Advice to newcomers to the watch world from a slightly older newcomer

First of all if you are new to the watch world, welcome! The watch is the most unique and fantastical device created by mankind because it measures time. More importantly, welcome to Watchcrunch. In many ways, Watchcrunch is an oasis in the garbage sea known as the internet. It is a real example of the utopian concept of what a social network was supposed to be. A place where people from all walks of life can come together to nerd out and enjoy each other's company. I started my own journey over a year ago and Watchcrunch has been the hub of my adventure.

As I see more and more newcomers joining, I thought it would be nice to share bits and bobbles I have learned from my journey. I hope that far more seasoned people ( @AllTheWatches @TheHoroSexual @minutemeg @Fieldwalker @WristCounselor, @Max , among others) add to this list too. They are far better resources than me.

1. There is no such thing as "a watch you must have in your collection" - Plenty of youtubers say that a collection isn't complete without xxx. Ignore it, a collection is not a template, its based upon your interest.

2. There is really no such thing as "I'm buying this as an investment" watch" - Unless you have the cashflow to easily purchase the novelties of De Bethune, FP Journe, Patek Philippe, or other Haute Horlogerie giants, you are not going to make money on a watch. The watch you buy is because you like it and want it, not because it is an exotic asset for your investment portfolio.

3. You are not a watch brand, don't get pissy if someone doesn't like it - Unless you are a majority shareholder or founder of a watch brand, there is no reason to fanboy out and "protect the brand". Seriously, Rolex or Seiko won't send you a thank you gift if someone says I don't like xxx and you go on the attack. And even if you are the owner of the brand, it doesn't help. There are watch brand owners here at WC and you'll never see them getting into a pissing match with someone who said something they didn't like about their watches.

4. Take your time to explore what watches you love - When I first started my adventure, I was fortunate enough to have an acquaintance that works at the Foundation of Haute Horlogerie that told me this exact thing. I was planning on making a Tudor Black Bay my first purchase because everyone was saying how the Black Bay was the ultimate GADA (go anywhere do anything watch). But it just didn't speak to me and my first purchased ended up being a small brand from Japan named Kurono Tokyo.

5. Be active in the community - Everyone is here because of a shared love. There are no stupid questions. Ask away.

6. It is not flexing, it's people of all sorts - You will meet people in this world (and here) with watch collections worth millions of dollars and hundreds of dollars. One collection is not better than another.

7. Don't be a shmuck - This is a community both online and offline sharing a joint love for watches. During my time here I have seen posts of community members meeting in real life and forming strong friendships and even helping each other out. This is a special place. No one cares or wants to hear about your views on politics, religion, geopolitics, which power ranger is the best, or anything that is not relevant to the watches. Don't be that person that attacks people in posts or harasses them in messages. First of all WC will kick you out and second of all you will get a reputation both online and offline. It's hard to share a love with your peers if your peers think you are a terrible person. Just imagine the excitement of getting your membership to the HSNY only to realize that the guy you called a whining Rolex ninny is already a member. Perhaps the entire society thinks your are a shmuck already.

8. @mpolyakov Try before you buy - If you like the watch on the picture, that does not mean that it is going to look good on your particular wrist. And the opposite is true. You may not like the photo, but when you put it on, you may not want to take it off.

9. @UnholiestJedi Not every post requires a reply - There is no need to comment unasked on every post that has one or more of your dislikes about your dislike for the watch, feature or option. Just like not every negative comment requires a response.

10. @AllTheWatches You can appreciate the existence of watch without owning it - I have bought several watches because I simply liked that they existed only to not really bond with it.

11. @AllTheWatches Snobbery goes both ways - Crapping on expensive brands is equally tiresome as someone dumping on cheap ones. Just stop.

12. @AllTheWatches There are no binary choices, just fiscal ones and they are not related - That is, just because one bought watch brand A because that is what they decided on, or could afford, does not make it better or worse than B. Defending a purchase decision by putting the other down shows lack of conviction for the original decision.

13. @AllTheWatches Posts do not equal validation - Just because someone does not like your post or photos is not a reflection on who you are.