Watch Collecting Strategies, Unhealthy Obsessions, and One Trick Ponies…
For those that enjoy long-form article-style content, please enjoy! For those that don’t, click away now! 🚨 The following is my meditation on watch collecting as a hobby and some of the things I’ve learned along the way. Happy Monday, fellow crunchers! 🍻
About two months ago, I posted a #wruw wrist shot with my beloved Seiko 5 SRPE57 “dress-KX” with the caption, “This watch makes me wonder if I need a collection at all…” Since then, the watch hasn’t left my wrist. At first, it was a lighthearted experiment to see if I could make it more than eight hours with the same watch on my wrist (I know, nearly impossible for many of us watch enthusiasts 😂). Time passed, however, and before long I had forgotten that I was wearing the same watch from that morning. Then the next day came, and I reached for it again. On the third day, I even forgot to take it off at the end of the night and wound up leaving it on while I slept (a cardinal sin for some, a guilty pleasure for others 😉). By the end of the week, I hadn’t worn any of my other watches, no matter how tempted I may have been.
Two things happened: 1.) I genuinely wanted to know why I felt the desire to have a collection of watches in the first place and 2.) I grew increasingly attached to a watch that already carried a ton of sentimental value, as I bought it to commemorate my graduation from university. With both of these realizations crossing my mind simultaneously, I decided to only wear this watch for the foreseeable future, or until I could produce a valid answer to the question of why. Off I went, searching the darkest corners of my psyche that had been crowded by thoughts of amassing my “perfect” collection of an undetermined amount of pieces. A summary of my findings follow, which I believe to be relevant to other people as much as to myself. These primarily revolve around what I consider some common reasons for collecting multiple watches, followed by where, and more importantly why, I have diverted from that path.
1.) Crippling FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)
Who here remembers the hype around the Tissot PRX: an integrated steel sports watch with an affordable price tag and above-average finishing that has made its way into more collections than any other recent release from the Swatch Group (perhaps rivaled or surpassed only by the now infamous MoonSwatch)? I certainly remember, and I also remember the many hours spent analyzing case dimensions, technical specifications, and price ranges for the different models while watching YouTube reviews. Whether or not the watch was suitable for my daily lifestyle, I was obsessed. Time passed and the obsession faded, leaving room for other watches to occupy. Two years later, my wife has decided that she now wants the 35mm version, and I cleverly used that as an excuse to buy a set of matching quartz PRXs, a 40mm for me and a 35mm for her. Not because of my old obsession with the piece (or the hype around it), but because of my enthusiasm for my wife’s first “real” watch. I overcame the FOMO factor only to be taken by our desire to have matching watches 😂. During my time wearing only one watch, I’ve managed to save a considerable chunk of money that I could have spent on one or more “luxury” watches for myself, but decided the opportunity to match with my favorite person was too good to pass up and pocketed the rest of the cash for another day.
2.) The “Shiny Object” Effect
Think of the age-old adage of the kid in the candy store, plagued by an overwhelming amount of options and a specific infatuation with each piece. This is how many watch collectors (or car collectors, or coin collectors, or debt collectors 😂) can be described. See a shiny object, buy a shiny object, rinse, repeat. It’s the way many people (including myself) get into this hobby in the first place, buying watches from all genres and all price brackets searching for what suits our fancy most. From $10 Casio F-91Ws to the endless Seiko 5 line to the coveted first “Swiss Made” watch in our collection and beyond, it’s climbing the ladder of ever-shinier objects until we’ve gathered a whole box of pieces that we may or may not rotate back to. I personally went from my one and only watch I wore through my time in the military to a box of 12 in a matter of months after getting into the hobby. It’s hot and heavy at first, but the passion quickly fades because they were randomly purchased with little to no forethought and no meaning behind the purchase. The search for meaning in my personal life has bled through to my passion for watches, leading me to be more selective and deliberate when considering buying another. While not every watch purchase should be or has to be surrounded by a major life event or a cool story, it feels so much more organic when it is, making the passion last longer and, more importantly, it makes it more difficult to part with the piece because of sentimental value. A perfect example is my Seiko 5: it’s monetary value is basically nothing, especially all scratched up and used as it is, but the sentimental value makes it worth more than the sum of its parts. This will be the watch I pass on to my son or daughter for graduating college or whatever technical training they pursue. Likewise, our new matching quartz PRXs make the ideal candidates for engraving, given the mostly sterile casebacks. These will be worn and loved for the rest of our lives together, and that sentimental value makes them much more valuable than the ~$375 price tags.
3.) Gotta Check Off Those Boxes
This one really got me. The long-held tradition of buying an assortment of watches that span all genres and categories, whether or not they fit your lifestyle or career field. If you listen to what many watch channels and journalistic publications say, you aren’t a collector unless you have (at a minimum): a dress watch, a dive watch, a field watch, a pilot’s watch, a complication (GMT, chronograph, calendar, etc.), and an everyday watch. I bought it hook, line, and sinker, and before I knew it, I had at least one of each type with some room for duplicates. I can’t speak for everyone, but I personally travel very little, I don’t spend much time (anymore) in the field, I don’t need to time things or track speed over a specified distance, I don’t spend much time in the ocean, and while I have friends and family around the world, I can track multiple time zones by adding or subtracting hours to my own time. What I absolutely do need is a reliable non-smart watch that can keep (relatively) accurate time. It keeps me on time for work meetings, looking and feeling professional/mature, and is something that wouldn’t kill me financially to lose or have stolen (especially with the proliferation of watch crime in cities around the world). In reality, a watch from any one of the categories listed above would be more than adequate for my everyday lifestyle, but being in an office setting 40 or more hours a week led me to decide on the aforementioned Seiko 5, as it walks the line between dressy and casual while providing 100m water resistance for more “sporty” occasions. In reality, though, a dress watch would likely do just fine in 90% of my activities. So here I sit, a box full of watches that mean basically nothing to me, each of them performing the same basic function, wondering how the hell I got here. It’s because I believed the lie of buying a watch for every possible occasion, no matter how unlikely they may be, rather than going my own way and buying what I like and what fits my own reality. At first glance, time and money poorly spent, but it helped me get to where I’m at, so it was worth it by that metric.
With these newfound understandings, I’ve decided to stop shopping all the time. I’ve begun considering what milestones in my life would be best celebrated with the purchase and engraving of a watch, and waiting for that time. For example, my 30th birthday is within the next few years and my wife and I are planning to travel to Japan for it, and I would love to commemorate both the trip and the life milestone with the purchase of my one and only dress watch (for life): a Grand Seiko. This style of more strategic planning means I get more enjoyment out of the hobby, as well as out of the watches I already have, rather than always hunting for my next purchase. It also keeps the devil of impulse buying at bay 😂. I’m still incredibly enthusiastic about watches, but I no longer feel the desire to own all of them. Instead, I want to learn about the history of certain watches/brands, or the movements that power them, or their impact on the industry as a whole. Hunting for deals on watches made it feel more like a job than a passion, and comparison is the thief of joy (which is too easily seen in social media these days).
I know that many will disagree with me, and many more may imply that I don’t understand the hobby for thinking this way, but this is my truth. Watches are wonders, and they add to the enjoyment of life, but they aren’t everything. Your watch may help identify you as a banker, a pilot, a military member, or commercial diver, but it won’t necessarily identify you as a person. These small objects do not make or break you as a human being, and they do not define who you are. I suppose this could be summed up by saying, “The man (or woman) makes the watch, not the other way around.” Furthermore, if you find yourself like I did, surrounded by boxes and papers to make “full sets” of watches that you rarely wear, consider asking yourself why. Consider where else in your life this time and money could be better invested, and why you may have been neglecting it. For me personally, it was my mental and physical health struggles from which watches became a wonderful and welcome distraction. With more time for personal relationships and focusing on my mental health, I feel like a more well-rounded individual rather than a one-trick pony.
What realizations has your watch collecting journey led you to? Have you known these things all along or did you figure them out as you went like I did? Or do you think I’m overthinking the crap out of this like a true watch enthusiast would?
I hope this hasn’t been too prophetic or “street-preacher” of me, so let me know if you enjoyed reading by liking and commenting below! If you made it to the end, pat yourself on the back, I know this has probably been more than you bargained for on a Monday 😂. Thanks everyone, until next time! ⌚️🫡
Wristwatch enthusiast and bourbon enjoyer ⌚️🥃 Let’s talk strategy and philosophy for this hobby!
You’ve learned a lot in a short period, congratulations. Introspection is rare in humanity.
As you’ve discovered, watch collecting is very much about knowing yourself. This is something I think about when people bemoan having sold a watch. I always wonder why they had no idea they’d miss it. I think it’s mostly the same reason people regret purchases. They don’t know themselves.
For instance, I’ve never sold a watch. Not because I wear all my watches as much as I “should”, or love them all completely. It’s because I know I enjoy having them even when I don’t wear them. That’s who I am.
Loved every word, my friend... This is the truth!! Watches will not fulfill you; they are an accessory to a fulfilled life. At the end of the day, they are material goods! Once I realized that, it opened a door to being able to enjoy watches more fully with more peace, joy, and clarity!
You’ve learned a lot in a short period, congratulations. Introspection is rare in humanity.
As you’ve discovered, watch collecting is very much about knowing yourself. This is something I think about when people bemoan having sold a watch. I always wonder why they had no idea they’d miss it. I think it’s mostly the same reason people regret purchases. They don’t know themselves.
For instance, I’ve never sold a watch. Not because I wear all my watches as much as I “should”, or love them all completely. It’s because I know I enjoy having them even when I don’t wear them. That’s who I am.
Thank you so much for reading! I agree and I feel that the more I learn about watches, the more I learn about myself. I’m not sure what I would do with the watches I’ve collected so far, but I appreciate your insight about sellers remorse!
Loved every word, my friend... This is the truth!! Watches will not fulfill you; they are an accessory to a fulfilled life. At the end of the day, they are material goods! Once I realized that, it opened a door to being able to enjoy watches more fully with more peace, joy, and clarity!
I’m glad you enjoyed the read, thank you! I feel the same way, that realization is truly liberating and can help make us better “enthusiasts” rather than “collectors.”
Same watch, same boat 😂
Well written. It is especially difficult to avoid purchasing everything when deeply invested in the hobby and wanting to experiment everything. I found it similar with video games... I have now all platforms and the income to purchase far more than I have time to play and end up with an enormous "backlog", similar to having many timepieces and struggling between going "deeper" with a new acquisition (wearing it for many consecutive days) OR rotation for having the others get some wrist time as well.
Same watch, same boat 😂
I love to see it! Beautiful jubilee also! 🍻
Well written. It is especially difficult to avoid purchasing everything when deeply invested in the hobby and wanting to experiment everything. I found it similar with video games... I have now all platforms and the income to purchase far more than I have time to play and end up with an enormous "backlog", similar to having many timepieces and struggling between going "deeper" with a new acquisition (wearing it for many consecutive days) OR rotation for having the others get some wrist time as well.
Thank you! And yes, these concepts can be translated to any hobby or interest. The desire to experience often outpaces our ability to enjoy 🍻
I know this is all true in my head, but then I start browsing watches some more...
Excellent read!! Like a A.A. meeting for watchaholics and I'm definitely feeling ya.
Good realizations and conclusions. I'm more or less in the same state, collecting watches I love and not because someone said I should get this and that. As I posted before, collecting is a personal thing, and the value of any timepiece is given by the owner, and no one else. Cheers! 🍻
By the way, where did you get your beads of rice bracelet with a straight end-link? Thanks in advance.
Very Well written article! I think we, watch enthusiasts, will go down that same path in the beginning and a lot still are 😅 Me, I’m just an enthusiast and have been keeping a 7 watches in my possession policy for a while since the beginning of this year. Those that are not to be sold off in tue 7s will include my Chopard which I just posted earlier today 😊 and my Seiko SKX007. My 2 most worn will be my BB58 and also my Seiko SKX007. This practise keeps me from having too many impulse purchases and it helps keep my wallet happier 😬
This was a very well put together post, I really enjoyed reading it, and I can really relate to it.
Fortunatelly for me, I went through this whole journey of falling in love, getting obsessed, wanting them all then realising that without meaning watches are "meaningless", pretty quick, in about a years time. Being a broke university student definitely helped, because I couldnt actually make impulse purchases, I could only spend my little capital in my mind, and I never felt like I would be statisfied if I bought xy watch in real life. I realised that without plenty cash to splash and good reasoning, I would just invest into little regret tokens, instead of making myself happy.
So far I only bought 3 watches, all of them have meaning and a purpose, so Im doing pretty good so far.😄
Holy cow - what a treatise!
(yay!! today’s word is .. treatise 🎉🎊)
You’ve judged and found me lacking, and probably correctly.
I do love my shiny trinkets but I occupy an income bracket that means a real opportunity cost for me and my family. My watchbox has costs
I’m the sole breadwinner and so wifey gives me a free reign on spending as long as I can cover all the household expenses .. but one or 2 of my divers could’ve be a great family getaway instead. 🤔🫤
I do find joy in rotating between pieces however, and I do stress my watches with some serious physical tests routinely, so I’d never be a one watch guy.
you are also correct on the tick a box aspect: I feel a need for a dressy watch (why? Not my lifestyle) and I spend way to much time thinking what’s next. Happily, like yourself, I see zero need for ever getting a chrono or GMT 😅
The watches with emotional attachment are ‘never sell’ and like you scratches don’t matter for that reason . Ones that connect to family, friends or memories will go to the next generation(s)
Thanks for writing your collecting treatise!
Thank you for the read! And consumerism is precisely why I have feel the way I do. I’ve seen it in every hobby I’ve been in (ask my wife, there’s too many to count at this point 😂) and it’s sad that it turns to that. A byproduct of social media with targeted algorithms? Possibly, but either way, I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees things for what they are! 🍻
That’s a well reasoned and nicely written self-exploration or your watch accumulation. You’re young and I guess it’s good to be intentional in your habits.
I, on the other hand, have never given that much thought to my watch collection. But I think you might have missed one of reasons for buying a watch. I like them and they provide me pleasure. No guilt because my watches are basic cheap quartz models.
I guess if you’re buying a bunch of multi-thousand dollar watches it’s good to have some intentionality
I appreciate you reading and giving your honest feedback! Like I said, not every piece has to have some life-altering story attached to it, but for me it makes the watch more than just a watch. That’s not to say that a watch bought for the pleasure of owning a watch is meaningless, just that it’s not my preference. I have (and likely, will) bought watches just for enjoyment’s sake, but I no longer feel that itch to buy like I used to. Either way, thank you again!
A lot of wisdom there.
I’ve had a similar ride, twice. In my thirties I bought a nice watch every few years, usually Tag Heuer as I had a sentimental attachment to the brand through a watch my father gave me for my 18th birthday in 1986 (a 1969 Heuer Autavia reverse panda chronograph with Valjoux 72) that was stolen a few months later. I had a reverse panda Tag Heuer quartz chronograph, a diver, a large dress watch and two two Motorsport-themed chronographs, a mechanical Monaco in blue dial and a black-dialed “Calibre S” McLaren-Mercedes.
Then came the occasion watches. When my father passed away in 1995, I inherited his other watch, a 1956 Omega Constellation, and had it restored. This dress watch was mostly reserved for special occasions and I kept wearing my Tags. For our 15th anniversary my wife and I bought matching Cartier Ronde dress watches (36mm for me, 32mm for her). Then for our 20th anniversary, we bought each other new Rolexes (Milgauss black dial with green crystal for me, 31mm Oyster Perpetual with fluted dial and pink explorer dial for her).
Then a strange thing happened, I wore the Rolex every single day for the next four years. I received another gift watch, a Baumé er Mercier Capeland chronograph as a gift from my brother-in-law and wore it occasionally, but still I wore the Rolex almost every single day for three more years. In fact, I sold off every single one of the Tag Heuers to fund my other expensive hobbies (photography and guitar).
Then, just over two-years-ago, I was selected for what is likely to be my last promotion in the US Army reserve, to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and I decided that I’d like a nice military themed watch to mark the occasion. I looked at many options from inexpensive field watches (Hamilton Khaki Mechanical and Bulova Hack) to semi-expensive luxury pieces like the Rolex Explorer and IWC Mark XVIII.
During my search, I read about the British “Dirty Dozen” and immediately fell in love with the style and especially the small seconds hand. My choice wears now down to the reborn and mostly period-correct Timor Heritage Field (manual wind), the modernized though directly related Vertex M100 and the thoroughly modern, but Dirty Dozen inspired Bremont Broadsword. After much research, consuming many hours of written and video reviews and many emails to all three companies, I ordered the Vertex.
That Vertex watch, like the the Rolex and my father’s Omega, are special pieces that I’ll keep until such a time as I pass them down the family tree. The Cartier and Baumé are also precious, though not as much so as the other three, and will likely also pass down the family tree. Since buying the Vertex, I’ve returned to buying on impulse and try to always keep my watch box full, but never overflowing, which means no more than 10. Four of those are gift/inheritance pieces plus the Vertex makes five watches I will never sell, though honestly I don’t wear any of them except for the Vertex during my usual workweek grind or weekend relaxation. I do wear the Vertex as part of my army uniform, on an olive green or desert tan NATO for field uniforms (most training days) or on black leather with a dress uniform (military balls and the like). I wear either the Rolex or my father’s Omega to formal occasions or trips to East Asia (where I don’t worry about thieves), but most regular days its a dress, field or dive watch.
I work in a courthouse, so most workdays I wear a small dress watch (my father’s 35mm Omega, a vintage 1968 37mm Seiko Skyline or my early 1990s Credor, which is a 32mm quartz) or one of my two “dressy” field watches (The previously mentioned Vertex M100, the Christopher Ward Dune 38mm or the Pinion Neutron 38mm), with the two field watches getting more wear than the dress watches, at least right now. On weekends its either one of the field watches or my diver, a CWC Royal Navy Mk.1 Quartz Diver.
I honestly don’t see myself buying anything else, but one never knows when the itch will come. The hard part is that to buy something new or new to me, I have to sell something I already own, and I really like all ten of my current pieces.
Theain reason I loved this topic/op is that I have been a watch collector for as long as I can remember and just didn't know it.
Now I collect mainly Seikos and have applied principles from other areas of life to my collecting.
So now I have a very tame grouping of watches, all of which I love and am content. So now I spend my time doing other things, like buying straps 😁
Really enjoyed reading your piece. It resonates with me on several fronts. I have a 16 piece collection and think I have bought my last watch for a while. It was a GMT, which I did not have among my meager lot, most of them quartz, 5 automatics, a Flieger, a Chrono, 3 Divers, 2 Dress, a Tool watch, a plastic Swatch GADA from the 1980s, only mods are straps/bracelets among them all. It is a fun hobby and my most expensive purchase has been $325. I find I enjoy each of them for different reasons and my mood/taste changes throughout the day so I change (often double wristed to wind the automatics) frequently.
Everyone has their own attitude towards collecting, from 3 watch Swiss only to 100 Invictas, every angle of this hobby is valid. Sounds like you've found your own angle so congratulations
For me after my first watch, I bought a more sensible and affordable 3 watch collection, allowing me to try a few styles (and love then all) since then I've bought one to celebrate my promotion and another is on the way to celebrate my 21st birthday. Though after that I'm gonna need a break personally
The SRPE57 can cast a spell to make one question why pay large sums of money for luxury watches when this one does the job for much less. Got mine as a stand-in for a BB36 two years ago. I fell for the substitute and have no desire for even the new BB releases. I think I have a need for the dopamine and endorphins reward of the hunt and purchase of new watches. I do not need another one—no matter the reason or rationale. I can pause for the better part of a year and have just done so recently. But I will purchase the next one fully accepting my predilection and will even utter my never enforced mantra, “I’ll not buy another one for a long long time.” Promise.
Dude.
A lot of wisdom there.
I’ve had a similar ride, twice. In my thirties I bought a nice watch every few years, usually Tag Heuer as I had a sentimental attachment to the brand through a watch my father gave me for my 18th birthday in 1986 (a 1969 Heuer Autavia reverse panda chronograph with Valjoux 72) that was stolen a few months later. I had a reverse panda Tag Heuer quartz chronograph, a diver, a large dress watch and two two Motorsport-themed chronographs, a mechanical Monaco in blue dial and a black-dialed “Calibre S” McLaren-Mercedes.
Then came the occasion watches. When my father passed away in 1995, I inherited his other watch, a 1956 Omega Constellation, and had it restored. This dress watch was mostly reserved for special occasions and I kept wearing my Tags. For our 15th anniversary my wife and I bought matching Cartier Ronde dress watches (36mm for me, 32mm for her). Then for our 20th anniversary, we bought each other new Rolexes (Milgauss black dial with green crystal for me, 31mm Oyster Perpetual with fluted dial and pink explorer dial for her).
Then a strange thing happened, I wore the Rolex every single day for the next four years. I received another gift watch, a Baumé er Mercier Capeland chronograph as a gift from my brother-in-law and wore it occasionally, but still I wore the Rolex almost every single day for three more years. In fact, I sold off every single one of the Tag Heuers to fund my other expensive hobbies (photography and guitar).
Then, just over two-years-ago, I was selected for what is likely to be my last promotion in the US Army reserve, to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and I decided that I’d like a nice military themed watch to mark the occasion. I looked at many options from inexpensive field watches (Hamilton Khaki Mechanical and Bulova Hack) to semi-expensive luxury pieces like the Rolex Explorer and IWC Mark XVIII.
During my search, I read about the British “Dirty Dozen” and immediately fell in love with the style and especially the small seconds hand. My choice wears now down to the reborn and mostly period-correct Timor Heritage Field (manual wind), the modernized though directly related Vertex M100 and the thoroughly modern, but Dirty Dozen inspired Bremont Broadsword. After much research, consuming many hours of written and video reviews and many emails to all three companies, I ordered the Vertex.
That Vertex watch, like the the Rolex and my father’s Omega, are special pieces that I’ll keep until such a time as I pass them down the family tree. The Cartier and Baumé are also precious, though not as much so as the other three, and will likely also pass down the family tree. Since buying the Vertex, I’ve returned to buying on impulse and try to always keep my watch box full, but never overflowing, which means no more than 10. Four of those are gift/inheritance pieces plus the Vertex makes five watches I will never sell, though honestly I don’t wear any of them except for the Vertex during my usual workweek grind or weekend relaxation. I do wear the Vertex as part of my army uniform, on an olive green or desert tan NATO for field uniforms (most training days) or on black leather with a dress uniform (military balls and the like). I wear either the Rolex or my father’s Omega to formal occasions or trips to East Asia (where I don’t worry about thieves), but most regular days its a dress, field or dive watch.
I work in a courthouse, so most workdays I wear a small dress watch (my father’s 35mm Omega, a vintage 1968 37mm Seiko Skyline or my early 1990s Credor, which is a 32mm quartz) or one of my two “dressy” field watches (The previously mentioned Vertex M100, the Christopher Ward Dune 38mm or the Pinion Neutron 38mm), with the two field watches getting more wear than the dress watches, at least right now. On weekends its either one of the field watches or my diver, a CWC Royal Navy Mk.1 Quartz Diver.
I honestly don’t see myself buying anything else, but one never knows when the itch will come. The hard part is that to buy something new or new to me, I have to sell something I already own, and I really like all ten of my current pieces.
Wow, what a story and quite an impressive collection! I appreciate the breadth of you choices, from all eras and legendary brands. Especially the Vertex, if there was one “field” type of watch I would list after, it’s that, Hamilton, or some option from CWC. Thank you for reading and for your comment, cheers 🍻
Theain reason I loved this topic/op is that I have been a watch collector for as long as I can remember and just didn't know it.
Now I collect mainly Seikos and have applied principles from other areas of life to my collecting.
So now I have a very tame grouping of watches, all of which I love and am content. So now I spend my time doing other things, like buying straps 😁
I too have become quite the strap collector since deciding to be more selective in my watch purchases 😂 it’s a natural progression. I too love seiko, so maybe a dedicated seiko three watch collection is in order 👍🏼
Really enjoyed reading your piece. It resonates with me on several fronts. I have a 16 piece collection and think I have bought my last watch for a while. It was a GMT, which I did not have among my meager lot, most of them quartz, 5 automatics, a Flieger, a Chrono, 3 Divers, 2 Dress, a Tool watch, a plastic Swatch GADA from the 1980s, only mods are straps/bracelets among them all. It is a fun hobby and my most expensive purchase has been $325. I find I enjoy each of them for different reasons and my mood/taste changes throughout the day so I change (often double wristed to wind the automatics) frequently.
Thanks for reading! And of a GMT is definitely a good choice if you need it, especially with the proliferation of the new NH34 movement from Seiko. I’ve been tempted many times to pick one up, but I don’t “need” one so it’s hard to reason with my new mindset. Perhaps one day, thanks for commenting as well! 🍻
Everyone has their own attitude towards collecting, from 3 watch Swiss only to 100 Invictas, every angle of this hobby is valid. Sounds like you've found your own angle so congratulations
For me after my first watch, I bought a more sensible and affordable 3 watch collection, allowing me to try a few styles (and love then all) since then I've bought one to celebrate my promotion and another is on the way to celebrate my 21st birthday. Though after that I'm gonna need a break personally
Absolutely, and this is merely one man’s approach to a very complex and diverse world with infinite options and opinions. The best part is that there’s no right way to do it! I like the way you approach it and appreciate that you recognize when you need a break from it all to enjoy what you have! Thanks for reading and commenting, cheers 🍻
The SRPE57 can cast a spell to make one question why pay large sums of money for luxury watches when this one does the job for much less. Got mine as a stand-in for a BB36 two years ago. I fell for the substitute and have no desire for even the new BB releases. I think I have a need for the dopamine and endorphins reward of the hunt and purchase of new watches. I do not need another one—no matter the reason or rationale. I can pause for the better part of a year and have just done so recently. But I will purchase the next one fully accepting my predilection and will even utter my never enforced mantra, “I’ll not buy another one for a long long time.” Promise.
Excellent point and well said! I absolutely agree, the thrill of the hunt seems to be more rewarding than accumulating pieces. I’ve heard the comparison between the SRPE57 and BB36 before, and I even listed after one myself. But someone who had one on his wrist told me to enjoy what I have, they do the same exact thing. After that, I see things differently and it helped me shape my opinions of watches seen in the original post. No need to make duplicate purchases, and since the SRPE57 and BB36 are both “everyday” or “GADA” watches, you really only need one. Thanks for reading and commenting, beautiful NATO on yours btw! 🍻
Dude.
Just told my friend to buy that one when he asked what a perfect “one watch collection” would be! 🫡
Just told my friend to buy that one when he asked what a perfect “one watch collection” would be! 🫡
You need at least two watches, or two of anything else, to have a collection.
I have been told I have a tendency to underthink things. It could be true. But here's what I think.
Man is hard wired to be attracted to shiny objects. And different watches are like food. Some people like broccoli, and some don't.
That said, I very much enjoyed your long form piece and wonder how we got so impatient about reading and writing.