Watch budget.

I have similar feelings. I love learning about and discovering watches, but for my own collection, I can’t ever see myself wearing $1000 on my wrist. My “collection” is more years of accumulated affordable watches, with a few nicer recent additions in roughly your budget range.

I have a mix of quartz and automatics and am really happy with them all.

I’m very similar. I was tempted by the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 and came very close to buying one. Very close. I walked away in the end and am now looking at cheaper alternatives.

I love the idea of doing that but know that I’d never actually wear it anywhere.

Oh yes...$500 is spendy for me and $1000 would be a stretch, though I could afford more 😜

I hope to stick to my unfunded budget.

That Timex is more proof that it’s not about the money. I have just as much fun searching for/wearing my Casios as I do my more expensive pieces.

I do this as well, I have bought watches that cost plenty, but have come to realize that most of them never got worn. So I sold them. My collection is mainly under $650 but almost all are under $1500.

My lifestyle just doesn't jive with more expensive watches.

I've increased my price limit to $1K-2K over the years, but the bulk of my collection is around $300 or less. I'm not overly precious about my watches, but even so I'm significantly more comfortable wearing something on the lower end than one of my $500+ pieces. They're more appropriate to my normal activities, and I feel like they're closer to the way I tend to feel about/present myself.

Whilst I would like to go for smt more expensive in the future, I recently dropped and chipped the bezel of my favorite watch, that costs about $200. I then realised its gonna be some time before I'm comfortable wearing several thousand dollars on my wrist

Yeah exactly. 300 dollars for me if I'm pushing it.

I don't own anything over 160 dollars right now. And only 3 total.

I generally don't lose stuff so I'm not too worried about that too much. But I just don't want to waste the money.

Maybe after I own a house then I might be fine with one watch that's closer to a grand if it's truly worth it and has all the features I want.

Currently, I have a large watch collection. It started with approximately a 12 highend collection. A few years ago I accidentally damaged my very first luxury time piece and decided to mirror image these high-end watches with inspired homage pieces. My top price homage piece is roughly $300 the Tissell No Date Submersible with the Miyota 9000 series movement - Great buy! I now found myself buying and enjoying $75-$100 Chinese specials from AliExpress. Rock What You Love Buy What You Can Live. Stay Thirsty My Friend 🍻👊🏽

For me, no, because I feel the more artificial limitations you put on yourself, the less you buy what you really want. You see it all the time; someone has 10 x 500 dollar watches because they claim to be into keeping the budget down and you think, man, not only are you not wearing most of those watches most of the time, but you could have spent that 5000 dollars on a $^%# hot watch, and maybe one or two cheapies, AND have money left over. And the result would be some variety in the cheapies AND something really amazing that you would find places to wear, and all 'round I reckon it's a better proposition.

The only trouble with this hobby is that when you finally save up enough money and buy your dream grail watch, with in 6 months you’ll start looking for a new grail watch, it’s an illness I tell you 😂

Is not about money is what you like. If you expect a watch worth 2k, 3k, 5k to be better than a microbrand like Zelos sometimes you will be disappointed. When you buy a watch is because you really really like the watch the history or the craftmanship of watchmaking not because of the hype, brand or price. If there's a watch out there that you like there's always an affordable substitute.

I’ve never bought from Ali Express but they look fantastic value. No sure that they are really my thing but totally agree that everyone should wear what THEY want and enjoy it. 👌🏼

Exactly how I feel!!

I find that there’s no correlation between the price of my watches and how much I like them.

I agree. A flashy watch doesn’t really suit my style. If I ever spend serious money it would probably be on a vintage understated piece.

Love it! 🤣🤣🤣

There’s something refreshing about wearing a cheap watch that you love over something expensive, knowing it does exactly the same job.

Yeah same here. My most expensive watch was a Seiko and that was a piece of crap.

But actually I have a couple watches that were super cheap and I don't like them either. 30 dollars or so.

Well maybe not quite that high! But you get my point :)

Ha ha - yes, maybe an Oris Big Crown Pointer is a bit more realistic. 😉

You should buy one of the more popular AliExpress Chinese specials. You'll be impressed with the value and quality you get in a watch for $100 bucks. And even better when there are flash and big event sales. These watches can drop down to $75. Cheers 🍻

Definitely a logical fear. I can justify it. But can't hold yourself back! Haha. It is like anything. Take a new car for instance. You keep it immaculate until that first scratch or little dent. After the first one it just doesn't matter any more haha. (At least to me) to each their own. But one the first one is over you can truly start to appreciate the journey. Earn the scratches. Earn the memories. It makes a great story. You can look down at your watch and know when and where each little chip, and scratch came from. That to me is worth more then something in perfect condition.

As much as I would love some of the mor expensive stuff, I agree that I’d be to worried wearing it. Something in the $200 - $300 is all I’m comfortable wearing on a normal day… but I agree with the love for the weekender. So stupidly simple that it’s absolutely perfect.

Most people have a real budget and do not buy watches hardly at all. I doubt now after 4 years of research and buying a dozen cheap watches that I will ever buy another watch over a 100 sterling, since the Chinese are making and selling such excellent cheap copies. If you have money to burn I would suggest buying original artworks or artisan made music instruments instead-or old cars or bikes maybe. Even better, do something creative or buy land and re-wild it and photograph the results.

Different watches for different moods right?

Agreed. You can buy a Casio that does it all if you aren’t a badge snob.