Reply With QuoteBuy the best i can afford, and sometimes be okay with paying a little more :)
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We all know the hobby can get out of hand and as much as the chase of the next watch can be fun, there can be anguish over lost opportunities, purchasing regrets and watches that left the collection before their time.
I have tried to maintain two rules for my own collecting to keep the hobby light:
1. No watch in the collection should be worth more than a week’s wages
2. No more watches in the collection than there are spaces in the watch box
I know everyone collects differently, I’d be curious to hear what other self-imposed restrictions other people use?
Buy the best i can afford, and sometimes be okay with paying a little more :)
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I always want to have a reason for buying a watch and I will not let myself buy it unless I can explicitly express why it is that I want that watch. Mind you, 'that's cheaper than it should be' seems to work as a reason, as does, 'Aha, the very watch worn by Terry Thomas on his 1957 visit to Butlins Bognor' and 'Oooh, I've worked out that that battered lump of metal might well have a Fountainmelon movement hidden inside'. Mind you, I have standards: ' it's Wednesday' or 'I haven't bought anything yet this week' are not acceptable excuses ... if my wife is in the house.
It goes without saying that I may well have several hundred watches that I could probably only resell by the kilogram.
One simple rule : "Oooh, I like that!"
If the feeling lasts more than the time between me thinking it and buying, that's good enough for me!
As a result, I tend to buy a lot of cheap watches, but only expensive ones I REALLY like.
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Never sell a Rolex.*
*© MickP 2020
Very similar to me. See it, got funds available, buy it. Lots of inexpensive watches I've never even worn.Originally Posted by snowman
Less is more. And the best quality you can afford.
My rule is: don’t buy fancy cars, watches are ok
Ooooh! Shiny thing - must have it. (maybe more than a half truth in there somewhere)
General rule is: fund with existing watches and a bit extra if it’s worth it.
Last edited by MartynJC (UK); 20th December 2020 at 11:08.
Something different that doesn't look like a Submariner. That said, had a 5512 this year that came and went, so that rule didn't last long.
Kid myself this next purchase will be part of an endgame, a final purchase so to speak, but only until it arrives and then gets listed for resale.
Keep to a strict one in, one out rule in order to keep to three watches. Bought two this week and sold one, so currently at four when they arrive, so that rule went well.
What do they say, rules are there to be broken...
I have a weird rule where I have only one watch from any given brand. The exceptions are Casio, cos digital doesn't count, and Seiko, because it's my rule and I can break it if I want.
I don't have any rules. I'm afraid my household is a wristwatch anarchy. Consequently I have a shedload of items in a pretty wide range of value that I almost never wear, and yet - I either can't be bothered, or don't want, to sell.
Only own as many watches as there are spaces for in my watch box. Except beaters. They don’t count
What Martyn said, “fund with existing watches and a bit extra if it’s worth it”
Also to realise funds for cars etc through watch trades and / or selling a watch to ensure no debt is involved.
Oh, me too, but watch boxes are cheap! :Biggrin:
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
I only have one rule:
See it, like it, buy it, hide it from the wife.
Only buy what you can afford. As long as you like it, that's all that counts.
I would agree with you Snowman. In addition, I don't see myself as a collector. I just acquire watches that I like and wear them when I like too.
I only have one rule:
See it, like it, buy it, hide it from the wife.And living to tell the tale.
Velorum that is a very nice watch. What size is it?34/35mm? 18mm lugs?
Increasingly I take into account cost and likely hassles of ownership.
Hassle factor rules out most vintage watches because I don't have access to a reliable and affordable watchmaker.
Cost of ownership is part re-sale value/difficulty but also service cost/spares availability.
Also, with the direction in which the Swiss watch industry has travelled in recent years with rising prices, restriction on spares etc, I find this has brought out the contrarian in me, and so I find myself trying not to 'play their game' and looking at smaller producers.
Without rules, anarchy
G Shocks and beaters don’t count
Two boxes of 10
One for accessibly priced, largely Seiko, and that box takes out one slot from the expensive box
9 expensive watches, split core sports (3), diversification sport (non-Rolex /Omega) (2), dressy (2)
This allows me
One more Rolex before having to give something up in exchange
1 more diversification sport
One of the dressy ones is likely to be upgraded
I have a watch spreadsheet too :(
Dave
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One that has served me well: yes it’s nice, but would you really choose to wear it when you could wear your [insert name of fancy watch you already own] instead? Also, think about the servicing costs of the whole collection before you buy more - though a cheeky Grand Seiko 9F can get around this rule, and indeed has.
No rules for me. If I like it and can afford it, I buy it.
Rule No 1, dont blindly follow other people who make out they know it all
I’ve set a limit to seven,if I like it and can afford it I’ll get it.
You're not alone.
No rules either. I do have a collection list that I am working towards. It has remained fairly static in recent years but as new releases from manufacturers appear, there may be additions and removals.
In summary, if I like it and I can afford it, I buy it!
BW,
Chi Kai
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I buy the watches i like and pay little heed to the investment potential.
There is a lot of fun to be had changing straps and a watch I'm bored off can suddenly become a new favourite with a totally different strap.
I keep an eye on values as having had a a quiet few years on the forum and watch collecting in general, I'm slightly taken aback at how prices have gone up, servicing costs have gone up, how much insurance cover I now need!
1.
2. Watch box? I have a watch cupboard.
Cheers,
Neil.
No rules here.
Probably should have some! 🤔🤔
”Don’t buy more than you actually need.”
Apparently I need 100+ watches...
If I like it enough to want to buy it,and can afford it,then I go ahead and buy it. Except for Rolex. Only <insert rude word here> buy Rolexes.
I don't keep anything I don't wear regularly, apart from my dads watch which has sentimental value. Also try not to have more than 3/4 watches in total.
1. All brands of watch in the collection must start with the letter R
1. Wear it or sell it.
2. Grails come and go.
3. This year has shown me, life really is too short, so if you buy it, don’t beat yourself up, either move it on or enjoy it.
I can buy it, but I can't afford it.
This for every watch I have ever owned. There were always more rational ways to spend my hard earned, but the 'lure' of want/need always overtook common sense. And here I am, today.
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Agreed. I have plenty of 36mm's and a 35mm. Six months ago I bought a 34mm (not lots of money at all but a watch that's very handsome) thinking it would be too small, and to my delight, it looks great on my wrist. I suspect 33mm might be too small though, although if the right style watch comes up I might take another gamble. When I talk about money, I'm looking at anything up to around £80 or so. Then if I don't like it, it isn't that great a deal. I think vintage dress watches look more proportionate on the wrist than a comparable sized sports watch though, because you get more dial, giving the impression of a larger watch, which does the trick.
No more than 3.
I have two rules.
1. Add a watch to a ‘wish list’. If it’s still on the list a month later then buy it.
2. If there is no more space in the watchbox then buy another one.
The only rule I have is that I have to enjoy wearing it. Thats it.
Quartz, automatic, hand wound, big, small, cheap, expensive, quality, crappy, stainless, base metal, precious metal..... all apply to watches I own or have owned and enjoyed wearing.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
My rule is: buy fancy cars and watches 😂My rule is: don’t buy fancy cars, watches are ok
I’ve evolved my rules over time, through error mostly and the older I get.
I won’t buy a watch less than 36mm or more than 42mm.
I won’t buy yellow gold (love rose though).
I don’t have a specific value but there is a tipping point where I struggle to enjoy the purchase and am the same with cars. I had a ROO diver which I felt totally self conscious wearing out.
Each watch has to offer something different. So only one diver, one chronograph etc. And it's one in, one out.
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It goes one of two ways: I either buy a watch the instant I see it (SC being a major facilitator here) or I obsess over it for months, watch countless YouTube videos and read tons of blogs, before buying it.
I’ve started shying away from watches larger than 42mm, and don’t enjoy having more than 10 watches in the collection.
Otherwise my rules are vague and ever changing, and I like it that way...
Spot on. My friends have more rules and constantly criticise my collection: “another Seiko?” “another dive watch?”.
Who cares. I buy what I like, when I see something I either like it or not. Rational thoughts or rules don’t really work for me when it comes to selecting a watch.
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Don't follow the herd...i buy what i want and not what everyone else buys...yes that's all you Rolex Sub owners.
Criticising Rolex is following the herd at this point
I try to have a watch collection that works on bracelet, leather and NATO so I also try to keep them all 20mm so I can easily swap them.
Drilled lugs are a preference too
I haven't really got any fixed rules but I like to only have 3 "proper" watches only at any one time.
Just because I have a 2 watch winder so will have 2 in there and 1 on wrist.
Minimising the choice and keeping it quite tight manages my heebie jeebies about having too many.
Coincidentally, they're all drilled lugs atm which I prefer but am not iron about.
If im happy with "the big" 3 which I am at the moment, I keep a bit of change and interest by horsing about with G shocks and snoopy timex for not much outlay.
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