Another SOTC 'thinning the herd' thread...

[Calumets]

It's around 15 years since I caught the watch bug and I'm thinking about stripping things down to a final 4-5 watches. My tastes have finally coalesced and I'm not keen on keeping watches I don't really wear. It would mean flipping a bunch of watches I truly love, but which don't get the wrist time because there are others I want to wear more. I'm not convinced this is the right move yet, but I have sold on other watches in the past and only very rarely regretted it, so I think it is the way I'm going to go.

Before catching the bug, I'd worn a number of Swatches, and then bought a Citizen Eco-Drive, but my first 'proper' watch was my Junghans max bill Chronoscope. I just happened to see this in a small window display of an independent dealer near Victoria Bus Station in London, and kind of fell in love with the design. I kept going back to gaze, and finally plucked up the courage to press the bell, go in and ask the price. I never thought I'd spend anything like that money on a watch, so tried to put it out of my mind. Then, one holiday we stopped in Frankfurt for the night, and I saw the watch again in a window. The German dealer agreed a significant discount, and I bought a watch I spent most of the next 6 months afraid to wear much (I overcame this).

Pretty soon I was hooked on the vintage vibe, and spending an awful lot of time and a fair amount of money searching Ebay for lovely old, neglected gold dress watches - particularly Cyma, Smiths, Benson and Longines. I bought around 15 of these in total, had most of them serviced and gave a lot of them away to family, flipped a few others. However, I soon realised that these watches cost a lot to service, and could be damaged fairly easily too. This led me to pursue various microbrands, and I bought up around 15 of these pieces too. I got to a point where I had around 30 watches, and suddenly felt that that was way too many. Around this time I also had my head turned by the Tudor Black Bays, to the extent that I bought a 79220N from an AD (I had never for a minute thought I'd spend that much on a watch). Since then, I've added a Black Bay 36 and a few more microbrands, and flipped some others until I ended up with this 14.

I've enjoyed all the buying and selling, and all the watches I've had the pleasure to own, but more and more I find myself frustrated having so many watches. Some of them never get wrist time. Others are put on in the morning and swapped out again in favour of something else pretty quickly the same day. Which leads me to think I need to trim way back to initially 4 or 5, later possibly one or two altogether.

My current collection is this:



I actually really do like all of these watches, but I am thinking of getting rid of everything but these four:



1) Diver: Tudor Black Bay Noir - I love the size, the look and the rarity of this watch.
2) Daily wear: Tudor Black Bay 36 - I think this watch is absolutely perfect!
3) Dress(y): Junghans (not quite dress, but dressy - usually on mesh or leather).
4) Beater: Baby Dreadnought

However, I am a little nervous as I love the other watches too, and don't want to make a mistake by getting rid of them. Has anyone else pared down to this extent and either regretted it, or felt much better for it? Does the final four seem balanced, or would you recommend keeping or kicking something different?

Thanks for reading...

[M1011]

I had a similar size collection to yours at one point. It was a big mess to be honest, nice watches but lots of stuff bought on a whim due to a good sale etc. Over time I've kept whittling it down and adding some upgrades, and I'm now at 5 watches, with 2 earmarked to go and 1 earmarked to come in (if it ever turns up!). That'll leave me with 4 just like you're proposing, and personally that feels just right. Others on here no doubt will recoil in horror at such a limited choice, but I just think you get more time to appreciate the ones you've got and less time worrying about it.

So my vote is go for it - you've made your choices!

[seabiscuit]

I think I’d struggle to move on the Smiths and Hamilton lurking in the top left-hand of your first picture. The Rado Captain Cook looks especially good on that strap. But my own collection is down to five and I think that’s enough for me, especially when I will wear the same watch for weeks, sometimes months, at a time. Realistically, four or five are more than enough for me.

[Fender]

The powder blue Zodiac is very cute.

[earlofsodbury]

The powder blue Zodiac is very cute.

Yep, that's the only one I'd be sorry to see go were it me, otherwise the survivors make sense provided there's no emotional/family ties to the vintage pieces.

[RVFIO]

Another vote for the Zodiac, I’d keep that but otherwise I agree with your choices

[Ascalon]

I do like that Dreadnought, had never heard of them before.
Looks great on the engineer bracelet.

[Nealywheelie]

Glycine & Rado should be keepers too.


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[M1011]

I really wouldn't bother with what others here are saying you should keep. You've picked your favourites, stick to that. If you genuinely regret selling any of these, you can always buy again.

[socolinsky]

I like your selection, but would add the Hamilton to the keeper list since you don’t really have a field style watch in your final four.

[Royalwrist]

That's quite a collection and certainly one with loads of memories. I'd say cut slowly and periodically. Once a watch is gone, you can buy it back but it won't be exactly the same again.

[ped]

My advice - sell everything except your daily. Tear off the ‘band aid’ and put all the proceeds into a pot and see how much you have made. Think of it this way, you’ve tried them all and found the one you wear most. Now just enjoy having ‘the one’ and look after it.

Not easy but once I get feelings like yours I know it’s inevitable that they’ll go eventually. Even when I start trying different straps etc it’s a sign that it’s on the block.

Some will justify having a ‘dress’ watch too and this and that but realistically your daily will work for everything you can throw at it and then some.

[765 RS]

Echoing the thoughts of some here, I agree that 4/5 watches is more than enough. You'll know better than anyone which works best for you, we'd all probably pick something slightly different but that's personal choice for you. If you can make it work you could even go lower.

I've never had more than a few watches (or sold anything) so can't comment specifically on how it would feel to pare down like this but thinking about other things in life, I've never regretted down-sizing anything else, I always appreciate what I have more and make more use of the remaining items.

I would add some sort of basic quartz type Casio (F-91W is perfect for me) in addition to the others :)

Finally, agree with Ped, although I'm not there yet I can imagine the joy and liberation from wearing the same thing every day in every situation, just about finding what works for ones individual circumstances.

[P9CLY]

I reduced my collection by a lot,but feel much better having only 5 high value watches.But Im still even considering letting maybe three more go.....maybe 4 if I let the 5512 go too.

14060/16700 GMT & Tudor 76100,that will leave me with the 5513 & 5512.

[Calumets]

Some good advice on here, and also some unhelpful () recommendations to keep half the watches I proposed to get rid of.

The potential flippers fall into 3 groups:

Group 1 is made up of the hardest three to flip: the Smiths PRS-29a, the Zodiac SSW blue and the Hamilton. I may hang on to these three a little longer, get rid of the rest and see how I feel (wearing the Zodiac today, and it is a great sunny day watch!).

Group 2, the Rado, the Glycine and the vintage Omega Seamaster will also be tough, but I think I can do it.

Group 3 (everything else), will not be a problem.

Those responders suggesting I get other watches in - I'm trying to be brutal with myself here!