These items function in the novel as symbols of wealth that point to The Importance of Image and Status. The more exclusive or hard-to-procure the brand, the better it serves as a status symbol. Carlton and Michael both deal in antique cars, though Carlton is interested primarily in speed and has developed an import business, while Michael wants to put his cars on display to show off his wealth. Richie brags about his watch to Nick, pointing out all the special features he will never use, suggesting that he is not interested in function but display. Nick, on the other hand, is wearing his grandfather Sir James Young’s watch, less out of fashion than sentiment, showing Nick’s own priorities and set of values. When Shaoyen wants to thank people for helping with her son, she gives them Hermès handbags, which are distinctive mostly for being elaborately expensive. When Rachel is in Paris, she protests at the cost of a designer bag, and then watches a wealthy Chinese woman buy an entire wall display full of them. These high-value, designer items symbolize aspirations of cultural sophistication but are more overtly used as social currency, signaling the status their owner is eager to display.