What makes a collection?

I think instead of the amount of watches, the watch/es become something more for yourself (a source of happiness) and become worthy of collecting and keeping. Which also becomes apparent when people don’t want smart watches since they become obsolete faster by design.

1 watch may be the starting point for a collection, with 3 watches you are well on the way to building one.

I think a collection has to do with the concept of curation rather than quantity of watches. It's researching and gaining knowledge, developing a taste, refining your understanding and ending up creating a sense of wisdom.

The watch as an object is the materialisation of all of the above things, which makes me think that the real collection is something inside your mind and the watch/es a projection of that.

From that point of view I think a 'one watch collection is possible'

That's too deep for me. I believe you can have one watch and be an enthusiast, but that doesn't make the one watch a collection

50 + & always looking.

I pretty much have the same take.

1 = a watch

2= a watch + a weekender/ spare

3= some watches

4 = a collection

Fair

1 watch you want to tell the time

2 watches. You want to protect the first? Of fancy one for a different purpose

3 watches = collection

More that 3 = you have a problem and you join a help group (WatchCrunch)

I agree with this. I don't really think of myself as a collector of anything, to be honest. I have more shirts than I do watches, but I don't think I collect shirts. I have more tools than probably anything else, but I don't think I have a tool collection. A big part of what makes a collection is the redundancy or lack of usage. I have a few use cases for watches, and when I add a watch that is better at that use case, the old one tends to either not be worn anymore or fall into a smaller niche and get worn drastically less. If I had three divers that were all functionally pretty similar, I'd see that as more of a collection than the five or so watches I wear for different situations.

Maybe this connotation of frivolity I get from the term "collection" is not shared by all, but I personally feel like a collector has more of that category of item than they strictly need to serve the various purposes someone might use those things for.

It's not a collection until you struggle to remember and name it's contents.

What makes a watch collection is if you are collecting watches. You buy the watch just because you want it and can afford it. Not just to use them.

It is the intention to get the next one, not the number of time pieces you already have.

If one watch is a collection then we can call many people house and car collectors too.

3 or 4, now you're splitting hairs. I go by the old expression that three of anything is a collection.

Hey, it ain't a collection until you need a computer spreed sheet to keep up with it! 😎

What make a collection? Mindset. The person with the zero watch collection, but with a list in their head as to what watches they would like to put into a 'set' regardless of the feasibility of actually putting together that set is a collector at heart.

The Zero Watch Collection is Real.

In general I’d say 3 is a collection. But why can’t my one watch identify as more than one watch though and be a collection? Because that is redicious and impossible

well.. technically, a collection is just a set, and sets can be empty.. 😜 But seriously, I guess I have a collection, although I didn't set out to "collect" watches, per se. Now I just have too many, and I'm trying to make the collection a much smaller collection!

then I'm squarely in hoarder territory! ugh...

Nah, that’s an enthusiast, not a collector in my opinion. Some luxury car enthusiasts may not have the funds to own even one, for example, but are well versed in the workings and history of several, attend car shows and subscribe to car magazines. Likewise, you can be a collector without being an enthusiast — for example you may have a collection of 10 Rolexes you bought because you love the design language of that specific brand and have disposable funds to suit, but not know a thing about the history or technology…you’re still a collector, just not an enthusiast.

When I hear people use the phrase ‘one-watch collection’ it’s similar to how some people try to redefine the word ‘homage’ when the definition is clear; while we can debate two or more (and if two is the beginning of a collection versus three), one is certainly not a collection — not by any definitions of the word I’m familiar with (eg in English, maths or sociology); it’s one watch, one car, one house, one painting, one shoe. I personally view two as a pair, three+ as a collection; however you can own one watch and be a bigger enthusiast than a collector with 10.

I’m right around level 2 then..

The thing with collecting is that it's a personal journey. Your collection might only be complete at 20+, someone else's at 3, another at 50 and another at 1

Agreed. Someone people just want to collect them all. Personally my collection is more of a watch 'wardrobe' than anything else where each watch has a specific purpose/niche

Mentally replacing “collection” with “addiction” 😂

You are right. I think people are getting confused with collectors and enthusiasts. You can have one watch and be an enthusiast, you can have several and be a collector, or you can have several and be both. As it happens I know a few people with multiple watches who are from from being enthusiasts. They simply like the aesthetics of a watch, or in some cases the brand name and just buy it.

I collect Bulova x3,Tissot x3,invicta x2,Dan Henry x2,Rotary x2,Spinnaker x2,Tandorio x3,Pagani Design x3,many others x1 my name is Phil & I have a problem! 🤣🤣🤣

Exactly. People are conflating the terms ‘enthusiast’ and ‘collector’ when they aren’t the same thing. 🍻

And unfortunately what many consider a collection is actually hoarding.

Agreed.

As in my bio, "I am not a watch collector but rather a watch enthusiast who likes to try new watches and sell/gift the ones that no longer hold my interest."

Over the las 40 years I have had, for the majority of that time, 1-2 watches in my possession. In the last decade, as many as 35+. Currently 14+gifts received.