Do you ever think about selling it all and getting "the one"?
I had a day off today and decided to go strolling around Munich.
Started off at my favorite watch dealer and had a look at some Nomos and Junghans (to prepare for my visit to the Junghans Museum in December), then dropped by the new Tag Heuer boutique to have a chat with the super nice people there and try on some Aquaracers. After that my final stop was (once again) the Omega boutique. Every time I go there, I try on my grail the Aqua Terra in 38mm blue teak dial. The watchmaker (!) there was really nice and showed me loads of watches.
While walking back to my car, I was thinking about how it would be to just sell all my watches and get my grail.
Would that last long?
Would I miss the others?
Maybe just keep one (e.g. the Longines) and get the AT and be done with two?
Just save up and add the AT to the collection?
Suffice to say, I haven't come to a conclusion yet 😂
What about you guys and gals?
Have similar thoughts sometimes?
Ever make the big move and go one-watch after a collection?
I do, of course think I could get a few thousand if I sold my favorites and buy something more expensive but the four or five watches I would sell are great. I recently went and tried on a few that I may have considered ‘The One’ and when I thought about trading in my Tudor I immediately ruled it out.
Strange as it may sound my Ranger just may be the sort of Grail… do still want a few others but the Ranger feels like my forever watch. I’ll keep saving but I’m thinking about a big non-watch purchase suddenly.
Never
I do, of course think I could get a few thousand if I sold my favorites and buy something more expensive but the four or five watches I would sell are great. I recently went and tried on a few that I may have considered ‘The One’ and when I thought about trading in my Tudor I immediately ruled it out.
Strange as it may sound my Ranger just may be the sort of Grail… do still want a few others but the Ranger feels like my forever watch. I’ll keep saving but I’m thinking about a big non-watch purchase suddenly.
I think the Ranger is a nice watch, wouldn't be crazy to call that one "the one" 😉
But yeah, saving loads of cash for a watch sometimes feels strange, when you think what you could do with the amounts each watch costs... Even an "affordable" 1k watch would get you a new tv and a Soundsystem to go with it 😂
The One, for me would be a FP Journe, and that's something completely out of reach, so I'll never do something like that.
Fair enough... Maybe there should be a dofferenciation between goal and grail, since you should aim to achieve your goals, never getting your grail is basically 5he definition of the word 🤔
Maybe my AT is my goal, then I need I think of a grail 😂
Never
Serious never, or sarcastic never? Difficult to gauge without facial expressions 😂
Serious never, or sarcastic never? Difficult to gauge without facial expressions 😂
Serious ,with a dash of snark.
I think about it all the time. I think—i hope—if given the chance and for the right watch I would trade it all in. Except for the gifts. They’re not mine to sell.
Plain and simply no. Too boring
Intresesting thoughts!
You still have your SMP, or have you sold it and want to rebuy it? Which quartz would you keep?
As an engineer I would consider myself an appreciator of mechanical things in gerneal but also like to have a bit of variety, hence I have 12 watches (basically two colors of 6 styles each).
I don't like collecting things for the sake of collecting them. A fixed upper limit helps me refine my collection, rather than just increase the amount. I do appreciate many watches for what they are, but don't need to own them myself. Maybe I need a financial upper limit in addition to the number of watches limit 🤔
I think your last point always puts my watch dreams into perspective.... Is it really worth spending 10k€ on a watch, if I could maybe put it towards buying an apartment to rent out, put it towards my baby's future or simply go on an amazing trip with my wife and still enjoy the watches I have now.
Thats probably my biggest blocker when thinking about spending 6k€ and adding an Aqua Terra. That would make my watch box cost around 18k€.... That's an amount that can go places.
But then again chosing between an AT an all my other watches is difficult 😂
I guess we'll see what the future brings 🤔
I did and i am still doing that way to up rank my collection 😬
I do!! and it seems I have done it 'MANY' times LOL..Then I sell it and move on.. Enjoy the hobby
Yes, absolutely you should do it.
But be certain it's the one you want & you'll never regret it.
Had my Grail for 3 years & it's still growing on me.
2015 Seamaster 300 heritage.
Saved a fortune by not buying loads of other watches since I got it, just the odd one or two
Good luck 🖖🏻
Yes, absolutely you should do it.
But be certain it's the one you want & you'll never regret it.
Had my Grail for 3 years & it's still growing on me.
2015 Seamaster 300 heritage.
Saved a fortune by not buying loads of other watches since I got it, just the odd one or two
Good luck 🖖🏻
Really? What kind of collection did you have before?
Cool it worked out for you man 🔥🎉
Even If I sold everything I couldn't reach the price of my grails. I don't even think I would feel comfortable wearing them. I'm just glad someone made them.
Is that even possible? The one watch to rule them all
I am at the point where this has to happen, well the selling off part to start with, the purchase may take a bit longer.
At this time I have a Datejust, an Oyster Perpetual & my Speedmaster sitting in a safety deposit box. Unless I spend a significant sum upgrading my safe, they aren't covered by insurance. This situation has really brought home to me how ridiculous it is to have the number of watches I've acquired.
I now have watches that I can't wear in safe storage & they're costing me money to be kept safe. The home insurance policy premium has gone through the roof in cost also. Insurers are happier to cover one expensive watch than they are to have multiple 3-6k watches.
Everything I've ever enjoyed in life I've always done to the max. Then something happens that tells me you've taken this too far. I've now reached that dawning where logic & sensibility kicks in.
This is odd one not had any insurance issues like this with home or specialist jewellery insurance.
I was thinking about this just yesterday evening and I became crazy about what was my own conclusion. I was staring at my PMD56 as always and thought
"If I go one watch collection, it will be a titanium solar quartz" (read, a The Citizen Chronomaster).
Whaaaaat ?? I lamost yelled at myself in my living room.
"You are a watch nerd, a timepiece enthousiast and if you have to choose only ONE watch to be your wrist companion for the rest of your life, you go with a techy quartz movement in a techy metal case ? Are you mad ??"
...
My conclusion is that
1) I'm not a one watch guy, I love way too much to change watches, straps, regarding the moment, the season...
2) I have to admit that I like more and more how practical is a solar (meaning "eternal") quartz with perpetual calendar as a go to watch and how titanium is cool to wear.
One watch was too little. I needed variance and you need to ensure the one watch is ubiquitous enough. I found a GO perpetual calendar I could afford if I sold my whole collection, solid gold gorgeous, BUT I'd hardly be able to wear it.
Instead I sold my Navitimer, GS White Birch and my Omega Seamaster 300 for Glashutte Original Sea q panorama date and one other nice sub 2k watch.
This is odd one not had any insurance issues like this with home or specialist jewellery insurance.
I'm sure there are specialists & I'm sure there is cover, everything's insurable at a cost. The issue just now is the safe. The higher the insurance value covered the more is required of the safe. At this moment I'm not prepared to spend many thousands of pounds replacing the safe that I have.
It's a penny dropping moment for me, I never thought I'd get to the number of watches I have. It's a good thing for me, as finally the logical part of my brain is shouting louder than the impulsive, compulsive part.
imo ... no such a thing as the only grail watch. The human behavior is to buy more than one when we found something more interesting. So what's the conclusion here .... buy what you like n can afford. Sell what you dont wear n get some money back. If it's a piece that has relationship significance then keep it for memory sake. There are more significant matters in life to think, to love or worry about it .... ✌️
I'm sure there are specialists & I'm sure there is cover, everything's insurable at a cost. The issue just now is the safe. The higher the insurance value covered the more is required of the safe. At this moment I'm not prepared to spend many thousands of pounds replacing the safe that I have.
It's a penny dropping moment for me, I never thought I'd get to the number of watches I have. It's a good thing for me, as finally the logical part of my brain is shouting louder than the impulsive, compulsive part.
I've insured similar watches with 0 requirement for a safe. The most my home insurance asked for was certain locks on the doors and windows. The specialist insurers didn't even ask for any security details.
I've insured similar watches with 0 requirement for a safe. The most my home insurance asked for was certain locks on the doors and windows. The specialist insurers didn't even ask for any security details.
That's great, I'm glad you don't have a similar issue to me. 👍
I think the Ranger is a nice watch, wouldn't be crazy to call that one "the one" 😉
But yeah, saving loads of cash for a watch sometimes feels strange, when you think what you could do with the amounts each watch costs... Even an "affordable" 1k watch would get you a new tv and a Soundsystem to go with it 😂
I prefer the AquaTerra and a good smell candle instead of a TV 😂
That's great, I'm glad you don't have a similar issue to me. 👍
The point I'm making is there is insurance for watch collections that isn't insane. In fact my experience is the opposite of yours, if your watch costs more than 15k that is infinitely harder to insure than multiple watches worn in rotation.
Thanks for the great comment 👍
I think the romantic dream of the one watch you pass on to the next generation is just that, a dream, especially for us watch nerds.
Even if I were to sell watches, there definitely are some I would want to hang on to for sentimental reasons (first watch my wife got me, watch I wore when my baby was born).
But yeah, reading all the comments has definitely motivated me to plan ahead for my AT even better! 🥳
My one watch collection..
The point I'm making is there is insurance for watch collections that isn't insane. In fact my experience is the opposite of yours, if your watch costs more than 15k that is infinitely harder to insure than multiple watches worn in rotation.
And my point is I'm glad you aren't experiencing the same problem.
Insurance isn't a one glove fits all arrangement. There are many factors at play that can mean your circumstances are different to mine.
I'm sure you've done your due diligence, as I have mine. Let's hope neither of us have to find out the hard way the strength of our insurer's promises 👍
This depends on how strong your self controll is 😁
I Tried and failed miserably 🫣
Hah cool, I didn't get that you were talking about actual shotguns! Here in Germany if someone sold two shotguns, questions would be asked 😂
I can assure you I am fully licensed and legal 😀😀😀
Ehh no because IMHO there isn't a one watch collection. Maybe 2-5.
That said I'd say save up for the AT. That's the exact model that I want as well.
Tough call but that's pretty much what I'm in the process of doing. Selling all my collection except my Formex Essence to fund a Black Bay 54.