Controversy topic: Watches don’t have to be expensive to be special or make you a “real” collector.
I feel like this topic is one that I deeply feel connected to. As somebody who dreams of tons of different multi thousand dollar Swiss, German, and Japanese watches. There is a constant whisper in your ear as a watch collector that you need to have something more expensive or more rare to really be an enthusiast and really get enjoyment out of this hobby. Now this sometimes comes from brands themselves with their advertising. Other times this comes from fellow enthusiast down talking or not showing much attention to watches unless they are expensive, rare, in house movements, ECT. Now I can understand as somebody who dreams of these more expensive watches somewhere down the line what reasons they are desirable and interesting. However, over the last 2 to 3 months, I have really shifted my mindset on what is a successful collection. Before this I never felt like I was in the “real collectors” club due to reasons mentioned above. I think this started to change when I realized just how much I’ve enjoyed my old faithful G square Casio G-Shock GW-M5610. Once I bought my Citizen 40’s style Pilot watch, I have had more enjoyment and love for this watch then a multitude of other watches that have came and went for more money… but lacked a special spark. Also my simple Bertucci field watch is rugged and reliable, regardless of being quartz. Then the charm and livability of the GA-B2100 is a perfect everyday watch which is lovely by the community and has that something special about it. To top it off is my amazing H.G.P Monnin Mecaquartz diver. It’s outstandingly finished and the perfect example of “simple done right.” It’s got heritage and a story to go with it. It’s thinner due to being quartz but ticks 4 times a second. Made in France is a unique conversation starter and a VH31 Seiko heart for reliability and accuracy. Lume is outstanding and a joy to wear. All for $300 on a bracelet that would put most to shame.
In short, these watches are all right at or below $300 and have brought me more joy then other watches that are “next tier” watches due to expense. Funnily enough they all happen to be quartz too. I would love to see what you think about this topic or some interesting pieces that would fit within this idea.
Hey! The name is Jade. I run a little channel on YouTube where I review Everyday Carry items. My biggest passions in life are my family, food, music, and of course my hobbies. Watches are my favorite...
You’ve got the right idea in my view! 👌⏱️
Being a Collector means you collect what you want. What’s the fun of collecting stuff someone else likes? We all have our interests: we collect watches, bags, guns, comics, women’s panties…
Go for what you love. And don’t Yuck on someone’s Yum…
If you like it, wear it.
Agreed. I thought I kept having to go higher in price after my Tudor and Grand Seiko. While I still have higher end pieces on my short list, I find myself wearing this 60% of the time:
I don’t think I’ve seen that citizen before. I love it.
Agree.
This is not controversial
But what makes you smile.
Agreed. I thought I kept having to go higher in price after my Tudor and Grand Seiko. While I still have higher end pieces on my short list, I find myself wearing this 60% of the time:
I don’t think that idea is controversial at all. I’d say more than one = collector. But everyone is in a different price bracket.
Collect what you love and enjoy it. Your taste is your own and no one should question it. Be happy with what you can afford, but aspiring for something a bit more is good too. It give one something to shoot for. My two cents.
Hear, hear! I agreed from reading the title alone. I have too many watches, about half being the daily wearers I’ve had over the years. And as an “active” collector for the last year or so, I’ve kept things pretty close to sub-$500 offerings. (Okay, one is priced near $700, but was bought on sale and with gift cards, so I’ve yet to pay more than $500.)
And I love the coincidence that right now I am also wearing a mecaquartz VH31 based, French made, heritage reference Wolbrook!
Cheers!🤝
This was never controversial in the first place. What made you think that?
Hear, hear! I agreed from reading the title alone. I have too many watches, about half being the daily wearers I’ve had over the years. And as an “active” collector for the last year or so, I’ve kept things pretty close to sub-$500 offerings. (Okay, one is priced near $700, but was bought on sale and with gift cards, so I’ve yet to pay more than $500.)
And I love the coincidence that right now I am also wearing a mecaquartz VH31 based, French made, heritage reference Wolbrook!
Cheers!🤝
The Wolbrook group makes the HGP FYI
Not controversial at all.
Maybe this is what we often miss, forgetting the essence of why we like a watch.
There are honestly so many cool watches in all price points. Luxury brands do feel more premium to me but I still love my sub $500 watches the same as I do my luxury pieces.
Who has ever said this to you?
Buy what you like and what makes you happy regardless of the price point.
I don't think it's a particularly controversial comment tbh.
There is the possibility of being simply an accumulator of watches, particularly at (but not only within) the more affordable end of the market. Being a collector usually suggests that there's something about what you collect (be it design, scarcity, age, tech related etc., even exclusivity) that makes it - for want of a better term - interesting, but that doesn't have to be related to cost - at least imo.
In fact the number of interesting smaller brands at around the $1K mark make for some very dynamic collecting I reckon.
Being a collector or enthusiast has nothing to do with price. It just happens that the watch you really want is expensive. I don't think I ever sat down started to think I need an expensive watch just to burn a hole inside my wallet. It also goes the other way around you don't have to settle with a replica/homage when you can get another watch for couple dollars more.
This is not controversy topic but the truth, meaning you don't have to spend big to be considered as "real" collector ( whatever that means )
The great thing about this hobby is, there is space for everyone. Take this app for instance, WC members respect classic, affordable watches as vigorously as luxurious high-end pieces. I like seeing ppl excited about a watch, any watch. Will a Vacheron Constantin get more traction than a Seiko SKX? Depends on the story! Ultimately this watch game is about the humans wearing them IMO.
During my watch collecting history I found that there is absolutely no correlation between the price I paid for a watch and how much I enjoy it.
Simply put, agreed.
Nice post 👍
There’s no correlation between having pricier watches and being a collector. There are “collectors” including some YouTubers who talk a lot about collecting watches but only buy hype watches lest their collection lose value.
Hot take: Personally I struggle to respect that hype watch collection because there’s no character there. So long as you have money to throw around, you can buy any hype watch you want. IMO takes a lot of thought and effort to build a collection within a budget because you’ve to consider the type, color, complications etc while sticking to the budget.
Hey Jade,
As most people here have said, the “requirement” of buying luxury watches to be a “real” watch collector isn’t really controversial… here at Watch Crunch. We are, after all, a community of people who self-selected to join a social media app dedicated to watches.
But this “requirement” is certainly controversial outside our community. I’m sure you’ve had conversations with people who after hearing you collect watches exclaim something like “oh, that’s an expensive hobby.”
I think there’s lots of happiness to be derived on all price points. In my experience though, I’ve found I try to wear my more expensive watches more often (to lower the cost per wear as my wife would put it), this necessarily ends up with them getting associated with more memories. I doubt I’m alone here and I would hazard a guess that this is why people tend to gravitate to more expensive (per their budget) watches.
Of course they don't have to be expensive.
Fotunately I do not have the "constant whisper in your ear...that you need to have something more expensive..." syndrome to which you refer. It's not a constant amongst collectors.
Which is why I continue to buy cheap watches, for instance those Invicta Monaco tributes I recently bought, though I also am fortunate in that I can and do buy watches that are much more expensive.
I like them all.
On here, this not controversial and definitely the right mindset to have. On Reddit however, ya, people tend to judge “affordable” collections with the “save your money and get a proper watch” kind of comment. Not everyone needs to have a luxury piece in their collection and I don’t understand why others want to dictate what someone should buy to be considered a “real” collection either.
On here, this not controversial and definitely the right mindset to have. On Reddit however, ya, people tend to judge “affordable” collections with the “save your money and get a proper watch” kind of comment. Not everyone needs to have a luxury piece in their collection and I don’t understand why others want to dictate what someone should buy to be considered a “real” collection either.
Bingo. This community is unusually kind and friendly. But many discord servers have a different pace of elitism on price and brand.