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Can you have too many watches?


crystalcranium

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I recently pared down my collection and something interesting happened. I found a renewed appreciation for some pieces I haven't given a second thought to for several years. Often, when I would go through my "what should I wear today" daily decision, I'd look at the many choices I had but I would only choose 3-4 to wear with any consistency. After pruning down to 12 or so, I have found renewed interest in proudly wearing and enjoying reps and gens I haven't worn for a long time. I think my collection simply got too big and the fog of sheer numbers numbed me to the process. For a long time I thought more is always better but this is a new experience for this chronic consumer!

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I would say 'yes', it is possible to have too many watches, but I think it depends on the person's wearing habits. If someone is to change their watch daily, or even several times a day based on their activity/wardrobe, then that allows for more variety (but probably still revolves around a few core favorites) on the other hand, others (I fall into this category) tend to wear a specific watch for a while, maybe only changing for activities or even seasonally (I'm aiming to be seasonal, but also with a daily beater, and something for more formal wear) I think as long as people are wearing the watches, then that's not too many in a collection (unless they are someone who specifically chooses to collect and not wear them, but keep them as display items) I'll look forward to other's thoughts on this aspect of watch collecting :)

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I try to stay around 10 pieces in the collection. Any more than that, and I find myself doing much of the same (wearing only 1 or two pieces while everything else just sits and waits patiently). Even at 10 pieces, I find that this still happens to an extent, but not quite as extreme.

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I totally agree with what you have found by reducing your collection.... I did exactly the same thing and now I have an increased appreciation of what I have. :thumbsupsmileyanim:

So personally yes I can have too many, I enjoy my collection more from quality rather than quantity now and the rotation is easier :)

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Anything more than 1 is too many. But however many you want and are comfortable with is entirely personal. I have the "what if" problem where I'll keep certain watches just because "what if" that certain situation comes around that would be perfect for XXXXX watch. Otherwise it goes unworn. So I probably have 2 legitimate daily wearers and 4+ "what if" watches.

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I have 18 watches...Of those I wear 4-5 consistently and the others just sit there....I wish I lived in a shipping friendly country, I would gladly sell off a least 8 of them....(latin america is not too mail friendly) Want to get rid of a BK WM9 yatchtie, a WM9 Sub, a PAM 001, a Rolex DD 41mm, two perfect-modded Hublots, and Two francisco modded APROOs....If only....

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I have more watches than I can wear on a regular basis. However, some watches I keep mainly because they are beautiful. The Lange Grand Arkade & Audemars Piguet Edward Piguet Tourbillon are 2 that fit in that category - rarely worn, but each has a permanent place in my collection

audemarsandlange30022__-2_tonemapped1.jpg

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I have way too many reps and only wear 4-5 with any regularity (foregoing the gens). I think i'd wear the others more if i had less but cant seem to part with them. I've been thinking to downsize but internalize a silly reason why i should keep each one.

For example, I have the beautiful FM CCK. I change the strap for the bracelet every now and again but just so i can sit it on my desk and look at it. It's never left the house but i would miss it if i flipped it.

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I have more watches than I can wear on a regular basis. However, some watches I keep mainly because they are beautiful. The Lange Grand Arkade & Audemars Piguet Edward Piguet Tourbillon are 2 that fit in that category - rarely worn, but each has a permanent place in my collection

Great point. I view some of my watches simply as "Art". When I look at them through the case, they make me smile, and as long as they keep doing that, they can stay.

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I bet most people if they are being reeeeeallly honest, wear 4 or 5 watches most of the time -- regardless of how many they own. A thread like this might get you to dust off a few of the oldies or less-favorables, but I bet most have their go-tos and they pretty much stick to 'em! Go ahead and ban me! :)

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If they don't get worn and aren't under the specail "Category" then get rid of them. But if they are on rotation even if once a month then the more the merrier.

My Patek only gets worn with Black Tie which is one or twice a year so sees 12hours wrist time a year.

I wish I could afford more watches then I would have more for sure, variety is why I got in to reps I guess.

My watchbox has space 20 I thought that would be enough space I wish I'd have gone bigger.

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I am in the 20 range as well. What I love about the current state of play on my end is that it has made me really think twice before I buy something. Now I really focus on parts and then go from there. I don't buy more than one rep a year and they either become novelty items and disposable or I start finding parts and improving from there as possible keepers. We will ignore the 6-10 projects laying around the house waiting for that critical part. :lol:

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My problem was that I had about 6 watches that were significant investments and that I was happy to have because they were the "state of the rep art" today in terms of fidelity of reproduction but they didn't wow me aesthetically. I bought a late version Swiss DSSD because I had to have the best version of this "genuine parts interchangeable" rep with little thought given to liking the watch. The proof was in the wearing...I rarely wore it. This morning I looked at my collection and saw only positive choices. The decision was pleasureable.

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