The Simple Joys of a Pre-Scratched Watch and Experiencing Watches
In honor of Horage's continual underperformance in the annual Microbrand March Madness (generously organized by @AllTheWatches ) , I bought a pre owned Horage K2 GMT in Jet Stream Grey about a week ago and am loving it.
I had originally looked at the K2 just after its launch but felt a bit meh at post launch prices. 6500 CHF ($7200ish USD) is a hefty price for any watch let alone an independent without a store footprint that would enable me to figure out how it fit my wrist. The looks were a touch modern for my taste but I dug the from-the-ground-up in house movement and the general attention to detail. But as with most things that I am distantly considering, I promptly forgot about it until @Fieldwalker mentioned his new Horage Lensman.
That leaves the aforementioned price and, thankfully, the market provided. Pre owned prices for Horage (and frankly every independent watchmaker) have plunged with the broader Swiss market and so, with pricing hovering below launch, I decided to take a shot in the dark.
With watches as pricey as the Horage, I tend not to be overly impulsive. While I've been pretty fortunate financially in my life, I honestly hope never to be in a place where plunking down a couple thousand dollars on a frivolity doesn't provoke at least some reflection on better ways to spend money.
But I am a watch collector (thus by definition, a watch hoarding reprobate) and thus I accept some level of financial yield loss as a consequence of being the sort of person that I am.
https://youtu.be/pTKrE2y46UM?si=LT4RXYPl1Uy0fzyC
Anyway, it's all turned out rather better that expected. This definitely isn't a review of the K2 but it's the type of watch that appeals to me on a lot of different levels.
The watch nerd in me loves the inhouse movement with the platinum micro rotor.
The business casual guy in me likes the versatility of the watch and how easily it moves from meeting to after school activities. It's a true blue sports watch....but also a watch that looks perfectly at home with a suit and tie. As the lines in my life continue to blur, this versatility is increasingly necessary.
The dive watch hater in me likes the fact that they kept the fidget toy aspect of the bezel but managed to make it disappear otherwise.
It's a watch that, at this point, feels very nearly like the best of all possible worlds, which is a great sign for its longevity in my collection.
Not bad for a shot in the dark. Sometimes you surprise yourself.
Experiencing Watches
I should point out, it definitely doesn't usually work this way. The vast majority of watches I buy, I end up flipping or giving away to friends or charitable raffles.
I, more than anyone, realize just how insane this activity is. The amount of losses I have incurred in platform fees alone likely would buy me a nice watch on their own.
And yet I return to this notion that there are more watches in the world that I want to personally experience compared to ones I want to own permanently.
I am a believer in the idea that one does not know a watch until they've owned it for a while. I find that most of the joys (and accumulated knowledge) of watch ownership are only apparent after a couple of weeks of ownership. I might have opinions on the AP RO Concept "Black Panther" but I can't know it until I have it on wrist and live with it for a while.
If this all sounds like a backwards justification for increased consumption, you've seen through my ruse! But the fact remains.... sometimes in that long road that is collecting, you have to take a shot in the dark and see what happens.
So I put it to you, fellow crunchers. There are watches you own forever. There are watches you don't want anywhere near your wrist. But, what I really want to hear about the watches in between.
What watches do you want to experience, even if you're quite certain you'd want it occupying a permanent place in your collection?
Where have you taken a chance and been surprised?
By day, investor and father. By night, Seiko nut. #justgooutsideandtouchgrass
You know I am a big fan of this watch and so glad you have it. Eventually, there will be a Horage in my collection as well. I am going through a bit of slimming down lately, seeking out value in a down market, but part me wants to stop the collection from getting out of hand, so it is time to get rid of a few. I have too many “affordable/approachable” watches that I am glad they exists, but they do not need to exist in my collection anymore. Again, it is all a ruse to get new watches, but still.
I might have a surprise watching showing up this week. Typical bored late at night moment, put in a starting bid on a watch from a brand people think is over priced, and the photos were taken with a potato. Low and behold, I win the watch at 1/3 the MSRP. Looking forward to putting it through its paces and sharing the experience.
PS, if you move on from this watch, you know where to find me! :-).
You know I am a big fan of this watch and so glad you have it. Eventually, there will be a Horage in my collection as well. I am going through a bit of slimming down lately, seeking out value in a down market, but part me wants to stop the collection from getting out of hand, so it is time to get rid of a few. I have too many “affordable/approachable” watches that I am glad they exists, but they do not need to exist in my collection anymore. Again, it is all a ruse to get new watches, but still.
I might have a surprise watching showing up this week. Typical bored late at night moment, put in a starting bid on a watch from a brand people think is over priced, and the photos were taken with a potato. Low and behold, I win the watch at 1/3 the MSRP. Looking forward to putting it through its paces and sharing the experience.
PS, if you move on from this watch, you know where to find me! :-).
It's a buyer's market out there. I feel like if you have hankering for any sort of independent, from low to high, you will find them at 40 to 60% of MSRP lightly used. I have my eye on a Moser tourbillon, though I need a real reason to buy that one.
Pics please on the NWA!
Someday perhaps ...but not soon! It's a killer watch!
It's a buyer's market out there. I feel like if you have hankering for any sort of independent, from low to high, you will find them at 40 to 60% of MSRP lightly used. I have my eye on a Moser tourbillon, though I need a real reason to buy that one.
Pics please on the NWA!
Someday perhaps ...but not soon! It's a killer watch!
As you know, I have been looking for a Moser as well, but perhaps this summer, if I can find one, I will finally have a Pioneer. Now finding one in 40mm will be the trick, which I believe is only available in blue…However a $9K red at 43 may still come home with me.
I mean, those are both fantastic guesses. Would totally own a Hublot if not for the mis-aligned screws, and I always have an eye out for a cheap BR05 when I have eBay coupons. B&R is closer as it is an aviation watch.
So which IWC, lol?
So which IWC, lol?
Significantly more overpriced according to the market.
Also - I’d love it if the RO panther won you over after a few days .. and it became your daily 😃
I think I don’t need to own that AP… I’m okay with it staying in the store lol
Also - I’d love it if the RO panther won you over after a few days .. and it became your daily 😃
I'm making it a life goal to get one of those things on wrist. Just to see, you know?
I'm making it a life goal to get one of those things on wrist. Just to see, you know?
No. Just no to the AP Black Panther.
At this point, I feel like I have to try ANY watch on my wrist for several weeks before I know if I'll like it or not. And, even then, I find that my tastes flip flop over and over again. There are watches in my collection that I'll be meh about for like a year, and then all of a sudden, I'm smitten by it! Same with straps. And, of course, watch / strap combinations.
Maybe the trick is to just hold onto EVERYTHING forever - these people have it figured out...
No. Just no to the AP Black Panther.
At this point, I feel like I have to try ANY watch on my wrist for several weeks before I know if I'll like it or not. And, even then, I find that my tastes flip flop over and over again. There are watches in my collection that I'll be meh about for like a year, and then all of a sudden, I'm smitten by it! Same with straps. And, of course, watch / strap combinations.
Maybe the trick is to just hold onto EVERYTHING forever - these people have it figured out...
I feel that hoarder instinct of course but it fights with my sense of actively trying to prevent my life from careening out of control.
So I buy a bunch, then get incredibly itchy and starting giving it all away. Just how my broken brain works 😭
I agree. I do the same thing sometimes. Probably the only reason I can get on board with why "value retention" matters, minimises the losses when you trade a watch so can experience another (or the money you raise for charity 😉)
Formex has been very high on my list. If one of those new smaller divers finds its way to eBay I might not be able to resist 😏
I agree. I do the same thing sometimes. Probably the only reason I can get on board with why "value retention" matters, minimises the losses when you trade a watch so can experience another (or the money you raise for charity 😉)
Formex has been very high on my list. If one of those new smaller divers finds its way to eBay I might not be able to resist 😏
At least harassing people for charitable donations salves the guilt of too much consumption!
Love love love Formex, but I can't decide if I like the smaller reef over the original. I need to get it on wrist at the next Windup to see how I feel about it.
Huge congrats and this is a gem. Got me dreaming about their tourbillons.
Man I couldn’t agree more with @AllTheWatches about a Moser. Maybe an MB&F for that matter. Beautiful but not sure they’d fit my vibe and personality as a keeper.
I feel like my PAM is your Horage and a bit more enjoyable that I even expected.
At least harassing people for charitable donations salves the guilt of too much consumption!
Love love love Formex, but I can't decide if I like the smaller reef over the original. I need to get it on wrist at the next Windup to see how I feel about it.
😅 I thought you don't like divers. Although with the steel bezel and blue dial, my choice, it almost doesn't look like one. It probably should be tried on, especially given the massive 22mm lug width for a 39mm watch, but I am nowhere near a watch fair or similar. I guess they wanted to reuse the bracelet, fair enough given their scale. It's probably fine, 19/34 is about the same as 22/39 and I have several watches with the former proportions.
Huge congrats and this is a gem. Got me dreaming about their tourbillons.
Man I couldn’t agree more with @AllTheWatches about a Moser. Maybe an MB&F for that matter. Beautiful but not sure they’d fit my vibe and personality as a keeper.
I feel like my PAM is your Horage and a bit more enjoyable that I even expected.
You're going to have to try this watch out at some point! Everything about Horage has been absolutely on point.
There's something about the higher end independents that appeals to me greatly....so I too am a budding Moser fanboy and have put my name down in the MAD 1 lottery. We shall see.
😅 I thought you don't like divers. Although with the steel bezel and blue dial, my choice, it almost doesn't look like one. It probably should be tried on, especially given the massive 22mm lug width for a 39mm watch, but I am nowhere near a watch fair or similar. I guess they wanted to reuse the bracelet, fair enough given their scale. It's probably fine, 19/34 is about the same as 22/39 and I have several watches with the former proportions.
My ambivalence towards dive watches is very evidently a personal failing at this point I keep trying to develop my taste in that way....if onily because if I liked divers more, the entire world of microbrand dive watches would open up.