Guy who still wears high-heels because they originated in men using them in stirrups. "No, babe, this is normal. It's actually good men's fashion. Where did you think your heels originated?"
You are pointing to an outlier that is not expensive due to its beauty but historical significance. Typical expensive watches look normal and beautiful:
Of course, they look like normal watches, that’s the point. However, if you paid for, you would get an extremely polished watch, rares/high-quality materials, hand-checked for every imperfection etc. as opposed to an almost the same looking watch for a brand, say Orient, which you would be able to find minor imperfections even as a non-enthusiast.
I dunno. Having looked at cheaper watches, I don't see imperfections. I'll grant that over time they'll show up (quicker wear and tear).
Here's the thing: Ever since I was a kid, the following features were basic:
1. Tells time
2. Tells date
3. Stopwatch
4. Alarm
5. Chrono (yes, I used that a lot for years).
All this for $50 or less.
I'm assuming the >$100 watches have all this? If not, IMO, the watch is simply failing at the very basics. It shouldn't even be called a watch.
Then Tier 2:
- Timer
- Multiple alarms
- World time
I pay extra for these (and use all of them).
The next tier (Tier 3):
- No batteries and/or solar. Definitely no manual winding.
The next tier:
- Stuff like GPS, sunrise/sunset, etc.
Personally, only after Tier 3 would I consider paying extra for all the things you mentioned. But paying $300+ for a watch without a timer or world time? You've been scammed.
How much have you paid for a pen? Montblanc ball point pens can exceed $1000. Apply everything you said to a (ballpoint) pen - one that most likely will write poorer than a good $50 fountain pen - and you'll see how people view what you are saying.
These particular watches are not my taste as well (I do not find them ugly though) but these are some of the most popular examples watch community find very pretty.
It looks like an Aliexpress Timex.