A Series: My Watch Collecting Journey

As a collector who has bought ~20 watches, I feel like I’ve learned some things that I will be using going forward in my collecting. There's too much to go into one post, so this will be a series. 

I’m paraphrasing Adam Savage when I say “This is not a how-to post, but more of a what happened post.” If you can take things from it and apply them to your journey, great! But that’s not the intention of my post.

Anyway, on to what I consider my biggest mistake…

Picking a theme – I went too broad with the theme of ‘A Wristwatch History of My Lifetime’. 

Why is it too broad? Well, here is the list of features/criteria the watches needed to have that I feel would complete that quest:

o   US Brand - Achieved

o   Citizen - Achieved

o   Casio - Achieved

o   Timex - Achieved

o   Birth Year Watch - Achieved

o   Digital - Achieved

o   Automatic - Achieved

o   Quartz - Achieved

o   Chronograph - Achieved

o   Wooden - Achieved

o   EcoDrive - Achieved

o   Diver - Achieved

o   Day of Week - Achieved

o   Date - Achieved

o   Character Watch - Achieved

o   Frankenwatch/Mod - Achieved

o   Smartwatch - Achieved

o   Dress Watch - Achieved

o   Japanese Brand - Achieved

o   Manual Wind - Achieved

o   Ana-Digi - Achieved

o   Pilot Watch - Achieved

o   Russian Brand (used) – Achieved, Maybe

o   Skeleton Dial - Achieved

o   Butterfly clasp   Achieved

o   Ornate case/bracelet - Achieved

o   G-shock - Achieved

o   Seiko Brand - Not Achieved

o   Red LED, Time Only Watch - Not Achieved

o   Pocket Watch - Not Achieved

o   Mecha-Quartz - Not Achieved

o   Kinetic - Not Achieved

o   Moonphase - Not Achieved

o   Moonwatch - Not Achieved

o   Lunar Pilot (Backup to the Moonwatch) - Not Achieved

o   MoonSwatch - Not Achieved

o   Perpetual Calendar - Not Achieved

o   Tourbillon - Not Achieved

o   Swiss Brand - Not Achieved (I’m not counting the Invicta-era Glycine)

o   German Brand - Not Achieved

o   Unusual Time Telling method (no hands; no digital. A Mr. Jones? TokyoFlash.com?) - Not Achieved

o   English Brand - Not Achieved

o   Bullhead Chrono - Not Achieved

o   Summer Watch (colorful) - Not Achieved

o   DIY watch (diywatch.club)- Not Achieved

o   Indiglo - Not Achieved

o   Calculator Watch - Not Achieved

o   Rectangular Watch/Tank - Not Achieved

o   Field Watch - Not Achieved

o   Spring Drive - Not Achieved

o   Flieger   Not Achieved

o   Bronze  Not Achieved

o   Titanium Not Achieved

Yeah, 53 different checkboxes is a lot, even with some watches checking off more than one criterion. For example, the bronze and the Flieger and potentially the Swiss brand criteria could all potentially be checked off with one watch. 

Even with one watch checking off multiple boxes, the total watches in my collection will be in the neighborhood of 40 or even 50. Too many to store, display & maintain, even if most of them are quartz. 

What about trying to give them all wrist time? I struggle now with roughly half those numbers. I’ve said in the past that I didn’t care if I gave all my watches wrist time, and that is proving to be untrue. It doesn’t have to be EQUAL wrist time, but each watch should get some wrist time. 

Now, I’m thinking of putting all my novelty/gifted watches in their own collection, selling/gifting some of the watches that have resulted in duplicated criteria and working toward an eight to twelve watch collection composed as follows (a mixture of mechanical and quartz):

  1. Diver
  2. GMT
  3. Dress watch
  4. Chronograph (the Speedy)
  5. Flieger
  6. G-Shock
  7. A watch with a weird way of telling the time (Think Mr. Jones, or Tokyoflash.com)

And then some other wild cards that may or may not duplicate the above types. 

Or maybe I buy a Pagani Design Speedy homage and a Seiko Tuna, resign from Watch Crunch (we all enable each other like mad, LOL), save my pennies and save my dimes until it's actually Speedy times? 

Reply
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Speedy has a bit of a boring flat dial in my opinion. And I don't like Pagani personally.

And yes I think smaller collection is better.

Sure there's lots of stuff out there, but all I want is the stuff that's right for me.

And yes I also want to spend less time on this hobby and just have a few great watches I enjoy. and then get back into driving games and also going outside and I want to try more water sports. 

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I’ve intentionally tried to keep my collection down to 4-5 pieces I really love and have forced myself to not buy great watches I really like. For example, just yesterday I turned down the Pelagos 39. Even tho I thought it was fantastic, I knew I didn’t love it. 
That was hard but it’s that sort of discipline that will ensure the watches I do own, I’ll own probably forever and be excited to wear them everyday. 

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Great story! 

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I applaud the discipline / effort involved in putting together that list of 53

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… and the idea of documenting things through a series will be really satisfying. Look forward to following along. 

Hobbies teach us a lot about ourselves, and that “teaching” isn’t a static thing but also a causal thing in changing our thoughts patterns in how we approach both the hobby AND life. Be interesting to see your reflections on things as you dive deep. 👍🏻

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I'm at 39,  If I stay at that number. Each watch would get roughly 10 days of wrist time. But I'm realistic, I know the number will grow. However I'm much more selective about what I buy now. Only the Best! of the Best!

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Whitesalmon

I'm at 39,  If I stay at that number. Each watch would get roughly 10 days of wrist time. But I'm realistic, I know the number will grow. However I'm much more selective about what I buy now. Only the Best! of the Best!

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That Ritz watch is the in fact the best of the best. 

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Dingus

That Ritz watch is the in fact the best of the best. 

True, True! the one above is under consideration!

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Your plan B sounds like a more rewarding and sensible approach 👌 I say go for it!

Btw: that's a real nice diagram of the colon 🥸👌

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Im just gonna say good luck

Thank you for introducing me to https://tokyoflash.com/ you're right we are just enabling each other 🤣 

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I don't see anything that fits the criteria of "looks good with a blue suit." So, I guess you will have to stay.

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I think it's great to have a plan, this has been very useful for me.  There is nothing wrong with changing the plan as you go along either; in fact it is expected.  This strategy has helped me take my collection from a jumbled mess, into something that I think has more purpose.  It adds interest, focus, and is individual and personal at the same time.  Best of luck to you as you move into the next phase.

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Aurelian

I don't see anything that fits the criteria of "looks good with a blue suit." So, I guess you will have to stay.

Oh, 'Must Look Good with a Blue Suit' is the subtitle of my collection. ;)

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seiko brand isnt achieved yet? we better started from that one sir lol. i want a nice chronograph too but looks like it still a long way to go, but i vouch for the smaller collection strategy of you

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Whitesalmon

I'm at 39,  If I stay at that number. Each watch would get roughly 10 days of wrist time. But I'm realistic, I know the number will grow. However I'm much more selective about what I buy now. Only the Best! of the Best!

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Someone screwed up.  The red seconds hand needs to be the lightsaber.

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I applaud the change, and I think even though you may need or want to change it again, it's good to work towards something.

I have so many watches from the time early in my watch collection journey, that had no purpose, and because they are all on the very affordable end, I deemed them not worth getting rid of. (<< This was my main mistake, and have been making mental notes of watches for potential sale). Well, now I sit well over a 100, and most of which go unworn. Keep a goal even if it changes from time to time. Don't be me... 😁

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UtahExplorer

I applaud the change, and I think even though you may need or want to change it again, it's good to work towards something.

I have so many watches from the time early in my watch collection journey, that had no purpose, and because they are all on the very affordable end, I deemed them not worth getting rid of. (<< This was my main mistake, and have been making mental notes of watches for potential sale). Well, now I sit well over a 100, and most of which go unworn. Keep a goal even if it changes from time to time. Don't be me... 😁

The wife and I are planning a 10th anniversary trip and it's big. I also looked at my year in review and saw we traveled a lot this year; (Rose Bowl/Disneyland, San Diego, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Vegas in a couple weeks, maybe a bowl game trip) and I realized I cannot get so caught up in watches that it might impede that. 

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UnholiestJedi

The wife and I are planning a 10th anniversary trip and it's big. I also looked at my year in review and saw we traveled a lot this year; (Rose Bowl/Disneyland, San Diego, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Vegas in a couple weeks, maybe a bowl game trip) and I realized I cannot get so caught up in watches that it might impede that. 

Sounds like it has been a good year, and a nice upcoming trip!

That's a good rule to follow, anytime family finances and activities are involved. And honestly, the memories and experiences that you can gain on a vacation will beat most, if not all the good feelings of buying a watch. (plus you can attach travel memories to a watch 😜).

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Good advice. A small collection of 4-5 watches I really love is what my aim is. At three watches currently I’m finding it’s getting harder to decise on the next one!

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Hi...what is the model of your church Timex? Also saw your post where you mentioned Tokyo flash. You've seen the liquid metal watch?

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I am really looking forward to the day I see your new Speedmaster on NWA.

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Seanmorganreport

Hi...what is the model of your church Timex? Also saw your post where you mentioned Tokyo flash. You've seen the liquid metal watch?

I had not seen that until now. 

Watch is a Marlin, if I'm not mistaken. 

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Might as well add Disney officially brought Mickey Mouse watch in Disney Not Achieved.😉 Don't worry its on my bucket list right now.