"A fancy watch, it's completely unnecessary. I just need a watch to tell the right time"
About this Quote
The intent reads as self-positioning. Nelson, forever associated with the ’80s anti-hero energy of The Breakfast Club, leans into a persona that distrusts ornament and pretension. The subtext is, I’m not buying into your hierarchy. A luxury watch isn’t just unnecessary; it’s a test he’s declining to take. In an industry where appearance is currency and branding is practically oxygen, that’s a meaningful stance: choosing function over signal, refusing to be recruited into another tier of performative success.
Context matters because watches are unusually loaded objects. They’re not merely accessories; they’re heirlooms, trophies, declarations of arrival. By insisting on “the right time,” Nelson also hints at something more human: the anxiety underneath all that shine. If time is what we’re really trying to control, a diamond-studded bezel won’t save you. The line works because it’s almost too reasonable, and that’s the point: simplicity as a kind of rebellion.
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Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Nelson, Judd. (2026, January 16). A fancy watch, it's completely unnecessary. I just need a watch to tell the right time. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/a-fancy-watch-its-completely-unnecessary-i-just-93043/
Chicago Style
Nelson, Judd. "A fancy watch, it's completely unnecessary. I just need a watch to tell the right time." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/a-fancy-watch-its-completely-unnecessary-i-just-93043/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"A fancy watch, it's completely unnecessary. I just need a watch to tell the right time." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/a-fancy-watch-its-completely-unnecessary-i-just-93043/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.








