This. Some people's brains are wired to detect the smallest details, they are very detail oriented by nature. Others not so much. Detail oriented people tend to admire the details of fit and finish in knives, watches, cars, etc. Others can't distinguish the difference and don't see what we are talking about.
Great point, watches are yet another item that some would never pay more than the minimum for (or they'll simply check the time on their cell phones) while others appreciate the detail and craftsmanship of a fine watch.
Home audio gear/music is another, it's one of my passions, I have system in my office and one at home in my den. I'll have everything setup perfectly, just the way I want it, the soundstage is deep and wide with the vocals sounding as if they're floating in space between the two speakers, all emanating from a dead silent background. Yet "some" will say that they can hear no soundstage at all, yes they hear the music and will go so far as to say I've never heard that song or piece of music sound so good/so real yet somehow they're unable to perceive spatial clues that are spread out across and beyond the boundaries of the room.
I think maybe these things require a certain level of passion, passion for the fine/smallest details (as you said) because if its lacking, then the appreciation of said details can be, often will be, over looked.
At the moment I'm admiring an Exclusive Edition William Henry B10 w/Mammoth Ivory and Thomas Typhoon Damascus in the latest A.G. Russell catalog,
its stunning. Yet I'm willing to bet that my grandfather (he always carried a pocket knife) would have had a heart attack at the mere thought of spending nearly $2000 on a pocket knife.
It all just depends on what's important to you (there's no right or wrong) and what you value most in a particular item, be it a car, a knife, a watch, you name it.
What were we talking about?
