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Comment by mtempm | Hacker News Reader

From an engineering perspective only (removing social/psychological attitudes from your mind) this is an interesting comment. Honda Company for years has output some of the best engineering in the automotive world, while Rolex produces nothing compelling from an engineering perspective.

The Honda S2000 had the most impressive 4cyl engine ever produced (and easily one of the best--impressive, reliable, fun--consumer engines ever produced) ... available in a reasonably priced roadster. There is a popular engineer/gear head Youtuber, Engineering Explained, that gawks over his.

But Honda and Rolex are different animals.

Personally I would rather not network with someone who values my character on the basis of wearing a Rolex, especially not in software dev. We're supposed to be savvy intellects, not ostentatious egos.

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The rolex factory is quite impressive:

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/inside-rolex

Certainly nowhere on the scale or awe of what the large automakers like Toyota or Honda have done, but impressive nonetheless (to a layman like me, at least)

I also think that is impressive, but it is about manufacturing and build quality. I'm talking about engineering design. A Honda has a lot of original and impressive engineering work in it. A lot of very smart people worked very hard to produce that. It's not the same with a Rolex. At HN we are tech savvy so I think we should appreciate that.

sounds like the price discrimination is working.

That's a pretentious insult without any substance.

At least the Honda product has some compelling, original engineering know-how; the Rolex does not, and that's all I ever said. What you're saying is unsubstantiated troll-bait and insulting to me, and a lot of people. Good on ya' for that one.

Edit: you edited your own comment... To still another unsubstantiated yet pretentious and condescending comment.

I didn't see the original but I did not get the impression that the poster's aim was to insult you.

You mentioned being software development, and as a skilled craftsperson in that field naturally you prize function over display. But two professional investors might eye each others' Rolexes to to signal both a sufficiently high level of disposable income that they can afford not to care about purely utilitarian factors, and as a sign of willingness to comply with an unwritten social norm rather than insisting on the superiority of their own taste/judgment in every circumstance.

What's ostentatious to the outsider may be an expression of humility to the insider: 'I'm willing to pay the price for this entry ticket on my wrist, but did not come here this evening to try to one-up everyone else.' At the opposite end of the social scale, you might wear a black leather jacket to fit in at the local punk club, but if your leather jacket was of too obviously high quality the other punks would doubtless consider you a wanker.

Please consider the possibility that you are undervaluing the social engineering function of the expensive watch by focusing on the technical engineering criteria.

Sure, I think Rolex is a product of very capable social engineering, which is why it can command such a high price while knock offs that cannot be easily identified as such sell for a fraction.

Also, the above poster's assertion this is proce discrimination is plainly wrong and uninformed. This has nothing to do with price discrimination.

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