Collecting Mindset - what is yours?

I try to be more of an enthusiast than collector. The problem with self defining as a collector is that you’re always on the hunt to acquire more. As an enthusiast you can enjoy what you have and even what you don’t. 

👏👏👏

Haven't got the cream to collect many watches (or expensive ones, for that matter). So I'm more of an enthusiast, much like Orangeband. I try to keep myself up to date with the world of watches and learn about the facets of the hobby. 

Well the true idea for me is to build a collection and when i get really old im gonna gift everyone a watch so that they can have a memory of me.I don't have a physical memory of one of my grandpas while i do have a seiko from the other one so i came up with this.Also is a reason to justify the love for watches,especially cheap ones.

I was a collector long before the watch bug bit. I began with comic books when I was a kid, followed by action figures, followed by board and role-playing games, followed by Tolkien books and other collectibles, finally followed much later by wrist watches. 😀

I have had watches all my life. Both of my parents had small collections and used to give us wrist watches as Christmas presents, but it wasn't until my wife got me a Citizen Eco-Drive dress watch for Christmas five or so years ago that my collecting obsession extended to watches. The Eco-Drive and solar watches in general fascinated me. I began collecting solar powered watches. I even managed to find a Casio al190w for its original price.

I have since become equally fascinated with all different types of movements and have hand-wind mechanical and automatic watches, quartz watches, and kinetic watches, in addition to solar-powered watches in my collection. But it really began with the Eco-Drive for me.

As far as letting go of items in my collection, I have gifted several watches to family members from my own personal collection, but I am not someone who regularly parts with items in my collections. I do have some watches (and items from other collections) I think about selling, but I never seem to actually sell anything. 😂

For the most part right now I have everything I need as far as watches go however that doesn't mean I still can't admire a good looking watch someone has. 

What I mean by "essential" is having the following categories. 

Daily wear: Casio A700

Dress watch: Q² Skin Irony

Watch that can take a beating (while at work): Casio F91W

Utility Watch: Casio Royale (AE1200 I think) 

I know it seems like a small collection and that it's not really noteworthy watches but it was really hard for me to decide because I had gotten stuck asking myself the same questions "Do I own too many watches? Do I really need this? Is it actually good value for money?" however if I see a watch I really like in the future I can always swap a watch out and all them are pretty cheap to be honest so it probably be better just to throw it out (not saying I would though. 

When I used to buy vinyl records back in the day I had a strategy when exploring new artists. (This was after most record stores had listening booths and before streaming.) I would buy their latest and first album.  Then, if I liked what I heard, I would fill in the middle albums over time.

A couple of years ago I realized that servicing costs were no longer a barrier to expanding what I owned or wore.  I decided to own at least one of every major American watch producer:  Elgin, Bulova, Hamilton, Waltham, Helbros, Benrus, and Gruen (kind of like collecting the baseball cards of the 1977 Phillies:  you end up with seven Randy Lerches and no Warren Brusstars) .  Along the way I picked up some store brands and generic Swiss.

To show you my thinking:  I have become increasingly interested in the reproductions of the Seagull 1963 Chronograph.  They are beautiful watches.  However, I didn't buy one.  I bought a Dongfeng instead.

I'm more of an accumulator. Have been for more than 50 years. Started when I was probably 12 years old and got a Timex as a Christmas or Birthday gift,not sure which. I wore it all the time and after a year or so I decided I wanted a gold tone watch and saved the princely sum of 14.95 and went to the AD (Ligget Rexal Drugstore) and chose one from the carousel counter display. Fast forward a few more months and I decided I also wanted a more elegant 2 hander with an expansion bracelet that cost me 19.95. That's alot of lawns mowed and driveways shoveled, but it was worth it.

And the beat goes on

My mindset seems to change with watches. I initially started with a Seiko automatic and developed an immense love for the internals of the watches and their complications. I was so involved with it that I foolishly ruled out Quartz altogether. I assumed that if I were shell out the money for these watches than automatics were only the true reason to do so. How foolish was that train of thought? I am now practically a digital enthusiast with an eye for the retro aesthetic and the automatics see less wrist time. Collecting watches seems to be an evolving phenomenon. 

I'm more of an enthusiast.  I'm not trying to have a large number of watches or collect specific references.   I also have trouble with keeping watches that I don't wear, so my watch number stays pretty small.

The watches I lean towards tend to have certain qualites:

Accurate, less popular, different from my other watches in terms of looks and purpose, interesting movement, longish power reserve shiny.

At the largest of my collection I had 9 watches and it stressed me out.  It felt like I wasted money on watches I barely wore.  I can't see myself ever having more than 5 at a time.  Even now I'm at three and have been practicing 1 in 1 out for the past year

My mindset is quite similar to yours - I feel comfortable having a watch that fits the moment best, and if that watch comes along with a story - even better! 

Although I don't explicitly buy specific kinds of watches or brands, I do gravitate towards some watches more than others; for instance I typically buy more sports-oriented watches like divers or field watches over dressier timepieces, but that wouldn't necessarily stop me from buying something like a Seiko SRPB43. Similarly, I tend to buy Asian and Russian watches far more often than Swiss timepieces; I'd reckon for every 5 Vostoks or Seikos I've bought I've gotten one Swiss-made timepiece.

I am not too sure how to separate the two between a collector / enthusiast, guess i consider myself as both.

For me the so called collecting comes with a theme and it has been changing / evolving throughout as experience gains. I started off with an everyday watch, a seiko kinetic white dial which i dont even think much of it, just use it to tell the time when needed be. 

As i started working, under influence of colleagues, i began chasing after the highly sought-after brands like rolex and omega... not only that, i was into the vintage ones, thought there were no other watches that can be better than these, so i worked hard and saved up got that and done deal right?  Not really...

This hobby sort of quiet down for about 5-10 years after i got a gv milgauss, until i saw a simple op36 during honeymoon, sniffing through internet and read about the mistake rolex made making this op36 quite a rarity... it was at that time, i realised internet has made this hobby a whole lot more interesting now because finding information, history, background, knowledge about watches are so much easier. Its like i have just found a new no mans land....  I began wanting to collect watches made in different countries, having a watch in each category - diver, field, aviation, gmt, chronograph.... Bla bla bla.... Or collecting watches with different case finishings, different colour of the dial....  Its crazy... 

Well, i kinda stopped that couple of years ago as i realised some of them dont actually get any wrist time due to my change of lifestyle, i dont wear suits / dress up anymore.... 

It changes.... according to ones life journey and thats why its interesting. Now i began modding / building the watch i like personally within the seiko platform, wish to deep dive on how a watch really works within 🙌🏼

Would i still buy a new watch? Yes if its kinda special, one of a kind, bottomline is, can i wear it, would i be worried if i slapped it on my wrist with a tshirt/ polo walking around town. If it passes that, i would. A bit long winded (a sign of age catching up on me) but thats my take 🤟🏻

Your collection (dssgoddard OP) is really nice Bro 💪. 

My train of thought when collecting focuses on important historical patents, forgotten or not, that contributed to the development and progression of watchmaking⌚. Sometimes by collective thinking or by the mind of one bright individual 😀.

Here is my SOTC🎥😊👍:

youtu.be/6MAs22tidX0

I would definitely consider myself a watch enthusiast, but I've struggled with deciding whether I'm a "collector" or an "accumulator" of watches. I started getting seriously interested in watches just over 3 years ago, and over that time I've purchased several watches, and have never sold any.

I know some people with definite collection goals/themes in mind, such as collecting all of the "dirty dozen" watches, or every generation of Rolex Subs. In my mind, that type of mindset is that of a true collector - perhaps because it allows for the ability for the collection to eventually be considered "complete". I simply buy watches that appeal to me, so in that regard, I have a difficult time applying the label "collector" to myself.

Thank you! Yours too - love the Phillip and that Seamaster 👌

I’ve always been a collector. It all started when I was 5 and decided I was going to start a corn cob collection (did I mention I was 5?). I have a vinyl collection of several hundred pieces, and I own more books that are either about Surrealism or are books of Surrealist poetry than most non-academics.* I love all things old school,** and watches go into that. It also constantly blows my mind that something like a mechanical wristwatch can even exist. It’s bonkers. Add all this to the fact that I find watches to be beautiful, and here we are. 
 

*Full disclosure, I used to be an academic.
**Aside from, you know, the crazy levels of racism and sexism. 

Mine's not a collection, it's an addiction. I heard WatchCrunch had a 12-step program 😀. I just started "collecting" about 7 months ago and I'm already up to 50+ watches, mostly Timex archive and co-labs (Todd Snyders), vintage-style Bulovas, a couple of Brews, some G-Shocks, a Unimatic, a Tissot Gentleman... Two things I have learned so far: 

1. Nobody cares about your fucking watch. I obsess about which watch to wear and what people's reactions will be, but nobody even notices. Like when you get your haircut and the next day at work no one says a word.
2. If you don't absolutely LOVE your new watch, get rid of it. If the next day at work you find your productivity dropping by 50% because you just can't stop glancing at your wrist, that's when you know you've made the right decision. Yes, the watch you're considering may have gotten great reviews on all the YT sites, and yes it hand-winds and hacks, and has a sapphire crystal and at least 200M water resistance and is Swiss-made and has an in-house caliber and was worn by Jean-Claude Van Damme and... if you can't wait to wear it, hold it, wind it, hear it tick or click, then sell it. 
3. BTW, what's the best way to "de-accession" unloved watches? eBay? Reddit?  

Agree with you 100%, @HrundiVBakshi 

For what its worth I did a video on the different kinds of collectors I saw in the watch space so there's a link below;  Personally I generally regard myself as a 'curator' - I (generally) like to pick pretty narrow themes and collect a variety of watches inside those lanes.  

My 'themes' or subcollections are:

vintage Alpina, Breitling Chronograph, Prospex Divers, Travel Watches and finally random stuff I really love that doesn't fit anything else.

https://youtu.be/J0tWCADVfZw

I'm definitely a diver enthusiast. 

Have recently been getting into micro brands such as Phoibos and Revelot.  Curgently waiting for my Revelot Hexmariner on kickstarter.  It looks amazing, let's hope it is amazing. 🙏😀

Phew. I get this - I feel this lol. I do r know the best way to sell watches - but Reddit and eBay seem like standard channels. 🙏

Thanks for the link! Stoked to check it out - vintage Alpina always seems to catch my eye too 💪

I began "collecting" knives. It was the hobby that refined my taste for items in general. I've learned to do my research once I've been hooked and pulled in. A precaution from the many pitfalls I've had in that beginning hobby of mine. 

One of the baseline rules that carries into all my hobbies now is variety - do I have something for every occasion? I have found that my life allows for more than just "casual" and "professional" settings so I like to be ready for it all. 

More of a curse than a rule is my penchant for artisanry. I am a romantic. If I can have something on me that someone has created to a certain level of craftsmanship, then using that brings me no greater joy.

One of the last things I came to realize. Unless something historically bookmarks my life with the item, anything in the collection can be put on the chopping block. Beginning in college, I was fortunate enough to put aside money for my knives and bought/sold/traded up as my tastes refined. It wasn't until I reached a personal level of content with the quality that selling became undesirable.

Since 2020, one of the only good things that came of that year for me, I have been able to partake in horology and have had a piece on my wrist everyday that brings a smile to my face.

I've never been a collector of anything. I'm no more a collector of watches than I am a collector of shirts. I have a few more than I strictly need, but I'm just buying things that I like to wear, and enjoy having a little choice.

Everyone needs a Mickey watch 😀

Curgently is a wonderful portmanteau for waiting impatiently for the next watch. 😀 Cheers! 

Yes, a shame it was accidental, it was meant to say 'currently'. 😀

My first watch was a digital Pulsar Solar in 1981. Ever since then I've been fascinated by watches and clocks.  

I at first was into digitals only then SWATCH hit the scene and I grew quiet. the collection. Swatch opened my eyes to analog.  My first "grown up" watch was a 2-Tone Jules Jürgensen Diver in high school.  Then a Mavado Museum  followed. Seiko Kinetics got a lot of wrist time as well. In the Army I got my first Luxury watch, a Tag Formula 1 and Aquaracer.  Then came Omega SMP 300 and Speedy. Rolex came by way of the Explorer ll ref. 16570 when I made Sergeant. The after Iraq the Breitling Navitimer and a vintage Omega SMP. All but the vintage SMP have gone. I got I to Seiko and Citizen pretty hard and then vintage military watches. 

I'm pretty much a Diver guy with a soft spot for chronographs. I just love watches. So now everything from $18 Casios to $25k Submariners tickle my fancy.

I've noticed that I don't get more enjoyment if I have too many watches. It makes it more difficult to choose the one that I want to wear and becomes a pain to set and wind them all. Watches stop getting worn, and then I wear them because I feel guilty about neglecting them rather than wearing what I want to wear.

I try to have a variety of watches that cover any situation I'll find myself in. For example, one beater watch, one watch to wear out to a nice dinner, one big funky dive watch to wear with a hoodie on the weekend, etc. If I start to have overlap, or if I start listing interest in a watch, then I'll sell it. 

Every few years, I end up purging a handful of watches from the collection and putting those funds towards one nicer watch. I get the most enjoyment out of this strategy, as fewer, nicer watches are more rewarding IMO.