Make ‘Em Laugh: Six Watches to Brighten Your Day

As much as we like to think we are savvy investors, our taste in timepieces is as much ruled by emotion as it is by research or rational thought. After all, the heart wants what the heart wants.

And what the heart, not to mention the mind and body, want is to feel good. For collectors, while finding one of their grail watches will certainly scratch an itch, that is only one way to find satisfaction. However, there are other factors, from design to materials, that place watches squarely in the category of “mood-altering substance.”

And lately, brands have been celebrating the good things in life with editions that promote positivity.

We are here to celebrate these feel-good timepieces.

One of the most buzzed-about launches from Watches & Wonders 2023, this optimistic update of the emblematic Day-Date 36 from Rolex switches out the calendar function with upbeat messages such as “Happy,” “Eternity,” “Gratitude,” “Peace,” “Faith,” “Love,” and “Hope,” and swaps out the numbers representing the date with 31 different emojis.
 

Based on a 2007 brain imaging study that found using emoticons to label how you’re feeling can have a calming effect on the body, this watch is incredibly fun to wear.
 

Besides, findings from Johns Hopkins University suggest that hopeful emotions can strengthen the body’s immune response. So, as corny as it sounds, positive messages can also help you stay healthy.

The neurotransmitter serotonin is best known for its role in mood disorders. But it is a “social chemical,” meaning its levels can be affected by the quality and quantity of a person’s social interactions, as is the case with oxytocin, or, like serotonin, its levels influence how a person interacts with their peers.
 

Serotonin is also responsible for making you feel good about yourself; instilling a sense of status, respect, and loyalty; and building self-esteem and confidence.

So, with that information about serotonin in mind, let us ask you this: Have you ever known an owner of a Richard Mille to lack self-esteem or confidence? We didn’t think so.
 

And our favorite serotonin booster from the brand is the RM 88 Automatic Winding Tourbillion Smiley, featuring sculptures of a prickly cactus, a cocktail glass, a pink flamingo, and a micro-blasted, yellow-gold smiley figure in a tripartite case. One caveat: This limited edition is no quick fix for a sour mood – supposedly, it took three years to create.
 

Dopamine is best known for helping us feel pleasure as part of the brain’s reward system. Sex, shopping, smelling cookies baking in the oven – all these things can trigger dopamine releases or a “dopamine rush.” And in the watch world, there are few activities that can cause a bigger rush than nabbing a limited edition.
 

Limited to only 120 pieces, the Workhorse Hooligan from Vero is a tough tool watch that features a smiley face on one of its chronograph dials. And priced at a budget-friendly $425, you can indulge in some FOMO without feeling too guilty.
 

Hermès recently launched a host of dreamy timepieces, but our favorite is its newest imagining of Arceau Petite Lune, a watch inspired by space travel. And cleverly, the elegant 38mm dress watch uses gemstone planets and an upside-down moon atop an aventurine and mother-of-pearl dial to suggest the limitless possibilities of the universe.