Watches and their emotional value
Do you have a special emotional connection to (some of) your watches?
The last couple of days I was thinking about selling 2 watches to get another watch. But I've special memories with both of those watches. It was the whole time a for and against. But even though the other watch might fit better in my collection I decided against it. I would like to share my reasons why and I'm interested in your experience and thoughts on that.
For me personally it helped to put those to watches in a watchbox for a week and when I opened the watchbox again and put the watches on my wrist I immediately felt back in love with those pieces. I just love the way they look and I'm connecting a lot of memories to those watches. I still would like to have the other watch. But I think I would regret selling the other 2 watches. I wouldn't just sell 2 watches, I would also lose memories and I will never get those memories connected to a watch again. I sold some watches in the past and I don't regret selling them apart of the one watch that I've bought on a special day for me and the one vintage pieces for 50 bucks that was in a beautiful condition. So I know that I tend to regret. That was a very important acknowledgement for myself.
Besides that I've had a nice conversation with someone on IG. He posted some watches in his story and rated them 0 to 10. But he didn't rate them by their build quality or sth like that. He just rated them by his personal taste and closed the with a short text where he clarified that the watches send in were all great and that it's not about facts it's about personal taste. I send him a text where I agreed with him and we talked a little bit. He shared his thoughts that in Germany (where I live) it's a lot about facts and that the individuality gets lost. It's not only about water resistance and in-house or no in-house movement it's also a lot about brand recognition. In the area he lives people don't care that much about that. They just wear what they truly appreciate. If it's a Gucci watch from the 80s, a unknown brand or a Rolex, they wear it if they enjoy it. This conversation really opened my eyes when as I was thinking about it.
The watch I was thinking about is an Omega Speedmaster Triple Date in blue with a Valjoux 7751. I think that watch is beautiful. But I think I'm also a victim of brand recognition. I was thinking about selling a Junghans Meister Chronoscope and a Seiko SPB187 for that watch. And yes the Omega is beautiful but so are the other two watches. And why should I sell 2 beautiful watches? Watches connected to a lot of memories and therefor having emotional value. To be honest I think I've only had the idea because of the brand Omega. And no there is nothing wrong with Omega. It's an awesome brand. It's more about that I nearly forgot what the hobby is really about. It's not about brands, facts etc. It's about appreciation, personal taste and emotions. After realizing why I tended to sell those watches I tried to overthink my thoughts without paying attention to the brand or any external factors. And that was the moment in which I realized the true emotional value of those to watches for myself. What they mean to me and what I connect with them. I realized what made me thinking about selling the watches in the first place and what I've overlooked. So it was a really good lesson thinking about all that.
To sum it up there is nothing wrong with selling watches to get another watch. Have done it several times myself. But do not just sell watches to get to the "next step" or sth. like that. You wear the watch and you need to enjoy it. And if you decide that you truly like a watch you would like to buy take some time and think about what connects you with watches you might wanna sell for the new purchase. That is not a decision of 5 minutes. This decision needs some time. Maybe you've bought a watch with a good friend and you're gonna by the new watch with the same friend so for you personally you don't lose any emotional value. That's great. But maybe it's not only about that. Maybe it was the watch you wore when you moved to a new city and that's why this watch has so much value for yourself. It needs time to find out what a watch mean to you. Its not always easy to determine the emotional value. Take that time. If you sold the watch you probably will never get this exact watch back.
And of course that is not the case for every watch. But most people have a watch or two in their collection that might have a special value. And that are the watches you might regret selling. So you should be careful by selling them just to get another watch. At least that's what I've learned for myself. So what are your experiences or thoughts on that? Do you think I'm way to romantic about watches and memories?
I'm Max and I love wristwatches and enjoy talking about them. I believe that wristwatches are there to be worn.
Naa they are just tools to me. Or at best fun toys.
I've been kinda poor all my life so I've learned to just sell all my crap that's not being used. Including cameras that I spent years working with - which many photographers become emotionally attached to.
All my personal possessions fit into a pencil case plus some clothing and a skateboard.
Not including work tools and some basic household crap.
I'm so minimalist that I'm annoyed if I own more than 2 watches.
At least you're not going to be a flipper, you don't have the ruthlessness required. So yay for that?
Creating the emotional connections to a watch is what (or anything for that matter) is what makes it worth being owned!
i think most of watch collector like the novelty and story behind every watch and i appreciated it. i dont really have an emotional value about my watch collection but i like the idea of having a stuff that can operate for a long time and serviceable as i like old stuff like bicycle, car, and motorcycle.
Any watches gifted to me have a special connection.
Any watches gifted to me have a special connection.
It's the same for me. I've got one watch gifted to me and this watch will stay forever.
This resonates with me a lot.
My core collection is almost autobiographical.
I usually buy new because I want to imprint my own story with these pieces.
In nearly a decade I have only sold one watch, admittedly a false step.
Couldn’t care less about specs and I can’t be bothered with reference numbers.
In the last few years it’s taking me over 9 months to actually buy a watch from decision to actual purchase.
I’m just more and more conscious of what I want and what I truly like.
The watches in my collection to which I have a real emotional attachment are primarily those watches that were gifts from family or friends, and the attachment exists regardless of the brand or quality. 😁 I might not wear them as much as other watches in my collection, but I could never sell one of them.
There are a few other watches I have an attachment to beyond gifts from family or friends. I have purchased two watches from 1966, the year my brother Drew was born. He passed away in 2020, and moving forward, I am going to add a vintage watch from 1966 to my collection each year to commemorate him. So far, I have a 1966 Timex Marlin and a 1966 Bulova Clipper.
I have a Victorinox field watch I bought back in 2000 when Drew and I were living together with another brother, Chris, in Kansas City. I got it when the three of us were out learning our way around KC and just hanging out and goofing off. I won't ever get rid of that watch, despite it having been broken when I was working in a restaurant kitchen. That also resulted in my first G Shock purchase.
Other than these watches, I could see myself parting with the other watches in my collection, depending on the circumstances.
Not really, except for my very first Luxury watch I ever bought, want to keep that one.....but all the others, no attachments, they are just objects for me, no matter what I did or where I was when I wore them....I have my memories in my head and on photos, don´t need watches for it.
My great uncle Eddy’s last watch before he passed. This neat little 36mm Seiko has a surprisingly beautiful dial and even my family members at events like weddings will notice, “Hey, you’re wearing the uncle Eddy!” A nice watch in its own right but very special to me in keeping his memory alive.
The other is my SKX013. No special story, just my daily watch through most of my twenties. There were some pretty rough times in that decade of my life and although it’s just a hunk of metal and gears, it feels like a faithful companion for having been right there for all those moments. The orange ‘Divers 200m’ has faded significantly, which further drives home that it’s been through some things with me.
I’ve got a Seiko 7T32 that wasn’t available in the UK at the time and for me, at that point, it was a chunk of money! However, it was the last watch I was wearing when I saw my dad for the last time before he passed. Is it ‘the best’ watch I now own? No. But it is the first one I’d grab in an emergency. The others in my collection are slowly building stories to tell but will never compete for that space the Seiko holds.
I was always very conscious about watches holding emotional values due to the memories and this has led me to prepare myself to always wear that one watch whenever I know/feel something memorable will be taking place. This way all other watches have become disposable.
Since I started this hobby it kept me from other things that was not good for me in the long run. I got emotional attach to some of these time pieces if worst case scenario if I have to get out of dodge my Truck, guns and watches go with me.