What have been the mistakes in your watch journey?

Buying too many cheap Casios & too many cheap straps.

I learned I don't really like the Royale & any number of cheap straps does not equal one nice one.

-- I sold a watch I now wish I would have kept. Price has gone up, so now it's irresponsible to buy another.

-- I bought a watch that turned out to be way too big, which prevented me from wearing it regularly. I sold it at a small loss and bought the smaller version. Should have tried it on first.

-- I've purchased far too many watches based on first infatuation which I later sold...

Buying a dozen homages and selling them as a collection

I've always liked watches since childhood, but I should have started collecting much earlier.

Not being patient on search and then jumping in whenay not have been all you wanted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k8craCGpgs

I am an amateur Seiko-modder. All the mods that I have built are for my own pleasure. However, after building a few of them, the amount of money invested, I could have just bought a watch that I really wanted.

rebuys and wasting way to much money on straps... another one for me is choosing specs over design. i noticed that only watches with good design (for my own taste) stay in the collection, whereas quality watches with very good specs dont stay because their design isnt appealing as the others... so for me the most important buying aspect is design over specs/movement/etc...

There are many mistakes I have made in the last 4 years when my pocket finally allowed me to indulge in my love of watches.

1. Buying without trying on. Big mistake & one that I continually repeat. Not having the time to & hating going to shops has seen me buy many watches that once on, look ridiculous or feel too big. Most recent being a Baume & Mercier Riviera 41mm.

2. Buying a watch that really isn't that different to others I already own. I have too many black dial watches & virtually no white. Now, I stop myself & ask "Is this really necessary".

3. Thinking I can polish a watch to the standard of a professional. Stupid b*gger that I am.

4. Thinking that this next purchase is the last. Ha ha ha, dream on you clown.

5. Thinking that there's such a thing as a "grail" watch. See above.

6. Installing a "rid before you bid" regime, 1 out 1 in etc. Just doesn't happen.

7. Thinking the 100+ straps I have means I'll never buy another.

There are no doubts plenty more I've made but irrespective of the mistakes I've made, I regret none of them. I'm happy to buy a watch, enjoy it for a period of time & then sell it on for a loss. The time it's spent on my wrist & the enjoyment I've got from it is far more important to me than the money. I only buy if I have the money so I'm not sacrificing or risking anything else when I do buy.

We all make mistake.

A mistake I made was about 18 years ago when I first started to learn about watches. I didn’t have the confidence to spend so much money on watches. I missed some amazing opportunities on some omega and zenith watches with 40 percent off retail. And the RRP was well under half what it was now so an exta 40% should’ve been a no brainer and even though still a lot of money I could’ve stretched to it.

But no point dwellling on missed opportunities 🙂

I regret turning down a few watches I was offered that were available in the past and are highly sought after today. 😭 My new motto is if you like it, buy it! 🍻🤭

When I started I bought online watches that stated "cutting out middle man cost for luxury specs"

Buying too many fashion watches, mostly quartz, because they look great. Now I don't wear most of them any at all.

It was just a courtesy call to a friend’s watch agency office a few years ago to inquire about the status of his AP sales, whether he could still supply the brand to private clients? His trusted employee was vague but suggested I check a new manufacture that I was not knowledgeable about: Parmigiani Fleurier since they were going to sever the relationship and existing stock would be reduced by up to 40% off MSRP, still a lot of money to own but perhaps my last chance to source a Parmigiani watch. I acted too slowly!

1. Pin pallets. Avoid divers and drivers, these are the easy pitfalls. Spare yourself the heartache, you want to have a decent movement that can be serviced. Avoid some really popular brands when it comes to vintage: Timex, Oris, some Smiths, Ingersoll…

2. Vintage complications. Rarity does not equal better, it equals pain.

3. Vintage electric and digital. Like 2 but much more painful.

Growing my collection too quickly and not spending enough time with each watch. My first mechanical watch, I wore everyday for a year. After that I started buying a watch every quarter. The collection grew to the point, I didn’t spend enough time with the various watches.

For example, today I wore my GMT II. When I looked at my WRUW postings, the last time I wore it was July 31st, basically wearing only once a month, 12 times a year.

I think ima try to spend a bit more time and appreciate what I have in my collection, before going out and adding a new timepiece.

Oy, I’ve been there, know that feeling.

At the beginning of my journey i ve bought every G that comes around. Finding myself in deep regret, so i flip the most of em as they meant nothing tp me. Burnt a bunch of bucks, just keeping those ones i m really interested in, be it heritage or features. And then i saw my grail. Keeping my money alltogether, hold my ears in the wind, and get a new one. As it came, well, gave it streight to my watchmaker for 2 months. I was beeing dumped by the seller. But as i wanted it so hard i ve spent more money to get it in new condition. Now i m wearing it just 'the right times'

I was offered 3 steel Daytonas from my ad about 15 years ago, and I only bought 1 of them. I should have stretched and figured out how to get the cash to buy all 3. That opportunity is not likely to ever come again.

The biggest mistake is buying a Casio G-Shock Frogman off eBay. It look so great and the price was unbeatable I couldn’t help myself however, once I got it in hand and checked it to my surprise it was a fake. I did not know there were fake G-Shocks out there so lesson learned. I pride myself into never buying fakes so that one hurt to the core.

This is King Charles III’s watch I guess.

• Sold a very nice watch, Orient Crystal 1994, to a wrong person

• Bought a Frankenstein Titoni for too much money, basically got scammed

• Passed on a very great Raketa in Near Mint condition for a good price

Had SKX007, sold it. Had SKX009, sold it. They got discontinued, prices skyrocketed and now I can’t make myself buy another one and keep it for good.

1. Buying too quickly when I first got into watches and not taking the time to learn what I truly enjoy.

2. Social media + fomo, now I won’t buy anything that is too popular until at least a year has passed. That way if I still get it, it means I truly like the watch.

Biggest watch mistake: Destroying a rare, vintage dial through watchmaking inexperience.

It's the worst possible outcome in watch making. Once you've done that not only do you never want to see that watch/dial again, but you live with the shame of a watch having survived decades, only to meet it's end in your clumsy paws. Enough to make one quit the hobby.

Other than that, I take ages to 'pull the trigger' on buying, as I'm well aware infatuation can and will go cold. I have a wish list I posted here on WC some time ago. I visit it every now and then, and find I'm not even remotely interested in many of them anymore. In fact, completely forgot about them.

My goal is a collection of 10 keepers. No interest in having to go through selling a watch.

I gotta ask; what's a 'wrong person'?

The buyer complained for two weeks about bracelet being jangly and every other issue that a vintage japanese watch has. I've sold it for a very reasonable price, 100$ for very good condition, fully serviced and a new spare bracelet. Still he demanded a 50% refund.