Watch collection control: How many watches to own to maintain quality wrist times for all?

[Nanook65]

I have 18 right now with another 2 on the way. I have a watch box with 12 spaces & told myself that I would implement the 1 in, 1 out policy after getting it down to 12 or so but I have never been able to get it down to 12 or 13 like I wanted.

The truth is I could easily wear only 6 or even 4, but I just can't seem to sell them. 90% of the time I am wearing 1 of 2 or 3 watches.

 

[Faj]

He he, I had a watch box with five slots.
Now I have 3 of them plus 2 with 10 slots.
I don’t care about wrist time.

Its like someone collects stamps or drawings.

For me it’s the aesthetics while I wear them or while watching them in the box.

Especially in winter time. It makes me happy.


As for the wife, I would say, we are not afraid of confrontation about what we do, but more about the consequences what she will do seeing what we are able to spend on „necessary“ things.

Most will respond with buying more „unnecessary“ things.

thats why I try to hide my shopping a bit.

In the end I can say, although not cheap altogether- it’s cheaper to find what one really loves due to rep and buy the Gen after, than going the Gen only way.

The watches which didn’t fulfill all the expectations as a Dreamwatch - fulfill them as a Rep indeed.

I like it that way, and finally buy only what I really love and am able to justify as Gen.

 

[Wrestleantares]

I only have a couple of dozen and all do not get much wrist time. I find I wear about half of them semi-regularly and about 6 very regularly. A couple I got for costumes/novelty. A few are vintage which might get worn a couple of times a year or so. Mostly wear my gen Hamilton, Seiko, vintage Elgin (grandpas), gen Vostok Zissou, rep Tag Monaco, rep Black Bay Bronze Bucherer, and rep Tudor Snowflake.

But, it does not mean I want to get rid of any of my watches. I have no policy, I buy and keep what I like.

 

[adj]

My approach: 1 hv gen, 1 mv gen, 1 vintage gen, some beach cheap gens. Max 5 reps, 1to1 policy for reps.


Inviato dal mio iPhone utilizzando RWI

 

[erekose]

I have over one hundred and my policy is whatever my wife lets me have....and she just laughs, rolls her eyes, and buys me watches for my birthday.

I do try to maintain some control though...I bought another gen IWC recently and I am selling stuff to balance out.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[wolfwood]

I have about 100 during the peak of my collecting days. Now I'm down to about 50. If you take a look at the M2M section, you'll see that I'm purging a lot these days especially the vintage Rolexes and APs. I am down to around 25 AP now including the ones currently for sale. I usually only have about 5 or so on rotation. The rest is really just for collecting.

 

[Taz71]

I keep 12, I’ll swap one for one but I keep 12 at all time, it’s a good number for a good rotation.

 

[mysterio]

The number will vary as much as one's definition of healthy can vary. My number? Just enough. :lol:

 

[Etretic]

I have 4 which I regularly rotate, generally one or two for the work week, then one for the weekend.

 

[Str1xt]

Are you buying them just to collect or because you like wearing them. I have got watches that I know I would enjoy wearing. There are two that are f.o.m.o purchases that I will be moving on though. The rest are worn in rotation and I enjoy everyone of them. It's also great to put a different strap on and that makes the watch look totally different.
My limit was 10. Now I'm at 16. Look I can stop any time I want ok! It's no big deal.

 

[csthe]

Are you buying them just to collect or because you like wearing them. I have got watches that I know I would enjoy wearing. There are two that are f.o.m.o purchases that I will be moving on though. The rest are worn in rotation and I enjoy everyone of them. It's also great to put a different strap on and that makes the watch look totally different.
My limit was 10. Now I'm at 16. Look I can stop any time I want ok! It's no big deal.

I collect gens. Reps are great for wear and, IMO, are not "collectable" due to movement and matirial quality.

 

[Faj]

If I could collect gens en mass as I am able to collect reps .... well I would do so.

 

[PlastikMan]

I bought a watch box of 20, so you see where this is going lol... I have a clear idea of what my 20 box collection will look like and only time will tell if my idea prevails... but the idea is to wear 5 on rotation for work, these being smart/classic on straps and the remaining for my pure enjoyment out of work with a combination of divers, pilot watches, chronograph and luxury 3hands

 

[p0pperini]

In February this year I decided to get back into watch collecting, when I started looking around the internet and found out how good reps are. I bought a box to hold 6 watches. Then after about a fortnight I bought a box to hold 12, and gave the original box to my wife to keep jewellery in. Around April I bought another box to hold 12. Now both of those are full, I have 3 watches on stands next to the boxes, 4 watches on the workbench, and another 3 inbound. Today I paid for another one, and backed out of a sale.

All of the watches have been bought because I really admire them aesthetically and functionally. In some cases I'm also being a bit "completionist" about it too (for instance I have an SRSD, Great White SD, DSSD, DSSD D-Blue, and SD43), but that's also because I love Sea-Dwellers and their place in the history of tool watches.

Some I will definitely sell on (having sold about 4 already), as having got them in my hands and on my wrist I've decided they're not my thing.

I'm not really into this "sell 1 buy 1" philosophy...

 

[sn95]

I don't think I have too many but I do have like 3 5 digit lv's for no reason, mostly end up wearing my Pam's or SD43. I think 5 watches would be ideal so you could have a nice dress watch, sport, diver, etc

 

[Copterguy]

As many as you want.
I used to buy the cheapest digital Casio I could find and it was my work watch. Then maybe had one cheapo analog something-that -looked-good to wear on special occasions. Then I actually took interest in watches when some of my coworkers were sporting Breitlings. So, went and got an aerospace, which is still my daily work watch. To take the timex shpeal, takes a licking keeps on ticking. Then got another Breitling for not working, but dress up, then started wanting more, was about to buy another Breitling... Then found reps....
Ooh, I can have 20 quality reps instead? Now, I have about 15 reps and the same 2 Breitlings. I still wear the work Breitling daily and I rotate the other 15 depending on what I'm wearing. Seems 99% of the time though, I'm wearing 3 reps more often. I keep the other reps cause I like em and or not worth the time to sell. I have to hold off on buying more because I know I'll just wear the same ones I like most..but we know how hard that is cause damn, we're drawn to watches or we wouldn't hang out here. :hypnotized:

 

[WATCH HACKER]

I have 50 in total

45pcs is in my house in the Philippines 'coz I'm travelling most of the time due to work and I have 5 pcs with me everytime I travel
And last month, I join RWI and now I have another 5 with me (reps) so in total I'm traveling now with 10 watches.

Each and every time that I'm going to my Room, I don't know why but I change my watch before I step out, and change again every time I step in.

So fair enough on this 10 watches, I use them all in a Day, and my friends always notice that I have a new watch for almost every hour. And I don't know if you're going to tell me that I'm weird.

But I'm happy on changing all the time hahaha.

This hobby is crazy =D

 

[Less]

I found my peace with capping at 20 plus one in, one out. Let's see how long I'll stay with that, haha.

 

[DaleM]

No limits other than funds. I have about 10 reps and as many gens. I can go thru 3 watches a day. Nice retiring relatively young.

 

[PlastikMan]

I found my peace with capping at 20 plus one in, one out. Let's see how long I'll stay with that, haha.

I like this! You just made me increase my collection cap to 21 hahaha