Help me understand your side.
I have noticed a lot of post about reducing watch collections. I need help understanding why. Why do you need to reduce. Why not keep what you got and just add to it. To put the question into perspective. I have around 43 watches at this time. I bought or received these watches for a reason. Yes, not all get worn often, but there's a reason they're there, in the collection. In my mind, I can't see giving up a watch I had to have. I chose it for what ever reason I have for that watch. I'm not a rich man, so every purchase is thought through. Even my $10 Casio find was because I wanted an AE-1200, and how can i pass that up. How can you cut an attachment to something so easily. I don't know, maybe I'm the one with the problem and you guys are the healthier? ones.
I started wearing watches due to an OCD with timing. I've never had alot of money for watches. For along time, I wore Timex and Casio. I fell in love with the way watches look and work. Because I'm ch...
Yep. I buy, I keep! No selling any of my watches.
At times, for me at least I just need room…
I guess I have somewhat of a minimalist ideal. I have had the experience in my life that I've owned so much stuff (not watches, just in general) that the effort to clean, maintain, or move all that stuff was overwhelming.
In short, I didn't own my stuff, my stuff owned me.
Yes, I know watches are small and relatively maintenance free (compared to, say, cars). But I still personally value needing everything I have and having only what I "need" (again, quite subjective).
I don’t have an extensive, comprehensive collection by any means, but the only watch I sold off was an invicta which was a gift. It was a 50+ mm monster that just did not feel right any time I wore it so it had to go.
I mean look at this thing. I have a 7” wrist
I've only sold on two of mine, a Rolex and a Speedy. When they're expensive then they need to earn their keep. Rolex was just too dull, Speedy I'd had for decades and had grown bored of.
Otherwise yes I keep everything. Fortunately the Mrs collection has overflowed her 24 box so I don't get too much push back from her.
I have a Komono that I don't wear as much as I thought I would, I thought I'd wear it a lot with jeans. It only cost £15 new and may put a new battery in it and give it to a charity shop. I love the strap so I might keep that.
You don’t have a problem. When I was new there were some watches I thought I had to have, now they barely or don’t get worn at all. I still try to wear them, but I wouldn’t miss them if and when I finally get rid of them.
I have been playing with mechanical watches for decades, collected vintage during the early years but tired of watchmakers, sourcing suitable straps watches that would fail at the wrong moments, sold everything except for the best which I still have today. Presently I own perhaps 40 modern watches purchased during the last 10 years, have sold 2 to friends, gifted another 6 to family members, I buy whatever I can reasonably afford have no plans to regulate the number of watches that I intend to own. However, since joining WC I have contemplated sourcing 1-2 really fine watches that I can wear almost daily, while keeping all the other watches for deeply personal reasons.
I guess I have somewhat of a minimalist ideal. I have had the experience in my life that I've owned so much stuff (not watches, just in general) that the effort to clean, maintain, or move all that stuff was overwhelming.
In short, I didn't own my stuff, my stuff owned me.
Yes, I know watches are small and relatively maintenance free (compared to, say, cars). But I still personally value needing everything I have and having only what I "need" (again, quite subjective).
Well said..... (replies the guy with nearly 100 watches🤣)
I had to reduce because I just felt there was too much money stuck in objects that started to become meaningless to me…It was just also driving me insane..
So I made the decision to keep two only and make memories with them.
I don’t have an extensive, comprehensive collection by any means, but the only watch I sold off was an invicta which was a gift. It was a 50+ mm monster that just did not feel right any time I wore it so it had to go.
I mean look at this thing. I have a 7” wrist
I Have a few Invictas like that. I can understand the size can be too much for some. Once in awhile, I like the oversized look. But I definitely get it.
I'll only reduce my collection when I'll lose interest in some of the watches and so far it didn't happen. The last time I felt a bit guilty and tried to pare down my collection it ended with reducing the number of watches that I had from 16 to 30.
I have been selling some of my watches lately. Some watches I bought on an impulse and didn't end up liking them. Other watches I just didn't enjoy as much as I thought I would. There are more watches I want to buy so selling some I just don't wear or like offsets the cost of the watches I am really excited about owning.
Maybe to get the money, or part of it, back.
Or / and to make someone happy to use a watch that one never uses and that stays in the watch box.
Maybe also because some of us think that "less is more"?
I guess I have somewhat of a minimalist ideal. I have had the experience in my life that I've owned so much stuff (not watches, just in general) that the effort to clean, maintain, or move all that stuff was overwhelming.
In short, I didn't own my stuff, my stuff owned me.
Yes, I know watches are small and relatively maintenance free (compared to, say, cars). But I still personally value needing everything I have and having only what I "need" (again, quite subjective).
Same - I’m an apartment dweller with a certain amount of space for everything, and I can’t have too much “overlapping” in a collection. Everything needs a good reason to not move onto someone who might value it more.
I have been playing with mechanical watches for decades, collected vintage during the early years but tired of watchmakers, sourcing suitable straps watches that would fail at the wrong moments, sold everything except for the best which I still have today. Presently I own perhaps 40 modern watches purchased during the last 10 years, have sold 2 to friends, gifted another 6 to family members, I buy whatever I can reasonably afford have no plans to regulate the number of watches that I intend to own. However, since joining WC I have contemplated sourcing 1-2 really fine watches that I can wear almost daily, while keeping all the other watches for deeply personal reasons.
I've thought of gifting a watch here and there. I think that's the only way I could give one up.
Would you rather live on McDonald's everyday or have fine dining?
Are you happy having 3-4 old Fords, or would you rather have one Rolls-Royce?
Do you prefer lots of seekers,or rather have one pair of custom made walking boots?
Neither answer is right or wrong, it's just personal preference.
Myself I go quality over quantity every time, but I think it depends on how far down the rabbit hole you are....
The initial urge is to accumulate lots, and as tastes become refined focused and improved then the miasma of mediocrity becomes less appealing & the urge to improve the base level increases.
Or something like that 🤔😂🖖🏻
Servicing 43 watches at a local watch maker alone will cost you anywhere between 10k to 13k assuming they’re all mechanical and you need to pay about $250-$300 per service.
For me, it’s money (I need funding for the next watch or other hobby) and change in taste (why not pass it on to others who love it more than me, it deserves more wrist time)
I am not really a downsizer, but a let-goer. Some watches looked good in the catalogue, but not IRL. Sometimes you re-assess the sizes you want. Sometimes you want to upgrade and get similar but better. Sometimes a watch needs servicing [I include here low-level maintenance such as battery replacement or watchband replacement] and you do not like it enough to spend that money/effort for its resurrection.
As far as the reasons for buying the watches go, hindsight is 20/20 and those reasons may not qualify as good now if they ever did.
Nope, I have no desire to thin out my 200+ collection. Mind you that includes everything from free promotional watches (think M&M's) to 5 figure marvels. I love 'em all. 😀
I think it’s about enjoying and wearing what you gave, and also focusing the funds to be able to purchase higher tier watches. For me at least.
Dome watches have a special significance whic I would never be a part of. Some don’t 🤷🏼♂️
I keep all my watch purchases now that I’ve figured out what I want in each watch I buy.
I try to avoid redundancy in my collection by only having one of each type of watch. I collect a few other things and have lost the run of myself in the past so I’m trying to avoid that happening again.
I am reducing because I am not made of money I now have 2 Rolex an omega and a Panerai. I am very proud of what I have acquired and I want to experience these brands I worked so hard to obtain. If I’m not wearing my other lesser priced watches I should sell them to make up the difference of what I spent on the others. With a smaller number you’re able to focus on the ones you like the most.
I think it's to fund their next buy? Or they just don't like the idea of owning too many
For me I'm just careful about what I purchase in the first place. i may add more, but I'll never sell
I’ve had regrets on certain watches which have lead me to sell and pursue the ones I really need.. I mean want 🤙
Watches I don't wear cause me anxiety. If I don't wear it I want to get rid of it. It doesn't make any sense to me to keep a watch that I don't wear. It is very unfair to the watch. It was not made to sit in a watch box, it was made to be worn.
A collector's taste may evolve and change. What may once have been a daily wear now languishes in it's box so why not flip the watch and put the proceeds towards a replacement timepiece that fits the current collection and let someone else enjoy the unused one.
I don’t have an extensive, comprehensive collection by any means, but the only watch I sold off was an invicta which was a gift. It was a 50+ mm monster that just did not feel right any time I wore it so it had to go.
I mean look at this thing. I have a 7” wrist
Nice gift but to let it go man I would have tried to get used to it, but it’s yours to do as you please
Same here. I will not sell unless I have to.. but maybe this is Advanced watch collection and I am only 10 years doing it.. maybe later I want to consolidate for a reason.
Show us the wrest of your great collection nice time pieces I love watches I two watch collection until I can afford to build on to them