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Everyone collects for different reasons, some getting watches to a pattern some getting watches that just appeal to them. Who's got some kind of pattern or idea of the collection they are building? And what is the aim/pattern? Or are most just buying what takes their fancy as and when they get the urge?
When i started i was all about he hype and street cred. Getting the rarest references etc
Now i just get what i like, provides that it matches my current lifestyle and fashion. Ie i don’t wear suits so i sway towards sportier watches. Things like resale and movements still matter but have dropped on the priority list. Most important is that i think it looks cool.
My collection has headed off on different strands, most of which are impossible to complete due to factors such as rareity or there being too many variations to make collecting all of them practical.
Whilst I’ll never be able to collect examples of all watches connected with space flight, I do have all of those flight qualified by NASA so that’s a complete subset I suppose.
I don’t really have a theme, I get the watches I like. Though I seem to have rather strangely veered toward TT watches. I recently got rid of my last digital watch whereas I had four in my collection Jan 2018. Strange hobby. I don’t have enough numbers to have a consistent theme either.
I knew a chap who was afraid of water but his entire collection was of divers. I thought that was worthy of sharing.
I’ve tried collecting different variations of certain models, such as Omega Seamaster Professional 300m divers, but as there have now been so many I’ve given up that endeavour. I previously tried to collect all Tritium, LumiNova and SuperLumiNova 14060 Submariners and the same in Sea-Dwellers - and holed cases non-holed case variants etc.
Now I just buy what I like, and try to give some time to new models, and sometimes brands each year in order to keep up with fit/feel/build quality etc. from a daily wear perspective.
It is much easier to keep to a smaller number of brands though, as there are just so many good/well finished watches these days that it could get out of hand. Although I’ve tried most mainstream brands over the years, I’m trying to restrict myself a lot more these days and stick to a smaller number of manufacturers - it can be expensive enough sticking to one!
especially buying 2 of every watch!
When I first started I wanted to have 1 diver,1 sports watch and 1 dress watch but like most people here I’m now way beyond that in my collection! It sounds basic but I like having watches with different dial colours i.e black,white,and 2 types of panda dials but now I’ve got all of that I’m after different ones now like a blue dial pelagos. My collection will never be complete!
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I've been all round the houses over the years with different brands and even themes like that set of 5 different coloured Orient Makos that I put together. In my early days on here I had been collecting Steinhart as a brand and put together a small collection of their normal release watches together with a few of the Gnomon limited editions, but sold them to buy a Rolex at the time, can't even remember which one...
Last year I took the decision to stop flipping from one brand to another and selling one fairly decent watch just to replace it with another, so I have gone back to what I personally enjoy which is collecting Steinharts, only this time I have focused on the limited editions, a lot of which are produced for specific dealerships, watch forums or Facebook groups and are not generally sold on the main Steinhart website.
It works for me, watches I like with a collecting theme that helps keep the interest.
The core of my collection are sportier watches, I seem to gravitate towards blue faces as they seem able to be dressed up or down more easily than black or white faces. I prefer bracelets to leather or natos but rubber also features, I especially like a good integrated bracelet or shark mesh.
I have a few outliers but really do feel that i'd benefit from a decent auto chrono (I currently only have one functioning chrono which is a quarts from a fashion brand :ambivalence:) and a nice pure dress watch, although this would not get much wrist time and those I like are prohibitively priced for the amount of wear they'd get.
When I started out I aimed to have a watch representing each of the complications (moon phase, perpetual calendar, alarm, power reserve, big date, GMT etc) which was fun putting it together.
Time moved on and I switched to fewer high end models which is where I am today.
If you buy wisely it doesn't have to cost a fortune to change direction.
I am like a magpie, I like to collect things that appeal aesthetically.
I have around 300, some vintage some modern, weird stuff like Phillippe Starck and Hamilton Venturas, classics like Oris Diver and Rolex Oyster.
Never worried about resale value as far I have only bought and not sold.
That is worthy of a group photo shot - please??Quote:
Originally Posted by uktotty
Well, just to put the opposite view; ‘less is more.’
My aim is to reduce the number of watches to the minimum bearable, which at the moment is two mechanical and a quartz watch.
Just owning things seems less and less attractive. Maybe a passing phase, but I hope not.
I’m focusing on newer watches that have a distinctive style or complication; core in my collection are a Speedy Pro, PAM005, LVc, Tudor GMT.
I’m not sure what is next, thinking a more neutral dress watch but concerned i might not wear it much... a Monaco is also tempting.
Love idea of vintage but worried about buying a pup, did think about selling the LV to replace with an older ND sub and dressier DG but sounds tricky!
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I sort of practice 'less is more' too. I enjoy reading about and looking at lots of different watches and appreciate them but only own a small number. I've an Omega PO which can be very smart but also not showy, and like any diver/tool watch is durable so works as an every day wear. Then i have a steinhart as a beater. I would quite like a dress watch even though it would get worn rarely...something white dialed and simple, slim, manual wind..rather like the rose gold de ville tresor perhaps.. but more likely the next purchase might be a more fun weekend wearer...something with colour and something smaller than the PO. q tudor black bay with claret bezel is lovely but big....although i could wear it. Sometimes i think a chronometer would be a nice complication to add and a speedy is an absolutely classic.... it just doesn't excite me currently...a zenith as the first integrated chrono calibre..again i don't like the looks that much....a daytona..now that would be nice but...well, ha no chance. Thankfully i enjoy a long think...it doesn't frustrate me, i like the research. I pent about 18 months picking out the PO for my 40th birthday!