Do you own a watch? If not, would you like to?

 

LS: Yes, I have two watches. They are quite masculine - of the brand Casio. 

AS: I’ve been looking into getting a vintage Rolex Daytona from 1984, but then Rolex became tacky here in London. So now I’m considering a Cartier watch. 

LS: Mhm, my problem with expensive watches, however, is that your outfit often doesn’t match when you want to dress up. Evening gown + heavy watch - I don’t think so. I would feel uncomfortable wearing an expensive watch in an every-day setting, as it is often such a show-off, something which is not appropriate to signal at work. 

AS: I agree, I would never wear a Rolex watch to work - it would give the people that work for me the wrong signals. 

MS: Exactly - it’s too easy to identify people by what kind of watch they are wearing. When I lived in Berlin, all my Swedish friends had this Cartier watch with a weather strap, that they got from their boyfriends. This was clearly to signal they wanted to be a part of the waspy upper-class group. I’m not into this simplistic way of showing what type of class I belong to. The wealthiest people I know do not need to show off - that's why I’d go for the Bill Gates look instead.

PN: hehe no I’ve never owned a watch, although for a different reason than you might think - my wrists are just too tiny. It would be too heavy on my writs, and anyway, I don't really understand analogue watches. 

FS: I do own a vintage Gucci one, but it actually doesn’t work anymore. Although I don’t really care, because it’s more of a jewellery than a function for me anyways. 

ZW: No I don’t, but I’d like a Cartier. I want a Cartier, not a Rolex because no one has it. I like the squared design of a Cartier, especially the Tank - it was inspired by the WW1 tank. Another one I find to be a good story is the Cartier Crash -- it was inspired by how Cartier wife’s watch looked after a car crash.

 

How important is sustainability to you when shopping?

 

LS: Because I’d like to keep my items for a long time, I care about quality. I don’t necessarily think about what factory it comes from, but I do consider my shopping much more now than before. Now I am careful to buy something I’d like to use for a longer time, as before I had more spontaneous purchases. 

AS: I look at the materials of the product I buy, not whether the company claims they are sustainable or not. I wouldn’t buy re-cycled polyester for example, simply because I would never buy polyester because it is a terrible fabric to have on your skin. 

ZW: zero. Not because I'm not aware, just because I want to buy what I like, not what is right.  

FS: It's very important. I don't want to overconsume. I'm aware of my responsibility as a consumer. I'd like to minimise my overconsumption. 

PN: Very important! Because I want to avoid taking part in slavery work and pollution. I avoid buying things that are new but buy everything second hand instead. 

 

How important is going out to eat for you? And how often do you do it? (Pre-covid ofc)

 

AS: VERY VERY important! In London I went out eating at least three times a week.

LS: Oh my god don’t remind us of the good days. Argh covid! Going out to eat is much more important than any watch, I’ll tell you that. Here in Oslo I go out maybe three times a week, but when I lived in Paris I went out every night.

ZW: Very important - I used to dine out five times a week. I like food a lot and I work quite late so it is convenient. I'm aware that it is also because I'm financially blessed to do so. 

FS: Very important!! Before covid, I dined out 3-4 times a week. 

PN: Pre-covid I dined out a couple of times a week. It is very important to me because it is social.