The Manual: Wabi-Sabi

A customer asked me the other day about the scratch resistance of the Tugela V4, and whether scratches would show on the bead-blasted surface. I had to be honest with him. The case of the Tugela is not very scratch-resistant. It will show scratches and signs of wear if it is being worn hard like we expect it to be. I get that some like to keep their watches in pristine condition. Sure, if you have a couple of high value pieces that you are keeping as an investment. But if you’re holding on to a Draken because you think it’s going to be worth thousands one day, I hate to break it to you – it won’t. But really, we don’t want our watches sitting in a watch box gathering dust. They’re designed to be beaten around the bush. Use and abuse them. Don’t take your watch off when you’re reaching into a muddy hole because ‘you don’t want to get it messed up’.

In Japanese culture, there is a philosophy called ‘Wabi-Sabi‘. It’s the acceptance of transience and imperfection. It’s about finding beauty in the imperfect, the impermanent and the incomplete. This appreciation mostly applies to natural objects and it’s characteristics are simplicity, asymmetry, austerity, modesty and roughness. Interestingly, in Japanese culture, Wabi-sabi sits on the same level of aesthetic value as beauty and perfection do to Greek and Western ideals. Richard Powell put it “Wabi-sabi nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.”^[9] Wabi is translated as “subdued, austere beauty” while sabi means “rustic patina”.

For a more detailed history of ‘Wabi-Sabi’, check out this video:

There are some hilarious memes about the agony of that first scratch on your luxury watch, or the pain experienced when your watch connects with a door handle. But in all seriousness, the philosophy of Wabi-Sabi teaches that things will get damaged, things will break and nothing is perfect.  Watches are meant to be worn, knives are meant to cut and shoes are meant to go walking. Yes, we should take care not to misuse things, but when they do get a few knocks, don’t get stressed about it. Acceptance of flaws is healthy, and often honourable.

For a laugh 😂