Let's face it, despite our conceit to the contrary, expensive wristwatches are nothing more than male jewelry. It's no coincidence that most watch brands are owned by large luxury groups and are marketed using the strategy and tactics familiar to makers of handbags, high end fashion, etc. If I were going hiking, fishing, swimming, woodworking or any outdoor activity that would get me sweaty, wet or dirty, I'd strap on a cheap robust watch from Citizen, Seiko or G Shock or no watch at all, not a Rolex Sub or JLC. The days when these expensive 'tool' watches were needed are long gone and I'd conjecture that 99% of these watches have never ever seen seawater, the polo field or the inside of a cockpit. It's all a marketing myth designed to appeal to the 'man' in all of us.
So buy the watch because you like it or because it 'signals' your coolness or status. But don't kid ourselves that it's about anything more than that.
-- (from a watch lover)