If I could go back and buy my first watch again...

Technically, it would be my first automatic but not just my first watch in general. I wore a Garmin for years but over time lost interest in connectivity. First non-smart watch was a Timex Weekender Chronograph but my first automatic was a black Orient Kamasu that is wonderful for the price and I adore it. 

I bought a SNK809, which I hate, so I'd definitely buy something else. 

My first automatic watch was my Brew Retromatic. I’d definitely get it again, hell I think about getting another sometimes. 

I never handled one, so I can’t say anything about it. What did you not like? 

It was cheaply made, kept poor time, and felt like an absolute waste of money. 

I was accustomed to lwo-mid range Citizen Eco-Drive watches, so my expectations were a bit high, based on how highly the watch was praised by YouTubers.

Knowing what I know now, I'd have gone straight to Hamilton, CW, or Damasko. 

Knowing what I know now...

If I re-bought the same watch, why even re-do it?

Of course we'd buy something different when we started actually collecting. Some of us start off collecting, others accumulating. 

Me? I had functioning watches, got obsessed & decided on a overly broad collection theme. 9 months & 18 watches later, I'd have saved all the purchases & bought a Squale Diver or a Hamilton Field Watch or a Speedy Reduced. 

That said, there's really no realistic way I could know then what I know now. I had to go through what I did to get here. It's been a great journey so far & I wouldn't trade it for the bestest most expensive Speedy available.

I could not imagine not owning this one...1950s Hamilton Ventura 18K Gold...will be with me when I go...

There is a chance that if you bought the right watch from the very beginning you would not become a watch enthusiast. We are all dissatisfied with something about our watches.

I’ll still get my first watch If I can go back in time.

In regards to my life, if I ever had a chance to go back in time, I would change my decisions and choices. LOL 

Poljot Buran

Definately Yes!

I’d definitely get something different like a Seiko or a Hamilton Khaki Field

I started my journey with this one. The design is simple and elegant for sure. I impress of how that little dome sapphire crystal work, and it is still my go to watch to wear. 

However, if I could go back in time, I would start with something more affordable - and maybe in steel?

Regret of buying ? No, but if I could pick something else - I would 😁😁

Knowing what I know now, and remembering why I got this one, no. I'd still buy this one. I always wanted a Cartier, I wanted a mechanical watch (despite knowing next to 0 about them), and I like things less mainstream (but not too far off).

Other watches I bought since this one, I wouldn't mind re-choosing 😂

If i could go back i wouldnt change the the first watch i bought (G-SHOCK DW-5600BB) i would change the time i started collecting, at 35 i feel like i got into the game a little late 😀

My first automatic watch was/is a Bretiling Navitimer.  I would definitely buy something else if I had a re-do.  After the honeymoon period was over, I fell out of love with it quickly, have never gotten the spark back and have only really held on to it for nostalgia purposes at this point (I purchased it at a major life milestone). 
 

There’s nothing wrong with it per se, it’s just a lack of chemistry 🤷🏻

Seiko SQ100 

Not technically the first watch, but the first watch I picked. Okay, it was 80s, so the style might be a bit different nowadays. But yeah, great watch overall. For the longest time I wouldn't touch mechanical watches, because this watch was so light (titanium) and worked so well.

I, unfortunately, knew little about watches at the time and I purchased a Longines titanium VHP quartz instead of the stainless steel Omega Constellation I was considering. The price differential at the time was very little. I still have the Longines which is going to cost me "an arm and a leg" to get repaired for the third time! It is a pretty little watch however, although a bit small for today's taste.  

First watch as an adult maybe? I got a Rado ceramic dialstar it’s not really an everyday watch but id never part with it even though I rarely wear it and my tastes have changed it’s still the first real luxury item I ever brought and I plan to give it to one of the kids one day. As for automatics I’ve got a Seiko 5 sport that I wear everyday to work and probably couldn’t be without now.

This Seiko was my fathers, I wore it in high school. First automatic in my watch memories. Its also my birthyear watch. 1973.💪

My first automatic was a Seiko Sea Urchin bought in 2016 and I still wear it today despite buying about 7-8 different automatics since and using those as my more everyday pieces. Still love that Sea Urchin but I should upgrade the bracelet, which admittedly sucks.

If I could go back I would get the same watch.  Purchased this one second hand more than 30 years ago.

If I was starting today I don't think I would make the same choice.  Today there are a lot of good choices in the range of what I paid back then. We are currently spoiled for choice. 

Takes balls to make your first watch a banger like that one. I know for myself personally, there was a wall over $1000 that I had to climb. Took multiple more affordable purchases for me to build up the courage to get my first "luxury" watch (an Oris) and then make the leap higher into the Omega territory. I wrestled with the idea of spending that much money on something I absolutely didn't need. As I sit here contemplating my next purchase, which might be a JLC, I struggle with the same issue.

You have to keep in mind that I paid under $1k back in the day.  That was very common. The second hand Rolex market back in the 90s was nothing like today.  It was still a lot of money for me at the time but that made it more special to me.  A little bit of a stretch when purchasing a watch is not a bad thing. Good luck finding a JLC that matches your budget. They are great watches 👍 

Other than Casio/Timex, my first adult watch was the Swiss Army Officer's Watch.  Something like this

This was the watch that was going to make me cool :)  Spoiler alert...don't think it worked.   I was in my mid 20s and the watch was never properly sized to my wrist - so it kind of flopped around.  In the mid 90s, the watch I wanted was a Tag Heuer (which I couldn't afford - so I bought a knock off in NY for $20).

This didn't make me cool either (and the batteries ran out and I put it in a drawer).  I was back to Timex watches for the next 30 years till  the mechanical watch bug hit....I'm very happy with my first two watch purchases vintage Seiko 5 and Hamilton Khaki Field, but I'm eyeballing that Omega Speedmaster for my grail purchase

Everything is relative though, right? Your $950 Rolex 30 years ago would still be the equivalent of just over $2,000 today. That's still a significant purchase unless you have money to burn.

As a past SNZH55 owner (gifted it to a friend, who I think lost it 🙄), if I had the option to make the SNZH55 the first watch I bought I would! It got me into watch modding, and it's a great watch! 

I once passed it off as Gucci after putting it on a red/blue striped Nato. (Random person at bar: "Hey is that Gucci?" Me: "....Yes?") 

I have read that it's a good watch for modding. Not my thing, but maybe I'll give it a shot in the future. 👍

My first over 50 buck watch is a big G Shock that i still wear, I'd totally buy it again but it would be with a positive screen. I bet in that timeline I'd probably still be a 1 watch person. 

I got my first "proper" watch when I was 15 for Christmas. I was able to choose a nice but not bank breaking watch a few weeks before Christmas & I went with my stepfather to pick one. He is very into his watches & made some recommendations. They fell on deaf ears unfortunately as I had really taken a liking to a Tommy Hilfiger Chronograph (shown below) I genuinely loved it & wore it nearly every day for around a year. Until odd little gremlins started to creep in. misalignment in the hands, the date hand not working & to top it off the day hand eventually falling off. 

This all happened with the first year & I wish I mentioned it to my stepdad & got it sorted but it was a pretty weird time for the family, so I never mentioned it. Eventually I just stopped wearing it despite at the time really liking the look of the watch. Now it's not so much to my taste, but I still like the watch for what it was at the time. I still have it in my collection given that it is practically useless I've considered using it as my test bed to further understand the workings within a watch.

I do think though if I could go back & choose again knowing what I know now I wouldn't select the same watch but that's not to say I don't still like the watch.