thoughts on watch collecting

[deltatahoe]

so as some of you may have noticed i recently had a pretty major sale of my collection. i had been intending to do this for a little while now -- my collection had grown considerably and while i really loved all of my watches, a significant portion of them weren't getting much wrist time. so as you can imagine, i had to make some tough decisions on which watches deserved to stay, and which ones needed to go.

this introspection process made me think of robbieg, who i feel is the epitome of keeping a lean, mean collection (along with ubiquitous). and with robbieg having a rough go of it right now, i figured why not kick off a conversation with members thoughts on what are the driving factors behind their watch collecting.

one of the insights i had as i was trying to decide which watches in my collection needed to go was that i had accumulated quite a few watches on rubber straps, and that as someone who wears dress shirts and wool pants to work every day, i just don't have that many opportunities to wear casual watches on rubber straps. i'm not the kind of guy that is going to change watches three times per day over the weekend, so there is just no way all of my casual watches were going to get anywhere near the amount of wrist time as the watches that i feel comfortable wearing to work.

anyways, i'm not sure if others have had a similar experience, but i'd be interested to hear about different people's revelations about the driving factors behind which watches you actually wear, versus watches that you like.

deltatahoe

[By-Tor]

Yeah I would say that I've always been like Robbie as well. I have never owned more than 10 watches simultaneously... gen or rep. I have 9 now. 3 gens and 6 reps. I doubt I can go lower than that... I couldn't stomach letting any of them go (unless I buy the exact same watch as gen, which I have been doing lately).

I've always been happier with less watches. I'm a practical person and I want to use all my things... not keep them collecting dust somewhere.

PS: Anyone wants to sell a blue gen Steelfish in EU?

[lanikai]

I have in my "working collection" .. a very small amount of genuine and franken .. the problem is I am attached to all my collection.. I often say .. "I need to sell off the watches that I never wear and hardly ever wore" ..

then I look at them and remember them before all the modding and time to hunt down parts.. and then I slowly put them back in their case and look forward to seeing them again at a later time..

I mean really .. do I need all the watches that I have.. most of them have been heavily modded to specs... the answer is always "NO" .. of course I can use the funds (if I sold them).. to und other purchases (Gens)..

Then I always revert back to the collector mentality.... sometimes I just enjoy taking them out and viewing them.. regardless of wearing them or not..

L

[maxman]

It's funny how things happen. I showed up here on Jan 3,09. I was just going pick up a cheep quartz Omega PO and be on my way. The only reason i joined this forum was so I would not get ripped off. Well now I have eight reps, six are automatices. I just purchased a 12 slot watch box and 2 slot watch winder. I think that when this Is filled I will be close to my limit.Then again who really knows for sure. Im now going to concentrate on taking care of the watches I do have. I think I will service a watch per month or so. Mike

[P4GTR]

My collection has always been more lean then mean. I've found through trial and error that try as I might, I do love Rolex sport models, but they are far from the end all be all.

The Yacht master is a gorgeous watch. I had two, both gave me absolutely no satisfaction to wear and they are both gone.

I like Panerai, but have yet to purchase more than my first model. Very interesting watch to behold.

I was dying for a Omega Seamaster. I was even at one point trying to trade/sell my TAG to fund a gen. I got the rep, and it did nothing for me. I sold it almost right away. I definately wanted to make sure I sold it before I had to worry about the horror that buffing that bracelet must be.

I'm at the point where I want to nurture the collection I do have, instead of frantically try to obtain more than I need. Now I find myself refining what I have, purchasing watch tools, shopping watch winders. Maintaining not obtaining.

I'd like another gen.

[ubiquitous]

I've always enjoyed collecting things in general; my personal philosophy is to keep things as tightly focused as possible, and to make all that I have worth keeping With regards to watches- I love to build, and that is the challenge for me. To build the best that I can and to see how close to gen one can achieve. I find that keeping the collection small allows me to give full attention and concentration on each project.

It's been a fun hobby, and one that progresses every day with different challenges and new things to learn. Of course, the unexpected but greatest aspect to the hobby has been the friendships made here on the forum that goes far beyond watches.

[Toadtorrent]

With my wife's work and my interests, we come in contact regularly with true collectors and/or their passions. On the EXTREME end, these are people who have their collections given buildings named after them at institutions you may have heard of. What this has done is really made me think about collecting in general. What the driving principle is I have tried to follow, is that any addition to any collection should be done with thought and purpose. Whatever that thought and purpose is, is left pretty open.

This really means, don't just buy on a whim, or buy something just because it looks nice. Purchases for me (whether watches or any other stuff we collect) should be made with a purpose. Maybe that purpose is brand representation (e.g. selected samples from brands of interest like Rolex, Franck Muller, Ulysse Nardin, etc). Maybe it's era representation (e.g. vintage Rolex, modern Rolex). Maybe it's quality representation (e.g. buy generally high accuracy, high quality pieces). Gen to rep comparison (e.g. rep and gen Datejusts). Maybe it's purpose (e.g. rubber sport, bracelet sport, leather dress, etc). Maybe it's representative of a particular life milestone or memory.

Whatever the reason, each piece in my collection represents something generally (there are exceptions just for fun) and contributes to the collection as a whole in some way that makes sense to me.

[TeeJay]

My main interest in watches, has always been divers watches, and to an equal extent, military diver's watches.

I started off with a EuroFakes Submariner, but after a while, wanted to replace it with an Omega 2254.50 for the larger hands and indices, however, with Casino Royale being released, instead, I went for a 42mm Planet Ocean instead. Eventually, I got into Panerai, and after selling off my collection to pay for my wedding and reception, I've since come all the way back to wearing Rolex, and now Tudor. I am by no means a well off person, but, I don't look like a bum, so I feel I can carry off watches of this value without any undue attention. Another impact on my watch collection, is the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi. Taking that into account, I prefer 'vintage' watches over modern ones, and, as an added benefit, an apparently-old, beaten up watch, gets no scrutiny from the casual observer. While not a total protection from the dreaded "Is that a fake Rolex?" question, it certainly helps minimize it.

I think the primary focus on my collecting now, will be project builds. It's much more fun than just buying something outright, and the satisfaction one can take from looking at a watch and knowing they built it themselves, is considerable. I've never been someone who changes watch frequently, so I tend to wear the same watch for a time, before circumstances necessitate a change.

For example, my NATO Sub (Now with a Snowflake dial) can only be worn on the NATO strap due to the fixed lugs, so this is an ideal watch for when it is simply too hot to wear a watch on SS or rubber. The vintage sub is still my 'daily beater', but if the temperature dictated it, I would go for the NATO sub instead. Here's a prediction for the way my collection will go:

Daily Beater - Vintage Submariner

Hot weather beater - NATO Tudor

GMT - Project watch (Details are still in planning)

Additional watches, will be the GMTIICSub project I've had in the planning for a year. This will be a modern watch, so probably get very little wear, but it's one I've thought about so much, I am going to build it, just so I can say I actually did it. If I feel the need to get a 'smart watch', I'll get myself a DJ like the one worn by John Barrowman in Torchwood.

Any additional project builds, will be satisfied through building the various military-issue Rolexes/Tudors, such as the Peruvian AirForce GMT, or the South African MilSub

[robertk]

I wish I had all of your discipline. I started collecting about 10 years ago. Right after I had a pretty extensive vintage motorcycle collection and had thinned it out from 27 to 4. Suddenly, I found myself interested in reps. I already owned three gens. I just started collecting reps I liked. Now, I've collected about 70+ (I'm afraid to count them, LOL). I guess I'm a collector at heart. I do switch them regularly (every day).

I made a decision not to buy anymore, but broke down and bought a couple (the new UN and an AP).

I have to say the hobby is still interesting to me and I do luv tinkering with the movements and mods. Reps or Gens, these are mechanical marvels to me.

[hackR]

Then I always revert back to the collector mentality.... sometimes I just enjoy taking them out and viewing them.. regardless of wearing them or not..

L

i'm with Lani on this...(albeit with a much less quantity/quality count as Lan...and that's an understatement as we all know!)...

there's a definite balance between wearing and collecting...i rotate my watches almost daily - but like many, some are worn more than others...but it's tough to part with the ones that get less wrist time...when that day comes to wear the less worn, it's still really enjoyable...many are unique in design/look...and for that, they remain...

R-

[robertk]

you're right R. Since I have many that don't get worn regularly, when I do wear them It's like wearing a new acquistion.

[Toadtorrent]

you're right R. Since I have many that don't get worn regularly, when I do wear them It's like wearing a new acquistion.

I would love just to check out the collection and hold some of the pieces. Many of them hold an academic interest in terms of design, material, etc...nothing I would buy...but something I would definitely like to try on or play with. That's where the discipline is hard.

[deltatahoe]

some really good responses -- always fun to hear people's perspective on things like this

@toadtorrent, i particularly like your thoughts about each purpose having a particular purpose -- i think (whether i realized it before reading your comments or not) i have a similar perspective on collecting. this shows most in my genuine collection; in selecting my gens, i've been extremely focused on building a collection that has a watch for specific purposes (my current categories are as follows: sporty, casual, everyday, dressy, iconic and birthyear).

deltatahoe

[fakemaster]

The five stages theory definitely applies here.

[kramerica2]

It's funny, like many I was looking for one watch. I registered here, and decided I want the PO. This was just 4 months ago. I figured that I'll buy it, and that's it. Just think that for the last 10 years or so, I didn't even wear a watch, so one nice watch is all I wanted. After a month or so, I started thinking: "Ok, this is nice, but I also need a simpler quartz chrono watch for my sports activities". So, I got a quartz Tag and really thought that it would be my last purchase. But, as I got more involved with the community here, and started supporting it too, I couldn't resist getting at least another one, and along came the SOSF. I already know that my next one would be the Ebel 1911, and who knows what's next....

I should've known that this would happen. Every thing I get into becomes like an addiction, especially when there is a great community behind it.

[pbe2410@wanadooadsl.net]

From my pont of view, when you talk about collecting watches the perspective of time is very important

I always cosider my collection with this in mind.

I mean, when I begun years back with watches didn

[slickdick]

Well my story is, when i was a kid i was standing for the local jewlery store for hours and hours facinated by the the bling and all the different models. My watch collecting habit basically is a way to get back to that feeling i had back then. I have many watches, never sold anything. Gave some away though. Eventhough i can't wear the all, i love to just stare at my collection. Its an illusion for shure, i know. A new watch is going to make me happy for few days. That is why my buying rate is dropped almost to a freezing point.

[KB]

Soooo I'm a collector, it's what I do, it's who I am.

I don't have as many watches as Lani or Robertk but I know I have too many and yes many get little or no wrist time, the one in my avatar for instance I don't recall wearing ever.

My problem is that I love the watch that is on my wrist, by this I mean I have just gone a few Months with a PO chrono until the bezel popped (gotta fix that when I get a chance), before that it was Months with an IWC GST (can't remember why I changed), now I have a Pam 192 I can't seem to take off.

The funny thing is I haven't actually bought a watch for a very long time now, this I suspect is a combination of financial status and the fact that I know once I do buy another I will probably go nuts again.

Ken

[Toadtorrent]

I should've known that this would happen. Every thing I get into becomes like an addiction, especially when there is a great community behind it.

True 'dat. The interest is definitely fuelled by people here. How many times have people said "I was just going to buy one watch, and after finding RWG, I can't stop buying".

[TeeJay]

Soooo I'm a collector, it's what I do, it's who I am.

I don't have as many watches as Lani or Robertk but I know I have too many and yes many get little or no wrist time, the one in my avatar for instance I don't recall wearing ever.

My problem is that I love the watch that is on my wrist, by this I mean I have just gone a few Months with a PO chrono until the bezel popped (gotta fix that when I get a chance), before that it was Months with an IWC GST (can't remember why I changed), now I have a Pam 192 I can't seem to take off.

The funny thing is I haven't actually bought a watch for a very long time now, this I suspect is a combination of financial status and the fact that I know once I do buy another I will probably go nuts again.

Ken

I'm absolutely the same, my friend. If I was to be totally objective and logical, I'd do with reps, what I used to do with cheap watches when I was younger: Buy one, wear it for a year, then buy a new watch. My problem, is I love collecting, and I love building... I like having a 'regular beater', but I also like having a 'specialized watch', such as a GMT for travelling, a NATO strap for hot weather etc as that gives me what I consider the perfect rotation: Not rotating for the sake of it, or because I can't settle on a watch, but because it is suited to my requirements at that time If only I could get over my aversion of wearing a NATO strap while wet, I probably wouldn't take my newly acquired Tudor project sub off, but would make it my main beater, but, I don't like taking a watch off just because of water, so SS is definitely the option for me

[Edit to add]

While writing this, I was seriously tempted to transplant the Tudor dial into my vintage sub, (which I think would look awesome) but, I consider the Snowflake dial to be a milsub, so I feel that requires a fixed-lug case and NATO strap

[NORing]

I have had about 20 watches and many have been passed on as I've read more and figured out what I was looking for. When I first arrived I had 2 old reps that never got used and should not have been used either, due to the low quality!!

What actually got me into watch collecting was probably something completely different than most of you all.

I saw a video on 4-5 years back about kinetic art. An artist called Theo Jansen and how a machine could work in a grand scale just by putting it on a beach, letting the winds fuel it. I found this thrilling. How could I see a motor work this complicated and interesting in real life? It soon got to me that watches have the same ability to wow me when it comes down to it. It think engines this smal, working this hard, with so many functions are amazing. Then a friend of me showed his newly acuired rep watches and pointed me in this direction. I then began to see the beauty of the cases and surrondings that this amazing machines were wrapped in, and I was sold.

After that I have been pretty much obsessed with watches. I keep the number at 6-7 watches so that I can enjoy them without leaving them of my wrist for too long. I wear them well. I don't care if I scratch them or wear them at work (offshore oilrigs), as I generally take good care. (I think it only builds character.) I don't want my watches to be "ding-free" and look too perfect, I want each of them to look used and loved

I will buy some more gens in the near future and build some good frankens, as I've found some pieces I cannot live without. But for now I think the rep world is threating me more than good enough.

Wear them well

[TeeJay]

I have had about 20 watches and many have been passed on as I've read more and figured out what I was looking for. When I first arrived I had 2 old reps that never got used and should not have been used either, due to the low quality!!

What actually got me into watch collecting was probably something completely different than most of you all.

I saw a video on 4-5 years back about kinetic art. An artist called Theo Jansen and how a machine could work in a grand scale just by putting it on a beach, letting the winds fuel it. I found this thrilling. How could I see a motor work this complicated and interesting in real life? It soon got to me that watches have the same ability to wow me when it comes down to it. It think engines this smal, working this hard, with so many functions are amazing. Then a friend of me showed his newly acuired rep watches and pointed me in this direction. I then began to see the beauty of the cases and surrondings that this amazing machines were wrapped in, and I was sold.

After that I have been pretty much obsessed with watches. I keep the number at 6-7 watches so that I can enjoy them without leaving them of my wrist for too long. I wear them well. I don't care if I scratch them or wear them at work (offshore oilrigs), as I generally take good care. (I think it only builds character.) I don't want my watches to be "ding-free" and look too perfect, I want each of them to look used and loved

I will buy some more gens in the near future and build some good frankens, as I've found some pieces I cannot live without. But for now I think the rep world is threating me more than good enough.

Wear them well

[Pugwash]

I have watches that I hardly ever wear, but I wouldn't get rid of them because they're in my collection. I tend also to focus on wearing one watch for a while, so it'd be a week with my Skyland, a week with the Slevin, maybe a Panerai day or two, then a new watch arrives, so it's a fortnight with that one. Then the weather changes and I need something on a leather strap for a week and then I just need steel and the PO gets a fortnight of action. If I didn't have a drawer full of watches (mostly reps) then I'd find it tricky.

Recently, I had a Sub need, but BK's Subs are a way off being ready, so when By-Tor notified me of a GMT he knew I wanted, I had to have it, even if I had just emptied my coffers on a Moon Watch. There was a pressing need for a 40mm-odd watch on steel and luckily I was able to fill it. I wore the GMT for a week and had to force myself to change (this happens a lot with new watches) but luckily my Moonie was there to trump it.

This has turned into a rambling waffle, but I hope I've not bored you all too much.

[jeff g]

I too, have about twenty watches in my collection. I go in spurts as to how many different watches I will wear over a given period of time, it vary's, but lets say 15 of the 20 never get worn. Doubt I'll sell more than a few, if ever.

What has driven the engine for me these last years is pretty much

opposite of DH's situation. I always purchased sport watches and ss bands.

Over the years I have changed all the straps on my favorite watches to

rubber.

I never (almost never) wear dress shirts and cuff. I find that on

all the divers that I wear most regularly, I much prefer the feel and comfort of

a rubber strap and ss deployment. These last weeks the 2254.

Talk about a tool watch.

Only real 'dress' watch I ever wear anymore is my Nautilus...thin to win. A ss band like 'butter'.

Nice thread. Great hobby. Great Forum.

[hackR]

Many of them hold an academic interest in terms of design, material, etc...nothing I would buy...but something I would definitely like to try on or play with. That's where the discipline is hard.

this comment resonated with me...

similar to Toad, i find these "objects" fasinating in design/function/texture/look and feel...the technical aspects of watch movements, construction, design and modding feeds my knowledge quest...and geez, these little works of architecture/design/technology can actually be used and enjoyed?!...reading posts from the likes of francisco, zigg and countless others are textbook genious...and the photography angle on this is just a plus, too...

but what really got me with this hobby is this community...diverse in all aspects -- yet mostly harmonious in passion...many of us have formed "friendships"...i for one know that many a member i consider "friends"...we connect with each other to check in and say hi, to support each other, to learn from each other, to share and to humor each other...and when S says "like to try or play with" when it comes to the many varied horological wonders out there, i know many a member that i have "met" here that i would be more than happy to ship one of my pieces to, for a ride around the block...(with the exception of my Aerospace, of course... )

R-