Reply With QuoteBoth, every one of my watches is worn in rotation.
As I have quite a few in my collection is like wearing a new watch every couple of weeks.
I know what you are going to say, BOTH! Yes we all have collections and yes we all wear our watches (most of the time).
But in response to another post, I mentioned that having collected some rather expensive and rare watches, I had come to the conclusion that owning these precious watches dampened the enjoyment of wearing them, as I was aware of replacing parts etc would be expensive if damaged. I realised that if I was predominantly a collector this would not be an issue as I would enjoy the ownership regardless of wearing or not. But for someone who enjoys wearing watches, this was going to be a problem.
I therefore concluded that out of the 2, I was predominantly a "wearer". It was this conclusion that lead me to sell this most coveted of possessions and radically change and downsize to a modest and generally "carefree" collection. This greatly changed my attitude towards owning watches for the better and allowed me once again to enjoy and rotate with ease what I was going to wear without the "burden" of ownership.
If you have to wear watches then you are a wearer, end of. But if you are happy to own but not necessarily wear (safe queens) then you are a collector.
So, if push come to shove, which one are you? You can't be both.
Both, every one of my watches is worn in rotation.
As I have quite a few in my collection is like wearing a new watch every couple of weeks.
I'm just a very naughty boy.
Good deals with- VINSTINK, kevkojak, Optimum, Omegary, seikoking, acg, SPEEDY, kfman, Card Shark, wajhart, Jot, danboy, zenomega, gaz64, minke, Mal52, Alas, norfolkngood, Sparky, rdwiow, mrteatime, gravedodger, joeytheghost, lordoftheflies, Silver Hawk, Filterlab, brooksy, marmisto, Fray Bentos, Bootsy, Harvey69, Mantisgb, bristolboozer, Jedadiah, newtohorology, Zephod, jimm1, Draygo, Raptor.
I may have forgot one or two, apppologies.
Wearer, the thought of collecting watches is as boring as the thought of collecting stamps.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
I'm happy to own and not wear multiple £10 jobs like HMT's that could easily be replaced. Price or rarity shouldn't determine if you're a collector or not. I just like having them. I wear all my rolex and omega regardless of situation.
I don't own any watches I would be nervous about wearing beyond any normal sensible precautions I would take for other valuable items.
I love wearing all my watches but based on the terms of the OP, I'm a collector as I have over 40 watches and only wear one at at a time.
Last edited by stefmcd; 11th October 2017 at 13:42.
^^ This .. I do own a couple of more expensive vintage watches that could potentially lead to a rather difficult / expensive repair but see that as part and parcel of ownership. I guess it helps that I am a pen-pusher so the risk is minimised compared to someone who has a manual occupation and if I was in that situation I think I would also be wary of wearing them on a daily basis.Originally Posted by luddite
Both, every one of my watches is worn in rotation.
As I have quite a few in my collection is like wearing a new watch every couple of weeks.
I have never bought a watch unless I intend on wearing it, and have worn every watch that I've bought so I'm definitely a "wearer".
Having said that, I still have watches that I own but no longer wear due to a change in tastes. I wouldn't class myself as a collector just because of that and they're not watches that are appreciating in value whilst sitting there in my watch box, I just haven't got around to selling them on. Really need to sort that out...
A wearer. I have come down to two , good, watches. I prefer quality over quantity. In fact, I dislike having a 'collection' of anything. Just a personality-type thing.
If I've got this right, your definitions are:-
Collector; happy to own many watches without wearing them all regularly or sometimes at all.
Wearer; someone who owns any number of watches but happily wears them all. Possibly with the addition of finding it stressful if any aren't worn.
I put myself firmly into the wearer category; I don't like having watches sat in the box that I never wear.
I would love to be accumulating piles of weird and wonderful vintage Seikos from late sixties and early seventies, but even a watch worn only intermittantly bugs me, let along an unworn one, so there's no chance of that. The desire to accumulate nice things doesn't seem to be as strong as the desire not to leave notionally useful things unused. A pity, but saves me money I suppose. I'm very admiring of people who have interesting collections, happily picking each day from a huge choice.
Im a wearer, ive never left a watch stickered and always worn out the house.
Wearer here
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I am firmly a wearer, but by virtue of having a number of watches I am also a collector. I rotate my 7 wearers with a week on at a time. I also have my dress watch and old TAG which are rarely worn, and g shock for work.
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In the main a wearer. I have no issue wearing any watch that I own.
That said, I have two still in the box and coated in their original stickers, so a bit of a collector now and again. If I get shut of them I will be back to full time wearer.
Buy, remove and chuck away any wrapping, on the wrist irrelevant of what I may or may not be doing that day. Only one I wear ‘exclusively’ for a certain activity is my dress watch. All the others fit into my mood.
I wear my collection! I haven't set out to collect watches but have been lucky enough to buy without necessarily having to sell. I bought them primarily to wear though, and try to do so. But I know where you're coming from and if prices continue to increase will be selling a few and buying watches I know can be replaced if something goes wrong.
"A man of little significance"
I tend to wear about 5-6 watches on a regular basis. I have a few more that rarely get worn, but I view it as horses for courses. I wouldn't wear a dress watch with a tshirt and jeans, nor would I wear a G-shock with a suit... I don't wear a suit very often so certain watches don't get worn much as a result.
The fact I own several watches would put me as a collector in the eyes of many, especially since very few are mainstream/high street brands or models. I see myself as a wearer with a bad habit.
Contrary to the OP's request and instruction I am both.
I collect all the Watches I wear, but I don't wear all the Watches I collect.
A watch was invented to tell the wearer of the time.
If it does nothing but sit in a box and safe, and never 'tell the time' to the wearer, it's purpose in life is sadly unfulfilled.
A watchmaker's expertise and care, wasted.
All imho.
I wear mine ... although I do have other watches that belonged to both of my Grandfathers kept as family heirlooms as they far too small for me to ever consider wearing....
Interesting, because this dichotomy is causing me much reflection at the moment.
i have about 15 watches right now, and whilst I do wear them all I find that number too high; indeed, when I've owned 5-6 watches in the past I've been far more comfortable. I may well do some substantial down sizing over the course of next year, but deciding what to keep will be difficult in the extreme.
Foot in both camps - 12 watches, 10 get worn and 2 don't for perhaps dubious reason of protecting cosmetic condition resulting from RSC service many years ago. Those 2 aren't necessarliy the most valuable, others more valuable get worn and scratches added but were scratched in the first place. I reckon I can get away with 2 safe queens given the others are worn.
I have been a "collector" when I was in to vintage Rado watches and getting one of all the models from the 60's and 70's was my obsession. It did mean that I tried NOT to wear some so that they stayed mint.......
Now down to 6 watches and they all get worn regularly so that's me, a wearer!
Mike Seal
Collectors are generally wearers but wearers may not be collectors. Collectors are generally rich as they can buy watches to look at where as wearers are not as rich as they have to wear their watches. Collectors tend to have more watches wearers fewer. All in all if you are a collector you are almost certainly a wearer with at least 6 watches that may follow some theme. Wearers just buy watches they like to wear and are less likely to follow a rationale pre meditated theme.
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I genuinely don't believe I will ever have a collection with 'safe queens' in it - I will always want to wear what I own. I am conscious that I own one watch that is 15 years old and comparatively rare -so I do wear it in rotation but probably treat it a little more carefully...
Simon
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Bit of both.
I wear my sub daily. My other watches barely ever get use and my GMT II has never been worn as i dont want to scratch it.
Wearer. All the watches I worried about wearing for fear of damage/scratching etc. (all vintage) have gone, and I'm left with a few wearers that get just that. Much happier and seeing more of each of them (which is nice).
I have never bought a watch that I have no intention of wearing. I do though have a few that are no longer worn - being either watches with no particular value, other than sentimental, or watches that no longer hold any interest that I never seem to get around to selling.
cant believe only 4 collectors so far,
I see so many posts for either selling or buying where the expectation is that the watch is perfect, no scratches,no swirlies, must have everything, so, maybe the collectors wont vote or are pretending to be wearers but actual are collectors
DT
honest question here...So, why do did you buy it if you cant or wont wear it, its not cheap and you could spend the money on something else you can enjoy?
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Bang On..
What makes you think he isn't already enjoying it?
A wearer. I have never bought a watch without the intention to wear it - on the right occasion and environment (ie dive style on the beach or camping). I have bought watches that I have not liked in the flesh so to speak - these have been moved on.
I 'collect' Timefactors watches - but wear them all, from PRS-1 to PRS-68.
Watches in safes, cars stuck in storage, you'll regret it when death draws near.
I'm getting a feeling of deja vu!
Bit of both for me. I tend towards vintage and the collecting seems to make sense in that context (even though I also wear them all). I see no sense in collecting new watches though. That's just buying stuff.
One day the collector will sell the watch, or his heirs will sell it, and somebody on a watch forum will be delighted to have found the vintage watch they've always wanted and still in BNIB condition. Where's the problem here? The watch isn't going to go off.
I agree. Having posed the question, there is no right or wrong answer. I think there are most certainly more collectors here than they care to admit. We all wear watches, of course we do. But if you own watches that don't get worn but you enjoy owning, then you are in the collector camp. I was a collector when I first joined TZ and it only changed about 2 years ago when the burden of ownership for me outweighed the enjoyment. If I was happy to own as well as wear, I fear my collection would be rather epic!!cant believe only 4 collectors so far,
I see so many posts for either selling or buying where the expectation is that the watch is perfect, no scratches,no swirlies, must have everything, so, maybe the collectors wont vote or are pretending to be wearers but actual are collectors
DT
Unashamed collector!
Of course I wear my watches but I also buy stuff that interests me and probably never or very rarely gets worn.
They don't take up much room and I'm damned if I get offered something interesting that I am going to turn it down.
Plus of course much of the stuff I bought years ago has shown a very nice appreciation.
Cheers,
Neil.
I try and wear most of my watches, but inevitably some get more wear than others.
I do have a couple that I don't wear and probably never will, but mostly I buy watches I want to wear (at least now and then).
M.
Wearer. I haven't kept anything that doesn't get worn. Well, apart from a couple of sentimental bits. I've got nothing of any great value or rarity anyway and the couple that I do have that seem to have appreciated a bit are regularly worn.
I have a beat up Speedmaster and wanted a mint one just for gloating over.
After buying it I was scared of marking it and wore it only four or five times, in the end I swapped it for a PO.
In the past I have bought watches from sellers who never wore them as they were afraid to mark them. They went straight on my wrist for a week when I received them.
I'm just a very naughty boy.
Good deals with- VINSTINK, kevkojak, Optimum, Omegary, seikoking, acg, SPEEDY, kfman, Card Shark, wajhart, Jot, danboy, zenomega, gaz64, minke, Mal52, Alas, norfolkngood, Sparky, rdwiow, mrteatime, gravedodger, joeytheghost, lordoftheflies, Silver Hawk, Filterlab, brooksy, marmisto, Fray Bentos, Bootsy, Harvey69, Mantisgb, bristolboozer, Jedadiah, newtohorology, Zephod, jimm1, Draygo, Raptor.
I may have forgot one or two, apppologies.
Wearer, I'd get no joy out of a watch in a safe.. unless of course, it was appreciating loads!
As a postscript to my previous post, I also own a vintage Omega Geneve Dynamic that I would never sell for sentimental reasons. It lay around battered, neglected and unworn for many years but I felt so bad about not wearing it that I had it completely restored and put on a steel bracelet instead of the tiny original leather strap. I now have a watch that I do want to wear, and that has joined the regular rotation -result!
Simon
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Wearer here I'm afraid. I'm not saving anything for the next owners, cars, watches you name it. Drive it like you stole it, or the next owner will!
I was thinking this.
I have a couple of watches I've kept for sentimental purposes that I don't wear anymore as my Explorer has taken over daily duties. I've seen such watches referred to as 'collection killers' before, but in this case it's a collection creator!
On watches - wearer...But careful wearer, I dont like em banged up or scratched..
You missed a category out there in the poll - DEALER
Both!
The number of watches I own has crept up to a ridiculous (for me) 18, with a Speedy Tuesday soon (allegedly) to make it 19. So I suppose it would have to be called a collection, although I do try and wear them all, albeit in a completely random rotation.
Some serious and urgent downsizing is required, and planned imminently.
I’ve never bought without the intention to wear ( I don’t see the point )
If it turns out I’m not wearing it - it gets moved on...
...which happens every time I buy a dress watch - & I’ve had a few
z
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