Justifying Spending $ on ONE Watch: How Do You Do It?

I don’t think you should stress about not being comfortable spending more than you can justify in your own head. That’s what any sane person feels when they are doing something illogical. On that same note, I don’t think anyone who isn’t in this hobby as an investor can likely give you any good reason… they are just a little more crazier than you are (or a lot more, depending on the number of zeros attached to the hangtag).

My advice: Buy what you can comfortably afford and make peace that you could be doing worst with your dollars. Even at a loss, at least you can always sell - it’s okay to have nice things, so long as your not hurting yourself or anyone else in the process. 👍

just my 2 cents!

OP, here's how I justify spending as much money as I do on watches:

• Let's say that at a young age, say 22, you start putting away $500/month into the S&P 500
• $500/month is A LOT of money, but you're able to do this because while all your peers were out having wild sex and doing drugs and living their best lives throughout high school, you were a f*cking dork, and all you did was study, so that you could go to a good college, so that you could major in STEMS, knowing that you wouldn't learn anything of value, and that "education" is all BS, but you did it because you knew that you had to play the game, in order to get the diploma, in order to get a job that paid a lot of money
• But, no job at age 22 pays enough for someone to save $500/month, so you eat ramen every meal, because when you buy Maruchan in bulk, it costs $0.10 per pack, and you share a room with another dude, and you never go anywhere and you never do anything, because that costs money
• And while your roommates are out partying and having sex and doing amazing drugs and living their best lives, you're working like a dog, eating ramen every meal, and driving your 1981 brown Toyota Corolla hatchback, with a leaky radiator, such that you have to drive around with gallons of distilled water in your car so that you stop on the side of the road every 30 minutes to refill the radiator
• You put $500/month into the S&P 500, and if the S&P 500 generates its historical return of 10.5%, over the course of 30 years, that $500/month turns into $1,085,288.97, through the miracle of compounding

So, not only do I spend $ on one watch now, I spend $$$$ on lots of watches.  

Was it worth it?  Hell no!  I would give ANYTHING to go back in time and have wild sex, do amazing drugs, and live my best life like all the idiots I went to high school with!

It's beautiful.

Thank you, very wise observation! Maybe I'll just need some more time to mull it over and look at my financial situation objectively before pulling the trigger next. And you're so right; watches are outdated pieces of technology but man, they make us feel good and think about them day in and day out. Justifying owning an expensive watch to someone who isn't a watch person is borderline impossible, so maybe I just have to justify it to me and nobody else.

I know the feeling. Two things helped for me - actually waiting a long time (i think it was 1.5 years, maybe too long) not purchasing any watches to make sure that this wasn’t just a passing interest before making my first major purchase (over £500). Secondly, honestly for me it’s having the money saved up so that if the watch disappeared the next day I wouldn’t have a heart attack and my family’s financial situation wouldn’t be impacted. When I bought (well it was a Christmas present…) my first major watch last year I had ticked both boxes and felt much more at ease than I thought I would. Hope it helps.

It hasn't happened to me so far but I'm sure it will! I do get nervous spending more money and I haven't gone over £400 so far. No bad experiences yet but I'm still uneasy about it!

Spend less than 5% of your monthly pay on said watch.  That will make you feel better.

Unless you divorce yourself from buying a functional time piece you will always find it silly paying more than $100 for a watch.  This is not a sane hobby.  Why I have twenty watches when I have only two wrists and two ankles...  see, not sane even in that logic....

Buy a watch you like, not how much it may be worth.

I agree completely with my crunch colleagues above.  Sleeping peacefully at night is the most important thing.  Not going way over budget is how you do that.  

Will also suggest a counterpoint.  With patience and sometimes a little higher budget, you can get watches that will almost never depreciate and will likely appreciate.  

Something like an early release of a nice Zelos colorway, or a heavily discounted big brand can quite easily be sold for at least what you’ve paid😉. Happily I’ve made money on the 2 watches I’ve sold.  

You can always be smarter than spending hundreds or even thousands on watches (or any other interest), but you also need to enjoy your money and live a little. 

As long as you’re able to find that sweet spot which balances the two, you’re good. 
Everyone’s finances and mindsets are different so there’s nothing anyone should feel ashamed or guilty about. Do what you’re comfortable with. There’s watches across all price points that people enjoy. 

Wait...doesnt Christopher Ward offer that 60/60 guarantee with 60 day free return in the US? Why sell it at a loss after a week if they do? 

Yes you WILL do smarter things with your money other than buying a watch. You can make some dumb purchases when it comes to watches, but unless you can score a panda Daytona at retail you rarely make smart ones anyway. It's a luxury no matter the price. 

No need to look for justifications, though. It is what it is. Perhaps somewhere along your journey you'll be more comfortable spending if you see the point (better movement, closer attention to detail and finishing, history, etc.).

You should not spend more than you can afford, but my one tip is to buy used. I buy nearly all my watches off of eBay because I get buyers protection. Watch enthusiasts also tend to be honest and upstanding people. I bought my nearly new Sealander GMT in mint condition for £550, which is also what I paid for my CW Sapphire

As others have said, keeping your spending inside your comfortable range is key. 

I determined what my max spending amount for a watch was a few years back, and have stuck to it. It keeps me comfortable with what I buy, and helps me remember that I don't need to "climb the ladder" with watch purchases. 

All of that said, if you fond a C63 at a price you're comfortable with, snap it up. The C63 is an awesome everyday watch. 

I could only return it in unworn condition. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. 😅 The guy I sold it to was great, so I didn’t mind losing a bit on the sale.

Something that has helped for me is having "watch money." I think about it like going to a casino, if I start with 50 dollars and make 450 fixing up / selling watches, then I can comfortably spend 500 on a nicer watch without spending any "real" money. It's still a trip though, I hear you! I also avoid buying anything that would devastate me to lose / damage, because ultimately, that wouldn't be an enjoyable experience. 

I remember gaping in awe at my credit card statement this summer and seeing the big ~"-$900.00" staring me in the face after I bought my CW Sealander (the one pictured above). I saved up for a while and I was sure this was the one I wanted. Yet I wore the watch for a week before the buyer's guilt overcame me and I sold the watch (at a loss).

I wish I had this level of restraint with my hobbies. 😄

For me when I'm really into something (and I can afford it) it's pretty easy to convince myself to spend money on it - I purchased in the span of 2 months a 650 EUR Tissot PRX, a Nomos Tangente for 1,600 and finally a Tudor Ranger for 3,100. I understand I'm wasting money that I could have invested more wisely, but I also understand that if you're always doing the "right" thing life gets pretty boring. What's good is that I still haven't convinced myself that spending money on something like Omega, Rolex, GO or JLC is a good idea. 😂

To make things more expensive for me I managed to get my wife somewhat excited about watches as well. 😄

Obviously it also really matters where you are in life - I've been working for 20 years now and I've been saving up diligently much of my adult life. Now as I'm getting older I like to indulge in a bit of excess every now and then.

P.S. I don't anyone can give you better (life) advice than @HotWatchChick69 - that was beautifully put.

P.P.S. It's never wise get life advice from random people on the Internet. ;-)

It helps if you already have the money or most of the money to just pay off that bill immediately. But I want to stress another point . . . Yeah, there’s buyers remorse and guilt but sometimes buying the more responsible alternative will end up costing you more in the long run b/c, in many ways, you get what you pay for . . . And there will always be something that bothers you about a consolation watch (or several consolation watches) that you know isn’t the one you returned to begin with. So, yes . . . Do what’s comfortable and responsible . . . But sometimes it’s just not that simple and you’ll have to have a honest conversation with yourself and maybe your partner about what you really want. Sadly, this realization usually comes after some lost $$$ and several watches later.