Number of Watches in Collection Question

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daveodz
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Re: Number of Watches in Collection Question

Post by daveodz »

1. 36
2. No real strategy but at least half are motorsport inspired
3. Don't know as I have not stopped collecting yet......but will have to flip some if I buy anymore as the 3 watch boxes hold a max of 12 each!
4. Only buy what I can afford
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Re: Number of Watches in Collection Question

Post by arcane »

I think 1 full box of 12 watches is the sweet spot!
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Re: Number of Watches in Collection Question

Post by missF »

ssholloway21 wrote: Tue Jul 12, 2022 12:04 am 1. How many watches are in your collection:
2. Do you have a strategy or just buy what you like?
3. What is the best number to have in your collection?
4. How do you manage your yearly purchases?
1. In the middle of major changes/ consolidation. I think I have roughly 8 watches. Plus or minus a few!
2. No strategy. I buy the watches that capture my imagination.
3. One! Erm, ok, maybe three or four in the meantime...
4. I don’t really manage anything... too often I buy a cheaper watch as soon as I can afford it. This led to a large unsatisfactory collection. Buying my Oris diver and selling some watches in order to ‘consolidate up’ was the best thing I’ve ever done.
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Re: Number of Watches in Collection Question

Post by BeardoCI »

1. 7
2. No real strategy, whatever captures my attention the most
3. Um. Pass!
4. I don't really, I may not even buy a watch from one year to the next to be honest.
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Re: Number of Watches in Collection Question

Post by albionphoto »

1. I'm not going to say how many watches I own. There are three criteria though. Watches I'm going to wear on a rotating basis, watches that I should sell, and more than my wife thinks I own.
2. I buy what I like although I prefer a couple of brands.
3. I really should sell the watches I don't wear and then my collection would be right-sized (for the moment).
4. Purchases are managed by two strategies, is there a watch I want to buy and do I have the money on-hand (no "debt" purchases for me).
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Re: Number of Watches in Collection Question

Post by Stif »

Interesting that this got a wee bump as I've been thinking about my collection and collecting a bit recently.

Ignoring some old quartz watches, some of which are just kept around 'just because', I currently have 8 watches (too many for my watch box!).

I don't buy often - even a lower end Christopher Ward is still a decent sized purchase for me, so one or maybe two watches a year is really my max going forward, but I like the idea of 'levelling up' the collection, and starting to sell on less worn pieces to fund grander purchases. Purchases do tend to come either around life events or when I get a bonus or similar (and may come following watch sales in the future - I've never actually sold a watch yet!)

Like Mark above, I'll only buy when I have the money on hand, but I have made use of 0% finance for the last couple of purchases (purely because it makes more sense to earn interest on the money in my own account!)

Since tracking my collection and wearing habits over the last year it's obvious which watches in the collection are getting less love, and whilst I do enjoy everything I own, it's clear that I should start to consider moving pieces on.

In terms of brands, I don't have huge levels of experience yet but I track a wish list of watches that I'm interested in and use that to guide me when the time is right! I like to be on the look out for bargains and discounts, but generally wouldn't buy something just because it's on sale - it has to also be a watch I really want.
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Re: Number of Watches in Collection Question

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ssholloway21 wrote: Tue Jul 12, 2022 12:04 am 1. How many watches are in your collection:
2. Do you have a strategy or just buy what you like?
3. What is the best number to have in your collection?
4. How do you manage your yearly purchases?

Thank you in advance for any guidance/advice.
1. More than is reasonable or necessary.

2. I tend to have one or two "nice to haves" on my radar at any given time -- like, right now, an affordable and appropriately sized chrono (maybe 2023 will be the year CW comes out with this); and a military-inspired watch with a small seconds hand at 6 (there are plenty of options, but finding the right intersection of quality/aesthetic/price is always the challenge). As has been said many times before in this forum, the chase/hunt is as much fun as the actual purchase.

3. Probably fewer than I have, but honestly I'm not someone who can part easily with any of the watches I've purchased. It feels like each of them has a story for me, and even if I don't wear them regularly, I can't imagine selling them. If nothing else, my three sons will one day be able to split up the collection and enjoy them.

4. Carefully.

Thanks for the interesting questions, and glad this got bumped back onto the forum radar.
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Re: Number of Watches in Collection Question

Post by albionphoto »

I found this thread by accident. It was in the list of related posts for something else. I don't normally look at the "Offtopic" section. I have alos used a 0% finance option but only if I can cover it all and for the same reason "Stif" gave.
I am a nerd and keep a spreadsheet to track watch usage. This means I wear each watch fairly often and then it becomes clear if I've fallen out of love with something. My real problem is selling the ones I've fallen out of love with. Maybe I really should start to look at eBay although I don't like fees of any kind and I'm too lazy to get the macro studio out.
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Re: Number of Watches in Collection Question

Post by PL1957 »

1. Six
2. No strategy. In fact I wouldn't class myself as a "collector" at all, probably a watch "enthusiast" would be a more accurate description. As an engineer the intricacies of ANY watch fascinate me but especially mechanical watches. A watch is also the only jewellery I wear and at least one of mine was a gift from my wife to mark a significant birthday. At the present time no new purchases are on my radar.
3. Up to the individual but for me personally I don't see the point in owning lots that would never be worn.
4. I don't.

Phil
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Re: Number of Watches in Collection Question

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

I must have missed this – I was a bit preoccupied with a number of things last July.

Here’s my current SOTC

1. 18 wristwatches: 17 mechanical (9 modern + 8 vintage) + 1 G-shock…and the odd pocket watch.

2. A. No…B. Yes

3. Three. A GODO/GADA swimmable GMT, a nice posh dress watch and a G-Shock for gym and general trashing.

4. Fortunately I’m answerable to no one but myself, so I buy what I like when I like. However, I’ve told myself no more watches and it has been almost a year since my last purchase. The fact that CW hasn’t produced anything I like except the Bel Canto has certainly helped.
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Re: Number of Watches in Collection Question

Post by atnits »

1. How many watches are in your collection:
2. Do you have a strategy or just buy what you like?
3. What is the best number to have in your collection?
4. How do you manage your yearly purchases?

1. 6 at present.
2. Buy what I like
3. 1
4. Depends on money and what watches are available
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Re: Number of Watches in Collection Question

Post by ROF68 »

albionphoto wrote: Tue Jan 17, 2023 2:16 pm 1. I'm not going to say how many watches I own. There are three criteria though. Watches I'm going to wear on a rotating basis, watches that I should sell, and more than my wife thinks I own.
Love this!
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Re: Number of Watches in Collection Question

Post by Noush »

1. How many watches are in your collection:
12 plus a G Shock to beat up.
2. Do you have a strategy or just buy what you like?
Buy what I like but I do like variety.
3. What is the best number to have in your collection?
About this many. They all get worn regularly and that is important to me.
4. How do you manage your yearly purchases?
I only buy with overtime income earned. And especially now, it needs to be compelling.
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Re: Number of Watches in Collection Question

Post by jcnassoc »

jkbarnes wrote: Tue Jul 12, 2022 12:29 am
ssholloway21 wrote: Tue Jul 12, 2022 12:04 am Just curious:
1. How many watches are in your collection:
2. Do you have a strategy or just buy what you like?
3. What is the best number to have in your collection?
4. How do you manage your yearly purchases?
I’m more a wannabe collector than a collector, so take anything I say with a grain of salt.

1. 4
2. Not really a strategy, but I do have some considerations I need to keep in mind: will any potentially new watch be substantially different enough from my existing watches to not annoy my wife? Are they spaced out enough so as to not arouse suspicion?
3. I think this is different for every person. I think it ought to be a number that allows for the full appreciation and enjoyment of each watch. For me that number would probably be around 5 or 6.
4. No need to, as I don’t make many purchases…yet!
Re: "Are they spaced out enough so as to not arouse suspicion?" -- That's hilarious! Always good to have a tried-and-true strategy. I find spreading the watch winders in different parts of the bedroom helps ;)
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Re: Number of Watches in Collection Question

Post by jcnassoc »

ssholloway21 wrote: Tue Jul 12, 2022 12:04 am Hello Everyone! I have been collecting for about 2 1/2 years now and need some advice on number of watches in a collection. I currently stand at 17 (4 nice quartz and the rest are auto) and if I fully execute my strategy I will be at 31. This does not include a few Casio's I have laying around. As stated I do have a collection strategy but is it just crazy to have 31?
Just curious:
1. How many watches are in your collection:
2. Do you have a strategy or just buy what you like?
3. What is the best number to have in your collection?
4. How do you manage your yearly purchases?

Thank you in advance for any guidance/advice.
Great questions, and hopefully we each find answers that help "justify" our answers!

1. How many watches are in your collection: Too many (over 20) though most are lower-end. I've been "re-tooling" my collection to be more "balanced" but still finding too many I like and that I can justify as "significantly different" from what I already own (even if that's not true). I'd like to get to a point where I have fewer-but-better timepieces someday. It's a work-in-progress.

2. Do you have a strategy or just buy what you like? I'm trying to limit the number of watches from one brand to two, but it's hard when I find a new brand I like (like CW).

3. What is the best number to have in your collection? For me the answer depends on my stage in life. When I was working on-site and wearing suits I found I needed more watches to compliment the suit / shirt I was wearing. Once remote work became the thing I find I only need fewer, more-casual watches and don't seem to cycle through as many as before.

4. How do you manage your yearly purchases? It is very difficult, but mostly I try to determine that threshold past which I will feel the wrath of my better half. I'm not going to say I tend to pull-the-trigger after she's splurged a bit on boots, handbags, etc., but...
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