A hard pill to swallow.
Having to sell a watch that you like for a watch that you MIGHT love is a heck of a thing, and in this hobby, it tends to happen but not without regrets.
I've never really considered myself a watch collector, because in my head, collectors don't really get to enjoy their collection. They have to keep them in pristine condition and often time it's expected that they have to have the "favourites".
I'm more of a lover of watches, I think that suits me better. Getting what I like, wearing them often and adoring them each and every time. I have a good amount of watches (about 20+) some of which were gifted to me and a few I've had for decades, the rest I've bought and luckily I've only had buyers remorse maybe once or twice.
What I don't want to ever experience, is the opposite, if hate to sell a watch and end up missing it in the not so long run.
This Calatrava, has been one of my go to for my highest dress occasions (some weddings, a few graduations and some other suit and tie functions.) But I'm not huge on dressing up. Ideally, I'll be wearing a slender sports watch down the aisle when I make those big steps and if not, there are other dress watches than I do fancy that doesn't cost as much as this one does.
My true grail pieces are currently out of my price range BUT if I were to sell this PP (DUN DUN DUUUUUNNN) I'd probably be very close to buying one of said grails or eve ln just a watch or two that really really tickles my horology fancy.
I don't dress up often and outside of that I don't really wear this watch often if ever at all... It sits on a safe most of the time. Now I'm wondering, do I sell it? Do I keep it as I mature and might end up wearing it as I get older OR do I sell it now while the market is crazy and I could get good money for it and buy watches that actually interest me.
Sorry for the long read but I just picked it up and thought I'd share with my fellow crunches.
Just a Jamaican graphic designer with a watch obsession. A sucker for a beautiful dial. Living vicariously through my watchmates here! Seiko fanboy, Rolex Fanboy, HM&C fanboy
You are trying to talk yourself into selling it. That means you have doubts and will most likely regret it.
Think of how many people dream of owning one of those and how you'll most likely have to pay more to get one again later if you sell it. Not to mention all of the memories you alluded to.
I get my share of texts from friends looking for watch related advice. A few years ago a friend who wears mostly inexpensive generic watches plus one well worn fake Pepsi from Miami texted a image of a late 1960s or 1970s PP Calatrava gents dress watch that one his condo neighbours offered to sell to him for any price they could agree on, under $500 cad. My fast reply was that the gold buckle and strap is real the watch has to be a good fake. In fact the watch upon a physical examination was totally genuine, never serviced. I suggested my friend buy the PP asap before his condo neighbour woke up. Crazy story but true, the owner of the watch eventually tired of a decent offer from my skittish friend just gave him the watch for some future dinner date with their wives at some cheap Italian restaurant they were fond of. Of course my rich buddy immediately offers to negotiate for one of my watches that he had his eye on if I would allocate $500 to the deal in return for the Calatrava. He wanted a timepiece that I picked up from a small shop with my wife when we visited Chicago, nice watch with amazing memories for me, no deal plus I would never wear the dress watch, not my style. Fortunately for my friend even a reputable pre own watch dealer declined to make an offer for the gold watch. After all not all Pateks are in demand, depends on the marketplace. Apparently the gold watch was a token of appreciation from the condo neighbour’s long time employer when he was declared redundant and let go before he was prepared to walk off into the sunset. My personal opinion remains constant: the mechanical objects are worthy only if we assign importance and value to them.
Im not sure.. if you still like it though, keep it, as you may not be able to purchase one again. I know, i should have purchased the calatrava i was eyeing some years ago before prices literally tripled at retail by now...
On the other hand, i may not have been able to purchase my rolex, omega and iwc... tsk... choices...
You are trying to talk yourself into selling it. That means you have doubts and will most likely regret it.
Think of how many people dream of owning one of those and how you'll most likely have to pay more to get one again later if you sell it. Not to mention all of the memories you alluded to.
When I was writing this post it hit me that I might be talking myself into selling it. You're spot on there! I got it on a deal from an older gentleman that said he owned too many dress watches and it wasn't his favourite when I say his dress watch collection is literally like 6-7 PPs, 2 Reverso and I think a couple Cartiers so I wasn't going to talk him out of it lol.
It has some sentimental value but nothing I used it to mark. The weddings were family but not my siblings and friends that are estranged now.
I get my share of texts from friends looking for watch related advice. A few years ago a friend who wears mostly inexpensive generic watches plus one well worn fake Pepsi from Miami texted a image of a late 1960s or 1970s PP Calatrava gents dress watch that one his condo neighbours offered to sell to him for any price they could agree on, under $500 cad. My fast reply was that the gold buckle and strap is real the watch has to be a good fake. In fact the watch upon a physical examination was totally genuine, never serviced. I suggested my friend buy the PP asap before his condo neighbour woke up. Crazy story but true, the owner of the watch eventually tired of a decent offer from my skittish friend just gave him the watch for some future dinner date with their wives at some cheap Italian restaurant they were fond of. Of course my rich buddy immediately offers to negotiate for one of my watches that he had his eye on if I would allocate $500 to the deal in return for the Calatrava. He wanted a timepiece that I picked up from a small shop with my wife when we visited Chicago, nice watch with amazing memories for me, no deal plus I would never wear the dress watch, not my style. Fortunately for my friend even a reputable pre own watch dealer declined to make an offer for the gold watch. After all not all Pateks are in demand, depends on the marketplace. Apparently the gold watch was a token of appreciation from the condo neighbour’s long time employer when he was declared redundant and let go before he was prepared to walk off into the sunset. My personal opinion remains constant: the mechanical objects are worthy only if we assign importance and value to them.
Thank you for sharing! I got it on a very similar deal, an older friend of mine, retired architect and he's seen many many moons sold it to me on a great deal because he has a literal collection of dress watches separate from his actual collecion ... Said he had a lot of dress watches and this one wasn't one of his favourites.
I'll try to get a pic of his dress watch collection one of these days. Some absolute beauties in there.
Calatrava is classic, you should keep the watch. Some people live their whole lives looking for a chance to own one.