When Did You Realize You Were Obsessed?
I realized I was an obsessed watch collector by late 2020/ early 2021, when I had bought about 25 watches (some new off Amazon and eBay, some used off eBay) and was counting on pandemic federal stimulus payments to bankroll my collection! At first automatics were a focus, then early LCD's, LED's, and later, solar/atomics caught my eye. Next came the watch repair tools, the discovery of the usefulness of the ultrasonic cleaner, and it ability to shake off decades of grime.
What was your point of no return? How many watches had you gone thru by that time? How many do you expect to keep around at any given time? How are you able to "let go" of watches to make room for new acquisitions?
"Gotta have that watch!" Obsessive - Retro-Futurist - "Old-Age" Intellectual - Artificial Stupidity (AS) researcher - Darwin Award Honorable Mentions 2008, 2021 - Poet Low-rate and past winner of the...
About 35 years before I felt it was ok to buy the one I wanted.
I been into watches, since my dad gave me a Citizen with a shimmering dark brown dial and black bezel... But I got obsessed first when I bought a third Grail (or dream) watch 1984 and already had one I still love!
And to have a harem of watches, is for me another sign of obsession...
That third Grail, was my 8th watch... Expect to keep the 26 I have now... I regret that I sold my first grail, this amazing masterpiece and then have I not sold any more...
Lordy, hope another pandemic never occurs in my lifetime, else I'd be buying "retired jumbo jets" as a next collection adventure! Maybe there's land for sale adjacent Davis-Mothon AFB, near Tuscon, where I can store my stash! 🤣
Since 2004-2005 😅
Your journey sounds similar to mine! I have loved watches and clocks since childhood, but began serious purchases in earnest around January of last year. I'm closing in on 24 watches now, which is the capacity of my two cases combined LOL! Stopping for awhile and keeping that hard earned money in my pocket where it belongs. However looking at watches online and attending shows is still fun!
Since I joined Watch Crunch. This is the first forum that I've joined other than Reddit. On Reddit, I don't talk about watches, though.
Before that, I liked watches and I watched youtube videos on watches. Now, I spend way too much time reading posts and commenting on this site. I probably need to wean myself off.
since 2017 into this hobby 🙈 started with cheaper ones like seiko, timex or junghans... but it went nuts when i bought my first luxury (speedy) and the followed by tudor, nomos, rolex... now i dream of high horology or independents. this hobby is madness! run!!
Yes definitely 2020 too. I heard matt Farah from the smoking tire talking about his kermit and how cool seiko turtles are. Long and behold my instagram feed got inundated with seiko stuff. And I kept loving the gilt turtle srp775 wich I bought after a seiko 5. Now we here with omega and breitling. I style love this turtle and would love a 5digit rolex but it's hard to think I missed the boat even before knowing it as I began to have my first paychecks in 2016. I could had one second hand in my price range but I am not confortable wearing one now at the current value they are at.
I was always fascinated with watches as far has I know. Started with #casio that I bought with money that I saved from my allowance and that was a big deal back then. Had few quartz watches after that. When I got my first big boy job I got a #seiko and thought that was best thing ever.. Little did I know I was at the door step of a rabbit hole off watch collecting. Marked my first promotion with a #montblanc.. and then it turned into an addiction with point of no return.. had to work hard to fuel this disease of watch collection. Now 13 years later from my first seiko I am hoarding about 18 watches.. only watches I have let go are the old quartz ones.. I just added a new watch box to make room for my new aquisitions..
I first got into watches in 2013 via one of my college friends. Between 2013 and 2016, I was only purchasing approx. 1 watch per year. My biggest purchase during that period of time was an SKX173. When 2017 came around, I talked myself into getting the SKX009 due to some mental gymnastics to convince myself it was different enough from the SKX173. That pretty much opened the floodgates to all future purchases haha.
About 35 years before I felt it was ok to buy the one I wanted.
Looking back, I think what started it all was a busted pocket watch my grandmother gave me when I was 6. The tiny gears, levers, springs, and screws fascinated me like no other toy.
Looking back, I think what started it all was a busted pocket watch my grandmother gave me when I was 6. The tiny gears, levers, springs, and screws fascinated me like no other toy.
My grandfather had a bunch of grandfather clocks and wore nice Omega watches so my fascination started early in life. Never wanted to actually buy a true quality watch till I was like 24, 25. Didn't get the current version of that watch until 25 years later.
Then it all starting rolling. A LOT of purchases and trading-in for two years...and like that, poof, the buying desire was gone.
I been into watches, since my dad gave me a Citizen with a shimmering dark brown dial and black bezel... But I got obsessed first when I bought a third Grail (or dream) watch 1984 and already had one I still love!
And to have a harem of watches, is for me another sign of obsession...
That third Grail, was my 8th watch... Expect to keep the 26 I have now... I regret that I sold my first grail, this amazing masterpiece and then have I not sold any more...
One of those, please!