How much is this hobby?

You can be in this hobby even with just one watch. Such people are OWG's (one-watch guys/gals) and they're envied by most of the community, because they put all their bonding to that one piece.

Personally, I have a budget for hobbies and when I'm within it, everything's fine.

On the other hand, I consider every purchase, so I don't lose money in the impulsive ones.

Actually, to be in a hobby, I do not think you need to spend any money. You do not need a own a watch to learn about them. But, if you decide to start a collection then you set your own limits.

Turn away now

I don't have a budget, but I do have a hard brake at around $7500. Most of my watches are under $5000. It's not a conscious decision, but I have yet to find any watches that I can justify spending more. One hard rule for me is not to put my purchase on a credit card payment plan.

Take your time to figure out what you like and, if you are so inclined, learn about the why behind it. Ask questions and try as much on as you can. Don't rush to get “must have” pieces.

There is no budget rule. Some may spend nothing to a couple hundred a year, others may spend hundreds of thousands. It’s all relative.

Don't go mental at the start, you don't need to have one of every type. Take your time to develop your tastes, then buy less higher quality watches rather than a miasma of mediocrity.

Costs?

Your soul 🤣

My budget?

Way less than I spend on drink, drugs and fast motorbikes 😜

Be aware that you are likely to want to climb the ladder and buy accordingly (ie stick to easy to resell mainstream brands to begin with - microbrands are tempting as they're cheap and good value for the spec, but hard to resell & their value usually plummets more than,say ,a Seiko)

"It's a marathon not a sprint" as they say.

Buy used, get higher quality and don't take the hit of depreciation. I use eBay for peace of mind.

Good luck & enjoy the trip!

Make sure to brace yourself from forever nagging you will get from your wife. This usually happens one you buy more watches than your watchbox will hold. Get used to hearing "Did you buy another watch? Why?" all the time.

I stick to milestones, which makes things hard to argue re: being reasonable from the wife. This is a painfully slow process compared to most other people here but works for me esp since my target watches for my modest 6 + 1 collection are in the 3 to 6k range with maybe one or two planned above that (8 - 10k or so). The wait time helps me figure out what I really want, helps me save even if I could drop on a watch since having more time makes me comfortable pulling the trigger in more ways than one and makes the purchase special (and my wife is usually on board).

But I echo do what works FOR YOU -- your life, your finances, your relationships etc. No watch is worth going into debt for or ruining a relationship for. If you feel weird about a purchase there is probably a reason.

I imagine once I'm done actively collecting I'll get more into straps, watch history paraphernalia like vintage ads, books etc. I might get more into DIY projects, just learn more and appreciate what I have.

My reply: So many handbags...So many shoes...why so many?

That's the origin story of my divorce.

My Advice....that means nothing: Buy within your budget. Watches are a Luxury Veblen purchase = cash only. Don't buy to invest. Own what you love. The hobby is large & has been around over 100 years. Research before you buy including trying a watch on 1st

Hi welcome to the club.

Your hobbie/collection is entirely down to you. You can spend as little at £20 - £1000s. It depends on what you like and what you have free to spend.

It’s a very inclusive club.

If I’ve any advice it’s quite simple, buy what you like, don’t go for the hype as it rarely lives upto it and never spend more than you can afford.

I rushed in initially and bought a watch I still like but had I put more effort into looking around I would definitely have bought differently.

Take your time and enjoy the journey (it’s addictive)

So true! LOL

I think it helps if you set guardrails on yourself to start, so for example pick some number you are comfortable with for a yearly budget. Maybe that is $100, maybe it's $100,000. Whatever it is, try to stay within that budget and go from there. Maybe 2 years from now you decide that you want to allocate more or less to the budget, or maybe this really wasn't that interesting for you and you stop collecting. At least it's a framework to get started. Good luck.

It can be as little or as much as you want it to be.

You can buy Casios or Royal Oaks.

Personally I ask myself “when will I wear this” if I’m not immediately captured by the watch design. I have a few watches I wear regularly, a ton of watches that I wear once or twice a month, and a few I only wear on special occasions.

The ones I don’t wear at all I’ll probably post up for sale at some point to keep the collection size reasonable but there aren’t many that I don’t wear

We are all going to warn you not to go nuts buying things in your first year and you should listen, but on the other hand we have all learned a lot from our early purchases, flops, regrets, thrills and experiences. It’s hard to do that just by watching videos. One thing I’d advise against is buying a watch knowing it’s just a place holder for something you are saving up for. Whatever happens enjoy the ride !

$20k and counting? 😂😂😂

You can just look at the WRUW section and count the value of one’s “collection” to get a sense.

But I think your real question is, “how much can I sink into this hobby while not getting divorced?” 😂😂😂

The answer entirely depends on you and your wife!

Personally I’ve taken the “slow frog being boiled in a kettle” approach and build it up over time. Working well so far!

This is a good question to ask: "When will I wear this?" So many wonderful watches out there but does a certain watch actually fit your lifestyle?

Good advice, appreciate it. Trying to figure out how to get her onboard. She's like you only have 2 wrists so why do you need more than 1. It's a game of attrition.

Tell your wife it’s man jewellery and also helps to buy her a nice watch early

Many people don’t know what they really like in the beginning so I suggest limiting to a few hundred dollars per watch for a while. Think about what features you really like and what size you like best. When you learn what you like you’ll spend more without worrying that you are wasting money. I’m also a fan of going slow - shopping is a big part of the fun so why rush it?

I don’t like big watches. I don’t see the need for a chrono or gmt so I don’t buy them. I don’t like all the buttons on digitals so I don’t buy them. My favorite feature of a watch is the diver bezel (for cooking, timing workouts, etc). I like field watches and simple dress watches. I also like color so a have watches with different colored dials. I have a few micro brands because I think you can get a lot of watch for the money but I stick to popular micro brands like Baltic, Lorier, and Farer so I can be sure I don’t buy junk.

First up, I guess one can be into this by spending anything starting from a couple hundred dollars a year? Corollary: Each of us have to find joy within our means, though there is no harm in aspiring for the next step-up, while still being financally responsible.

Speaking strictly for myself:

I am 2 years into this, and have so far spent around 3k usd on this. The most expensive watch in my collection is around 600. Not to be vulgar, but I am fortunate to be able to "afford" more than that. I could spend, say, 8-10k on a watch without taxing my credit card, or not having enough to pay the mortgage that month. BUT, I have other priorities (early retirement is the biggest long term financial goal), and therefore I will not spend that kind of money on a single watch right now. So, you see, the definition of "affordability" is relative to priorities, not just to technically disposable cash.

Finally, and I say this without any judgement, the question of what I should/would do with a certain kind of money, if it were to be truly "disposable" to me, is an unresolved thought experiment/dilemna in my mind. If I were able to afford say a Lange or a Patek, or a Jacob & Co. would I go for it? When I see so much misery and hunger and poverty in the world, and remembering where I come from, and the struggles of my humble parents? On the other hand, what price art? In economist terms (economics is my first love, so I can't help thinking this way) what is the social opportunity cost of a Mona Lisa? Would Michaelengelo's commission have been put to better use had it been distributed amongst the poor of his time? I know a watch is not quite the same as the statue of david, but you get my point:)

Like I said, not judging anything or anybody, but just to show that all of us probably have very unique histories and circumstances, and unique ways of thinking about this stuff.

Well by that logic you could at least get two? haha

The question is one of financial infidelity.

Your wife will never accept it, fully. But, if she believes that you are totally into it she will give you some breathing room. Once you have quite a few watches she wont actually know what is going on or care how many watches you have.

Dont try and get her into the hobby, wont work. Also, dont ask her how she feels abot your newwatch, she will let you know exactly by how she looks at you.

My advice, tell her you want to have a collection / hobby and justify it by saying I am going to spend £??? a month, every month. All hobbies cost money and you only get one life. If you are delivering on everything else fight your corner, thats how she wil know you are serious. After all, how much does her hair or nails cost? etc. Then buy some affordable pieces and start flipping.

After 10 years of this, a package arrives and she gives me a look but says nothing. Cool.

I spend too much on watches, but I have no wife or kids and no other expensive hobbies, and make ok money (I’m absolutely not rich or even “wealthy”!). Try to go slow as you’re starting out in the hobby. It can be tempting to spend lots of money. Remember that nobody cares about your watch, with very, very rare exceptions (watch nerds). Good luck with the wifey. I have no advice on that! 😜

It depends. No need to start in the deep end. Also, no need to by specific types of watches. Buy what appeals to you and what you like even if the same style. Why buy and wear a watch to have it checked a box. Spend what you're comfortable spending. Don't try to get the wife to understand. Once you know what you like, then gradually step up in quality/price.

GO. SLOW!!! Every watch influencer or seasoned collector will tell you never buy or sell a watch on impulse, or too quickly. Watches aren’t going anywhere. It’ll be there in a month when you’re confident it’s the one for you. GO SLOW is the best advice I can give a newcomer.

You don’t convince them or say anything 😁

There's only one universal answer - "too much"