freddy333 Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 A friend just posed an interesting question after seeing some of the watches in my collection that I never or rarely ever wear - Why do you keep watches that you never wear? I thought it a reasonable question & 1 of the few that I do not recall seeing posted on RWG before, so I thought I would start a thread to investigate why we keep these hidden gems in our collections that might never see the light of day. In my case (no pun intended), I have 2 distinct collections of watches - those that I love & wear (even if only on special occasions) and those that have an attractive design or technological feature that I respect, but that I am not generally comfortable wearing - at least, not in public. People who view my collection are often surprised to see a number of watches they have never seen before or that do not fit within my general theme of classic (vintage), all steel models. A couple notable exceptions are -- The Vacheron Constantin 'Jumping Hours' - big & yellow gold watches look silly on me, but the extraordinary beauty & execution of this rep are undeniable. The rarity of the gen also makes it difficult to spot as a rep. It is also a design that, like most Breguets, would lose its magic if constructed out of steel. The Audemars Piguet Edward Piguet Tourbillon - yellow gold is definitely not my thing, but the execution of this rep is nearly flawless (note - there are other versions of this rep that are not nearly as well crafted as this version). Manual wind with a reasonable facsimile of the gen's decorated movement visible through the back. The Correct Hand Stack Rolex GMTII Ceramic - big, bulky & slightly blingy, a modern Rolex design with metalized index markers that is definitely not my usual style. But the overall accuracy of this rep is so good that it became a legend almost overnight (in spite of having a pickly movement). This rep is also noteworthy because it is the 1st (and only) rep that although it does not fit my usual requirements for a wearable watch, I have come to find that it is quite wearable (with weekend wear only). And there is a space reserved in 1 of my cases for the Rolex Deepsea if/when a 'super' rep becomes available. Big & boisterous to the point of being cartoonishly funny (unless paired with SCUBA gear), but an engineering marvel & sure to become another must-have model after the initial complaints subside & a few big name celebrities appear in the media wearing theirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 My 'hidden gems' are: -My EuroFake Submariner which hasn't been on my wrist longer than 3 minutes in over a year - My PVD 111g, which I haven't worn in nearly a year - My 029a. Does get occasional wear, but not very often. - My Omegas. Never see wrist time at all, now I've gone over to PAMs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted August 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 TeeJay - why do you keep them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobbieG Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 Well you all know by now I made the choice to not do that anymore. My collection is all about refinement now to only those that get constant rotation. I have sold some serious pieces lately that many friends thought I was nuts to do at a loss. I mean I just sold a gen 16710 which is a very collectable Rolex right now but I didn't care. I just never wore it. My AP Millenary is for sale too. It is just the coolest piece but doesn't go with anything nor do I ever reach for it unless forcing myself to wear it so I have to get rid of it. I used to keep everything - reps and gens. At one time I had every gen or rep I ever owned but it just seemed wasteful to me. I guess I realized I'm really not a watch collector. I'm a watch wearer who will always have more than one in the same way I have several pairs of shoes, suits, shirts, etc. A true collector just likes to own things to have them and look at them and they don't need another reason. I just figured out I wasn't one I guess. Shoes I think are a good benchmark. If I ever own more watches than pairs of shoes I probably have too many... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff g Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 Pretty much all my unworn watches are hidden gems. 17 of them. For the most part I wear just 3 or 4 on a regular basis of the 21 I own. Why don't I sell them? Some I will never sell, like my 6265, my red sub, my PN. A bunch of nice omegas. But the rest I guess I hold on to them because they are asian 21J for the most part, and I don't think trying to sell them is really worth the effort. One of these days I will do an updated collection photo, and maybe if anyone is interested in one or two pieces I will do the RWG raffle. After all, isn't keeping those oldies but goodies what 'Collecting' is all about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted August 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 Some I will never sell, like my 6265, my red sub, my PN. A bunch of nice omegas. Why do you keep these if you never wear them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotoman Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 i want to keep ones i don't wear, but i can't - yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodwc Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 Good question and also one which may bring out some really interesting pieces. In my case it is a Breguet and a YM, swiss ETA, 2836. The Breguet I simply bought for simplicity and the YM, I overpaid ( servicing/waterproofing) from the dealer. So not really liking eighther they are stuck in the box , never going to get wrist time. Why do I keep them.........I shouldn`t..........they should be sold to someone who will wear them and enjoy them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 TeeJay - why do you keep them? Very easy answer to that question: Sentimental value. The Sub was the first expensive watch I'd ever purchased. The Omegas are part of my 'Bond Collection', and the 2531.80 was purchased with inheritance money from when my gran died (I also bought a custom tailored rep of the jacket Tom Cruise wore in Minority Report with the rest of the money) The PVD 111g was a birthday present from my wife, and, even though I hardly ever wear it, it has a certain charm, and I'm sure will be right for some unforseen occasion The 029a, I do occasionally wear. Mainly as a 'smart beater'. Something which will look nice, have reasonable quality lume, and reliability, but not be distraught if it took a beating. I wore it all week when I was on vacation in Glastonbury a while back, and it served me well for that time. It's not one I wear frequently, but I do enjoy wearing it when I do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P4GTR Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 -My tastes change. -I like knowing I have the variety. -Its my hobby. Rare to get rid of things you wish to collect more of. -I regret getting rid of things when I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geo1nah2a Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 I have never sold any of my reps: 1. I fall in love with them over again. The IWC CD06 is a real phoenix Seasonality comes into play too: The Corum ACC gets less WrTime during the summer. 2. The ones that stop singing to me, I donate them to friends&family 3. Some of them are then returned to me, messed up by said F&F (my dad has killed some really nice ones no wonder I am not getting him a gen) These become organ donors or testing benches The watches, not the F&F 4. I have entertained the idea of selling some of the reps that are on the lower end of the wrist freq, but still consider it not worth the hassle. Their contribution to the next purchase will be marginal since they are either not top class or condition. Nice reading what others think about it.. I might change my mind and manage to keep my collection trimmed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2poor4real1z Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 Good question and also one which may bring out some really interesting pieces. In my case it is a Breguet and a YM, swiss ETA, 2836. The Breguet I simply bought for simplicity and the YM, I overpaid ( servicing/waterproofing) from the dealer. So not really liking eighther they are stuck in the box , never going to get wrist time. Why do I keep them.........I shouldn`t..........they should be sold to someone who will wear them and enjoy them. The dial on that YM looks awful yellow. that must have come from one of he cartel boys.......... Great QC outta those guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomhorn Posted August 23, 2008 Report Share Posted August 23, 2008 Good question and also one which may bring out some really interesting pieces. In my case it is a Breguet and a YM, swiss ETA, 2836. The Breguet I simply bought for simplicity and the YM, I overpaid ( servicing/waterproofing) from the dealer. So not really liking eighther they are stuck in the box , never going to get wrist time. Why do I keep them.........I shouldn`t..........they should be sold to someone who will wear them and enjoy them. When you decide you can part with the Breguet, PM me if you'll ship it to the US. I promise I'll wear it if it gets here ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodwc Posted August 23, 2008 Report Share Posted August 23, 2008 The dial on that YM looks awful yellow. that must have come from one of he cartel boys.......... Great QC outta those guys. Sorry it was a crappy pic, this one is more like it, but still not A1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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