Buying time

ENAR

A high-end watch is today the unequaled symbol of your status. It really represents who you are and what you stand for. It defines you.” So says Paul Kupelian, chief operations officer of retail operations at Holdal, part of the Abou Adal Group, which represents such luxury watch names as Patek Philippe, A. Lange & Söhne and Vacheron Constantin. Watches are big business. Just pick up any print media — from the International Herald Tribune to the Financial Times to the glossies — and you will notice just how much ad space is devoted to luxury — and even the not-so-luxury — timepieces. Indeed, three years ago, Rolex, arguably the most famous watch brand on the planet, bought the front page of the Herald Tribune to advertise its new GMT Master II. Go figure. These ads sell many ideas. There is heritage: the father-son bonding narrative that tells us we