Ever wondered what goes on in a watch collector's mind? Here's a moderately filtered look at the joys, quirks, and lessons from the hobby. Whether you're a seasoned collector or just starting out, these musings might make you nod, laugh, or reach for your wallet.
Years ago, I found myself in the default / establishment local Atlanta haberdasher evaluating the merits of a pair of captoe dress shoes from either Allen Edmonds (widely available) or Alden (much smaller distribution). I was just out of college and looking to purchase a pair of durable, “adult” shoes for my first banking job. The Aldens were considerably more expensive, but obviously worth the delta after examining both in person.
The salesman “helping” me was very condescending and said “young man, that’s a VERY expensive pair of shoes” (they were probably ~$500 at the time - 13 years ago). I bought the Aldens, and I never forgot that dissatisfying encounter.
Audemars Piguet opened an Atlanta boutique in collaboration with Watches of Switzerland in August of 2019; the store was a few doors down from that same menswear store. My career had taken me to Chicago during the interim, but I found myself back “home” in Atlanta over Thanksgiving. I was killing time over that weekend and strolled into the new AP boutique.
The boutique is small, and even before COVID there was very little inventory. I recognized the gentleman behind the counter immediately - it was the same salesman! I was the only prospective customer in the store, but he was preoccupied with staring at the floor, or the ceiling, or out the window until I cleared my throat and adjusted the cuff of my sweater to reveal the 15202 on my wrist.
Suddenly he wanted to engage me in conversation! Would I like to try on a CODE 11:59? Had I considered adding a Royal Oak Offshore - perhaps a Ghost?
I wasn’t particularly interested in either, but - as I said - I was killing time. Surprisingly, I found that I really liked the Ghost. In my experience, APs are sculptural, three dimensional objects that really need to be experienced on your wrist to develop appreciation for their form.
I liked the Ghost so much that I bought one a little later! But not from him.
I have been travelling and made a note to come back and respond to your comment - particularly on the point of not being a cvnt, ever. I suppose this applies here, but with a different perspective.
First off, I think this 'type' of salesperson is on the decline from what I've seen and experienced over time. Now, more than a decade ago (or more), the judgement of people based on age and appearance is decreasing because of the increasing likelihood of mislabelling good clients (more young, informed, + wealthy people), as well as the higher odds of a social media disaster if such an episode of 'profiling and poor service' goes viral and taints the brand.
That said, might he have been having a bad day, struggling to make rent, and balking at the idea of spending so much on shoes - rather than questioning YOUR ability to afford the shoes? Just wondering. 😉
Very good points and I can identify with many of them. No matter the level of acquisition, the thrill always wears off and the hunt is the sweet spot for many collectors. Time spent researching, evaluating options, ruminating and agonizing over the next acquisition and possible departure from the collection requires quite the emotional and financial investment often.
Acquisition comes in two (well, three) phases for me, whether it’s cameras, typesetting equipment, pens, watches, whatever. The first phase is that really exciting, intense part where I deep-dive into the details, the lore, the range of options I have. It’s like being a kid and having a first crush; all of the little details are so captivating.
Used to be that was all I’d consider. I’d then buy whatever it was that I had researched and then quickly have that familiar let down feeling of ‘now what?’ Guitar stuff was the worst in that regard. I’d get that long-desired guitar or amp and… nothing would change. I still wasn’t all that good. My practice habits didn’t get better. I just had more stuff.
As I’ve gotten older, and maybe (I SAID MAYBE) more mature, I’ve added an extra axis to the research and evaluation I do during the hunt. I think extra hard about not “what is it that I want?” but “what will I actually do with this once I have it? What role will it play in my life?”
Now when the hunt ends and the purchase has happened, I get the quieter, longer-term satisfaction that my object of lust does what I had hoped and has thus become an object of love. It allows me to do that thing I couldn’t do, or gives me the motivation to do the thing I wasn’t doing, or just looks ‘right’ in its place.
And if that process failed? Then thing I bought turns out to not be that satisfying? Get rid of it, fast. No resentment, disappointment or irritation allowed.
Adore this comment and the third phase, mainly because it resonates with me, but I’ve never seen it framed it the way you have. Theres more to unpick, which I will l attempt to do in due course; So thanks for sharing it.
My wife really helped clarify my thinking years ago. I was mooning over some dumb thing or another and she asked me, “Do you even really want that or do you just want to buy something?” That thinking is the hardest part of the hunt, but also the most valuable.
I think this last comment really sums it up for a lot of my friends (and myself included) - to a greater or lesser degree we are all addicts and need to feed that addiction by just buying something. Personally I wish I had more self control at times, and could save my money instead of having to spend it!
If some omniscient being really wanted to torment me, it could just send me a print out totaling up what I’ve paid for all the crap I’ve bought that I didn’t really want or need.
1. Different collectors learn differently. Some want to read about watches. Others want to buy and own and then maybe sell. Figure out what learning method makes sense for you, it’ll help you feel like you’re being more thorough in your hunt for the next watch.
2. Some lessons can only be learned the hard way: by losing money, or getting swindled, or realizing a watch doesn’t actually function the way you thought it did until after you’d already purchased it, or that the white strap you thought looks good is actually shite.
3. Multi year ownership offers very different experiences than more newly acquired watches. Learn to recognize the distinctions, and if you’re new to collecting, just be aware that some of what you’ll come to appreciate as a collector is just a question of time and there is no shortcut to acquiring that experience.
4. Almost every collectors buys and sells, and if they say they don’t sell anything ever, they’re either lying or stupidly rich. Everyone else has an opportunity cost to the financial resources they can allocate to collecting, and as they learn more their collections will change.
5. No one who buys a Seiko or Rolex ever seems to be able to buy just one and stop there. Keep that in mind if you haven’t lost your Seiko or Rolex virginity. If you have, I feel your pain.
6. Humility goes a long way. Be aware of what you don’t know, ask questions and give a collector the chance to talk about their stuff and you’re likely to learn something new.
7. If you approach collecting as a social experience, expect to meet and make sincere friends with amazing people you may never have met or come to know otherwise.
Great additions, thank you! On 3, I’d add a sub-point to say: regular use of the same watch on concurrent days for extended periods of time, offers a different type of ‘feedback’ to the use of watches as part of a rotation.
The point I didn’t see reflected is how strongly some collectors feel about the lane they’ve chosen, to the point that they despise other lanes. If you’re into vintage Rolex for example, or indies, you feel it’s better than all other watch types. A point I heard in a recent Hairspring podcast though they stated it differently. Watch collecting feels like a competitive sport sometimes. Does it perhaps make it more fun for people?
Hmm. I’m not sure I’ve observed it in the same way… specifically, that any particular group outwardly presents their favourite as “better than…”
It’s what they like, so they prefer it. No different than picking food for example. I might say pizza is better than tempura prawns… because I prefer pizza. That’s clearly just my preference in action lol
It’s probably just the horse racing approach that I’m not used to with other hobbies. Comparing two watches, two brands, two types. One can like pizza…but why’s it got to be described in relation to its superiority to prawns? It’s so subjective. But since you don’t experience it’s probably not worth discussing further haha
I just reread your post in detail and realized it was meant to be advice to collectors, not merely observations about collectors. It’s good advice ignore my previous comment!
What great fun! Almost all resonate with me…. A few made me think a bit more
#5 🤣☝🏼”don’t be that way!” 😹
#4 😑
#10 … I’ve violated this bit of sage advice with over 75% of the pieces I’ve ever purchased mostly because I don’t live near a major metropolitan area with good ADs or venues to see watches IRL. I’ve only regretted a small handful of acquisitions and of even those I only came to realize that I just wasn’t bonding with the watch after a few months of owning it, so most likely would have bought it anyway even if I’d tried it on. As you’ve mentioned before “luck” often plays a part in this game.
A couple that I had seen and tried on and liked only came to me years after my first encounter (looking at you 1921 and FPJ CB 😘)
#14 exceptionally good advice
#16 buah haw haw 😝🤭😬
#30 !!!!!!! ☠️
#s 23 & 24 great insight and a good place to arrive
😂 Always enjoy your 'stream of consciousness' responses... A lot of your journey has been underpinned by some form of serendipity - which makes for great stories and imbues untold (additional) value into your collection.
As to the Collector vs Enthusiast conundrum, the best book I've read on the subject of watch collecting is "Marking Time" by Michael Korda. It's about $4 USD on Amazon. Korda was Editor in Chief at Simon & Schuster for many years and a collector Patek Pocketwatches with provenance. His opinions on collecting (there must have a theme) are different than mine, but I've read and reread his book so many time, my copy is dogeared and I've given away so many copies to friends. You can read his book in about 4 hours. I've been collecting watches since last century and I highly recommend you hunt it down (cheaper than a watch, art or guitars).
5 reminds me of something I've been thinking about recently. If one goes down below a certain number in a collection, am I still a collector? Is there some minimum number? For me, collector implies multiples, what if I eventually got to a single watch (just for the sake of argument). Do people with one watch who otherwise do all the same things that collectors with multiples do, still qualify as "collectors"? Or, are they now just horology enthusiasts? How about when one stops actually collecting (buying new pieces).
As I read that back it sounds silly to be honest but this kind of thinking as been gnawing at me lately. I'm envisioning a point for myself where I might stay aware of what's going on, but am not pursuing pieces any longer. I've been thinking about what I might call myself at that point. Is the fact that I have collected in the past make me a collector for life?
This 'collector' vs 'enthusiast' debate is moot tbh. I've been thinking about it, and I struggle to understand a watch collector who IS NOT also a horology/watch enthusiast... why else would they collect watches? Regardless of their goals in collecting, they are, by definition, some sort of enthusiast... I'd welcome a counterargument here.
No argument for me there. I'm more hung up on the collector term...but it's my own silly internal dialogue that's a tangent to the collector/enthusiast discussion.
Truths are to be repeated. How sad would it be if there was an end that could be too quickly or easily obtained. Collecting would then be void of passion, love, disgust and the emotions that make collecting worthwhile and become a mere transaction akin to purchasing toiletries. 😂
What a superb and thorough reflection. Really enjoyed the read. Sure, some of the assumptions inherent here run counter to my experience, but I think the statements may well be on point for a great many.
I.e., I question the concept that 'enthusiast' is equal (or subordinate?) to 'collector'. I may have misunderstood, but in general I'd say that someone with three (very valuable, even) watches which see occasional replacement/turnover is a 'collector'. But in the end the labels don't matter.
Also- I am not convinced that there is an inevitable 'progression' in the hobby toward more expensive (more hyped?) or more *anything* for everyone. Some seem to experience this, true enough. But I think many people who really love watches go about their lives happily buying what they love without EVER realizing there is an 'enthusiast community' out there in the wild, waiting to describe how they 'should be collecting', or 'what is worthwhile' in the hobby. That's not a loss.
Perhaps irresponsible of me, but I often use the terms collector and enthusiast loosely and perhaps interchangeably at times. I don’t think there’s any reason to have one subordinate, as I agree the labels don’t matter.
In the latter point, perhaps you’re right and I’m glad you raised it.
Re: 'collector' my one point I neglected to make is that if someone owned two Hummel figurines, they would say, 'I like Hummel -- I have two' but would not likely say, 'I collect Hummel.'
Same for old cigarette lighters...owning two or three Zippos would not qualify someone as a 'collector' but rather they would say, 'yeah, I like those old lighters--I have 3 of those Zippos.'
Yet somehow with watches, the parlance is different. Odd, I think.
Isn’t it just a matter of intent? I know a bunch of folks who own a handful of decent watches accumulated over decades and that’s just because they like watches but only ever buy them for occasions or milestones. They definitely don’t consider themselves “collectors” - just “guys who like watches” 😄
Years ago, I found myself in the default / establishment local Atlanta haberdasher evaluating the merits of a pair of captoe dress shoes from either Allen Edmonds (widely available) or Alden (much smaller distribution). I was just out of college and looking to purchase a pair of durable, “adult” shoes for my first banking job. The Aldens were considerably more expensive, but obviously worth the delta after examining both in person.
The salesman “helping” me was very condescending and said “young man, that’s a VERY expensive pair of shoes” (they were probably ~$500 at the time - 13 years ago). I bought the Aldens, and I never forgot that dissatisfying encounter.
Audemars Piguet opened an Atlanta boutique in collaboration with Watches of Switzerland in August of 2019; the store was a few doors down from that same menswear store. My career had taken me to Chicago during the interim, but I found myself back “home” in Atlanta over Thanksgiving. I was killing time over that weekend and strolled into the new AP boutique.
The boutique is small, and even before COVID there was very little inventory. I recognized the gentleman behind the counter immediately - it was the same salesman! I was the only prospective customer in the store, but he was preoccupied with staring at the floor, or the ceiling, or out the window until I cleared my throat and adjusted the cuff of my sweater to reveal the 15202 on my wrist.
Suddenly he wanted to engage me in conversation! Would I like to try on a CODE 11:59? Had I considered adding a Royal Oak Offshore - perhaps a Ghost?
I wasn’t particularly interested in either, but - as I said - I was killing time. Surprisingly, I found that I really liked the Ghost. In my experience, APs are sculptural, three dimensional objects that really need to be experienced on your wrist to develop appreciation for their form.
I liked the Ghost so much that I bought one a little later! But not from him.
I have been travelling and made a note to come back and respond to your comment - particularly on the point of not being a cvnt, ever. I suppose this applies here, but with a different perspective.
First off, I think this 'type' of salesperson is on the decline from what I've seen and experienced over time. Now, more than a decade ago (or more), the judgement of people based on age and appearance is decreasing because of the increasing likelihood of mislabelling good clients (more young, informed, + wealthy people), as well as the higher odds of a social media disaster if such an episode of 'profiling and poor service' goes viral and taints the brand.
That said, might he have been having a bad day, struggling to make rent, and balking at the idea of spending so much on shoes - rather than questioning YOUR ability to afford the shoes? Just wondering. 😉
This salesperson is out of the industry now - he’s a realtor. He gave me his card, which allowed me to peep on his LinkedIn!
Handy 😄
Very good points and I can identify with many of them. No matter the level of acquisition, the thrill always wears off and the hunt is the sweet spot for many collectors. Time spent researching, evaluating options, ruminating and agonizing over the next acquisition and possible departure from the collection requires quite the emotional and financial investment often.
That’s for sure. And I suppose it is that “investment” which brings us closer to the gems we land
Acquisition comes in two (well, three) phases for me, whether it’s cameras, typesetting equipment, pens, watches, whatever. The first phase is that really exciting, intense part where I deep-dive into the details, the lore, the range of options I have. It’s like being a kid and having a first crush; all of the little details are so captivating.
Used to be that was all I’d consider. I’d then buy whatever it was that I had researched and then quickly have that familiar let down feeling of ‘now what?’ Guitar stuff was the worst in that regard. I’d get that long-desired guitar or amp and… nothing would change. I still wasn’t all that good. My practice habits didn’t get better. I just had more stuff.
As I’ve gotten older, and maybe (I SAID MAYBE) more mature, I’ve added an extra axis to the research and evaluation I do during the hunt. I think extra hard about not “what is it that I want?” but “what will I actually do with this once I have it? What role will it play in my life?”
Now when the hunt ends and the purchase has happened, I get the quieter, longer-term satisfaction that my object of lust does what I had hoped and has thus become an object of love. It allows me to do that thing I couldn’t do, or gives me the motivation to do the thing I wasn’t doing, or just looks ‘right’ in its place.
And if that process failed? Then thing I bought turns out to not be that satisfying? Get rid of it, fast. No resentment, disappointment or irritation allowed.
Adore this comment and the third phase, mainly because it resonates with me, but I’ve never seen it framed it the way you have. Theres more to unpick, which I will l attempt to do in due course; So thanks for sharing it.
My wife really helped clarify my thinking years ago. I was mooning over some dumb thing or another and she asked me, “Do you even really want that or do you just want to buy something?” That thinking is the hardest part of the hunt, but also the most valuable.
I think this last comment really sums it up for a lot of my friends (and myself included) - to a greater or lesser degree we are all addicts and need to feed that addiction by just buying something. Personally I wish I had more self control at times, and could save my money instead of having to spend it!
If some omniscient being really wanted to torment me, it could just send me a print out totaling up what I’ve paid for all the crap I’ve bought that I didn’t really want or need.
Some more suggestions:
1. Different collectors learn differently. Some want to read about watches. Others want to buy and own and then maybe sell. Figure out what learning method makes sense for you, it’ll help you feel like you’re being more thorough in your hunt for the next watch.
2. Some lessons can only be learned the hard way: by losing money, or getting swindled, or realizing a watch doesn’t actually function the way you thought it did until after you’d already purchased it, or that the white strap you thought looks good is actually shite.
3. Multi year ownership offers very different experiences than more newly acquired watches. Learn to recognize the distinctions, and if you’re new to collecting, just be aware that some of what you’ll come to appreciate as a collector is just a question of time and there is no shortcut to acquiring that experience.
4. Almost every collectors buys and sells, and if they say they don’t sell anything ever, they’re either lying or stupidly rich. Everyone else has an opportunity cost to the financial resources they can allocate to collecting, and as they learn more their collections will change.
5. No one who buys a Seiko or Rolex ever seems to be able to buy just one and stop there. Keep that in mind if you haven’t lost your Seiko or Rolex virginity. If you have, I feel your pain.
6. Humility goes a long way. Be aware of what you don’t know, ask questions and give a collector the chance to talk about their stuff and you’re likely to learn something new.
7. If you approach collecting as a social experience, expect to meet and make sincere friends with amazing people you may never have met or come to know otherwise.
There’s probably more but I’ll stop there.
Great additions, thank you! On 3, I’d add a sub-point to say: regular use of the same watch on concurrent days for extended periods of time, offers a different type of ‘feedback’ to the use of watches as part of a rotation.
The point I didn’t see reflected is how strongly some collectors feel about the lane they’ve chosen, to the point that they despise other lanes. If you’re into vintage Rolex for example, or indies, you feel it’s better than all other watch types. A point I heard in a recent Hairspring podcast though they stated it differently. Watch collecting feels like a competitive sport sometimes. Does it perhaps make it more fun for people?
Hmm. I’m not sure I’ve observed it in the same way… specifically, that any particular group outwardly presents their favourite as “better than…”
It’s what they like, so they prefer it. No different than picking food for example. I might say pizza is better than tempura prawns… because I prefer pizza. That’s clearly just my preference in action lol
Perhaps I misunderstood your comment?
It’s probably just the horse racing approach that I’m not used to with other hobbies. Comparing two watches, two brands, two types. One can like pizza…but why’s it got to be described in relation to its superiority to prawns? It’s so subjective. But since you don’t experience it’s probably not worth discussing further haha
I just reread your post in detail and realized it was meant to be advice to collectors, not merely observations about collectors. It’s good advice ignore my previous comment!
😂 Ok, glad to hear that!
What great fun! Almost all resonate with me…. A few made me think a bit more
#5 🤣☝🏼”don’t be that way!” 😹
#4 😑
#10 … I’ve violated this bit of sage advice with over 75% of the pieces I’ve ever purchased mostly because I don’t live near a major metropolitan area with good ADs or venues to see watches IRL. I’ve only regretted a small handful of acquisitions and of even those I only came to realize that I just wasn’t bonding with the watch after a few months of owning it, so most likely would have bought it anyway even if I’d tried it on. As you’ve mentioned before “luck” often plays a part in this game.
A couple that I had seen and tried on and liked only came to me years after my first encounter (looking at you 1921 and FPJ CB 😘)
#14 exceptionally good advice
#16 buah haw haw 😝🤭😬
#30 !!!!!!! ☠️
#s 23 & 24 great insight and a good place to arrive
All great stuff!!
Thanks for sharing ☝🏼🫡😘
Also …. #38 GREAT FINAL POINT …. Where the craving diminishes ☝🏼
😂 Always enjoy your 'stream of consciousness' responses... A lot of your journey has been underpinned by some form of serendipity - which makes for great stories and imbues untold (additional) value into your collection.
🙇♂️🤷🤡😎
Disagree on the point about enlightenment
Hence the 🤪 emoji. It’s supposed to be provocative
I agree with the ‘enlightenment’ point. LET’S ALL FIGHT.
Look forward to this 😂
numbers 21 & 22 -- noted and thanks
😅 call me captain obvious
Brilliant Post! Well thought and written. So much truth. Should be required reading for all watch communities.
As to the Collector vs Enthusiast conundrum, the best book I've read on the subject of watch collecting is "Marking Time" by Michael Korda. It's about $4 USD on Amazon. Korda was Editor in Chief at Simon & Schuster for many years and a collector Patek Pocketwatches with provenance. His opinions on collecting (there must have a theme) are different than mine, but I've read and reread his book so many time, my copy is dogeared and I've given away so many copies to friends. You can read his book in about 4 hours. I've been collecting watches since last century and I highly recommend you hunt it down (cheaper than a watch, art or guitars).
Just ordered. For the princely sum of £5.65 😂
Thanks for the recommendation! It isn’t readily available on Amazon U.K. - but I’ll hunt one down. 😃
If only 😁 Thanks for reading Larry!
5 reminds me of something I've been thinking about recently. If one goes down below a certain number in a collection, am I still a collector? Is there some minimum number? For me, collector implies multiples, what if I eventually got to a single watch (just for the sake of argument). Do people with one watch who otherwise do all the same things that collectors with multiples do, still qualify as "collectors"? Or, are they now just horology enthusiasts? How about when one stops actually collecting (buying new pieces).
As I read that back it sounds silly to be honest but this kind of thinking as been gnawing at me lately. I'm envisioning a point for myself where I might stay aware of what's going on, but am not pursuing pieces any longer. I've been thinking about what I might call myself at that point. Is the fact that I have collected in the past make me a collector for life?
This 'collector' vs 'enthusiast' debate is moot tbh. I've been thinking about it, and I struggle to understand a watch collector who IS NOT also a horology/watch enthusiast... why else would they collect watches? Regardless of their goals in collecting, they are, by definition, some sort of enthusiast... I'd welcome a counterargument here.
No argument for me there. I'm more hung up on the collector term...but it's my own silly internal dialogue that's a tangent to the collector/enthusiast discussion.
Fantastic list as usual! I appreciate the suggestions for humility and openness to taste, even if they’re from a Journe collector 🤪😉
😂
All great points, especially watch collecting being a journey more than a destination with finality.
Maybe I say this too often 😅
Truths are to be repeated. How sad would it be if there was an end that could be too quickly or easily obtained. Collecting would then be void of passion, love, disgust and the emotions that make collecting worthwhile and become a mere transaction akin to purchasing toiletries. 😂
😂🤣 what a sad life that would be!
What a superb and thorough reflection. Really enjoyed the read. Sure, some of the assumptions inherent here run counter to my experience, but I think the statements may well be on point for a great many.
I.e., I question the concept that 'enthusiast' is equal (or subordinate?) to 'collector'. I may have misunderstood, but in general I'd say that someone with three (very valuable, even) watches which see occasional replacement/turnover is a 'collector'. But in the end the labels don't matter.
Also- I am not convinced that there is an inevitable 'progression' in the hobby toward more expensive (more hyped?) or more *anything* for everyone. Some seem to experience this, true enough. But I think many people who really love watches go about their lives happily buying what they love without EVER realizing there is an 'enthusiast community' out there in the wild, waiting to describe how they 'should be collecting', or 'what is worthwhile' in the hobby. That's not a loss.
So many
Cheers M!
Perhaps irresponsible of me, but I often use the terms collector and enthusiast loosely and perhaps interchangeably at times. I don’t think there’s any reason to have one subordinate, as I agree the labels don’t matter.
In the latter point, perhaps you’re right and I’m glad you raised it.
Re: 'collector' my one point I neglected to make is that if someone owned two Hummel figurines, they would say, 'I like Hummel -- I have two' but would not likely say, 'I collect Hummel.'
Same for old cigarette lighters...owning two or three Zippos would not qualify someone as a 'collector' but rather they would say, 'yeah, I like those old lighters--I have 3 of those Zippos.'
Yet somehow with watches, the parlance is different. Odd, I think.
Isn’t it just a matter of intent? I know a bunch of folks who own a handful of decent watches accumulated over decades and that’s just because they like watches but only ever buy them for occasions or milestones. They definitely don’t consider themselves “collectors” - just “guys who like watches” 😄