Is there even such a thing as an “exit watch”?

I think it can happen, but it's likely less about the individual watch, and more about the fickle nature of our interests.

For some an "exit" watch might be a VC Overseas, for others it might be a G-Shock that serves their needs...

I think it can happen, but it's likely less about the individual watch, and more about the fickle nature of our interests.

Or the years of therapy ;)

Dumb term that seems to be fairly recent. I guess people got sick of grail.

For the first few years of collecting I always thought that once I got “the watch” it would be all over. I said that with my skx which gateway’d me, then with my Sinn, then with my Tudor. Collecting is about the process not the end.

I thought that an "exit watch" was the watch that one wears at his own funeral. Well, I just learned something new today.

From my experience with past hobbies I know there will most likely be a final purchase where the buying phase of this particular obsession becomes dormant (although I'll retain my useful knowledge of various brands and models when spotting watches in the wild). I was a coin collector throughout high school and my "exit coin" ended up being a $2 Newfoundland gold piece.

But these kinds of moments tend to come like a thief in the night, and I still regularly indulge my coin hobby in various small ways. It would be great if they naturally lined up with big purchases so that I could financially recover, but I know that's not usually the case...!

If you were interested enough in watches in general to make it to this places, the answer is almost certainly no.

for non watch-enthusiasts, yes, there is such thing but for enthusiasts, big no.

Analogous to the “This will be my last car, so I’ll buy a fancy one” argument, which is a well established bunch of baloney unless someone really has foreknowledge that the end is definitively nigh . A harmless permission structure as long as one can afford that “last” whatever. My fabulous father-in-law is currently driving his third “last car,” and I hope to be there when he picks out his next one!

“When you ride your last one,

Make sure he’s the best one.

Jump while he’s movin’.

Take your hat, boys, and walk away.”

-Chris LeDoux

It's a term we use to convince the wife ... it still works 🤣👍

I realize that the term exit watch is only used by people who wishes to think that their watch collection madness can reach a limit and that they are capable of reaching that limit. 😄

My wife and I were having this conversation today. In the incredibly wide range of human behavior it's not hard to imagine that there have been a few enthusiasts who were satiated by a goal watch and thus "exited" the hunting and gathering. My wife is happy with her SOTC and isn't pining for more however for me there are three more watches that I'm pretty serious about getting but once I've accomplished that who knows? I was previously into cars and once I had owned the few that I'd lusted for I stopped pursuing others so in that respect I guess I've already experienced the "exit car".

hahaha at first glance when I saw "exit watch" I was thinking the watch you are going to wear when u kick the bucket !

I don't even like the idea of an exit watch as it sounds like something you'd be on a limited timescale to enjoy before shuffling off this mortal coil. More seriously I think it reflects a lack of understanding of how this hobby works. Let's say you acquire every currently available and vintage watch you like... The trouble is they're constantly producing new ones and I don't think it's realistic that any of us would stop checking out new trends and releases and being tempted. Having said all of that I'd love to hear from anyone here who has an exit watch, what it was, and how they feel now that they will never dip a toe in fresh horological waters again?

Probably the final straw watch that causes your wife to exit. I'm thinking money (Blancpain money for us Bulova and Citizen guys), or because it's just so darn ugly (Pagani Design Richard Mille wannabe). 😅

No such thing. It’s like that meme where you’re walking down the street with your girl (your grail) and you break your neck staring at another girl (next watch).

Most of us watch guys are collectors and enjoy working towards the next one. I am always thinking about the next watch I wish to acquire. I think in this context, and I have heard it on a number of public forums, an exit watch is a watch that is on such a high level (similar to a grail) that you decide that you cannot do any better and your journey is over. Often a very expensive watch like a Rolex or a Patek, but there are many more budget-conscious people that would be happy with a Tag Heuer or an Omega. My exit watch is below.