When are too many, too many!! Confessions of a watch junky

[panerai153]

Confessions of a watch junky!! Where do we stop, or is there a stopping point with watches. I know that a lot of you folks will disagree with me, but you have to factor in many things when you decide that you need to limit your watch collecting(accumulating) craze.

After a lot of thought and weighing several factors, I have come to the conclusion that my watch accumulation is way too big. Several factors weigh in here, one is my age. I'm well into my 70th decade, I have retirement looming with decreased income more than likely, and third the distress of having watches sitting in my watch boxes that never get worn. Some were purchased on a whim (Always a bad plan!!), others because I owned similar watches, and a few because they had real utility such as GMT's.

 

Quite a few years ago, I adopted and "ironclad" rule. no more than 10 watches. If I wanted a new one, and old one had to go. This plan was not without pitfalls. One, it dictated that I get rid of watches that I now deeply regret ever selling. All of these were genuine, including a Rolex Sub 1680, a 1665 and a  early 80's era Daytona. Also several Chronoswiss, IWC and A few others that I regret selling. But a rule is a rule, and I stuck with it, at least for a few years. At some point though, the inflow began to exceed the outflow and eventually, I had around 40 watches, about evenly split between genuine and rep. Over the past year or so I sold a few, gave my grandson a couple and now I'm down to 26 watches which I still feel are too many. I would like to get my numbers down to around 15 or less, although when I get that close, I'm bumping into some that are dear to my heart and would be tough to sell unless times got really hard.

 

So what do others feel? I have heard of folks with 50,75, 100 or more watches. So when you have a hundred watches, how many do you wear? Look  through your watch box (boxes) and realistically how many have not seen the light of day in a year or more. Would it be more satisfying to 1) keep them all, just to look at, or 2) sell them on to someone who will wear them on a regular basis. I read somewhere not too long ago an article by and efficiency expert who advises folks on reducing "clutter" in their home (Hoarders possibly?) At any rate this person said that the rule of thumb should be that outside of seasonal items, if you don't physically touch wear or use something in a years time, it needs to go. Why shouldn't we use the same or similar rule with watches? If you have these "orphans" sittng in your watch box and you can't remember the last time you wore them. maybe it's time to let them go.  Watches you bought that you thought you would wear forever, but for whatever reason, they fell out of favor . Maybe they are too big, too small, or they are just uncomfortable to wear. Case in point for me, I have 7 AP watches. I have tried for several years to love them, but unfortunately, outside of my FC diver and my 15400, the rest are just too heavy and uncomfortable for my wrist, so there you go, right off the bat, 5 watches that I really should move on. 

One thing folks, I don't want anyone to construe that this is a backdoor attempt to sell watches, which it isn't. I just wanted to bring up a topic which I would expect that many of us have thought hard about over our watch buying career. Where should we stop or even should we try to stop? 

[SuperDanX]

The one year rule is a good one, as a minimalist I can’t stand clutter so throw away things on a regular basis. In regards to watches I think 4 to 7 are enough for me, I’ve yet to own seven watches at one time and tend to find picking a watch to wear a chore when I own more than three! (7 comes from one for every day of the week rinse and repeat, and 4 is a full watch roll and one on the wrist in case you were wondering. I am a funny chap tho.. 

l’ll keep an eye out for your sales thread

Edited March 31, 2018 by SuperDanX

[Nanuq]

I always keep it less than 10, over the last 2 years it's been 7. But it recently blossomed to 15. I'm still in the honeymoon phase with several and it should drop to 10 again over the year.

Do you remember a certain prominent member here many years ago that did reviews? I heard rumors his collection was over 500.

[Mike on a bike]

As usual I have no idea around 50-60 or so I guess, they pop up everywhere. Want to here something well sort of funny my quartz pieces when they run out of power go on the need battery shelf , no they never get them they just well live there have plenty of others. I recently checked where a few were due to raffle and found two vintage Rolex pieces I did not even remember I had, pretty nice too! About 60/40 gen/rep due to 10 or so old manuals in a box by themselves in the closet but without those 50/50. I really need to cull the heard like most of you.

[XM195]

I think there's no "should" in this. I saw pics of whole rooms full of displays for watches. My favourite had five of them, 30 watches in each. I guess some watches might be for special occasions, some for SPECIAL occasions and some just for collector's pleasure of owning them. I guess that's what makes our hobby superior to owning gens. I don't have any high-priced gens, so I just think that saving for one, buying it and so on... it kinda obliges you to worship it a little. And here comes the question. To wear it daily or not? What if you get tired of it? It's not that simple (at least as far as I reckon) to change it for money or another watch, as it is for a rep. 

[panerai153]

@XM195,

Lots of folks who have big collections are indeed serious collectors of watches. There is a great deal of difference between collectors and accumulators. A collection has focus a defined goal and the collection iscomposed of interrelated objects. AFA watches ae concerned, a person who collects Rolex submariners and is attempting to own one of every model made has a defined goal and while he may never achieve it, he is focused on achieving it to the best of his ability and finances. And accumulation would be more like folks(me included) that buy watches they like at the time with no real focus. You might have a mix of gen and rep, quartz and mechanical, brands, complications, etc. There is nothing wrong with this per se, and certainly I'm not condemning it. I'm just saying that at some point the accumulator may wake up and realize that things are getting out of hand. Another factor is what happens if something happens? Collectors tend to have a meticulous description, value and knowledge of every piece in his/her collection. Should something happen to them, the disposal of the collection should be relatively easy. The surviving family members have and accurate description of the watch, all the pertinent information like serial numbers, paperwork, boxes, etc., along with a fairly accurate appraisal or at least a purchase price.  Most of us accumulators never write anything down. So God forbid, you get hit by a bus on the way home from work, what are your survivors going to do. If the watches are genuine, they can be appraised and value assigned, the reps not so much so. I doubt if most of our spouses even know how to get on the rep websites much less reach out for help. So all those nice reps you gathered over the years will probably be given away and /or thrown out in the trash.

 

To answer your second statement about disposal of watches, I have over the years found it infinitely easier to sell genuine watches than reps. First off you have many more avenues for sales from Pawn shops to sales forums on genuine watch forums, jewelers, and of course Ebay. On the other hand rep watches can only be sold on one of the rep sites such as RWG,RWI, RepGeek, etc. You cannot sell a rep on WatchUSeek, TimeZone, EBay or any of the genuine watch sales venues. So in my experience gens are much easier to sell than reps. Also while not common, there are some genuine watches that actually increase in value. You will never see a bone stock rep sell for more than you paid for it several years down the line.

[XM195]

I got your point @panerai153. Surely hoarding and accumulating is pointless. I guess when one stops "loving" his watch, like having some positive thoughts, memories with it... it's time to let it go

As for reptrade I based my point on observation that really interesting pieces (or just those I like) tend to disappear from market in matter of days or sometimes hours.

So summing up, I think we should focus on thinking of every watch as a really special piece... To make it like life - composed of moments and memories.

[TAG Heuer]

This is an interesting topic and I have sometimes asked myself when it's enough. I've always been crazy of watches, I noticed that I wanted to buy every watch in the beginning. But I found out that I only bought them to keep most of them in the box. 

Over the years, I started to appreciate watches in particular vintage watches.

I am now a real vintage enthusiast and can appreciate the watches of modders such as Kilowattore and tripdog.

I stick to 10/15 watches and if I want to buy another beautiful piece, then another one has to go.

 

I rather wear a watch, witch I really like, for a week, than change it everyday

 

 But the most important thing is that we all enjoy our hobby. Collector or not

 

[automatico]

"I'm just saying that at some point the accumulator may wake up and realize that things are getting out of hand."

 

Sadly, I woke up to that fact about 35 years ago.  

 

"I have over the years found it infinitely easier to sell genuine watches than reps."

 

Me too. 

Replicas:  Run of the mill, cheapo replicas are more or less disposable.  Higher grade replicas are fairly easy to sell as long as the condition is good, the price is low, and the movement is running Ok.  Frankensteins are a problem because of the overpriced parts involved...plus the labor cost if you farm them out.

 

Looking back, I sold today's 'hot' genuine watches before they got hot (vintage rolex, omega, longines, GP etc, and old chronographs).  I got the 'price of the day' but since then, prices have gone crazy.  I did keep almost all of the 14k and 18k watches but now they are worth more for scrap than as a running watch and I hate to scrap the vintage 'American Classics'...Hamilton, Elgin etc.  Also have a soft spot for Benrus, Gruen, and Bulova even if they were not 100% USA made.  I bought most of the gold watches between 1990 and early 2000s when gold was $400 troz or less and an average running 14k Elgin 'stem winder snap back' would go for $75 to $90 from traders/pawn shops that did not care for them.

From my experience, solid gold Bulovas seem to have more gold in the cases than most other brands. 

 

I used to go to NAWCC shows and buy/sell/trade watches but it looks like NAWCC attendance is dropping fast.  WWT etc are better but few and far between.  eBay is a crap shoot...you may lose the watch to a crook or have parts swapped out and the watch sent back because "It will not run."

 

We call watches that will not sell 'shroud watches' meaning at the end of the run they pitch them in the coffin just before they lower you down.

It ain't very funny now... 

[Mike on a bike]

It's a tough thing this watch obsession, do I unload them and buy one expensive gen................ No. I know a lot of guys here w/ deep pockets bought that dream gen or two or even three, they still keep buying what ever catches their fancy. In the end it's like being addicted to anything you just have to stop yourself.

 

PS I may need an intervention!!!LOL

[kernow]

I always thought a full watch box is just enough. It was for me until a few more must haves popped up. The simple solution is a bigger watch box. I’ve now got 3 watch boxes including a 24 watch winder and a 6 watch winder. Also a travel case for when I’m away overnight - that one only holds 8 so just a short term solution. 

Yes, it’s an addiction, fortunately one that doesn’t have to be excessively expensive - you just need a secure place to hide them from the wife!

[Sogeha]

I’m a hoarder. I have never sold a watch, ever. My watch issues pale into insignificance compared to my book fetish. 

[Nightwatch]

When I bought watches on a whim, I also got desillusioned and tired of them. With learning the "do Your research etc. stuff" I´m already in love for 8 to 10 weeks before even buying. Well sorted quantity (40 to 60) does have a lot of privileges: none gets too much use so all of them do work; it´s difficult to get tired; it´s easy to always fall in love again after a pause. Less than 15 nowadays sounds like sacrifice. 

If money, space, time spent etc. are of no importance: a minimum of three and maximum of twelve (per brand  ) is a good housenumber imho. Usually every 2-3 months I´ll pick some others to wear several weeks in a row, together with the favourites.

[tyrantblade]

If you actually wear a watch on occasion its not a complete waste of money to keep it.

 

Any watches you never wear are best sold to someone who will wear it.

 

So it's all down to practicality.

 

I don't even have any watches right now because I'm focusing on paying for dental work and such will be the case for quite a while longer too.

[Mike on a bike]

Tyrant PM your address I'll send you over a watch , this is totally unacceptable !

[mymanmatt]

The answer to your question is very simple. Whatever number of watches you have is enough. However, if you see a watch you don't have, and you want it, then you don't have enough. You need one more!

[Mike on a bike]

2 hours ago, mymanmatt said:

The answer to your question is very simple. Whatever number of watches you have is enough. However, if you see a watch you don't have, and you want it, then you don't have enough. You need one more!

Hence the problem because you always see another you want!

[daovto]

It's all about the watch box for me...

Started off with an 8 berth... and soon filled it. Then as I was tempted into expansion I added a 24 berth case - filled that too. Decided at some point things were a little crazy so scaled down to 18 berths in that (adapted) case, and retired the 8 berth one.

Later on I decided to make a gen grail purchase so slimmed collection down further. Over the years tastes changed and I regularly swapped in/out old favourites gen and rep.

The latest watch box driven change in collection saw the use of my original 8 berth box but adapted to 6+ straps... but then I saw a nice 10 berth box at a great price... you know where my collection sits today then ?

And don't even get me started on how many straps, bracelets and NATO's you need️

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[capice]

I am just addicted....no limits

[rower]

I refuse to participate in this conversation! It would be admitting I have a problem.

 

NO WAY...Rehab is for quitters!