When you buy a new watch do you think of it in terms of...

Curated choices. I don’t want multiples of the same color or brand, of the same complication. I was variety of styles, not just a number of watches in a box.

Frankly, C - what I will wear, which is a combination of A, B, and funds.

How it fits the collection in the sense of "if I get this, which of my watches will lose wrist time?" Kind of way

For me, context matters though I only buy what I really enjoy and will have an urge to wear. I do not want the same watch over and over. I want variety and I want them to complenent one another by being slightly different but still a style that appeals to me.

I tend to think in terms of "Do I already have something similar?", "Will this replace a watch I already own, or just be another addition to the collection?", and "Will this watch make me happier than the ones I already own?".

Can't choose A or B, i buy what I like, but don't buy something close to what I already have.

Both actually

I am at the point where I at least think of my collection but it isn't the only thing.

Think of the collection and if a watch will actually fit into my life and get wrist time. Lots of gorgeous and innovative watches out there that would sadly just sit in a box b/c I'd feel weird about wearing them in my usual day to day life. For me, my dress watches or fancy watches also need to be chameleons and work as everyday watches if I want them to do that.

I'm thinking of a certain situation where I didn't buy the color of a diver I preferred because I felt I had too many of the same color diver already. Fast forward a few months and I had sold a couple of divers of that color and wished I had bought the one I wanted most at the time, since now my cup was not overflowing with that particular color.

I guess it depends on how well you know yourself and if you really have permanent untouchables in your collection. For me, I'm finding out I don't. Which puts me more into the "buy what you like best in the moment" category.

Usually in a vacuum, independent of what i already own. And that's why i end up with so many similar looking watches according to my wife.

It will mostly be A, but B might influence a bit. My favorites are chronographs, Field watches & fliegers, so I'm okay with the idea of owning multiple pandas and black dials in general. Still, I might reach a point where I feel like I need a bit of variety once in a while, so I'll get something different. Then I'll get the urge to go back to my roots and the cycle repeat itself.

I always think

“if I were to buy this watch and never buy another watch again for the rest of my life, would this satisfy me, could this be my only watch?”

Stops me from impulse buying and pulling the trigger too quick. 😂

I have perhaps more than enough watches but still enjoy slipping on something new to alter the mundane everyday routines which includes my lifelong habit of wearing a timepiece. I have a few favourite brands, self imposed budget, some favourite complications that I like in some of my watches but I suppose it will always be a watch that I connect emotionally with at first glance that also conforms to my parameters.

Its a mix of both for me

Have you thought about pure impulse buys.... "Shit, did I REALLY need to buy that", apologize to your wife AND yourself later down the line. 😅

lol, you’re not wrong about that. When I buy a watch now and try to tell my wife why it’s cool she just rolls her eyes and says “uh-huh, you’ll sell it in a month or two”. And she’s usually right!