My name is Jordan and I'm a recovering mechanical watch addict

What an interesting article. I see much of myself in you words. When I become interested in something I become obsessed. I too learn all I can and devote all my available time and resources to acquiring and understanding that said passion. That is not healthy and I know that now. I have traded many things for other things (It has been, knives torches, cars, firearms, etc...) over the years I think my watch collecting journey might also near its end in the not too distant future. Certainly gives one something to think about.

Wow, there’s a lot to unpack in that article.

It’s interesting to think about why people stop collecting watches; I mean people will make three posts about why they bought a watch but they never make post about why they stopped or sold their collection. Did they stop because they were too obsessed or too bored?…or maybe you never see that post because you never really stop. 🤣

I think the key to enjoying this addiction in a healthy way is discipline. Discipline can look different based on the person. You mentioned that you were disciplined for only have 4 watches. That may be what discipline looks like for you. However, discipline isn’t necessarily the absence of action but rather acting in a consistent and predetermined fashion.

Personally, I’m at the point in my collecting journey where I’m deciding what story I’m trying to tell. I’ve found that thinking in this way has made me a little bit more content. I’m still obsessed, but as I slowly get a better understanding of my identity, I feel the sense of urgency around making another purchase become less and less.

Thanks for the feedback, glad you enjoyed it. I suspect many on this site share this predisposition.

Thanks for reading and sharing your feedback. I agree that it feels better to have a theme or story to your collection, rather than simply checking off boxes like "best diver under 5K, best dress watch under 5K" which leads to everyone having similar collections.