More satisfying: Ownership or the Chase?

Waiting....After it arrives, I mostly worry about scratches and keeping track of it! Weird, huh ?

the chase was p good because you can consume endless amounts of content on the watch. Once you have the watch, you're limited in the time you can wear, assuming you have others in your collection

The chase is the majority of the hobby in my opinion, constantly learning and comparing and thinking about the what-if’s of the collection

I love the chase, but some watches just wow me every time I put them on. That’s a great feeling.

The best part - I swear - is watching UPS turning into the driveway 

We call watch collecting a hobby, and for it to be a hobby we need to be actively doing something. Is the way we be active wearing the watch, or researching every detail about a watch? I would argue research (youtube and written reviews, discussion on forums) is how we usually actively engage in the hobby

For me it's about the purchase selection not so much the chase and ownership. Deciding what to purchase is the most satisfying experience.

For me it's the chase. What i love most of the hobby is to interract with others and talk about watches. I like hearing other people opinion and commenting mine when it's time. This is why i love this new plateform so much and why i'll try to build a following/community on this website (feel free to follow :) )

This is an easy one for me, the chase. The research, comparing and internal debates are pure escapism and never feels like a chore. 

I’ve been collecting records and buying vintage stereo equipment for years. Doing that, I’ve found it’s both. The search is never-ending, because once you find one item you’re (I’m) immediately onto the next one.*
 

I haven’t been into watches for nearly as long, but so far it’s been the same thing. I’d been wanting my Squale for a long time. I’m glad I got it, and it felt great to check that off the list, but I’ve been onto the next thing ever since. I think that’s what I love about it. Since it’s never-ending, you get to have both the thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction. 
 

*Except when it came to my record player. I’d been looking for a particular Sansui for years, and once I found it I had no eyes for any other tables. 

When stuck at home in the beginning of the pandemic the chase was definitely better. Once business got back into the swing of things and I was going out to networking events and dinners? Definitely the ownership. Love taking the bad boys out!

Wearing it, obviously.  What is satisfying about spending money for something you can't enjoy?

I think all the phases are connected, the spotting of a target, sometimes its spontaneous whilst looking for another watch you see one out of the blue, the research, the hunt/chase, the dilemma of the purchase and the wait, then comes the moment of truth, the unboxing and examination. they all form part of the phenomenon of collecting, be it watches, or other things, the beauty of watches is they can be worn, used  and admired, not just by the owner. Sometimes the watch is a keeper, sometimes dissapointment is instant, sometimes the "Keeper" is flipped after a week. its all part of the rich tapestry of the hobby, and the beauty is.........you can flip the watch and begin all over again, sometimes in my experience you get a feeding frenzy and pull the trigger three or more times in a day, something takes over and the lust can only be dimmed by hammering the paypal button  or wallet.  Or is it just me?

I’m going to say owning. The chase is usually more frustrating for me, and whilst it’s fun trying to find something, or work towards something, nothing beats getting it on your wrist for the first time (and subsequently smacking it into the wall or a doorframe - but that’s another story).