schubert,
Your comments are surprisingly ignorant and vitriolic. Having been in jewelry and watch retail for many years, I can assure you that there is a larger percentage of fine watch buyers/collectors who purchase their watches for their own enjoyment than those who do so to impress others, although those people certainly exist, and some actually admit to that motivation.
There is a certain group of people, usually but not always men, who have a great respect for the design and workmanship involved in fine watches. We should all be thankful for these people, because without them, this great art would certainly die. An analogy could be made with vinyl records and fine turntables.