Restarting Your Collection (Hypothetically)
Here's the hypothetical for you. You wake up tomorrow and all your watches have disappeared. They aren't lost, they no longer exist. You create a post explaining your situation and a very generous fellow collector gets you a Chrono24 gift card for the amount your collection was realistically worth.
Question the hypothetical is meant to prompt you into answering: How many/which of your watches would you buy again if you were to start collecting today knowing what you know now? This is also meant to eliminate watches you would never sell because of their sentimental value. For example, I have my grandpa's Omega Seamaster Chronograph, which is the only watch in my collection that I view as truly untouchable; but if I couldn't have my grandpa's I don't think I would use my money to get a similar vintage Omega.
Obviously you may have a watch model you have sentimental value around, that's fine, just not an individual watch. I absolutely love Accutron Spaceviews and always want to have one in my collection. That being said, I do not have any special attachment to the one I currently own that I got off eBay.
So my answer to the hypothetical question is: I would get a Spaceview for sure, I may get another G-Shock, although I don't live a lifestyle that really calls for one almost ever... I would probably invest most of whatever is left after the Spaceview into a GADA type watch. Right now I am really into a couple of Seiko Alpinists, specifically the grey Baby model and a few of the 1959 models. I would also love to have a couple of fairly inexpensive playful watches like D1 Milano.
Let's hear it, what percentage of your current collection would you replace with like for like?
Quirky quartz quollector (but not exclusively...)
Maybe 25%
Honestly, if placed in this unfortunate position, I’d probably rebuy maybe 1 of my current watches. Not that I don’t love my collection but I sorta consider that time spent and would likely be prepared move on. Lemons into lemonade… onwards and upwards… blah, blah, blah. 😂
Whilst I'm very happy with collection at the moment if this did happen I would buy 2 or 3 watches with the entire budget,the reason behind this is sometimes I I feel I'm not wearing each watch enough
Restart and re-buying my watch? I'd buy my Steinhart, Dievas, Seiko Alpinist GMT and my Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster GMT back. The rest I'll just buy something new, I suppose.
Id rebuy my Grail & sidekick & upgrade the others to a focused 4 piece collection (total), pretty much what I'm aiming for now.
If I’m being completely honest, I’d only re-acquire maybe 50% of what I have at present. This is keeping in mind I’m also including the pieces my wife has gotten for me over the years (3 so far).
I’m mindful that many pieces that I would not reacquire have little to no resale value. I might consider donating them to charity.
Id buy these two bad boys in a heartbeat plus something for the gym. Gshock probably.
I like my watches but I bought too many cheap homages, and I couldnt really connect with them.
The only thing I would miss is my Vertigo diver, as it has a special place in my heart due to it being a milestone kinda watch, but I dont think I would buy it again due to its shortcomings.
Im actually thinking about buying the seikos and selling the rest (not including the vertigo) but it would take a very long time to sell them all.
I'd probably halve my collection from 8-ish to 4-ish, and just select really great examples of the types I'm interested in. And maybe a cheapy to have as a real beater.
Takeaway? Less is more. I've already whittled down my collection over the years, but I could halve it again and be very happy with four really well-selected watches.
I have strong emotional ties with a large proportion of my collection. If they all disappeared, re-buyiing them wouldn't mean anything unless I could re-buy the exact same watches.
If that wasn't possible, I'd probably re-buy 3-4
My collection is not worth a lot of money. I would use it to go up a tier and get fewer watches. As for rebuying, maybe 1 honestly
None, I’d start again with just 1 GADA watch.
Sentimental pieces cannot be replaced
I think before I made any rushed decisions, I'd have to really think about what it was I really wanted my collection to be; what kind of collector I am & my true motivations for collecting.
I love my current collection, but I would make some changes to it if I were in this incredibly unlikely scenario.
The one thing I would do for sure, is re-acquire my Save the Ocean Tuna.
After that? Not sure
Hmm. That’s a toughie. I think 75% the same?
Most of mine I love, and I’m not sure what I’d prefer to own if same money was suddenly available.
I'd limit myself to six watches max. Diver, Pilot, Chronograph, Dress Watch, Chronograph and a Beater. Doubt if any would be the same as I have currently to tell you the truth, but ya never know!
I would buy 9 watches only, which is 33% of the current number of my watch collection. Thank you very much for this hypothetical scenario, it might help to turn ideas into reality, although when I start thinking which one should I sell first, I get a mental blockage.
Same for me! I'm assuming the 4 watches would all be ones you don't currently own?
Largely, yes. For example, the SMP 300 would go... but I'd still have some sort of newer Seamaster. I might keep the Tudor Heritage Ranger, rather than going up to an Explorer - largely because I actually really like its 42mm diameter, versus what an Explorer would give me. But that's probably the only one I'd keep. It's an interesting scenario to consider.
The only watches I really care about have personal history. You can't buy personal history so I wouldn't worry too much and just buy a Oyster and be done.
Mone would be 100% the same. I'm content.
What's the story behind that Seiko? Looks like a Movado!
My dad gave it to me when I entered highschool. I hardly ever wear it, since I don't have many dressy occasions, but I keep up with battery changes so it's always running
I think like many other crunchers, I'd start anew. The only keeper in my collection is the Cartier, but if it's not my Cartier I don't think I'd buy it again.
Don't get me wrong, I like the watch on its own merits, but it's not exactly a GADA watch.
With the knowledge and experience I have now, and considering how I wear my watches (24/7), I'd probably go with a Tudor Pelagos 39 and be done with it. Finally free from these shackles that is the watch hunting.
I'm jealous! It's awesome that you have the watches you love most!
It’s a combination of things:
(1) I’m super deliberative, and usually take a few weeks to months to actually pull the trigger on a watch purchase from the first time I get intrigued by it. I’ve fallen in and out of love with so many watches over the last few months that deliberativeness has saved me a lot of money 😄 (The one exception is a recent impulse purchase, but in that case, I’ve been pondering since July the kind of watch I wanted, and this one just fit the bill of what I had settled so well that there was no reason to put it off).
I don’t want an extensive collection. I don’t want to have to take care of a lot of things and clutter up my house, so I have to be very well edited with my choices
I don’t want to trade often; it’s a lot of work, and I’ve already got a job.
I take advantage of good return policies, and won’t buy online without one. I’ve bought and returned 3 watches this year. Of the 5 watches I bought online, I’ve kept 2.
I’m kind of weird in that I’ve also have grown to appreciate most of my watches even more now than when they were new (same with my wife 😄) The familiarity breeds appreciation for me.
The first watch I’d buy would be a Omega AT blue dial, that would replace my CW Sealander (I know it’s a massively different price point but I’d fund it by not buying my Longines HC and Oris Aquis despite liking those watches). I’d then rebuy my Sinn 104 white dial and replace my 556i with a 556ARS. My Hanhart Pioneer 417 1954 would be my next rebuy. After that I’d take my time before buying another watch.
If I knew then what I know now, I would:
Buy fewer and better.
Get into solar watches right away.
Yeah. I will buy one watch and after some time i start to make new mistakes and in 5 years i will be where i am now; maybe a tier up. It is possible to get more restart cards?
These I would definitely buy again, I might swap my 5600 for a 2100 now they are solar and I would swap my Tribus for a Nomos club.
I’m quick to sell watches I lose interest in so I’d probably rebuy the 5 watches I’ve currently got in my box. I’d maybe consider a different dress watch over my Credor but I can’t think of anything I’d particularly want instead (for the price), either.
Nine is an interesting number, how did you land on that? Just because you felt one for every three was a good ratio? I have a watch box with eight slots so I have always tried to stick to eight.
Hi, well it is a very subjektiv thing... and nine is also an ideal number, meaning that I am not sure I will be ever able to hit it.
First and foremost, when I think at the minimum number of watches I think at one daily watch/gada, one sport watch, a dress watch, a diver, a chronograph and with the exception of the dress watch I would like to have two for each type (e.g. one expensive luxury diver and a diver I actually bring at the beach, one sport watch that is a bit elegant and another one that is a real maverick etc.), so here we have the nine watches.
Additional "guidelines" I followed to land on that number are a few:
1. It makes no sense spending a bag of money on a big collection (maintenence/servicing might be quite expensive),
2. It makes no sense to have a number of watches you do not wear. In my personal experience, 30 watches are already too many. I could not enjoy them, so I realised I should not go close to 30 (that time I had 50).
3. When I fill my glass with a good wine I never fill up to the brim, is a matter of elegance. Ten (10) is up to the brim, nine is the last and biggest one digit number I should use (also eight is fine of course).
Today I have set my limit to 25 (with a tolerance +2), so I am a bit far. However I am happy that I managed to cut about 50% of the collection in one year. I hope one day I will reach that magic number (9).
That would be a god-send if the hypothetical was to happen to me.
I would start with the 2-watches that I love the most. I know I get bored of the design after 1-2 years, so I’d stick with the 1-in-1-out requirement.
If it was to happen to me right now, I’d go with the MN FXD and either 3861 Speedy or SBGA443 as my 2 starting watches.
Which reminds me, I’d need to move my Sinn 158 and 103 Sa G out. Any takers? 😂
Vacheron Constantin 222