Bites: Your secret virtual collection
Happy Tuesday fellow Crunchers!
Today I decided to do a watch purge.
Not from my actual collection, but from my virtual one.
Trawling through eBay listings looking for fun watch finds has been a hobby for me since I first got into watches, and my watch-watch-list has almost been like another imaginary collection.
It's filled with all sorts of random pieces that at some point I have actually thought I may buy, but that day just never seemed to arrive, and now I've decided to kick them out of the virtual watch box.
Check out what's been going on on WC this week and then come share the watches on your 'I don't quite love you enough to commit' list.
Three quick bites from this week's WC, for those in a rush.
"Lottery win watches" - @Eddie123 - Fantasy watch buys
"Fight club rules: What are some crunchy watch collecting rules" - @Predneck - Without rules, it's choas.
"A watch enthusiast tries to write romance" - @Ryan_Schwartz - 50 dial shades of grey.
New members
New members who I have seen posting this week...
@jev4185, @commander, @madeinbrazil, @Bertus, @pristle, @ronanhewit, @Machinistbutler
Welcome to WC!
Hot posts
This week's topics that got the community talking.
"The Rolex Conundrum: overrated timepieces or deserving icons" - @watchyostyle
"Show us your moonsphase " - @Justongalore
"Where do you stand " - @TheKev
"The watch you are dreaming about now" - @Watch9
"Nomos, Christopher Ward, Oris: the mid-range mastery showdown" - @watchyostyle
"Today's equivalent to Rolex" - @Goldielocks
"Do you have a watch you think no one else on WC has?" - @Pallet_Fork
"Watch compliment etiquette " - @Garrett1G2Ts
"Watches A to Z: What's in your collection " - @ChronoGuy
"Can you safely swim with a 100m rated WR push pull crown chronograph?" - @RyanGochuico
"How much of your watch collection is purchased due to the influence of hype, social media and pop culture?" - @RyanGochuico
"Most disappointing watch you have purchased" - @AussieWatchIdiot
Meetups and events
14th Aug - The WCC Summer Trivia Night Meetup Online - Online
20th Aug - North East Watch Society (NEWS) Summer Meetup - Marlborough, MA, USA
9th Sept - SF Bay Area Meetup - Bay Area, CA, USA
23rd Sept - World Time UK Meetup - London, UK
14th October - Stockholm meetup - Stockholm, Sweden
20th – 22nd October - Windup Watch Fair 2023 – New York
8th December – London Christmas Meetup – London, UK
A big thank you to @WaPhoto , who helped organise last week's photography challenge and chose the theme of 'Reflections'.
His winner this week is @honedwatches with this amazing picture...
Come and see the runners up and find out this week's theme here.
My top picks from this week's new watch releases.
Top row, left to right: AVI-8 , Mauron Must , Tissot 35mm , Kieser
Bottom row: Glashutte, Porsche, Breitling, Christopher Ward
Updates from the YouTubers, podcasters, brand owners and watch makers in our community.
"Production progress of the new design - San Martin" - @Vergil
"Another little donkey" - @GasWorks
"Show off your white dials" - @Max
"What's your favourite dial colour" - @marcusmenescal
Longer posts from the knowledgeable and creative writers amongst the WC family.
"There's never a good excuse for rushing" - @Catskinner
"One and done Chapter 14: Richard Mille" - @defsNOTgenta
"Suppose it's my turn to make the ubiquitous 'The trouble with Rolex' post... well not quite" - @GullibleAndroid
"50 years of digital watch history in 15 minutes" - @Illuminatingwatches
"How not to get your grail according to a non-saver" - @brunofrankelli
"This is a fun watch " - @YourIntruder
The purge of the virtual watch collection.
So today I'm sharing some of the random watches that have been living on my eBay watch list and have finally been given the boot.
At some point I will have genuinely thought "I can see myself buying that" but letting them live on my watch list for a while has been a really useful exercise, as I look back at some of them now like...
... The watch list is great for giving a cooling off period, but not so great when you see the listing reaching it's final hours and the FOMO kicks in. So I decided a purge of the list needed to happen.
1. Bulgari Serpenti
I LOVE Serpenti watches, and they came to my mind again recently when I was on my fashion watch kick.
The problem is they are ridiculously out of my budget right now, so I went searching on eBay just in case someone had decided to stick one on with a 99p starting bid and everyone else has somehow missed it.
The cheapest I could find was this model on a strap, which was on at around £3k.
It got added to the list, but I look at it now and think what a pale shadow it is of the actual model I really want...
It's just not the same watch, so I decided it would be better to save up for what I really want rather than have a very expensive substitute that I'd never quite be happy with.
2. Waltham 'transition' watch
I've heard these called marriage watches before too. Basically converted pocket watches, with lugs soldered on.
I just find this one so beautiful, and it's actually a size I could wear. Lots of pocket watch conversations I've seen tend to be huge, but this is a dainty 32mm.
The big draw of this one though is the movement...
... I would never be able to buy something new with that gorgeous a movement. It's the kind of thing I'd expect in Patek's, but here I can get it for £500.
The thing putting me off this one is it's impressive age of 131 years.
I'd be nervous about wearing it and even more nervous about where I could get it serviced and repaired when the time came
3. Tara vintage skin diver
This is the hardest to boot off the list, and in all honesty I am still watching it.
After regrettably passing on a Mirexal skin diver a month or so ago I've been intermittently lusting after various similar options on eBay.
I'm not usually one for crazy busy dials, but something about this one just appeals to me. Maybe it's the bizarre claim of only 'water resistant' on a skin diver, or my desire to live life dangerously with tritium on my wrist.
But despite the appeal I still haven't pulled the trigger yet, even with the tempting price of £135.
If someone would kindly just go ahead a buy this one so I can be put out of my misery, I would be very grateful.
I have other dark secrets on my eBay list that I may share one day, but I'll stop at the three for now.
Your turn.
What's in your virtual eBay collection?
Anything on there that you will never actually buy but still feel compelled to keep on the list?
Anything you are as torn about as I am with the Tara?
Take care watch fam!
Kaysia.
Part-time 'writter' @ The Escapement Room, the NSFW watch enthusiasts blog. www.theescapementroom.com/
More from DeeperBlue
Congratulations, @honedwatches!
Nail on the head, I usually get the "Too many on the watchlist" error every so often....😅
I've been watching prices over the past 15 years+ on the relatively obscure Bell and Ross Type Demineur. It was a very early edition Bell and Ross issued to French Bomb Squads (wonder why I'm interested 😂). Sinn case, quartz movement. But never have found one that isn't a bit overpriced or extremely beaten up.
Guess I'll keep waiting...🤪🫣
My recent eBay watch list is mostly automatic chronographs. I had a few in the past & developed a "thing" for them. Sold some of them for reasons I cant remember but now I want them again!
Thank you for the write up Kaysia. Great reading as usual👍 and congratulation to @honedwatches for your great photo.
I don’t have an imaginary list of watches even if there are some fantastic watches to be had. Having said that, one watch that I really would like to own but never will is the FP Journe Chronometre Blue.
I started buying off eBay but eventually moved to buying exclusively from other collectors and trusted forum members. I haven’t even looked at eBay in years.
I actually keep 2 lists…one more attainable on my phone with various Seikos and the eBay list of aspirational Omegas, Tudors, and microbrands.
I actually bought one on my list that's coming this week! It has been on the list for at least 3 months now and I said "if someone doesn't buy this in a few months, I'll go in on it..." sure enough it was still there and I made an offer that got accepted. The universe works in great ways!
Funny how everyone, including me, is hunting for this Bulgari, PP, Rolex, or GO Pano and/or Seventies in my case, offered for 99p - which somehow everyone else has missed 😂
Other than the two pieces mentioned (which i keep lusting after!) i don't have any current online watchlists (well, perhaps the grey dialled VC fiftysix...and the Blancpain FF Chronographe...both of which I in all probability will never own...but are still on the virtual radar...) Oh, and the GO Senator Carré, and the GO SeaQ...and the Alpina Alpiner Extreme...but other than that, no online wish list (other than the current hunt for an affordable yellow dial)!
Yay. Thanks for picking my pix. Thanks @WaPhoto & @Deeperblue.
Don’t think I can share my purge list because I think I’m a hoarder and will forever live with the delusion that I will one day buy it all.
Thanks again for picking my Moels & Co 528 on my dinner table.
Cheers
Congratulations, @honedwatches!
Cheers 🍻
Thank you for the write up Kaysia. Great reading as usual👍 and congratulation to @honedwatches for your great photo.
I don’t have an imaginary list of watches even if there are some fantastic watches to be had. Having said that, one watch that I really would like to own but never will is the FP Journe Chronometre Blue.
Thanks and cheers
@Deeperblue, thanks for the shout out!
As for my “virtual collection” in addition to a few Casios prepped for impulse buying haha, I’ve been ogling a Certina DS-4 Small Seconds, and a pair Seikos have been lurking on my watch list for a while: a limited edition Matcha dial Cocktail time, and a Baby Snowflake
I'm torn you're thinking of back burner-ing that gorgeous Tara!! I dated a girl in high-school named Tara, she didn't like the back burner ether, but I was a bycicle freestyle and ramp rider sooooo......why am I telling you this?!?!😂 Keep the Tare, and an awesome Tuesday read as always.
Thanks Kaysia for another article. Yes I too have an ebay list. I purge once in awhile. I do this so I know what people are paying for watches I'm interested in. Once in awhile like you said you get lucky and find that gem.
Well enjoy the week!
Best
John
Thank you for the mention
Nice article 😉
No Seiko on the watch list? Wait, you already bought those.....
I've only shared the non-Seiko list today. 😁
@Deeperblue Another great edition of Bites! I was so inspired by this I just deleted 72 ended auctions from my ebay watch list.. Too many to list. but mostly vintage Seiko's. I've been looking for just the right vintage King and Grand Seiko's. I still haven't found my keeper
King Seiko definitely on my list too.... but it would have to be a damn special one to warrant the premium price over the standard 70's Seikos' which are equally as lovely.
I have a folder , it includes a lot of my fellow crunchers wrist shots of watches I desire and some of mine that I particularly like the photo I captured of one of mine also . I stay well away from actual sales on Ebay. I want to keep money IN my account if possible. Above is only one page 😛. I have quite a few . Aussies call it a “ Spankbank” apologies for the crudeness but I always chuckled at it’s appropriateness …. Object photo lists of desirability.
Is that the Mido big date I can see a few shots of? A lovely watch for sure 👌
You know, it's a bit funny and very coincidental you chose this topic this week, at least for me. I have been in the process of reducing my collection substantially, from its current ridiculous number down to thirty watches. I have already made some hard decisions and have been selling off most of my collection. This is what I am keeping.
Main collection
Budget fun
I have already sold a number of watches and have an even larger number of active listings on ebay. I have sold around twenty watches already, have over forty active listings, and have another thirty-forty watches to list. This is all a long preamble to say that I have completely eliminated my virtual collection. I had fifteen-twenty watches in my cart on AliExpress, ten or so on Amazon, another ten-fifteen on my ebay watchlist, five or so bookmarks at Long Island Watch, and three watches in my cart at Jomashop. All gone now.
I took a look at my collection about two weeks or so ago and realized that I had watches in it that had not seen my wrist at all during 2023. So, I sat down with my boxes and boxes of watches and made some easy decisions, followed by less easy decisions, followed by moderately hard decisions, leading me to keep only those watches that I saw as integral to my collection, either because they saw significant wrist time on 2023, they evoke some emotional response akin to nostalgia, or they amuse me in some fashion. My Seiko, Citizen, and Hamilton watches are examples of watches that saw significant wrist time, the Bulova Computron, Armitron Calculator watch, and Timex Q Digital are examples of watches that evoke a nostalgic feeling, and the Tandorio GMT and Bronze Explorer, and the Pagani Designs Capricorn One (AK Project) are watches that amuse me for various reasons. And thus concludes my rather long-winded way of saying that I no longer have a virtual collection at all. 🤣
Well done for making the hard choices. I think you've definitely left yourself with the cream of the collection there 👌
Fantastic article and post as always! Thanks for such great and enjoyable reading to start the week.
You are right to be cautious with marriage watches. Since they normally have no shock protection, you really have to be careful wearing a pocket watch movement on your wrist. It would be very easy to damage the movement. I love to look at mine, but am super cautious about when and where I wear them.
1970s skin divers are loads of fun and that Tara looks like a definite bargain at 135 pounds...anything less than $275 for a 1970s skin diver that is in good working order is a deal.
Nothing ever moves off my "watch list"...that's my main problem...the best thing that can happen for me is that someone else buys it before my will breaks down and I do 😉
Wow... this is going to sound ridiculous... but I hadn't even considered that pocket watches were built to stay snuggled away safely in... a pocket... 😂
It makes total sense that they wouldn't be the best choice for wrist wear, but somehow I just hadn't twig this 🤦
Thank you Mel!
Every day's a school day on the Crunch 🙏
I feel like the sweet spot is somewhere around 3-4 so I dont know what I should get at all from these since I already have 4 other watches😄
I'm loving steel bezels at the moment, so any of those would get my vote.
What's that Aquastar??? That looks amazing! I'm off to Google that one!
I'm loving steel bezels at the moment, so any of those would get my vote.
What's that Aquastar??? That looks amazing! I'm off to Google that one!
Yes its the Deepstar 2! So tooltastic!
always considered to bought this one considered its affordable and beautiful, problem is i already have other seiko and want some brand variety from my watch collection
this one is one of my grail and i already saved some money for it. but one day my parents gave me a speedmaster so this one stays in watchlist forever i think. beautiful watch though 😢
Dude! The Speedmaster is an absolute beauty though, so don't be sad!
Plus, all being well, you have many years of collecting ahead of you, and you may very well cross paths with this watch again 👍
I have a virtual ebay collection too, even created a sublist I call "watches". But because these are generally low-cost (I am cheap) with very low starting prices they all get sold, so I don't need to purge. Last week I saw quite a few desirables at cheap prices, I bid amounts I was willing to pay on about 50 of them, and there were a lot of people making similar judgements who were outbidding me. I ended up winning just one auction. The Ingersoll I had on WRUW today came out of a similar purchase, costing me a mere £20.
But where I do something similar to Kaysia is on AliExpress. Ali has the concept of a wish list, which is essentially the same as ebay's watchlist. When you press the ❤icon on a listing the item is added to your wish list. Ali's listings are not auctions, so there is a need from time to time to cull your liked items. I never really buy a watch on Ali straight away - it has to survive for a bit on my wishlist and still be desirable.
Welcome to the £20 Ingersoll club! That's exactly what mine cost, and it's a beauty.
The seller with the Tara has now sent me an offer for 15% off 😱😭 god damn! Watch collecting is hard!
Man, people make life damm near impossible!!!😉
Opposite end - I'm purging my collection to get one higher tier piece, but I'm torn between those in my virtual wish list - Tudor Ranger, Omega 2254, Speedmaster, Tudor North Flag.....
Damn!
You've given yourself a difficult set of watches to choose between!
I can understand why you don't want them any more when you can make watches as well as you do. 🥳
Aww.. you’re too kind 🤭… 🍻
I am seriously thinking about how I can create some kind of virtual scrap book for my aspiration watches which is a bit more advanced than just copy and pasting into a word document 🤔
There are a few apps for that searching “watch collection” on the AppStore.
Damn!
You've given yourself a difficult set of watches to choose between!
Yep, but not a bad place to be....if I'd been told this is the state I'd be in all those years ago when I started I'd have been chuffed to bits 😉👍🏻
I need some kind of scrap booking app! Is the one you use good?
I use the standard Google Photos App which has some cool scrap book options. Most of the really nice ones you have to pay for though via Google One membership, it's like $2/month to start.