Can a collection become too large?

Both are good ways to collect. I want to keep mine small because I want to wear all my watches regularly. 
 

I also find that my most expensive watches are mostly my favorites, and they dominate wrist time. I can’t afford a ton of really expensive watches, so to get the most enjoyment, I need to curate a small collection. 

My collection right now is too big for me. I currently have 15 and wanna get down to 10: Four gifted watches and my six favorites. 

I am in no rush to downsize though, and it might take some time to get it to where I want it.

I have had as many as ~40 watches and have taken it down to 3. Now back up to around 20. 
 

Will eventually pair it back down in all likelihood but this is what I enjoy at present. 
 

As long as it remains in budget, whether it be one watch or 100, I think either is ok. 
 

There is a line that too many people cross into hoarding, though. 
 

https://www.additudemag.com/screener-hoarding-spectrum-symptoms-test-adults/

I think a collection becomes too big if the mental overhead of ownership crowds the mind in other contexts. Definitely something to be decided on an individual basis.

Fun example: it's possible for one to find security in having less expensive pieces that can be ablated, and so might buy something just to wear on a rainy day.

As for me? Sometimes I think I have two too many, but when I consider those first two watches on the chopping block in a vacuum, I'm struck by their charms and sentimental value. Otherwise, I'm quite happy with where I've steered my collection. Once this 8th watch comes in the mail, I aim to stop shopping for a while and appreciate what I have.

I'm close to 30, and have just come out of a 9 month binge where I bought 20 watches. 

For me, that's actually too much and will be looking at selling gifting a few to make room for a few really desired pieces. 

Others have 100+ and keep buying more.

So the answer is yes... And no. 

Only the individual can make that determination. 

I'm at the point where I've leveled off. I'm at a crossroads with what I like. When I started collecting watches versus just having 1 or 2 to wear everyday. I only wanted dive watches, As that's what I would use most. In total I have about 50 watches

Now I have an admitted chronograph problem🙄 However I've started collecting Vintage as well. I have a watchmaker that I trade wine for watch work. Which is nice, it get's me to the front of the line and no cash out of hand.

So I expect my collection to grow! But I will be selling a few here and there. I have a collectibles Ebay store in place for the one's I can live with out and or make a little money on.

I believe you should only have as many as you can properly store and maintain.

Personally, I'm at about my upper limit right now with ~13. 

I have a few watches I wear a lot, and many I wear rarely, so I see little value in adding more watches I won't wear. 

I wat to keep my collection at 6 pieces. I just hate not rotating my watches and it is already difficult to rotate them all

It absolutely depends on the nature of the collection. There are people who own dozens, if not hundreds, of G-Shocks, for example. I have no doubt that these people are collecting them as objects, not as watches they intend to wear often, if at all. Swatch collectors are similar. So there are some massive collections out there where the interest is in owning the watches as objects, if I can put it that way, rather than using them in the way they were intended. And I think collections like that are fine.

A collection with dozens, if not hundreds, of watches that the owner misguidedly thinks they will be able to give wrist time to them all, is problematic. Because they won't be able to. And is wearing a watch once, every now and then, a smart thing? I don't think it is, personally, for a lot of reasons. One being that if you're constantly rotating watches to feel like you're getting value from them - and still hardly wearing them with any regularity - you can't really build up any sort of real affinity with any of them. And that, to me, is important. Wearing a watch because you love it - and not because it's on your schedule to wear for a day or two this year - seems the smarter, more natural way to go, to me.

I prefer a larger collection because of the added variety and wider choices it offer. But I get it that a collection can become too large because it happened to me with with books and one day I noticed that there are several books that I own in duplicates. The moment you realize you can't remember what you already own is the time when you realize that you have gone too far.

Woww, this is the only poll that I notice people are up against each other. 

For me, I am more into a smaller size (that is what she said 😆😆). I prefer to giv each watch some wrist time, and it is kind of pain to dream of some watches I havent worn for a while 😵😵

I scored 22 on the hoarding test, so I guess I'm not a hoarder after all! Thank you, @biglove. 😜

No collection should be more than 6 watches. That’s why I have six divers, six chronographs, 6 G-Shocks…

It depends on how you are wired.  I'm wired to be a collector, so I really had no choice.  I own about 80 watches and definitely too big.  I basically have them displayed in my office and hardly wear any of them.  I guess they are akin to Faberge Eggs and appreciate them without wearing them.  On a side note, most collectors don't struggle with the idea of having to wear something (i.e. Action Figures, coins, art, etc.), they simply collect for display only and it works for them, but watches are different, we experience a lot of angst if we buy them and don't wear them.  On a side note, a Faberge Egg on the wrist might not be a bad idea, but then again, Jacob & Co kind of did that with the Astronomia models.  

I think it depends on whether you are a "wearer", "tinkerer" or "collector", or possibly a combination of the above. I tend to fall more on the "wearer" or "tinkerer" side, meaning that I don't have a theme, a particular heritage, or  goal in mind when acquiring watches, other than a modding interest, or the joy of wearing them.

I therefore only acquire what I can comfortable wear, which is currently just under 20 watches. I also wouldn't want to own much less, as it makes it easy to pair watches with outfits.  you

How many you own will depend on your personal goals.

Scored 13. 
 

My late mother, sister and an aunt were all hoarders. Miserable. 

I have been on quite the buying journey during 2022; sold two and bought ten. I feel I’m now at the maximum I want to own at 14. Quite by accident, I have two of each type of watch categories that I am interested in.

2022 has also been the year I’ve sold my Rolex and fallen hard for Grand Seiko!

I used to keep to 12 which worked for me but then got up to 20. At that point I stopped counting and now have over 50. I do have some favourites but have none that I want to lose from my collection....... 

There’s no right answer.  For me I’m around 30-33 right now.  I’ve been up to 50+ at one time.  I want to use everything I have.  So basically right now I wear each watch roughly once per month.  That feels pretty good though I’ve thought of going down to a 14-21 rotation but usually end up liking what I have too much to trade off so many.  I also like having a decent variety of color in my collection so having more makes that an easier proposition.  

Im at 50+ watches and while certainly slowing I cant see a reason to go backwards.  

Part of my view is I like to have a watch that's just right for however I feel, the idea the whole range of my 'vibes' could be perfectly captured in a handful of watches just doesn't feel right.