Existential Crisis

I posted this in its own thread a few weeks ago, but here’s a recap:

My collection is 5 affordable (sub $1K) watches and two entry level luxury ($2-4K) watches that I am planning on keeping. 
 

I plan on creating a “core“ collection of three high end watches over three years (one a year) to include a Speedmaster, Pelagos, and Santos de Cartier. 

Strategy: See sparkly thing, want sparkly thing, need sparkly thing, buy sparkly thing, hide sparkly thing from wife, apologize to wife. Rinse and repeat.

I don’t really have a theme to my collection - I just try to tell myself to maybe try something w/o a black dial once in awhile 😂 Good luck on finding your way!

Can you link that post? :)

Here it is:

https://www.watchcrunch.com/cornfedksboy/posts/three-watch-collection-in-three-years-20141

Well I've always had a thing for dive watches,love em rugged,ace looking, manly things strapped to your wrist telling the world here's an action geezer ready for anything, but now after realising I've git more movable bezels than the red sea at height of dive season its time to diversify. Now I also love vintage, but can be oh so expensive. I've found a solution to that, enter the whacky world of the 70s,now I was very young in the 70s so have no real affinity with it,the clothes where awful (as were the hairstyles), music even worse and the cars besides being unreliable they handled like a fat pig on ice. But the watches, wow here's some magic,wild,whacky,gauche,in your face and lots of fun and the best part still reasonably cheap. That's my story and I'm not going to tell you where to go next, that's your call and as long as you aim to get that dopamine rush when you put it on your wrist that's what it is all about ( and don't let anyone tell you different,they'll be liars).

Why does there have to be a strategy? I love budget watched, so when something strikes my fancy, then I get it. I to don't sell or trade. I don't spend over $500. And if I keep it under $200 the wife doesn't ask. Like what someone else said, we can't tell you what to do. Just enjoy yourself. 

Diversify collections and hoard more than just watches. Watches aren't the only way to enjoy consumerism! 

You say you don't feel your current collecting strategy is working anymore but don't go into detail. Can you put your finger on what it is you're not happy with? Is it that you have just woken up one day and thought "I don't like these watches as much as I thought". Are you no longer enjoying the collecting process? Are you feeling fatigued by the conveyer belt of new watches and FOMO? 

I think before you can find a better strategy for collecting you may find it helpful to better understand what you aren't happy with at the moment. 👍

This works for me. Pick a yearly amount that you are willing to spend. Divide by 12 and put that money aside every month. Only use that money to buy watches. unless you sell a watch, then the money can go back in the pot.

I find it makes decisions easier. When you have saved enough for a watch on your list it makes it easier to know if getting that watch now is worth waiting longer for other ones. 

My plan has always been to stay between 2-5 watches. Current plan is to keep the three I own now for as long as I can without adding or selling any.

If you feel with direction I would suggest that you try to reduce rather than increase your collection (if you got many). This will probably spark new ideas just as well as buying "random" watches. It might force you to look at things differently ☺️

I hear that brother 🤣

Your on the wrong web site I think 🤣

I enjoy what I have. I sell the watches I’m not wearing at least once a month on average. That keeps my collection manageable, about 8-10 pieces. I’ve found that I wear and enjoy my luxury pieces more than my affordable ones. Therefore, I save, save, save, and rarely buy. When I do buy, it’s usually around a milestone (promotion, marriage, graduation, etc.) giving the watch more meaning. 
 

My motto, every watch I buy is going to dilute my collection and displace other watches. So I am deliberate and I make sure that I love every piece I buy. I don’t give in to lust and spontaneity as it just depletes my watch funds and leads to buyers remorse. 

Start by getting rid of duplication, ultimately you will need to decide how to reorganize.  

Years ago I decided to organize into sub groups, eliminate duplication, target purchases carefully, and >>sigh<< sell stuff that did not fit with my new targeted collection.  This has worked well for me over a fairly long period of time (20 years).  

If you already have a large collection, this business of narrowing down to 5 pieces just won't work or at the very least is extremely difficult to do.  Target what you want your collection to be, and then set out to do it.

I just say that if you have a type, just go for it.

Many people on here can look at a certain type of vintage watch and go “yep, @chronotriggered would wear that shit”… Just embrace it.

It's okay to feel lost and to take a break. 😴

Mr Robstacam

Looking at your collection I see 

longines field - date - silver dial - arabic numbers mvt: L888 72 hrs

hamilton field - date - black dial - arabic numbers w/ 24hr  mvt: H-10 80 hrs

seiko 5 field - day date - black dial - arabic numbers w/ 24 hr mvt - 4R36 40 hrs

orient diver - day date - blue dial - F6922 40hrs

casio duro diver  - date - black dial - mvt MDV 106 quartz

tudor BB58 - black dial - mvt - M79030 70 hrs

You seem to like your different nato, straps and few bracelets.

I think your collection is a series of the same watches in different iterations.  You have figured out what you like but not what you can learn to like.  It is a bit different than things in watches you do not like at all. Don't get things in watches you do not like.  

At this point I would almost get rid of the casio duro, maybe replace it with a quartz like a Casioak, or G-shock or Timex (something less round. A good pick up and go watch with any colour you like other than black).  You can do this on a budget, the Hudson Bay is having a sale on which is pretty good right now.  I think the Orient is a good EDC replacement to the casio duro which you already have.

Moving forward on the dial side, a ranger from tudor, or an omega (speedy, railmaster) which you eluded to could work.  These are a blend between the diver dial and the field dials you currently have.  A blue dial would be nice too.  On the topic of omega, the constellation is nice too.

Look at the remodels of the classics to give a contrast with the modern look you currently have in the entire collection. Or go down the rabbit hole of vintages.  What did the seiko 5 sport do before the current seiko 5?  I think a vintage ranger would be nice with the hamilton field.

Making a collection that is personal to you is hard, ask Freud.  The watches are about what they are relative to one another.  More importantly it should always bring a smile to you when you look at it.

Fantastic perspective and some great ideas! Thank you!

welp, at least there's a plan 😂