????權貴們戴塑料表并不是新鮮事。即使在“大衰退”讓低調行事成為一種必然選擇之前，天美時鐵人系列手表(Timex Ironman)已經成為領導者們的主流選擇，這些領導要么沒有虛榮心，要么特別自命不凡，想以此彰顯其個性。例如，比爾?克林頓曾戴過鐵人系列腕表。高盛公司此前三任CEO也戴這種手表。高盛公司歷史記錄者威廉?科漢說，漢克?保爾森戴的那塊鐵人系列手表是史蒂芬?弗萊德曼送的。不少人都知道，喬恩?科爾辛也佩戴這款手表——目前這款表在塔吉特百貨（Target）打折，40美元一塊。

????為什么選擇塑料材質？拋開電池的便捷性不談，人們不選擇電子表的原因有很多。手表是男性的終極飾品。在這個幾乎千篇一律的深色西服和低調鞋履的世界中，手腕真有可能是社會準許男性炫耀個性的唯一一塊小天地（可能還有領帶）。在今年早些時候結束的鐘表界盛會巴塞爾鐘表展中，參展手表的作用可不僅僅只是顯示時間。想要一眼就能了解12個不同時區(qū)的時間嗎？沒問題。想要一款能記住十幾位朋友生日的手表嗎？即將為您奉上。那么手工打造的玫瑰金表殼手表呢？只需花費您51.09萬美元。

????然而，極簡主義開始大行其道。即便是在巴塞爾鐘表展，那些經典款式也呈現(xiàn)東山再起之勢。收藏家也變得更加關注可靠性而不是排場。舒適性也日漸成為一個優(yōu)先考慮的特質。看看如今的流行服飾：“軟著裝”、“懶人裝”和“運動休閑”。華美的勞力士手表(Rolex)似乎難以在如今時尚領域的時髦術語中找到自己的一席之地。隨著奢華家居服飾的爆炸性增長，Gap時裝公司在瑜伽褲上的投入又增加了一倍。在今年時裝周T臺上展演運動褲的設計師還不止一位。

????然而，真正能讓高管們購買斯沃琪手表的原因并不在于其變化多樣的款式，也不是簡單的反勢利心態(tài)。在一家大銀行，與一塊鑲鉆的百達翡麗一樣，一塊塑料表同樣令人生畏。它代表的是對功能的追求，對形式的輕視。高盛公司員工向來以著裝低調而著稱。一塊塑料材質手表足以彰顯該公司厭惡花哨，行事謙卑的個性，在某種程度上，它也能體現(xiàn)出金融從業(yè)者那種極端敬業(yè)的職業(yè)倫理。

????這是因為，不同于江詩丹頓(VacheronConstantins)之類的奢侈品牌，斯沃琪非常實用。你可以鍛煉的時候戴著它。你也可以戴著它參加鐵人運動。（貝蘭克梵愛好游泳，塑料材質的斯沃琪表很容易晾干。）此外，與其他機械表不同的是，大多數(shù)便宜表走時的誤差幾乎是微不可察的。

????還有沒有比手表更為實用的產品呢？可能就是手機了。但即使貴為智能手機行業(yè)領頭羊的蘋果公司(Apple)也顯然看到了腕表的優(yōu)點。關于iWatch的傳言已甚囂塵上多年，但它的種種功能仍不為人所知。讓斯沃琪感到欣慰的是，一些人買手表，仍然只是為了看一下時間。（財富中文網）

????譯者：翔

????Plastic watches aren’t new in the halls of power. Even before the Great Recession made modesty a must, Timex Ironman watches had become a mainstay for leaders who either lack pretension, or have enough pretense to want to appear that way. Bill Clinton, for example, has worn an Ironman. The previous three Goldman chiefs also wore them. Hank Paulson’s was a gift from Stephen Friedman, says Goldman chronicler William Cohan. Jon Corzine, too, has been known to sport the look—which is on offer for about $40 at Target.

????Why plastic? Putting aside the convenience of battery power, there are plenty of reasons not to go digital. The watch is the ultimate male accessory. In a world of subtle variations of dark suits and understated shoes, the wrist may very well be the one area in which is it socially permissible for a man to be sartorially dazzling (okay, yes, perhaps the tie as well). At the Baselworld tradeshow, the horological spectacle that wrapped up earlier this year, the watches on display did much more than tell time. Want to look at 12 different time zones in a single glance? No problem. One that tracks a dozen of your friend’s birthdays? Coming right up. How about a hand-finished model encased in rose gold? Only $510,900.

????Increasingly, though, minimalism is in. Even at Baselworld, classic watches were resurgent. Collectors have become less concerned with ostentation than with authenticity. Comfort is also a growing priority. Pick your trend: “soft dressing,” “slobcore,” “athleisure”—today’s buzzwords speak to a fashion landscape that doesn’t have room for flashy Rolexes. The Gap is doubling down on yoga pants as the luxury loungewear category explodes. And more than one designer put sweatpants on the runway at this year’s Fashion Week.

????Yet it’s more than the vagaries of style, or even simple reverse-snobbery, that has prodded executives to buy Swatches. At a big bank, a plastic watch is as intimidating in its own way as a diamond-studded PatekPhillipe. It signifies a passion for function and disdain for form. Goldman has long been known for its understatement when it comes to dress. A plastic watch exudes that characteristic aversion to flashiness, commitment to modesty, and, in a way, the maniacal work ethic endemic to finance.

????That’s because Swatches—unlike, say, VacheronConstantins—are extremely practical. You can work out in them. You can do an Ironman. (Blankfein is a swimmer, and the plastic Swatch dries easily.) Plus, unlike their mechanical counterparts, most cheap watches keep nearly perfect time.

????The only thing more practical? Maybe a phone. But even Apple, which has played a leading role in the watch’s wardrobe displacement, clearly sees the merits of a wearable clock. The iWatch has been rumored for years, and we can only speculate about the myriad features it will offer. Luckily for Swatch, some people still just want to know the time.