They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but it appears that in the world of travel - that's exactly what happens.

Globetrotter Matt Meltzer from Miami investigated what would happen if he wore a luxury timepiece, by hiring one for £116 ($150) a month from a company called Eleven James.

The writer found that he received extremely different treatment with a pricey watch on his wrist, with first-class upgrades, dinner invites and flirtatious women among the perks.

Bit of bling: Matt Meltzer investigated what would happen if he wore a luxury timepiece by hiring one for £116 ($150) a month from a company called Eleven James (stock image)

Writing about his experience for Thrillist, Meltzer revealed that almost everyone he met seemed somewhat fixated by the watches he wore.

Over the course of the social experiment, he wore an £8,116 ($10,500) Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe, a £3,015 ($3,900) Bell and Ross 03-92-S and a £4,270 ($5,523) Breitling Superocean Heritage Chronograph.

Classy choice: Over the course of the social experiment, Meltzer wore models from Blancpain, Bell and Ross and Breitling thanks to the watch rental service from Eleven James

Summing up his investigation, Meltzer wrote: 'Over the course of the summer, the way I was treated while traveling generally improved.

Hotel front desks actually seemed to care when my internet didn't work, flight attendants gave me whole cans of soda.

'Hotel front desks actually seemed to care when my internet didn't work. Flight attendants gave me whole cans of soda.

'When I got first-class upgrades, the people I sat next to actually talked to me (watches, I later learned, are how regular first-class flyers can tell the real money from the upgrades).'

The writer did question if it was just the confidence that came from wearing an expensive watch or just the watch itself that was causing people to treat him better.

Greeted by smiles: The writer did question if it was just the confidence that came from wearing an expensive watch or just the watch itself that was causing people to treat him better

However, he concluded that either way, there was definitely a message of power being sent to those he encountered.

TRAVEL SNOBBERY TODAY MailOnline Travel asked Judi James, TV behaviour expert, for her take on travel snobbery: Travel still has a whiff of good old-fashioned class hierarchy about it, from the first class lounges and carriages to the upgrades on flights and cruises. Even on commuter trains there is a tendency to expect a 'different sort' in the First Class carriages and you can often see fellow travelers checking one another out visually to ensure everyone looks capable of paying the extra ticket price. There is no real reason we're such snobs en route apart from the fact that it is largely historical. Hard-up people on a budget travel in discomfort while the wealthy expect to be moved from city to city in style. The attribution effect is rife in travelling, where we are often guilty of assessing and being assessed quickly, by some pretty obvious visual cues. The usual status symbols of a flashy car or home clearly don't apply so eyes can go to the luggage or jewelry, which for a man might easily be the watch. With more and more people using their phones as a timepiece watches are becoming unnecessary in modern life, so owning one that is deeply expensive will hint at lavish wealth rather than just having a few spare bob in the bank. Of course the attribution effect works both ways though, meaning wearing a flashy watch can make the owner feel more confident too. This can have an effect on the body language, with some small subtle changes like increased eye contact or more splayed posture having a profound effect of the perception of people around. Advertisement

Surprisingly, Meltzer said it wan't the dearest watches that got him the most compliments.

The watch people commented on the most was a Bell and Ross 03-92-S with a leather band.

It retails for about a third of what his first watch - the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe - sold for.

Meltzer said one woman 'above his league' approached him at a rooftop bar in Rhode Island and proceeded to flirt with him as she held up a ladies version of the Bell and Ross.

He recalled feeling bowled over by the situation - thinking that the £116 ($150) subscription charge was definitely good value for money with all of the attention he was receiving.

However, Meltzer warns like money itself, watches are relative. High rollers apparently can spend up to six figures on time-telling bling.

Indeed, one billionaire he came across had brought a watch for £348,054 ($450,000) because of its ability to tell the time in four different time zones at once.

Meltzer concluded that his experience with the library of luxury watches was 'eye-opening' and the accessories had a much bigger impact than expected.

Currently Eleven James - which carries men's and unisex watches - is only open to customers in the U.S.

The company - which carries the strap line 'time better spent' - was founded by Randy Brandoff in 2013.

A message on the subscription service site reads: 'Our members enjoy an unprecedented selection of the world’s most exquisite watch brands and styles.