$1000 is my limit…should it be?

To each their own, but you're missing out on owning some great watches. 

If you can exceed that, maybe look through the catalog of a few of your favorite brands and get one of the higher valued pieces that excite you. 

I'm gonna play Devil's Advocate and say, "Yes, it should be your limit."  Am I being hypocritical?  Absolutely.  But, here's my reasoning:

• If I could have stayed below $1k, would I?  No question.  But, somehow, I just couldn't resist the allure of certain watches
• If you don't feel a particular hankering for particular watches over $1k, then why spend more than $1k?  
• I mean, I know that cocaine is awesome, but I seem to be able to resist the pull.  So, why bother?  In the meantime, copious amounts of alcohol seem to carry me through the day just fine, so I think I'll just stick with that for the time being

I wrote this post a few months ago:

https://www.watchcrunch.com/thiago/posts/opinion-why-mid-range-watches-matter-most-the-illusion-of-watch-ladder-7612

I hope that helps.

I respect whatever your internal decision making is. You know what is best for you.

And I'm way below that personally, yet don't suffer any FOMO either.

Is it your first watch? If so I would say yes. I read once that the first price you buy a watch kind of becomes your minimum, because your brain is like "well that's the baseline now, so pay above". 

Along that logic, I purposefully bought an SKX007 (£160), even though I was hunting a BLNR for my birthday in a few months time. Ever since, any watch price has been no issue and I don't feel I need to "beat" my first watch price! 🤑

Buy what you like and buy what you will wear.  Focus on used watches from reputable dealers that offer a warranty, and stretch that dollar ever further.  Buying new is usually not the best value out there.

I am so glad you made that post.

I have been struggling to put into words the quality difference between my Christopher Ward C63 Sealander GMT vs Tudor Black Bay 58...but the quality difference is much closer than the $1,000 vs $4,000 price point ever should be and I have yet to hear anyone else make that reference until your post. For context, both watches are 39 mm with similar lug-to-lug.  Here is where each watch wins in a head-to-head matchup:

Tudor Black Bay 58 - Bracelet, movement, brand "prestige", and looks (completely subjective but I love the gilt)

Christopher Ward C63 Sealander GMT - Case finishing, size, dial markers, wearability (case curves around wrist unlike the BB58)

I felt it was too strong of an opinion to type out as the BB58 has been my grail piece since it released in 2018 but I will just say this...I have thought about selling my BB58 and acquiring a CW Aquitaine or Monta Atlas GMT because these microbrands are not only killing it from a value standpoint, but actively listening to customers and applying the feedback to their pieces.

I always say I have a firm nothing over $2000 rule. Bear in mind that is in Canadian Dollars so lets say $1700 US. However the reality is I can't bring myself to spend more than $1000. It's not really a case of I can't afford to go higher it's more of a realization that I get no more pleasure from a more expensive watch than I do from those in my budget range. For me I would rather use those funds on other projects or trips (or bailing my daughter out her quarterly financial messes). I am not a luxury goods kind of guy. I like quality products at a fair value but they don't have to be the best. 

I often catch myself rolling my eyes at posts about Rolex, Tudors, Omegas, and <insert expensive luxury brand> then remind myself that everyone finds satisfaction and enjoyment from different things. A lot of people would look at what I spend refurbishing a 1971 Fiberglass Camper without a bathroom and think I'm nuts. 

In short, I guess a little self reflection is in order and then do what makes sense for you.

So many great watches under 1K. I'd Google videos on best watches under 1K 

At higher price points you get diminishing returns. I have my own ceiling to which I haven't yet come close to. I probably would not draw the line at $1000 though, but that depends on the watches you like.

One sensible line is around $500: there you can get pretty much any Chinese watch, and a lot of good Japanese ones.

What you get in $500-1000 range are some entry-level Swiss watches which are not really any better than what comes before.

Once you stretch to $1500 or $2000 all of a sudden a whole new bunch of excellent watches become available (Christopher Ward, Mühle Glashütte, Damasko...), but after that it becomes really hard to justify additional expenditure.

I really want a one of a few more expensive watches (2000-7000$). I just need to save up and pick one. Got to save for a loooong time, so I have time to evaluate my options ☺️

I have a TudorBlack Bay GMT and love it. At the same time the rest of my watches I spent $700 or in most case less. The price point is where you are comfortable to spend. I want a Rolex Explore, but I can’t justify $7,200 price tag. When used Explorers sold for $4,000 I could. At the moment, buy whatever you want, the price point you’re comfortable spending and how long you are willing to stay in the dog house with your partner. 

Depends what you are looking for. The quality will not increase significantly, the diminishing returns are very real. I do believe this is not exactly the case for dress watches however. There are certain details you will only find on more expensive watches.

I am an advocate for people who wear certain things to make themselves feel better. If the name "Rolex" or whatever on a watch makes you feel confident, then by all means go for it.

I think the way you approach the watch changes too. Yes, my Cartier isn't the most tough watch out there, but I do feel like I need to baby it more than my Orient. I also think the whole buying process, and dropping a large sum of money left a huge impression on me, so it felt special right off the bat (where as with my more affordable watches, I felt like I needed time to bond with).

I guess a way to go about it is to utilize the used market. If it doesn't work out, you can always sell it again for minimal loss.

While there are diminishing marginal returns to going up in price tier, I think it is somewhat wishful thinking to argue that you simply can't tell the difference above a certain price point.

There is a substantial leap in quality at around $500 and then again at a couple thousand.  Over $10k is yet another leap in quality.  You might argue that the incremental improvements are small but watch collecting is literally all about small details.

There are some brands that punch above their weight (GS offers hand finishing at mass production prices, JLC offers exceptional and unique movements at slightly less than high horology prices, Czapek/Girard Perragaux/Moser offer high horology design and quality at significantly lower than Patek and AP secondary pricing), but the market is by and large pretty efficient.  You do get what you pay for in terms of finishing, movements, materials, etc. Except for Rolex of course which is mostly just stupid on secondary markets.

That said, I do 100% agree with @thiago and others when they describe that the JOY of having a watch is independent of the price.  I can say, with great certainty, that I derive more pleasure from wearing a Seiko 5 out than I do wearing a Daytona out, probably because somewhere along the line the Daytona became an asset class and that made it less fun.

So stick below $1k if you can, and definitely do it if you don't have anything you're yearning for.   Don't spend more for the sake of progression (there is none).  But don't beat yourself up if you find something priced above your threshold that speaks to you and you can afford.  It's supposed to be fun.

This hobby can get quite expensive so I would certainly not encourage anyone to start increasing their budget without knowing their own personal situation. There is no doubt that some brands produce better products than others, and that tends to be reflected in prices. Whether or not any improvements in quality justify the corresponding increase in price depends upon both your budget, and the importance you place on watches. 

A fellow watch enthusiast recently got me interested in pocket knives. His most recent acquisitions are some amazing Rockstead knives with prices well north of $1K. They are definitely superior to the ones that I own, but my interest level in knives isn't great enough to justify the 3X price difference, even though my budget would allow it.

Based on that, I would suggest that if your budget comfortably allows you to extend beyond your current arbitrary limit that you've placed on yourself, AND your interest level in watches is high enough, it's probably worth exploring. You may find that you're perfectly happy with the status quo, or you may discover that you can easily justify moving up the food chain. There are tons of great watches available in the <$1K range, but options obviously open up as the spend limit increases. You won't know unless you investigate, but just be aware of the pitfalls involved in opening up Pandora's box.

Lots of wisdom given here.  Bottom line: Can you FEEL $3001 difference wearing a $4000 watch vs a $999 watch if you didn't know the brands?

Only way to know is to try. If you don’t like it, you can always cut it loose, and depending on what you get and how much of a discount you get up front, you might not loose much at all. 

My first over $1k watch was a Speedmaster Hesalite 1861 I got 4 years ago for $3400 grey market. (Those were the days…)I could easily move it today for much more, so you never know.

Thank you everyone,

while I’m still not sure what my next move might be I do enjoy everyone’s viewpoint.

cheers 🍻  

I was in the same position.  had a black bay ETA and thought that was my price limit. Then, unexpectedly had the chance to trade it toward a like new Explorer, which had been my favourite ever since getting into watches. Swallowed hard, paid the difference and have worn it everyday for almost three years. No regrets, and I think of that $4500 as being amortized over the rest of my life!

Trading for what you wanted was very smart. I find my GMT is very useful and almost wear it everyday. With two kids in college, it might be a few years before I start saving for the Explorer. Maybe a second retirement gift to myself.

$1000 more than enough to find really great watches. I try to stick to $500