not particularly about expense; it is more about things and ideas you value which affect your life. “Luxury” can certainly be sunbathing in a yacht in St. Barth, but sometimes it is having someone bring you a chicken soup while you are ill and you cannot get out of bed.
On the other side of the coin or world, African children do not even have clean water to drink everyday or they have to walk hours and hours in order to get education; and I am here feeling uncomfortable because I can not afford a thousands pound watch. Well, someone could argue that for these children it should not be a luxury to have water or not have to walk miles to go to school. I guess most people would agree with this statement, however – and unfortunately – that is the way the world is.
Luxury might be associated to such a huge extent with money, but it has been overshadowed by it, leading to the loss of its meaning. Clearly, exquisite craftsmanship, precision, accuracy and exclusivity should be paid off, but as the definition says being in a “state of great comfort or elegance” does not necessarily has to be a wonderful penthouse in Chelsea.
Therefore, all you gentlemen alike me, who are struggling to get a nice watch or a car and get frustrated that you cannot yet, take a step back and appreciate the things that you have at the moment as I can assure you, you will find a lot of luxuries in your life that you take for granted. Obviously, it doesn’t mean that you should not always try for the better; at the end of the day we are men and we always want that a little bit extra something in our lives. However, appreciate every little thing that makes you feel in that state of great comfort at least if it necessarily cannot be elegance, and enjoy it. Therefore, you will be able to say that you live a luxurious life.