How Do You Watch?

I buy my time pieces the same way you do (and I also have a impulse purchase not tied to an event lol).

My omega aquaterra was for a financial goal I’ve met.

My Tudor bb58 was for when I found my wife was pregnant with our first child.

Seiko spb213 was my impulse buy.

Nothing fancy, no milestone watches.

If I see something I like and I can afford it I buy it.

If I don't have the money I save some and then buy it-assuming I still want it at that point.

Mixture of everything, though I’m moving towards the impulse buying side things now that my watch box is full

Previously I've pretty much bought whenever I fancied. This year I've tried to cut back. It hasn't worked. But, with just one exception I've stuck to buying off the wishlist. And I've culled many from that list. So I'm making progress!

I’ve been in this hobby about a year also, but didn’t buy my first hobby watch until about five months ago. Now I have two. Like you, I find it meaningful to tie it to an event. The first one was long overdue and much higher priced than I was planning, but my wife was with me and said “you deserve it.” That’s enough of an event for me! The second watch was for the birth of my grandson a week ago, although I bought the watch almost a month ago and waited to wear it when I visited him for the first time in the hospital.

I generally buy something if I like it and have the money. If I don't have the money, I wait and maybe buy it later. I have a long list of watches I like, so once I have the money, I have to really think if I still want it or should I save more for something else on my list. I will occasionally impulse buy if it's $500 or less.

I have a couple mindsets.

1. Big events/milestones- its obvious that for an enthusiast, big milestones are a reasonable excuse to buy something nice and typically outside of the standard pieces.

2. Planned Collection- buying watching meant to be part of a bigger collection theme. This is typically how I collect. For instance this year my collecting methodology had been "1 Watch per Season." The idea being that at the end of the year I have a 4 watch collection of pieces I truly like and have spent time researching and comparing which is fun for me.

3. The Good Deal- let's be real, sometimes watches get dropped that are so good and so well priced it's hard to say no. In that case, there's nothing wrong going in on it, especially if I feel like it is something that is really special.

Basically there's no wrong way to continue the collecting experience. Except to say that the longer I've been in the enthusiast community the more I realize that I have made mistakes. Mostly it was the mindset if "If there's a spot in the box, fill it." I've moved away from that and have been focusing more on pieces that truly speak to me and it's been much more rewarding in the search for those perfect pieces.

I see watch I like, see the pennies in my wallet and decide it’s not a luxury I can afford/want to spend on and so not get the watch. I buy other watches I can afford/am willing to spend on. Create memories with the watches I have. 😆

My first 3 watches I got as an adult were milestone related. The last of these watches got me started in the hobby and after that, milestones went out the window and I have been buying watches like a drunken sailor. ever since.

Milestones for first 3 watches:

1. Casio Ani Digi (resin). Purchased after I finished school (in debt) and started my first professional job 30+ years ago because I needed a watch. I wish I still had that watch.

2. Two Toned Rolex DJ. The watch my in-laws got me as a gift for my wedding 30 years ago with about a 15-20% discount because buying Rolexes was much saner back then.

3. Speedy Pro (Hesalite version of course). Purchased about a year or two before the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing. The hoopla before the anniversary reminded me of my childhood desire to own this watch (grew up in Houston during the Apollo era . . .) and the anniversary coincided with my youngest finishing college so I was finally free of the burden of supporting the next generation. Researching the purchase of this watch gave me the bug and many watches followed with no real rhyme or reason.

I have a separate account with auto transfer that I call the "Watch fund". Every month it draws from my salary and whenever there is enough money for a watch there I can buy a watch.

I buy watches purely on desire. I don’t consider watch purchases commemorating goals, births etc as relevant. There are better ways to capture events like those with photos, gatherings etc

Actually it is both. A significant event usually gets rewarded with a watch but most time it is simply I see a watch in print (electronic or physical), decide I wanjt it, find the watch and see it in person, then buy or not buy. Like my B&R BR-X5. Saw it, found it at a shop in Orlando about a week before we went there, went to the shop and wound up buying the thing. A bit pricey but you can't take $$ with you as is said.

Then there are cases like this past Friday. I spotted an attractive Citizen Weekender at TJ Maxx for 55% off list so it left with me. Impulse buying. Wore it the next day, btw.

Hey, Friday is good enough occassion to celebrate!

I have a mixture of milestone watches, birthday watches, impulse buys and stuff just because. But that was in the past. For the last 2 years I’ve been a lot more mindful to do that extra bit of research and to try and see a watch in person where possible.

Also, trying to size down and focus on longer term goals.

I usually buy watches to mark a significant period in my life.

It started as a family tradition. I was born just after ussr broke apart and it was a really, really poor timing to have a kid. We didn't have much money and my parents didn't have much time either, so my father took me to the store the other day. They sold Japanese music instruments and audio gear, but also a lot of Japanese watches like Casio, Orient, Seiko and some Chinese as well. I saw the calculator Casio and it was no going back lol. Of course we can't afford a calculator, but my dad got me a cheapest digital Casio for a 9th birthday. Everyone in a family was wearing watches, so I was hyped up about it already, but man, this calculator, I mean it was my absolute grail. So every year my father would took me to this store and get me a cheap digital Casio. Then when I turned 18 and start living separately i decided that what's the best way to spend my first money? Yeah, you get it, I got myself a watch. Salesman pushed me a low quality fashion watch because I was uniformed and stupid, but whatever.

For example, when I got my first big promotion, I decided to mark my effort and celebrate with a 200$ G-Shock, because I was an absolute Casio fanboy.)

But sometimes I would buy a watch just to test a particular style or because it was a good vintage find.) Even tho those watches are not bought for occasion, they have a chance to acquire big sentimental value.

I've bought a moonSwatch to test how Speedy looks on my wrist and just to have fun, but in the end it always reminds me how I went to planetarium with my wife. Planetarium was my favourite entertainment when I was a kid, because it was old, and very very cheap, almost free, so even tho it was the same show every time, I went there at least once a year. And to share that with a SO, and then choose a moonSwatch together was a great experience.

The same goes with a vintage Tank homage by Raymond Weil I got it just to see if smaller watch fits me. I ended up falling in love with this piece and this style of watches in general, so it became kinda significant.

Well, TLDR - I'm just buying watches man!