Reply With QuoteOnly you vp an really answer the question about having one watch versus a variety, but if it were me in your situation I.e house renovation and new baby (congratulations btw!) I would hold fire for now and worry about it after life has settled down.
Looking for advice from more experienced collectors.
I have had a mini grail which I’ve liked since I first started on this journey a few years ago, it’s not exactly as rare as hens teeth but it was discontinued about 6 years ago and there are usually about 10-15 available globally on C24, usually from Japan,.
I’ve just spotted one on watchfinder for a pretty reasonable price (lower than anything else on C24). Trouble is I’m in the middle of a house renovation and expecting a baby in April, so there’s no spare cash! To buy the watch, I’d have to sell just about everything in the box.
Part of me says go for it (it’s a nice way to mark the new arrival and an excellent one-watch collection) but the other part of me says I’d miss the variety: I change my watch nearly every day!
I’ve seen these threads pop up every so often: what have others done? Did you regret your decision either way?
Only you vp an really answer the question about having one watch versus a variety, but if it were me in your situation I.e house renovation and new baby (congratulations btw!) I would hold fire for now and worry about it after life has settled down.
Would I swap an unspecified number of unknown watches for a single unknown watch?
I don't know.
From what you've said, it would be a no. If you like swapping watches over frequently, like myself, after a time your grail will not take the strain. You might appreciate the satisfaction of changing your watch after changing a nappy.
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Grails always disappoint.
Well, maybe not disappoint but unless you are and always have been a One Watch Man then you'll get bored or realise its limitations or want Another Grail.
I got my grail. And then the next one. And then the one after that. Do I still love them? And wear them? Yep.
But the thrill of the chase, the lure of the unobtainable, the desire of the Final Ultimate Watch all wear off. The excitement palls and when the honeymoon is over you'll be looking at other watches and finding fault with The One (even if that fault is just that it's too rare / valuable / delicate / whatever to be a daily beater or to wear with anything, anytime).
I was looking at vintage Speedmasters the other day. A stone cold classic in anyone's book. But. But . . . fiddly to wind and poor WR. And the tritium lume is is practically dead. So I kind of talked myself out of it, or at least tempered my longing by finding the faults now rather than six months after I got one (I do still want one by the way.)
No one watch is perfect, at least not for us. We're not like other men. We love *this* about *that* watch -- and other things about other watches. And every watch has something that isn't quite right, or some reason why wearing it with those clothes or for that occasion or while doing this job isn't the best choice.
There are, perhaps, exceptions: maybe the Rolex Sub is the best all-rounder? Or, for that matter an AirKing or Datejust or one of the Seamasters or any number of Seikos. Something simple and stylish, robust and reliable, solid and smart. And for many men -- o lucky mortals! -- that is enough. A 21st birthday present from your parents or a gift from the wife or a treat to yourself. Pop it on in the morning, take it off in the evening: boring and monogamous but a simple life.
Really curious as to what it is??
Your in Leeds ....ask them for a viewing at Leeds shop
See if it still makes you tingly when on wrist......if so pull trigger use their 0%....then decide what to sell or not....use proceeds to pay off finance ....
Hard to argue with what the Rev has posted. I have sold several watches many times in order to buy a single Grail and when the excitement wears off you start thinking if I sold this I could buy 5 or 6 cheaper watches with the money and so it goes on.
Like others, I too would be interested to know which watch it is, not that it makes a blind bit of difference to anyone other than yourself.
Is there a half way house, just sell a couple of your least favourites and try to save the balance over time, then the watch could mark the occasions that you highlighted. That said, we don't behave rationally and must have everything today.
I have dreamed of grail watches and end game collections of just a few watches, but it's like a junkie saying just one more then I'll call it quits.
Good luck.
A reasonable guideline is “if in doubt....don’t”.
The temptation for right now is the cheaper price, if that difference is significant in cash terms then I can understand the rational, if it’s not huge then I would wait and suck it up when your more settled.
Cheers..
Jase
Over the last couple of years before Covid hit I liquidated 200/300 of my collection at watch fairs, sold for perhaps half or less of the going rate but no hassle and there gone and to be honest I don't really miss any of them and apart from the dross there was some very nice stuff as well. If covid hadent hit I may have got down to my target of 20 but as it is I still have 80+ but a lot easier to manage and basically I am a one watch guy as I will wear the same one for months on end.
I think the best grail is perhaps the one you never actually get to own, you have all the fun of desiring and non of the disappointment of ownership :)
I have had a couple of "grail" watches n the loosest sense, meaning that they were/are hard or very hard to find, and on the limit of what I consider prudent in terms of budget.
I still have all 3 of them and do not consider any of them the remotest bit disappointing.
However, getting them also did not stop me looking for and at other watches (a grail is not necessarily an exit watch).
Only the OP can really ascertain whether
1 - getting rid of the current collection is possible, or even sensible (fire sales rarely lead to value)
2 - the grail is worth it, in terms of cost and in terms of its grail-ness
3 - the purchase of said grail will satisfy or disappoint
Whatever you decide OP, you going to have to tell us.
Most of the rare stuff that comes out of Japan is either Japanese (a JDM Seiko), or rare Speedie variants, or there are a few Japan-only Sinns too.
Good luck with your choice
Dave
I think it depends on the watch ... and would you be happy to wear the same watch every day ...?
I did for 18 years then got into the current mess which I am slowly backing out of and maybe I can be a one watch guy again ... currently I have 10 but I use man maths to compute I only really have 2 ... beaters don't count etc ...
Also - it depends what you have in the collection ... my experience of sales is if it isn't a Rolex sports model it does not sell as easily as you may hope ...
This:
And this:Originally Posted by JasonM
How about getting the ‘grail’ (selling the collection to fund it) and then getting a few cheaper watches for variety. There are still deals on some fantastic cheaper watches at the moment, and loads pop up on here from time to time.
Consolidation to get a better watch is a good thing and I have done many times myself, but it does stop the itch and the need for variety.
You will do this, and then after a (short) while, start looking again and need to buy something else
I wouldn’t be buying it just now. Time to prioritise.
I've done it a few times too. Realised the grail watches were no different to new arrivals in the sense that they became a firm favourite for a matter of a few weeks akin to the proverbial honeymoon period. Once the excitment wears off disappointment (even resentment to a degree) can set in thinking of the value tied up in a solitary piece.
That said I did consolidate from 8 to one watch for 12 months or so to focus my funds elsewhere. Once that project was shelved and I had some disposable income the collection has started to increase again.
Very uninteresting thread unless we know the watches involved.
If i asked you..................
im thinking of trading my car for another one, what do you think I should do?
Your initial response would be "what have you got and what are you thinking of getting"
Come on, spill the beans and stop being do cagey.
Cheers,
Ben
..... for I have become the Jedi of flippers
" an extravagance is anything you buy that is of no earthly use to your wife "
I wouldn’t.
Let’s say you own ten watches worth £500 each. You like them all.
You can sell all ten and buy this watch for £5000. Happy days.
Until.. your renovation overruns by £2000. Now, you can’t sell a few to cover it. You’ve only got the one asset. So you’ll be sat there with a Tavistock bathroom suite your wife really wanted and a petrol station quartz watch. And that’ll eat into your soul every time you take a dump on that expensive solid wood soft-close seat toilet.
Stretching yourself is always good thing when you are developing your career / wealth / investments. But not when it’s your hobby.
In my opinion of course.
It's a no from me. Sort the home, enjoy your watches that you have. The grail watch will come in time. Congrats on the baby news!!
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From personal experience, once a baby arrives everything takes a back seat. I'd keep what you have and in a few years time (when you start to get some semblance of your life back) you can visit the matter again. And congrats too.
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Ha! Thanks. My point wasn’t whether the watches themselves were worth it (that’s up to how I feel about the individual watches) but whether consolidating a collection was felt to be a good idea by those who had or whether regretted it.
While not being a reader of the Sun newspaper and in no way wishing to recommend it, I do remember a picture of a man walking along the sea front, in foreign parts maybe, with his topless girlfriend. His eyes and head were looking at another women walking in the opposite direction, fully covered. Appreciate what you have, remember why you fell in love with that which you have.
Having said that, I fully appreciate the hunt.
Posts here and on MWR are full of regrets at having sold a certain watch.
Well thanks all, very sensible suggestions all round.
The watch in question is an older version of the Omega AT with brushed centre links. Perhaps a bit dull for all the drama, but I don’t play in the big leagues and with the aforementioned expenses, now is not the time to start!
I think the best suggestion above is get it in to the Leeds store, try it and see if the spark lights bright enough to eclipse everything else. Though based on what others have said, it sounds like it never does...
So, do we get to hear what the grail is, or what?
I was being a bit facetious i guess, but the Rev and WR have pretty much hit it for me.
If the pattern of your watch collecting illness follows the pattern of almost everyone else here, then the capture of "the grail" will just shift grail status to something else. Don't bin them all for the one... cos it ain't the one.
Why won’t the OP name the watch in question?........because he’s scared that someone might beat him to the deal!
He needs to make up his own mind.
Personally I wouldn’t do it.
Honestly don’t bother with the Leeds shop. If you want the watch buy it. Use the distance selling regs to your advantage and if it’s not flying off the shelf so to speak, call the phone number tomorrow and try to negotiate a further discount.
If it doesn’t sell today it’s unlikely to sell next week at a higher price.
I tried to buy my iwc petit prince from Leeds the chap in there was like a former double glazing salesman. Pushy wouldn’t budge on price really. I bought a new model from an AD cheaper than WF had a basically new version.
Very much a how long is a piece of string question, not knowing your collection. One decent watch is better than a pile of tat that you've grown out of, I think. However one insanely overpriced watch may not be better than several interesting and wearable ones that keep their value.
Sometimes when you find one that you really properly love, you dont change it every day.
If the question is would you sell some brand unknown but obviously tiers below omega watches to buy an omega then the answer is yes.
If the question was would you sell a few Rolex to buy a gold Patek then the answer is no.
Someone did! Though I doubt it had anything to do with my partial reveal on here. I thought I’d sleep on it and review afresh. I went to give them a call and it had gone.
Ah well, sometimes it’s easier having the decision made for you.
Thanks again for the reflections and to the well wishers on the new arrival! The hunt continues!
Jon
What was it, I’m sure someone on here has one, post a wtb if you still want one
I see quite a lot of clients who have life limiting issues - even looking for end of life care. This does colour my view of life so please take this into account when you read my reply :
Sell them. Follow your dream. If it does not scratch that itch, enjoy the fun and challenge of starting again. After all, you could sell your new love and I would imagine not lose much. Don”t spend the next few years wishing you had. None of us know how long we have. If it does not put your family in financial harm, must enjoy the ride. Up or down it will be memorable
Ps
Am also halfway through a bottle of wine as i type
Probably why you didn’t notice that the watch in question is no longer available to the OP.
I did this to some extent a couple of years ago (probably at a lower level than you might be thinking) and ended up selling it and going back to a scattering of cheaper watches.
Trouble for me is I can’t ‘really’ afford an expensive watch, and by afford I mean afford to lose it, damage it or for it to depreciate to nothing. It was this special thing (great in some ways) but meant I didn’t wear it much and if I did was worried I’d damage it. Before I knew it I was wearing cheaper watches all the time and it just seemed pointless.
I did also realise I get a lot of pleasure from messing about with many, even choosing what to wear and having different watches for different occasions. I also realised that cost doesn’t equal instant happiness and I’d personally rate my 6105-8009/Seiko bullhead/silver pogue way more interesting on the wrist than anything in the current Rolex or Tudor line up.
Until Tudor bring out a submariner I’m unlikely to be tempted to do it again.
It’s a bit like watching the recent car pervert Chris Harris interview when you realise someone like Chris gets more pleasure from old Peugeot 205’s than a modern Ferrari. We all think we want/need better but sometimes it takes that taste of caviar to realise you prefer fish n chips.
Bugger. My apologies. At least i stayed off ebay this time
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