I sold my watch.
Today, I want to talk about feelings. Yes, that supposed non existential thing in men. In my past few posts(I do not have a lot), I talked about this brand called Longines and how much I adored it. But within the time of one month, I sold two from my collection. I owned a 41mm Grey dial, rose gold PVD and steel bracelet Hydroconquest and a 42mm Black dial Spirit Zulu Time in brown leather. They are now gone and I am slightly ashamed by my actions for I believed that I would never part with my watches because I truly love them. It may sound a bit silly to develop attachment for material things, but that is just me.
Along the path of watch collecting, I took a while to realise some watch sizes just isn’t for me. I am a small Asian Chinese with an even smaller wrist at 5.7 inches. I had a hard time trying to sport a 42mm watch without looking like the watch is wearing me. Sometimes I pulled off the look, sometimes I didn’t. I also realised a lot of times that the comfort of the watch sitting on my wrist mattered more than the watch on my wrist. Did I make sense? In fact, affecting me much more than the case size of a watch is the lug to lug distance. Any number more than 47mm kills me. There will be ugly gaps on both sides of my wrist enough to house some spare chopsticks. It will be great if watch brands curve their lugs a little, making them hug the wrist more, but a dream is a dream.
The Hydroconquest measures a lug to lug distance of 51mm, whereas the Zulu Time is at 49mm. I really love the watches and how they look, but it wasn’t doing so well for me comfort wise. While I was harbouring thoughts of selling them, Longines recently launched the Zulu Time at 39mm. I was totally blown away as I always believed the 39mm to be the perfect size for me (enter Tudor BB58).
It was an easy decision to make. Sell the Hydroconquest and Zulu Time 42mm to make way for the 39mm, which had a promising lug to lug distance of 47mm. I really love the Zulu Time, for I believe it to be an important release in the year of GMTs and Longines showed what delivering quality and value is all about.
Furthermore in this way, selling my Zulu Time and buying another Zulu Time indicates no betrayal of my brand loyalty toward Longines. Please don’t laugh at me, watch lovers ain’t normal people.
As a first time watch seller, I didn’t know where to look. The first thing I did was to share pictures of the watch in my chat groups. It was fortunate that I had a friend who was into the Zulu Time as well but didn’t pull the trigger due to his budget. I gave him an irresistible price and the deal was done. My friend know me as a person who takes great care of my watches. Before handing over the watch to him, I made sure to clean the watch with cloth and water, and carefully placed it into the watch case, also making sure all items are fully intact. All these while, I handled the watch wearing gloves, making sure not to leave behind fingerprints. When receiving the watch box, my friend didn’t bother to check the contents. He had this much faith in me. He shook my hands and drove off a happy man. It was wonderful knowing my watch had found a new home.
For the Hydroconquest, I asked my other friend to help sell it. He had quite a presence in online selling and I decided to give him the business, as in, offering him a commission if he closed the deal. Similarly, I took great care in cleaning the watch, listing the items and knowing that the buyer could be unfamiliar with an automatic watch, I spent more than 30 minutes explaining to my friend how an automatic works and how to care for it, so that he could explain it to the buyer when they meet. After being informed that the deal was closed, I asked my friend for details:
Me: How did it go?
Friend: I was turned off by the way he handled the watch. You will faint if you were here.
Me: Makes me very sad selling it to him..
Friend: You maintained your watch so well but he just snatched it over and threw it into the paper bag.
Me: My heart is hurting now.
Friend: I am sorry, I actually didn’t want to tell you about the dealing. I wanted to explain to him about the watch but he didn’t even gave me the chance.
After this incident, I felt a sense of regret. Knowing that the watch which I once adored would probably end up being treat like trash, made my heart ache a little. It had never crossed my mind to check what kind of a person I am selling my watch to, until this happened. Call me sensitive or crazy or emotional. Call me anything. But I am not going to sell anyone my watches again if I know they will not cherish or treat it with respect.
Tell me what you think or how you think I should feel in the comments.
Hi everyone! I am alson with a small 'a' and I am a Singaporean Chinese. I started my watch journey real late. I was hitting 40 years old and decided to get me a nice luxury watch to mark the mileston...
The disrespect towards the watch 😤😤
I'm sorry that happened & hopefully all watches are treated with love & kindness
The disrespect towards the watch 😤😤
I'm sorry that happened & hopefully all watches are treated with love & kindness
thank u for your comment and yes i hope the same too!
Yeah, some people do to a watch what I wouldn't do to a shovel 😮
muahha, nasty!
It was ages ago but I decided that the 14kt gold Concord Moonphase watch that my best friend at the time talked me into buying was not total crap but also never going to be a quarzt future collectable( he owned a Warhol Muhammad Ali and may yet be correct about quartz watches from the 80s).He was a Senior VP with a shiny law degree from a wealthy politically connected family, I was a young Chinese man( good size wrist, I wear Breitlings and Panerai watches no issues) bottom of the barrel in a company not accustomed to hiring Chinese guys who played hockey didn’t worry about office politics and needed to cash out for a real watch. The man who one day would sell me a Franken Babe Ruth watch liked my Concord Moonphase enough to pay me exactly what it cost me since I bought the watch along with my friend receiving a 50% discount since we both paid cash. You could buy any Rolex for courtesy discounts of 20-35% ( single exception white dial Daytonas ) depending on how you were paying and how desperate the ad was to pay his rent. The buyer was moving his successful pawnshop operation to Florida where he gleefully said that gold Concord watches were purchased by weight and being reduced to “MELT”. Life is short and harsh as Thomas Hobbes once famously suggested, I needed the money my Concord mistake was on its own. After I matured both as a man and a watch hobbyist, I made very few errors in judgement with my watch purchases. However in many other facets of my life I remain a self confessed work in progress!
I wish you all the good luck that a kind person that you appear to be and deserves in the many moments ahead in your life but dude, trust me your watches do not bleed if you are having a tough year or even a tough decade!❤️❤️
Thanks for sharing your feelings on this subject. Everyone loves a materialistic "thing". You generally love a home you purchase (it has to tick all of the boxes), that vintage car you are restoring or a cruiser (motorcycle) and watches are no different.
Not everyone takes good care of their possessions. Maybe due to what I call "home training" when growing up or not appreciating the hard it took to be able to acquire that new/pre-owned watch.
That being said don't let this experience deter you from 1) Staying true to your character in the sense of properly taking care of your watxhes (it appears thats part of your DNA anyhow) 2) Selling one of your watches in the future.
Enjoy the new 39mm Longines!
thx for sharing, its funny how we attached to this unanimated object. but i was doing the same as you when i sold my orient bambino, and its not an expensive watch but i like it but i have to make space for another dresswatch. fortunately one of my bestfriend want me to sell it for him, and i know he did take a good care for it.
I've had both the 42mm Zulu Time and now the 39. I can tell you that even on my 6.75 inch wrist, the 39 wears best!
It was ages ago but I decided that the 14kt gold Concord Moonphase watch that my best friend at the time talked me into buying was not total crap but also never going to be a quarzt future collectable( he owned a Warhol Muhammad Ali and may yet be correct about quartz watches from the 80s).He was a Senior VP with a shiny law degree from a wealthy politically connected family, I was a young Chinese man( good size wrist, I wear Breitlings and Panerai watches no issues) bottom of the barrel in a company not accustomed to hiring Chinese guys who played hockey didn’t worry about office politics and needed to cash out for a real watch. The man who one day would sell me a Franken Babe Ruth watch liked my Concord Moonphase enough to pay me exactly what it cost me since I bought the watch along with my friend receiving a 50% discount since we both paid cash. You could buy any Rolex for courtesy discounts of 20-35% ( single exception white dial Daytonas ) depending on how you were paying and how desperate the ad was to pay his rent. The buyer was moving his successful pawnshop operation to Florida where he gleefully said that gold Concord watches were purchased by weight and being reduced to “MELT”. Life is short and harsh as Thomas Hobbes once famously suggested, I needed the money my Concord mistake was on its own. After I matured both as a man and a watch hobbyist, I made very few errors in judgement with my watch purchases. However in many other facets of my life I remain a self confessed work in progress!
I wish you all the good luck that a kind person that you appear to be and deserves in the many moments ahead in your life but dude, trust me your watches do not bleed if you are having a tough year or even a tough decade!❤️❤️
hi there! melt as in melting it for the gold? 😮, that would have shook me hard :( thank u so much for sharing your story and ur journey too, makes me feel i am not alone and i have much to learn. i also wish you all the best and will heed your kind advice!
Thanks for sharing your feelings on this subject. Everyone loves a materialistic "thing". You generally love a home you purchase (it has to tick all of the boxes), that vintage car you are restoring or a cruiser (motorcycle) and watches are no different.
Not everyone takes good care of their possessions. Maybe due to what I call "home training" when growing up or not appreciating the hard it took to be able to acquire that new/pre-owned watch.
That being said don't let this experience deter you from 1) Staying true to your character in the sense of properly taking care of your watxhes (it appears thats part of your DNA anyhow) 2) Selling one of your watches in the future.
Enjoy the new 39mm Longines!
hi there! thank u so much for your kind words and advice, yes indeed, also probably i should not hold others to my own expectations. shall do a post if i get my hands on the 39mm!
thx for sharing, its funny how we attached to this unanimated object. but i was doing the same as you when i sold my orient bambino, and its not an expensive watch but i like it but i have to make space for another dresswatch. fortunately one of my bestfriend want me to sell it for him, and i know he did take a good care for it.
i am really glad it found a new owner, and more so one which you know personally, thank u for sharing!
I've had both the 42mm Zulu Time and now the 39. I can tell you that even on my 6.75 inch wrist, the 39 wears best!
hi there! omg u had the gold one! that is a very very beautiful watch! you gotta tell me where u got this playful pineapple strap. the look kills!
I often cringe when I see someone comparing two watches by clunking them together. (Ouch -- that's where scratches come from!) Sadly, many people have little self-awareness or sensitivity. You did the best you could. On the up-side, the 39 will suit you much better, although you'll need to find another place for your chopsticks.😉
I often cringe when I see someone comparing two watches by clunking them together. (Ouch -- that's where scratches come from!) Sadly, many people have little self-awareness or sensitivity. You did the best you could. On the up-side, the 39 will suit you much better, although you'll need to find another place for your chopsticks.😉
reminds me of the watch etiquitte videos i watched on youtube lately! and yes! i couldnt agree more, i can do fist bumps but no wrist collisions please! definitely keeping my sights on that 39mm! and thank u for acknowledging my asian chopstick joke hahahaha
Bro, I feel you, both wrist size and attachment to the watch.
My wrist size is 6" so any watch will look big on me.
I have never sold my watch, but i have brothers (with bigger wrist size) to share with.
hi there! omg u had the gold one! that is a very very beautiful watch! you gotta tell me where u got this playful pineapple strap. the look kills!
Yes the gold one seems to be everyone's favourite when I wear it. I sadly don't remember where I got my fruit straps from as it has been years.
Looks good with pink for summer too!
Hey bro I’m actually going to be selling my Hydroconquest what platform did you use to sell it ( chrono24 eBay )? I’m selling most of my 13 watch collection actually and jsut keeping 5 but don’t know where to list
Oh, I have a great story.
I’m a huge synth guy and a huge romantic, right.
Watches are our companions, scratches are memories - I’m full of this stuff. I have 0 attachment to most things (and a lot of people, yeah), I can part ways with people and things too easy, but watches and music instruments - those are different. Okay with that in mind - the story.
On of local artist sold me my first synth. She was so passionate about this thing, she told me that synths have souls and about how the process of making sounds is a process of self-discovery.
I played this thing for a year and sold it to a reseller. Next day I sold this dude my synth it was on a same marketplace, but with 30% markup. I knew he was a flipper, but I didn’t care. Even tho I put a tasty price to attract a fellow enthusiasts, I just jump on an opportunity to free up studio space.
So this synth went from a person who thinks this thing has a soul, to a dude who just flipped it for profit.
A good tradesman always looks after and respects his tools
Selling to someone that is truly enthusiastic always feels way better 🎯
I feel exactly the same way. These little machines have soul.
Hey bro I’m actually going to be selling my Hydroconquest what platform did you use to sell it ( chrono24 eBay )? I’m selling most of my 13 watch collection actually and jsut keeping 5 but don’t know where to list
hi there, thanks for dropping by! i used a local online selling platform for Singapore so it might not be useful for you.. nice photo of your baby reading rolex. they start early don't they! 😉
Oh, I have a great story.
I’m a huge synth guy and a huge romantic, right.
Watches are our companions, scratches are memories - I’m full of this stuff. I have 0 attachment to most things (and a lot of people, yeah), I can part ways with people and things too easy, but watches and music instruments - those are different. Okay with that in mind - the story.
On of local artist sold me my first synth. She was so passionate about this thing, she told me that synths have souls and about how the process of making sounds is a process of self-discovery.
I played this thing for a year and sold it to a reseller. Next day I sold this dude my synth it was on a same marketplace, but with 30% markup. I knew he was a flipper, but I didn’t care. Even tho I put a tasty price to attract a fellow enthusiasts, I just jump on an opportunity to free up studio space.
So this synth went from a person who thinks this thing has a soul, to a dude who just flipped it for profit.
hello there! you knew its gonna get flipped but you know your time with the synth has ended. hey, we bared our souls with each other, we had a good run but in life there are goodbyes. I wish you well in the hands of another. sometimes we let go in life and make adult choices. thank u for sharing your story!
Selling to someone that is truly enthusiastic always feels way better 🎯
agreed man!
I feel exactly the same way. These little machines have soul.
they move on their own! a soul there must be! 😍
hello there! you knew its gonna get flipped but you know your time with the synth has ended. hey, we bared our souls with each other, we had a good run but in life there are goodbyes. I wish you well in the hands of another. sometimes we let go in life and make adult choices. thank u for sharing your story!
Absolutely!)
Respect for the willingness to actually let go of the watches that didn't really fit well with you to make way for the better fit.
Sympathy for the Hydroconquest, can totally relate with being attached to the watch you took great care of.
"watch lovers ain't normal people"
Indeed we ain't 😄
Respect for the willingness to actually let go of the watches that didn't really fit well with you to make way for the better fit.
Sympathy for the Hydroconquest, can totally relate with being attached to the watch you took great care of.
"watch lovers ain't normal people"
Indeed we ain't 😄
Thank u for dropping by and thank u for the comments! We dun like to be normal haha.
Damn I feel you on this post, but glad you were able to let them go without too much of a hassle
Damn I feel you on this post, but glad you were able to let them go without too much of a hassle
Thank u for dropping by and comments! Time(in the form of more watches) heal all wounds!🤣