Reply With QuoteNever worry about what everyone else has. Buy what you can afford. There's very little extra pleasure in more expensive watches (or anything for that matter)
Ok, I have pondered this since I joined this forum. Why do I feel intimidated posting my watch collection?
It's because I don't own a Rolex, Patek, Jaeger, Omega, and who knows what other uber expensive brands that are out there. I stick with the usual Japanese/Chinese fayre, which I can just about manage. Almost every SOTC is based on out of reach (for me) hardware!
I have in my opinion a well paid job, over £30k. Take out mortgage, car, household bills etc. and there is not much going spare.
Hats off to everyone that can spend out on multiple Swiss brands. Are you all on bankers bonuses or lottery winners?
Anyway, this is it as of today, and most probably, the last change until the new year.
Never worry about what everyone else has. Buy what you can afford. There's very little extra pleasure in more expensive watches (or anything for that matter)
It is simple really. Just buy 100 or so apartments in a popular area where it is easy to rent them out. Let the renters pay the mortgage and then sell the lot.
In the grand scheme of things, work paying £30k is not a job, it a hobby. Real money comes from thinking bigger and taking some risks, or letting others take risks for you.
Nice collection buy the way, very good taste, thanks for posting it.
If you flogged all those you currently have, you could buy a Rolex (or similar).
It's up to you.
That's what I did many years ago and then picked up more lower priced models bit by bit and repeated.
Over a a few years I built up a collection of more expensive watches, flogged them all and bought one premium piece. Now I pay with cheaper stuff to keep the hobby alive.
Oh dear.Originally Posted by GrandS
Please do not listen to the above. You are earning £30k good for you, do not let anyone think that your 40/50 hours a week is a hobby!
There are some wealthy people here - you have to remember that there will also be a) liars and b) people buying watches on the never-never (which I don't have a problem with).
As Burnsey said, I couldn't really go out and spend £7k on a new Rolex, but I've been collecting for 15 years and started small and have worked up and the collection is worth several Rolex if I wanted, don't tell the wife.
Cheers..
Jase
I suppose it depends on your outgoings, not just your incoming wages. You've said that your 30K leaves you with enough to enjoy buying the sort of watches your collection consists of (which is great by the way). By that logic, if you get a £60 a week pay rise which is not too out of the ordinary, then a couple of years of saving and that's your Rolex paid for.
Or as your mortgage reduces with time, your outgoings will drop.
Or as Steve said, sell the lot buy a Rolex and have some change!
Not everyone here owns Rolex. Lots of people talk about them though. Everyone's watch collection starts somewhere, but very rarely with a Rolex. Some people just don't like them!
This sums it up nicely. Someone wondered aloud what the average person on the forum earns a few months ago, I think it was suggested that it was quite significantly above the national average!
But buy what you like. Whilst I personally prefer not to, you could always use finance to make a larger purchase more affordable if you are confident in your ability to repay it. Or, set a little aside in a savings account until you have sufficient to buy whatever a 'grail' may be for you.
It depends on lifestyle. I was better off when I was a young graduate then I am now, despite earning more. I now have a family to support which can be expensive.
^ There's always one.
OP great collection.
Ive got a couple of expensive pieces (expensive to me ) and some pieces loads cheaper and I can tell you the buzz is the same when you open the box,but probably feels better wearing cheaper stuff
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I thought you cycled everywhere mate!
I wish i would win the lottery or have a 30k a year job! As has been said, some start like you have, buy lots of Seiko/Citizen/Whatever and then get bored/realise what you like, sell everything and a buy one watch or two.
I can't go out and buy a watch every month but i'd also now probably struggle to do that now i really know what i like.
Love the MM300 mate.. i still fancy another one..
You Sir are one serious bell-end.
£60 a week pay rise on a £30k a year salary (around 12%) must be very, very rare surely. Are people really getting rises of 10% or more?
I earn £33k a year and my rise this year is a fiver a week.
Really like that collection!
You'll be surprised to find that there are also many ordinary people (I'm very much one of them)on this forum who work hard, save hard and spend a little on their passion. Like many on this group, you don't actually have to be earning £000,000s to own a watch like Rolex. As others have pointed out, start small, and then slowly build it up. You'll meet cool people along the way who share your passion, help you find good deals, help you rotate your collection, flip a few here and there...
Watches *can* be a reasonably budget-minded hobby as your collection shows.
I'd suspect that more often those interested have either been in it long enough for parts of their collection to appreciate in value or earn significantly above average salary. I keep my total number of watches low and try to improve what I have - but it's a slow process, my family have first call on my funds (as they should).
Seriously, what is the point of this posting this bilge? Absolutely pathetic.
I think it's partly a process of making a psychological leap and being prepared to plan finances accordingly. People who have gasped at what I've spent on a watch or piece of hifi equipment don't seem to realise that they are going to lose far more money on the car that's sitting in their drive and which they've often taken out quite a big loan over 3/4 years to obtain (nice collection there, by the way).
You have an interesting collection.
At any one time I have between 1K and 2K's worth of watches depending on what I am currently interested in. Small change to some on here and relatively low value compared to a number of the collections that you often see posted where just one piece would be worth more than all of mine put together.
I don't fret about this. I buy what takes my fancy and is within my available budget.
I am always interested to see other peoples collections or new acquisitions regardless of the value. There are some fascinating pieces out there.
Oh, and do disregard the comments above as regards your salary level which I presume are a misplaced attempt at humour. You are paid above the average and around £30K is not to be sniffed at.
I started buying years ago, when I earned a little over £25k a year I ordered 4 16610LV's and a Daytona. It is all about savings, disposable income, and priorities - I didn't drink or smoke, didn't spend huge amounts on dvds, cinema, meals out etc.
I generally save for larger purchases, but bought my first Rolex on 0% and it was imho a sensible purchase. I'd do it again for the right watch.
It's just a matter of time...
Nice watches.
With respect to rolex, many are as good as money in the bank. If you ever needed to, you could sell your rolex and have cash. So you might not need to save up. Saving implies you see the watch as something that is basically a sunk cost. Which it is to an extent. But if you have money in your bank that is just sitting there, it may as well sit on your wrist in the form of a rolex.
It's not just what you earn it's how you choose to spend it. Some like cars and think nothing of losing £000's by swapping cars regularly, spend a fortune on insurance - and are happy to live in a tiny flat. Others buy a few nice watches, live in a big detached house but drive a 15 year old Astra - each to their own, we are all individuals!
Personally, having bought my first Rolex when I was 19 - when I was still living at home with my parents, driving a nasty light blue Ford Sierra - I really wanted one, but now I'm older wth a family to support and houses, cars etc to pay for, I find myself disinterested in spending a fortune on watches as there are always other things I consider more important - and it's entirely possible for your tastes to change as you get older, regardless of income.
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There's nothing not to like in your collection. I have a Submariner 5513 that my father brought for me when they cost £800 in 1981 my son has a GMT Master that was his grandfathers and I brought my granddaughter a 1930/40's Rolex from a charity shop
I have / had various hobbies & there will always be people that have the latest , fastest , biggest , most expensive bit of kit going .
Some people are just financially wealthy , some spend more than they can afford & the rest of us enjoy what disposable income we have the best we can .
That's a nice collection you have , it would be boring if everything on here was just Rolex / PP .
I had a sales job years ago and had a £500 per month car allowance, most of the other sales people were spending £500 + per month on a car......me I was driving a £400 Sierra (not £400 a month, £400 total price) and keeping the extra £500 a month. Oh my Sierra was white you were posh with your blue one!
I am not bothered about foreign holidays or new cars, this allows me to buy watches I like instead.
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I can see when you joined TZ, but how long before that had you been collecting? Add ten years to it and think how many more watches you'd have accrued (or how much additional money you'd spent on watches that could be sold off to make a big purchase?).
Yes, there are some wealthy people on here, but there are also a lot with a collection that is smaller/less valuable than yours, and plenty who have been doing it for long enough that they have traded up. Your collection is a nice one, and if you desire a Rolex/Patek/whatever, just keep working towards it is my view.
£27k is the median average salary, the mean would be higher.
Other than that, like many have said... don't worry about it. Different people spend their money in very different ways. Many spend money they don't and never will have. Whatever yours or anyones choices might be, they are exactly that - theirs or yours and no-one elses.
You didn't mention a significant other, but that helps on the bills side of things - two people paying their share of the mortgage.
Also remember you are on a specific forum for watches... many many people are not interested in Rolex etc, except those they can pick up from a looky looky man for €20, so you are already comparing yourself to a very 'particular' set of people.
I'm rather pleased that you weren't sufficiently intimidated, and in fact did post your watch collection. I was pleased to see the BM6400, which I think is one of the best value watches ever made. Decently tough, never needs a battery, pretty damn accurate timekeeping (good enough to need setting only twice a year when the clocks change) and surprisingly well detailed and finished. By coincidence I'm wearing mine today, on a textured black rubber.
Your Seiko subcollection is a rather tasteful set, too. And you have one G-Shock, which is something every watch lover should experience. And all together, you have all needs covered, from formal to surf and active sport wear.
But where does the sense of intimidation - which I think is a real effect on TZUK - come from? Probably from the fact that there are certain watch brands that will elicit a group of enthusiastic responses, while others will get the mostly silent treatment. I don't think this is a conspiracy, just a reflection of the fact that being part of a community tends to shape one's views. Over time, spme views of what is attractive and desirable are reinforced, others are suppressed.
It does seem like a lot of people post here with the intention of impressing the other forum denizens, and that, over time, what it takes to impress them has gradually moved up the exclusivity - and hence price - ladder.
There are a lot of factors at play here. First, people with a lot more money than they know what to do with are probably going to be found in disproportionate numbers on watch, photographic, art, jewellery, and car forums. Second, there is a definite sub-population of posers in various forms. The forum has had at least a few members who would buy one decently expensive watch, make a post about it with loads of pictures, then flip it inside a week and be back with a different watch the next week. Third, some collections have been built up over a long time, which may be an effect of a lot of posters here being old geezers. Fourth, people who work in certain careers need to be wearing a visibly expensive watch as part of the uniform, whereas in other business areas the same watches may be objects of ridicule. Fifth, some people have made sacrifices because they think watches are important, which is a personal decision, while others prioritise the mortgage and staying out of deep debt.Hats off to everyone that can spend out on multiple Swiss brands. Are you all on bankers bonuses or lottery winners?[/IMG]
Some data points for contemplation:
I know one really great guy on this forum who collects micro-brand dive watches. I know he never posts them because he believes that no one here cares for anything that isn't Rolex or Patrick Philip or better.
I know someone who lives in a tiny flat and changes his car less than once a decade but always wears his solid gold IWC or Nautilus because he feels he needs to project the image of having that kind of taste.
I live in Switzerland, where in the last ten years I've seen Rolexes on about five people total. I've been told that locals consider them watches for tourists. The wealthier segment here seem to like to wear watches made by less publicised manufacturers.
The wealthiest man I know - who sold his last company for a little short of $500M - wears a lime green plastic Swatch along with jeans and trainers.
Good point.
I neither smoke nor drink, however I like to go abroad a couple of times a year. I guess if I stayed at home, perhaps going on relatively low cost UK day trips or the like I could buy a Rolex or something similar every couple of years.
I would rather have the holidays personally.
There is an "aggregation" effect on social media worth mentioning - you see each of your friends going on holiday once a year, but with 300+ friends, in your mind you start think your friends go on holiday all the time. Same here, there are a lot of people, and far, far far from everyone has an expensive collection.
Also, the word "average". You don't engage in collecting fancy Swiss timepieces with an average salary, so there is a skew in those who posts them (also, people with more normal collections doesn't tend to start threads).
Last edited by jonasy; 6th November 2016 at 23:53.
I don't own a Rolex, I have children instead. Like Rolex, every year they cost a little bit more.
I used to have a jolly nice 14060 but swapped it for a jolly nice Omega and a family holiday. I'm quite ok with that.
Some of us have done SOTCs with nothing but easily afforded watches :)
And long may it continue - they are often the most interesting threads.
£30k is a good wage, don't listen to the bell end troll we have, he spouts shite.
glad you posted up mate.
mike
If you say that, I'll post my modded Seikos. You have been warned.
An excellent idea - looking forward to seeing them.
Really interesting thread.
Two years ago I was on £24k salary and owned one watch (a Seiko) that cost around £150.
Then I quit my job to go self employed, and last year (my second year of trading) I made £86k.
In that time I've purchased a Rolex SubC, an Omega Speedmaster, and a car. I spent £300 on an old Corsa.
So for me it's about priorities and where I get enjoyment.
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I think the other side of this is that whilst I like to see some nice pics of Rolex models, I love seeing some of the rarer watches/brands available, and as long as the quality is there then the price point doesn't matter.
It's just a matter of time...
And then the thread will die after two one liner responses
Not if you get a seasoned troll on there deriding your low value watchesAnd then the thread will die after two one liner responses
Good for you, well done.
Could you lend me £500?
Which is why I've only ever once had the courage to do what the OP here has done. And why I have never done it again. The OP is a better man than I am.Not if you get a seasoned troll on there deriding your low value watches
You are an obnoxious cretin.
Just do us all a favour and go away, for Gods sake...
Simon
It's all relative. With 'nothing much to spare' I'd say that was a decent collection and nothing to be disappointed about at all. I'd urge you to not be overawed just because you don't have any 'big name' brands in there, you've acquired a dozen watches so you're certainly an enthusiast! There's a lot of good reasonably-priced watches available that can give you as just as much enjoyment as dearer ones and no doubt you could trade exchange or sell several of what you already have to acquire some.I have in my opinion a well paid job, over £30k. Take out mortgage, car, household bills etc. and there is not much going spare.
R
PSIn the grand - or even small - scheme of things you are both rude and ignorant.
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
What an unpleasant individual you are.
To the OP - don't give it another thought. I get more joy wearing my less expensive watches (and actually always have done), and regard the more expensive ones as my pension fund. Others spend ten or twenty times more than I would on a car, so go figure.
Certainly don't feel intimated by anything or anyone on here. Hopefully we're all members as a consequence of our love of watches, and that's a common ground that bridges differences of taste, style, spend and brands. The only thing we all hate are fakes.
The truth is I work 40 hours a week at a job I love, and I consider it a hobby. I don't see how that point of view makes me a cretin.
I earn great money but hate my job. I am a little envious of you!
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