Your Collection Is Gone— Rebuild, Trade Up, or Cash-out?

I'd likely go with a hybrid of B and D, a few affordable watches and a single luxury watch for fun.

I voted b but I think I'd re-buy my favorite or top two watches and then branch out to a couple of other higher end pieces

That’s a tough one because I’m a horrible sentimentalist. So even if I bought the same watch, it’s not MY watch.

I’d have to start over… I’m just not sure how or where I’d begin.

Interesting question posed! I love my current collection, and even with the opportunity to change I would not! Rebuild the exact collection!

There's a couple I'd buy again, and then go for quality over quantity after that.

Or, I'd call up Walmart and buy 1800 Casio Duro Divers (on sale)

I would build a 2nd 5 watch collection, but would like to replace 2. I think I could be a lot more selective now, knowing what types of watches I now prefer.

I would hire a butler who’s only job was to announce the time on the hour and mimic a cuckoo clock doing it.

My collection wouldn’t cover my grail. If it did I would go that route and over time add a few other watches to round out the color wheel.

@GullibleAndroid I think your example for B was too good. If you tell me that I can have a JLC moonphase, a Rolex sub, a Rolex datejust, an Omega speed pro, and a Grand Seiko Snowflake, that's too good of an offer.

Either B or D depending on how practical I decide to be.

There is an option E...

Spend the money finding out who stole my collection. There is one watch in particular that is priceless to me.

In the wise words of BA Baracus "I pity the fool..."

You might have a point there, haha.

I would invest in a good private investigator, find the responsible party, and then lure the thieves into repeating another theft after having advertised to the world that I had bought several grail watches. Only this time they would be greeted by electricity and a big dog with a penchant for Swiss watches. And oh yeah, a few fake Rolex Daytonas. With super glue applied nightly. And then I would treat myself to a Casioak. ;)

Clearly, you’ve given this thought before 😜

I'm going to pretend some sympathetic insurance agent gave me a degree of magnitude more than what my current collection is worth... and probably buy a cheap Bambino 36 while I wait for JLC to start making their freaking 36mm Ultrathins in a few more colour variations that just white on steel.

Ah, the John Wick option haha.

Start over. Maybe some of the same watches, maybe not. I'd probably buy another Datejust, Serica 4512 and Citizen NB1060. The rest? Not sure.

I think I'd still end up with a couple of luxury watches, a handful of nice watches, another few vintage pieces and a dozen or so fun cheapies.

Or, given my recent search proclivities, just a big old pile o' vintage Certinas.

My collection would barely be above the deductible.

I’d go for B, but prolly just the Datejust and Sub….. so i can re-sell them to get mo’ money on top of the insurance payout.

Then maybe just go for a holiday or something

My idea of insurance is to try to replace what was lost. Of course, you can't always replace certain things so some adjustments would be necessary.

I choose A. I am having fun with this insane 90 watch collection of mostly Timex and a mini museum I set up at my WFH office, but I wish to go back to being a one watch guy, with the wisdom I have right now. Probably get my Rolex GMT with the Pepsi Bezel and call it a day. Ask me tomorrow and my answer may be totally different. lol

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately, as far as what’s my end game and what is the ideal collection for me.

I think I’d go with a five piece collection consisting of 1) Cartier Tank Cintrée, 2) VC Overseas blue, 3) Sub no date or Hulk, 4) Pelagos 39 as a daily and a beater like the Hamilton Murph 38.

I’m quite shocked by the spread of answers.

I’m totally drawn to two answers comprising only about 25% of the votes. That is to say - either get one amazing piece - or get some cheaper pieces and cash out..

My collection is exclusively affordable so D should be the answer but considering my budget and how to spend it I would go for B, focusing on 4-5 pieces that are really meaningful to me, and stopping to buy little candies 3 times a year that cut my watch budget.

I wouldn't say my collection is perfect per se, but I'd probably rebuy many of my watches. I'm a blatant sentimentalist, I wouldn't be able to go a day without some of my watches and what they remind me of. If I can't get the ones with the stories attached, classic five watch collection it is.

I have some stuff while not expensive by any means are vintage pieces that would be way to hard to find for what they would cost. And replacing those watches wouldn't have the same feeling to me. Those pieces for me are more about the feeling discovery.

I would defo do the grail and then start again, who said you needed to stop!

Another good question would be if they were stolen would you buy any of them again?

I don't know. I think I would cash in but with maybe two or three pieces. What, exactly, the pieces would be? I dunno. G Shock, Rolex Explorer II, Cartier Tank? Maybe.