His Horological Highness, the Lord of Luxury, the Wizard of Watches, the Satirically Sardonic Sampler of the Superlative, Paul Pluta, the Man Who Plays Archibald Chesterfield III on the Archie Luxury Channel on YouTube Talks Private Club for Luxury Watches, More
Recently, in the NY Post, an article appeared mentioning the opening of a watch club for members only, catering to luminaries and moneyed types, in New York. Perhaps, we are at a turning point in the world of luxury goods. Maybe, in addition to buyers wanting something rare, they also want it sold to them in an ambience of ultra-exclusivity.
To discuss what is taking place, we welcome back Paul Pluta, the man behind the controversial YouTube personality Archie Luxury. Mr. Pluta is a compelling commentator when it comes to the world of expensive watches and luxury goods. On his channel, and in character, he is a voice for those who want insight into fine timepieces, delivered with a heaping dose of irreverence. Yet, make no mistake. Paul Pluta is a true luxury goods devotee. Additionally, he is rather prolific, with what he says are thousands of videos on YouTube. Paul joined us from Australia and gave us his insight on what might be a new phenomenon.
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Paul Pluta is a man who makes his living by way of luxury watch commentary. He gives us his thoughts on the recent NY Post article and how he believes wealthy people want something rare and unique over something simply new and expensive:
“What is so interesting about this new concept in New York is it’s dealing with a lot of preloved items and that demographic of high end, high net worth person, they’re spending their money in different ways now. Of years gone by, you always wanted the latest and greatest item. But what’s happening now is they want one off pieces that cannot be replicated. For example, they want absolutely perfect vintage pieces. They want pieces that haven’t been available in a store for 20, 30, 40 years and they want the best possible example of that piece.”
The man behind the YouTube personality Archie Luxury says this trend of rich people wanting hard to find watches and luxury items is something new that takes a lot of work and is a true challenge. Just having money alone will not guarantee you will be able to purchase rare and hard to find watches and luxury goods:
“Japan has the oldest taste in luxury goods because that is the oldest market for these type of items. And the interesting thing is, is that tastes are changing. They don’t want a piece which anyone can just buy. They want a piece that actually shows that they’ve hunted it down. You understand? Like acquiring a vintage Patek or a Vintage Porsche, it’s not just about slapping down the money. You’ve gotta hunt it out. You gotta know your craft. You need to know what is the good models, what are the not so good models, what characteristics make it amazing.”
The new James Bond movie, Spectre, is now in theaters. Typically, new watches find their way into the movie as part of 007’s wardrobe. This can serve as a means of promoting a certain brand’s new offerings. Giving his thoughts on the James Bond watch market, Paul gives us some Archie Luxury style commentary on the subject:
“The people who will buy these cheesy limited editions think just because they work in a call center on $35,000 a year and they’re 30 kilos overweight, just because they buy the James Bond watch does not make them sophisticated, doesn’t make them slim and it doesn’t make them an international man of mystery. There’s nothing worse than cheesy product placement. The only, the only, the only James Bond watch to have is the Plastic No Date Submariner. Two models, 5508 and 5513. That is it. That is the only James Bond watch.”
You can check out the Archie Luxury YouTube channel clicking here.
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