re: How much do you need to make to justify a 1K+ watch?

A watch is anachronistic, like expensive high karat gold and mined gemstone jewelry.

You probably own more things of substance that keep time than not. As much as we joke about it, a $1000 smartphone (at least if you keep it 3 or 4 years) is going to do a lot more for you than a $500 watch even, much less a $1000, $5000, $10k, etc., watch, even if those watches last 40 or 50 years.

Having said that, I'm not going to be "that guy" who spends other people's money for them. While I would not recommend financing such a purchase, if you can otherwise afford it and make it priority, then knock yourself out. Just recall it is merely jewelry that also tells time at this point.