My brain is always thinking about the next watch, and I hate myself for it.

You’ll probably grow out of it in a few years. The key is to either turn into a different kind of person, or move on to obsessing over something else. I find I don’t spend as much time on watches lately, but then again I’m in the market for a new car so…

I also have same experience. Maybe getting a grail watch will stop that symptom. Or limiting your collection to two or three watch might help.

Give your self a "One Week Rule". So you can't purchase the watch until one week after the start of your infatuation. By then you'll probably be over it and hung up on yet another watch. And so it goes on. Restraint is hard.

To appreciate what you have is one the hardest things to do in life. A couple of strategies that might work for you:

• Consciously create a moment to appreciate your current collection. For instance: every Saturday morning, take them out, give them a polish or a wind; consider selling them all (and probably decide not to). Make it physical - just thinking 'but I have a nice collection / enough watches already' doesn't do the trick.

• When the thought hits you again ('i think I now really need an orange dial flyback chrono on a bund strap!') think about what else you could do with the money. Give it to charity, buy your mom flowers, whatever. There's more to life than watches! Helps to realise that now and then.

• Don't be angry with yourself for always thinking about the next watch. Accept it, turn it around: you have an inquisitive mind, always on the lookout for new things. Use that ability: whenever you think about the next watch, also try and think of something else new and exciting that could better your or someone else's life

OK, that was my Yoda moment for the week; may it be of some help 😀

Thank you for the suggestion. For my case, I dont really buy all the watches I like. However, Im always browsing / looking for the next one, like window-shopping / browsing Chrono24 etc. Its a psychological thing, Im always focusing on what I dont have, which I dont like this trait of myself.

One week? I’ve never purchased a watch that I’ve looked at for less than a month. Unfortunately I don’t have any tips for how to take that sort of time, it’s just the way I do things. The more it costs, the longer I think before I spend.

That sounds healthy. 👍

I really like your ideas. I dont really have "conscious" moments of appreciation with my watches - I do clean and wind them indeed quite frequently, but casually. I recently learnt that making something conscious to yourself greatly impacts your mind. For example, if you want to quit smoking, create rules so you cant casually smoke inside your house and you have to go outside every time you crave a cigarette (make it "conscious"). You will find yourself in great progress. Your idea to put the same method in watch appreciation could be big for me!

As for the third point, this could even be a life lesson for me. I'm a person that has hard times liking myself. I guess its really time I start to accept the good and bad of me, and be optimistic and positive. Perhaps watch collecting isnt all "bad" (you know how they describe this as an addiction / disease), could be a good medium for me to know and accept myself more.

Really useful suggestions, thank you

Sound fairly familiar to many of us on here I suspect!

Don't worry, as long as you're not buying everything & skinting yourself it's ok!!

Watches or watch straps. It’s constant. Waiting for my forth watch (this year) to turn up, and I don’t even want to talk about straps!!

I have been like this recently, though it comes and goes. I've had my worst case this year, was waiting for my birthday to receive my Hanhart, with the BB41 already purchased and was going to be a Christmas present, and STILL thinking daily about what came after ("going green"). So that's 3 watches ahead!

You’re alive so you’re free to look all you want

It's not just you.

Watches and guitars. I sold a guitar and bought a Rolex. Sold the Rolex to buy a guitar…

there is no cure to that illness. You are doomed, like the rest of us

I'm always thinking about the next watch...next car etc. Buying? That's a different story...I tend to own cars for a longer than average time and trying to be patient with watches. I just checked...5 watches so far in 2023...but they are really cost effective...does that count? 😂

At the height of my addiction, I was ordering a watch, and while it was still in transit, I would order another watch. Good thing I'm into digital watches or I would have been bankrupt! I hardly had time to enjoy the watch before the next one arrived. But it was all part of the learning process. I got through my 'wild child' period and learned to cool down, enjoy my current pieces and settle into a nice routine. Starting a youtube channel help divert my energy away lol.

Most of us here are in the same boat always looking 😂

I thought getting a "grail" would snap me out of it also ...good luck

Yeah, I googled alpine eagle 36, so what? I haven't got a problem...

Try if you have bot engaging in the other aspects of the hobby or culture. The d venture to say being on a watch forum is a small start. There are tons of Corinna and formats to be involved in. You can learn and begin to share knowledge or information that you have gained by constantly researching what is next. Become an adviser. Personally you could learn watch making, you can read books, locate watches for friends and family. Take a step back and consider how you can further facilitate your own learning of this hobby and how you can contribute to the space and world of horrify.

I think a good example of this would be Tim Mossi. I commend him for focusing on contributing back to the community. He had a serious collection and was always on the hunt for the next piece, specifically JLCs. Now (yes it is his job), but he creates content, conducts interviews and reviews, he host forum a and chats, shares watch news, is on many different platforms globally reaching folks, and explores all levels and ends of the watch world. He is also learning watchmaking at a bench level.

I think by focusing on some of the other stuff out there it will allow you to have less time thinking about your pieces and therefore enjoy them more. A little bit of the distance/fondness…..thing. Give your pieces some time and distance, you’ll appreciate and love them more, it’s not healthy for him to be your every focus.

Cheers and best, been there before. For what it’s worth it can get better, but it never goes away.😁

Everyone: Have self control, Save for your grail piece,

Me: Googling watches, while wearing watches and waiting for watches.

I think both women in that meme are very pretty. It's natural to have a wandering eye with the opposite sex, watches, cars, whatever. It's when you obsessively act on those desires that gets you into trouble.

Happens all the time! I remember buying my black bay 36 thinking I’ll never get another watch, only to turn around and buy a Seiko 5 one month later 🤪

I think the feeling weakens with time, but it is always a thrill when you are on the hunt for something. For me at this juncture in my life I have a short list and when something on the list comes by at a good price I will grab it, but I am not on a mission.

I have a list of watches that I intend to buy. The quantity goes up and down as I buy or add new watches to it. Maybe it’s just a phase. Having fun though so who really cares.

The best way to avoid temptation is to give into it! Lean into it my friend🤣

There are lots of lousy people who don't collect anything. Maybe that's why they're lousy people.

The Black Bay 36 is in fact the "gateway drug"* for the Seiko 5. I see no problem here.

*A worthless phrase that has nothing whatsoever to do with horology, watches, or collecting. Must be more precise in my language. I'll work on that, while I'm waiting for my next watch to arrive in the mail.

A voice of sanity. And if you use financial common sense and your children aren't starving, what difference does it make what's on your list? If you're a true watch lover, maybe your list is not long enough.

Those riddled with (false) guilt can now buy the new Seiko Edible. It's pretty stunning with its black licorice dial, candy bezel and pure sugar crystal. But if you're guilty about buying it because it's taking food out of your children's mouths, you just feed the watch to them. Seiko originally wanted to call it WatchCrunch but this site already had the name.