How did you get into watches?
Hey guys I’m new to the group and was wondering how everyone else got into this awesome (expensive) hobby?
My story is that I found this 1970’s bulova in a box during a move that previously belonged to my grandfather whom passed away a few years before I was born whom was also an aviator. My friend who is a watch nut found all the info on it in about 7 seconds and which at the time blew my mind a little, I took it to our local watch repair guy to get it back to working order and he lit up when I showed it to him. Shortly after I bought a Bulova Lunar pilot and shortly after that a BB58 and now I can’t stop 😂
Look forward to hearing how everyone else got here 👍🏻
Watch enthusiast from Australia navigating through life one watch at a time.
I was raised by watches. It took me years to acclimate to humankind.
First, nice watch! The first I remember having was a Victorinox quartz field watch with a bright yellow dial. Got me through the Boy Scouts. Sadly I don’t have it anymore but it all kinda started there. Timex, Swatch and Casios followed. For the last…gees five years (?) I wore a Fenix 3 sapphire daily. But during the pandemic I found I really needed to unplug and I decided wearing a smart device maybe wasn’t helping. So I started poking around and boy howdy had the watch world exploded! So excited to get back into it.
Its been a Japanese brand for a lot of years now. Nice vintage piece
Great watch and story. I bet your grandpa would be happy to see that on your wrist.
My love for watches started early. I learned to tell time with a cliche Mickey Mouse watch. I had a handful of other watches (Timex, Freestyle, etc.) until I stopped wearing one in high school.
It all started up again in college with another Timex. Fast forward a few years and I bought my first mechanical watch. It’s been a little over ten years now. I’m deeper then ever.
Much like @Sean283 The pandemic and having a kid actually was the catalyst, though admittedly I have always worn a watch I think, though I was never actively thinking about it, same way I couldn't tell you which shoes I wore to school when I was 6 I can't tell you which casio I wore either, all I know is I always wore a watch. The first watch Bought for myself was quite late, a swatch irony in heathrow airport when I just in that moment thought, hey I need a watch, walked in an picked the first one what spoke to me. It was a Chronograph, I have always loved timing things. I wore that watch 5 years or so, then on a trip to kenya I was scrambling down some walls and got the bracelet massively scratched up I don't know why but that one moment just resonated with me since, I ended up picking up an apple watch in 2015 and wore that for about 5 years but when it was time for an upgrade, the watch had smashed once and i had it replaced and I realised I just was too rugged living for a watch that was that delicate and required so much charging! instead got 4 cheaper casios: a dive style, digital, clean dress, g shock gd 350 for the silent alarm. It didn't all happen at once, but I was trying out different watches to see what style spoke to me... since tried a few different automatics affordable mind you nothing I would call "luxury" in the traditional sense but ultimately after 2 years and 12-14 watches i've settled with 2 watches, with the rest living in boxes:
A bluetooth square and seiko spb259, for now having these 2 watches basically covers me for everything I truly need right now. But im' still here, and i'm still reading, and i'm no where near done with this hobby, I really like experiencing watches.
I was given a little faux gold Timex when I was five. Dad taught me how to tell the time, and the rest, as they say, is history.
My dad has a Cartier Santos 1990s edition. I loved it since the first time I saw it (Stole it from him a couple of times 😉). I started searching for its history and from there my obsession with watches started.
I am an old mechanical movement but I was dismantled and most of my jewels were taken from me; I must cannibalise all watches I come across to stay alive so I can finally confront the b****** who did this to me, and finally be sold on eBay no longer as spares or repairs.