Are we guilty of impact bias?

I enjoy the thrill of the Hunt a LOT! I buy less watches now, focussing more on vintage. so finding something in good condition, good looking etc keepdbme entertained 😭😅

It’s definitely real. Not only with watches but all feel-good items. Watches just amplify it due to the cost being in thousands rather than tens or hundreds with things such as clothing.

Having said that, there are items which I have owned for a long time and they still make me feel good when I wear or use them.

Adding psychology to a hobby is a sure way to kill the enjoyment.

Been collecting for decades and never wondered why. Probably the reason I still enjoy it so much.

i think this requires an honest self reflection on whether you are a shopping enthusiast or a watch enthusiast. if you’re in it for the thrill of shopping and acquiring something, then you’re always going to be chasing that high of buying a watch. replace “watch” with any other object and see if you still get that high. then maybe you’re in it for the thrill of shopping.

i don’t think a watch enthusiast has to own a watch to be thrilled by it. i think that’s an important distinction. appreciation for watches goes beyond ownership and the shopping experience.

Serendipity rules.

Just don’t equate happiness with worldly possessions.

Diminishing marginal utility, it's the law!

Furthermore I suspect that in the long run the curve dips below where it started. Ignorance is bliss and we all should've stuck with that quartz department store watch that kept us happy for so long. I am working on regaining this sort of watch monogamy, but I can't kill the harem. But I'm not adding to the problem.

Reflectng on what drives one's actions is key to having the kind of insight that separates humans from lower primates. This is the genesis of the "ignorance is bliss" adage or similarly "the life unexamined isn't worth living." Some have a better understanding of how their teapot works than they do of their psyche. They haven't examined their own life but are often quick to advise you on yours.

One of the most important things I have learned over the years of being in to watches is the what happens to the graph *after* the chart ends in OP’s picture. Of course, the novelty wears off. Then, when time is spent with the watch and you get to see what it’s like to live with at work, home, vacation, etc., only then do you get to see what your opinion of the watch really is in a more long term sense.

With the watches that are most special to me, I did go a little cold on them after the honeymoon. Then, I started appreciating small details, subtleties of how they wear, and how the design really speaks to me now that there isn’t as much noise or novel excitement in my head. We’re never objective in this hobby, but we are a lot closer to it after we have had a few months with a watch as opposed to a few weeks. We talk a lot a out how patience is reward regarding buying watches and I feel the same way about being patient and thoughtful with when to part with a watch.

Two watches for me where this is especially true:

I have a rule that we attempt to follow..

Every luxury more expensive than $100 must be longed for more than 1 month. And for every additional $100 dollars, another month. It's amazing what you really don't want, deep down inside.

So true. The watch world is full of stories about people re-buying watches they thought they didn't want. To me, the money you lose on that kind of exchange represents other watches you could have had and wasted time. It would be emotionally painful for me to find myself buying a watch I'd had, sold at a loss, and decided I really missed. I think we're all falling victim to a warped sense of time, and as old people like to do, I blame the internet. In the past people might have held on to a watch longer before making a decision, but a month now seems like a year.

It's a spirit of consumerism. One good way would be to bound the purchase with a milestone event, that way it serves more like a memento/keepsake rather than just another toy

Thanks for sharing, good reminder to reflect on our actions.

If I try this I have to wait until I'm dead to get a Vacheron.

This is exactly how I intend to collect from now on. My purchases are becoming more expensive and less frequent, I like to plan ahead now and mark milestones with reward.

I think the dip happens for most things. But there are some things that really do exceed expectations and bring lasting appreciation over time. Sometimes it can be hard to tell which is which, and surprise favorites can unexpectedly emerge.