In this blog post, we’ll explore why analog watches have maintained their competitiveness over such a long period, even amid the rapid advancement of digital technology.
Why haven’t analog watches disappeared?
Just over a decade ago, the “Anycall Haptic AMOLED Phone” was a product that many people coveted. Equipped with a self-emissive AMOLED display, it offered image quality far superior to that of conventional LCDs. Combined with commercials featuring Son Dam-bi and After School—who were hugely popular at the time—it made a huge splash in the mobile phone market. However, today, with smartphones dominating the mobile phone market, it’s hard to find any trace of the AMOLED phone. It has become just one of the countless products that have faded into history as technology has advanced.
Yet, unlike other products based on outdated technology, analog watches have maintained a solid foothold for hundreds of years, even in an environment where new technologies are constantly emerging. While they aren’t particularly superior in performance or value for money compared to digital watches, why do so many people still choose analog watches? The simple reason that they’re “cool” is hardly enough to explain the centuries-long history of analog watches or their continued market competitiveness today. Moreover, even as smartwatches and digital watches equipped with new features are released every year, analog watches still command a significant market share. So, what competitive advantages have allowed analog watches to maintain their unshakable position over the years?
The Competitive Edge of Analog Watches: Adding a Human Touch to Time
Since spring-driven clocks first appeared in 15th-century Europe, analog watches have undergone continuous evolution.
Going beyond simply telling time, analog watches have secured a competitive edge that remains unshaken even in the face of challenges from digital watches equipped with new technologies by adding a human touch to the concept of time.
The biggest difference between digital and analog watches lies in how they represent time. Digital watches display the current time accurately and in a fragmented manner using numbers. In contrast, analog watches use hour and minute hands to show the passage of time itself. In other words, while digital watches focus on accurately conveying the current time, analog watches focus on intuitively showing how much time has passed and how much remains.
Because of this difference, digital watches give the impression of breaking down every moment of life into units of hours, minutes, and seconds. Consequently, time on a digital watch leaves a cold impression—that of numbers quantifying human life. In contrast, time on an analog watch conveys a sense of flowing naturally alongside human life. When looking at a digital watch, the current time catches the eye first, but when looking at an analog watch, one first perceives how much time has passed. Thus, time on an analog watch feels less like a mere number and more like a familiar companion flowing alongside human life. In other words, analog watches imbue the absolute concept of time with human emotion.
People intuitively sense this human touch and experience a sense of familiarity and charm. That is why, even today—as digital watches and smartwatches equipped with new technologies continue to emerge—analog watches are still the preferred choice for many people.
Analog watches hold the value of being “status symbols”
Furthermore, analog watches have firmly established themselves as “prestige-seeking products” that satisfy consumers’ social needs, which is why they are not easily overshadowed by digital watches.
Products can be broadly categorized into “utility-seeking products,” “prestige-seeking products,” and “experience-seeking products” based on the values consumers pursue. Utility-seeking products prioritize performance and functionality, while prestige-seeking products emphasize the social symbolism and pride derived from ownership. Experience-seeking products emphasize the enjoyment and experiences gained through using the product.
To understand the difference between utility-seeking and status-seeking products, let’s compare a standard passenger car from Hyundai Motor Company with a Rolls-Royce. Consumers with average incomes often choose vehicles that are affordable and highly practical. In contrast, people with high social status may prefer luxury cars like Rolls-Royces to express their social standing and image.
In other words, ordinary passenger cars are strongly characterized as utility-oriented products, while Rolls-Royces are a prime example of prestige-seeking products.
Digital watches, like ordinary passenger cars, are also closer to utility-oriented products. This is because the elements emphasized by digital watches and smartwatches—such as accurate time display, various functions, high convenience, health management features, and smart capabilities—are performance-centered values.
In contrast, analog watches prioritize sophisticated design, a long history and craftsmanship, rarity, and brand value over the functions themselves. In fact, the flagship products of world-renowned luxury watch brands such as Omega, Patek Philippe, Breguet, and Rolex are mostly analog watches. These products are not purchased by consumers merely to check the time; rather, they are strongly associated with the acquisition of social status and a sense of pride.
In other words, analog watches have established themselves as products that satisfy consumers’ pride and self-esteem, transcending objective values such as functionality or price. Consequently, consumers who prioritize social status and self-fulfillment naturally choose analog watches over digital ones. Unless digital watches completely replace analog watches in this realm of pride, analog watches are highly likely to maintain a significant position in the watch market for the foreseeable future.
A product’s future begins with its unique value
Analog watches have long been favored by consumers by adding a human touch to the concept of time while simultaneously solidifying their position as products that embody a sense of pride. In other words, it is precisely because consumers have recognized the product’s unique value that it has been able to survive even in a fiercely competitive market.
In poet Jeong Hee-sung’s celebratory poem “Here Is the Temple of Blazing Light,” there is a line that reads, “If anyone asks about the future of our homeland, tell them to look up at Gwanak.” Borrowing the spirit of this passage, I would like to say that if anyone asks about the future of a product, they should look up at an analog watch.
If you want to survive in today’s market, you must examine why analog watches have been valued for so long. And you must constantly ponder how the products you create can develop a unique value—one that is difficult to replace—just like analog watches, even in a fiercely competitive market.
