There are some scary people on here. I thought I was obsessed, but Jeez.....
Agreed. I think about each purchase for months, then you have those guys
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2025 Check-in: How Many Watches Do You Have :)
- Thread starter AGlobalGent
- Start date
Agreed. I think about each purchase for months, then you have those guys
You have to bear in mind that some folks have been at this for decades. I started collecting watches about 30 years ago, so one watch every couple months adds up to 150. Throw in the oddball watches that are gifts or impulse buys and it's not hard to hit triple digits if you don't sell anything.
I definitely don't need to sell any now, as I don't buy complete and utter shite anymore, and I've given them away to our Grandson.
BUT !! I really should consider not buying anymore when I get to 365 lol, 1 per day of the year
The collection I already have, many of them havent been worn outside the house lol.
BUT !! I really should consider not buying anymore when I get to 365 lol, 1 per day of the year
The collection I already have, many of them havent been worn outside the house lol.
- 25/9/22
- 7,379
- 20,647
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If you havent worn it or thought about it in 3 months sell.
my re-plated TT Sub? Haven;t worn it since i bought it either -.-
Pity you are in US
I would have casually visited your house and you would not have been able to refuse a friendly transaction
I have 8 reps at the moment, most of them vintage watches build by myself. Some gens which I wear rarely. Love the process of searching parts and the final building.
Since we are family, allow me to share my thoughts with you.
I'm 67 years old, and while I had a few watches in my early years, only a few stood out, such as a Cartier Tank Must that I bought new in Samnaun, Switzerland in 1981, plus the same for my girlfriend. In the 1990s I bought a solid rose gold Tudor Oyster with Rolex dial for $1,100 at the Rose Bowl Swap Meet in Pasadena. In 2014 I bought a Breitling 809 Cosmonaute with a patinated dial for $850, followed by a Heuer 844 for even less. What followed were two Datejusts 36 which I sold because 36 was simply too small for my gigantic wrist.
In 2017 I joined RWI and took a deep dive into vintage Panerai. At some point I had 5 or 6. Bought vintage Tudors, explored Rolex again, all the way to the Deepsea Cameron (loved it!), discovered Blancpain, eventually Audemars Piguet, the Tudor FXD, JLC Reverso, Cartier Tank, Homage watches.
But now I'm about to sell almost everything I own, including my business and my overpriced California home, and head down with wife and our 2 dogs to Mexico (where we obtained permanent residency) and explore the country for months to come by car in order to find the perfect home base for retirement. We will keep a small storage in California in case Mexico won't work out for us, in which case we will move to North Carolina and buy a house there.
I lived in 6 European countries before moving to the US, first in 1986 to Florida, then in 1992 to California, but my time here has come to an end for several reasons, ridiculous cost of living just being one of them.
I'm not wealthy, but I can afford buying a watch or two without having to check my bank account. But I can't see myself traveling with a watch case as big as a suit case through Mexico for reasons I don't have to explain. I also don't want a bunch of watches, gold coins, and other valuable in a storage unit far, far away. So I'm trying to slim down as much as I can, but I've come to a point where it hurts to sell a watch, knowing I won't be able to get another one if I wanted to.
My ideal size is a travel case of 8 or 10. Currently I have 13 watches, and although I like to sell a few more, I don't know which, and I still lust for some others.
First world problems . . .
I'm 67 years old, and while I had a few watches in my early years, only a few stood out, such as a Cartier Tank Must that I bought new in Samnaun, Switzerland in 1981, plus the same for my girlfriend. In the 1990s I bought a solid rose gold Tudor Oyster with Rolex dial for $1,100 at the Rose Bowl Swap Meet in Pasadena. In 2014 I bought a Breitling 809 Cosmonaute with a patinated dial for $850, followed by a Heuer 844 for even less. What followed were two Datejusts 36 which I sold because 36 was simply too small for my gigantic wrist.
In 2017 I joined RWI and took a deep dive into vintage Panerai. At some point I had 5 or 6. Bought vintage Tudors, explored Rolex again, all the way to the Deepsea Cameron (loved it!), discovered Blancpain, eventually Audemars Piguet, the Tudor FXD, JLC Reverso, Cartier Tank, Homage watches.
But now I'm about to sell almost everything I own, including my business and my overpriced California home, and head down with wife and our 2 dogs to Mexico (where we obtained permanent residency) and explore the country for months to come by car in order to find the perfect home base for retirement. We will keep a small storage in California in case Mexico won't work out for us, in which case we will move to North Carolina and buy a house there.
I lived in 6 European countries before moving to the US, first in 1986 to Florida, then in 1992 to California, but my time here has come to an end for several reasons, ridiculous cost of living just being one of them.
I'm not wealthy, but I can afford buying a watch or two without having to check my bank account. But I can't see myself traveling with a watch case as big as a suit case through Mexico for reasons I don't have to explain. I also don't want a bunch of watches, gold coins, and other valuable in a storage unit far, far away. So I'm trying to slim down as much as I can, but I've come to a point where it hurts to sell a watch, knowing I won't be able to get another one if I wanted to.
My ideal size is a travel case of 8 or 10. Currently I have 13 watches, and although I like to sell a few more, I don't know which, and I still lust for some others.
First world problems . . .
FANTASTIC post - thanks for sharing!
pete9012s
Getting To Know The Place
- 20/1/25
- 33
- 35
- 18
Yes, fantastic post - can't possibly top that!
After recently selling about a dozen watches, I only posses about forty watches now.
I tell myself that when I have sourced two more reps:
(Rolex Explorer 39 or 40mm and and a Blue Omega Professional 300m 41mm Bosnan era auto or quartz, my watch hunting/buying days will be over....
However, I fear I might be deluding myself!
After recently selling about a dozen watches, I only posses about forty watches now.
I tell myself that when I have sourced two more reps:
(Rolex Explorer 39 or 40mm and and a Blue Omega Professional 300m 41mm Bosnan era auto or quartz, my watch hunting/buying days will be over....
However, I fear I might be deluding myself!
We buy watches for exactly the same reasons the wives buy shoes and bags
@Hesekiel
My unsolicited opinion.
If I were in your shoes, most likely I would take 6 pieces south, and store 6 pieces in the storage unit.
A dozen watches doesn’t seem like a huge burden.
I would likely allow myself to buy one or two new ones in the next year or two, shipped to Mexico, then come back to the ones in storage and swap a few out or sell a few.
My unsolicited opinion.
If I were in your shoes, most likely I would take 6 pieces south, and store 6 pieces in the storage unit.
A dozen watches doesn’t seem like a huge burden.
I would likely allow myself to buy one or two new ones in the next year or two, shipped to Mexico, then come back to the ones in storage and swap a few out or sell a few.
Wingding1984
Forum Pervert
- 15/7/17
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I look at the number of shoes my missus owns and I wonder sometimes if I married a f*cking centipede...
lol - after I found the two TAGs I have en route, I said the same thing...now after reading all of these, I'm thinking "Well, 15 reps might not be the end of the world...."Yes, fantastic post - can't possibly top that!
After recently selling about a dozen watches, I only posses about forty watches now.
I tell myself that when I have sourced two more reps:
(Rolex Explorer 39 or 40mm and and a Blue Omega Professional 300m 41mm Bosnan era auto or quartz, my watch hunting/buying days will be over....
However, I fear I might be deluding myself!
I wear them all in rotation every evening, but usually inside the house.
I see them all every day. If I'm out and about but not on the tools they get worn all day.
I definitely won't be selling any yet, doubt I ever will.
For me it's all about the detail, the mechanical fascination, improvements and modifications, functions and looks.
I also love buying the limited editions especially Motorsport and Space orientated.
It's just a hobby, playng with cheap toys
Cheap is relative of course, but compared to all my young to middle aged hobbies it is cheap, getting back into this hobby is my "Officially Old Bastard" Hobby
Although I have seriously downsized my Car collection, I'm still playing with a current stable of 5, 3 of which are daily drivers between Mel and I
Oh, and then there's all the building project works that are keeping me busy for a while yet, even though I officially retired a couple of weeks ago, it would seem that I am now busier than ever
That’s exactly it.
In 20 months I have been here, buying watches and tools, selling some builds, I did not keep tally, but I don’t think that I am down for more a few thousand euros…which is perfectly acceptable for a old man’s hobby.
Some thoughts
Collecting them for the sake of having a collection is definitely part of the allure.
Some with smaller collections (less than 8) might be more interested in just wearing the one planet ocean and not see the point in having two.
I like having a "collection of planet oceans" and a " collection of subs" or "finding a sea dweller from every generation" to form a sea dweller collection.
I think those of us with 50+ get a lot of enjoyment out of the hunt, then piecing together the perfect compliment of one brand, or model, or having perhaps every version of rep hulk that has ever been available, very cool. Even if this means they don't all get worn often.
Some things I love about watch collecting (compared to cars)
Takes up very little space
Not cheap, but not insanely expensive either (car parts sure arn't cheap)
I get to enjoy them while at work, all day, where as my vintage car only gets used 6 months of the year, after work, for minutes/hours.
This of course is me just justifying my obsession, but might be a perspective that others haven't thought of.
Collecting them for the sake of having a collection is definitely part of the allure.
Some with smaller collections (less than 8) might be more interested in just wearing the one planet ocean and not see the point in having two.
I like having a "collection of planet oceans" and a " collection of subs" or "finding a sea dweller from every generation" to form a sea dweller collection.
I think those of us with 50+ get a lot of enjoyment out of the hunt, then piecing together the perfect compliment of one brand, or model, or having perhaps every version of rep hulk that has ever been available, very cool. Even if this means they don't all get worn often.
Some things I love about watch collecting (compared to cars)
Takes up very little space
Not cheap, but not insanely expensive either (car parts sure arn't cheap)
I get to enjoy them while at work, all day, where as my vintage car only gets used 6 months of the year, after work, for minutes/hours.
This of course is me just justifying my obsession, but might be a perspective that others haven't thought of.
Is this a typo? I am sure you meant 3 years lol.
100% agree with every word, that sums it up nicely for me
I spent £20k in 14 months on watches, parts, tools and other associated goodies, but its still a cheap hobby compared to all the other shite I used to get up to
Even the few cars I have these days, cost a whole bunch maintaining and running costs wise etc, and I don't have to pay Garage labour bills and get 25% parts discounts at Main Dealers.