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I think this is the nub of it. Let's face it, anybody that freqents a watch forum is probably 'on the spectrum'Originally Posted by learningtofly
I must be one of the lucky ones, still on my honeymoon period however many years later.
What has changed for me is learning not to dive in quite as much and be a little more selective. I'm lucky in I have quite a chunky collection, so I'm trying to actually target what I want and aim to that. Now and again something will pop up out of the blue, and if it fits where my collection is, then I'll try and get it.
There must be a good half dozen watches that have appeared on SC over the past day or two that a couple of years ago I'd have just gobbled up. Doesnt stop me wanting them, but I'm just being more disciplined. Does that mean I'm bored? Not in my mind, I still enjoy the forum, enjoy reading about them and the pictures that are posted. My taste has moved on a little, still love Patek and Ulysse Nardin and cant see that changing but I'm much more into the vintage side now.
And if I was bored, wouldn't enjoy the morning ritual of what am I going to wear today, staring at the watch box. :)
Malc
I think this is the nub of it. Let's face it, anybody that freqents a watch forum is probably 'on the spectrum'
Call off the Samaritans, send away the psychiatrists, I'll pull through :-)
Quite possibly a character trait. I went a bit "deep" with hi-fi some years back. Now I'm over all that. The camera thing was a 6 month loop, triggered by a friend, and after sampling the sweet shop I ended up back where I started, so perhaps a little different. Maybe not. Whatever, if it's a character trait it's harmless and one I seem to share with most males perhaps. It doesn't stop me being bored of watches, hi-fi and cameras though
Effortlessly linking these paragraphs, I do wonder sometimes, well, not very often, but right now I do, if this whole watch ( camera or hi-fi, as appropriate ) malarkey really took off after the fortuitous convergence of online fora and digital photography. With all due respect to our Spanish friend's occasional and welcome reminders that it was all a Biver and Hayak master plan, I think they maybe got lucky. The "here's my trinket !" / "what a lovely trinket !" / "I want that trinket !" / "I know lots about this trinket !" / "I want to learn all about these trinkets !" cycle does rather lend itself to hyperinflation via fora and digital photography. Not to mention the concurrent economic boom. ( Ah, remember those days ! )
Now there's no boom, and no watch left un-photographed nor un-eulogised. No undiscovered islands to visit, no journey worth taking. Hence boredom.
Paul
I guess I could say I've 'been through that cycle' with a few things, but generally just because I'd completed that particular shopping trip to my satisfaction. I was quite focused on hifi until I had the right system that's at least as good as my ears are, and haven't thought about it since. Computers were important for a while, but the evolution of the hardware and software I use has slowed down a great deal lately, after fifteen years of very rapid change. Likewise photography, now I have the lenses I want, I only need a new body as and when they bring out a better one, no point in thinking about it 24/7. Job done, basically.
Watches is one of the deeper rabbit holes to fall down, but even there you eventually realise what sizes and styles you like and have them in your box. For me, I still wouldn't mind a Royal Oak and a platinum Vacheron Constantin dress watch, but for obvious reasons this is a rather long term goal rather than a daily obsession, and that's fine. I might treat myself to a Nomos one day just for fun but I'm in no hurry. In the meantime, I still really enjoy a good picture of a beautiful watch or a look in the window, but am now much less likely to see something I haven't seen before. Bored of watches? No, I still really like them, will keep an eye out for new models, and appreciate the ones I have. I don't expect anything else from them really. To see something new that makes you think 'oh that's lovely' is a nice surprise rather than an expectation.
My most expensive purchase off this forum was a Mazda MX5 and the pleasure that gives us is immense I will be going out later today with my wife and little dog over the moors to the beach with the roof down all the way, then we will drive to a pub on the moors and have a sandwich and a beer :) that to me is better than having the same money sat in one watch, but we all view things differently.
I am also a huge fan of vintage watches and I also think that there is superb value to be had in the lower price bracket like the Seiko divers and for me some of the best ever value for money watches are Eddies as all the Precista I have owned have been stunning value for money.
Enjoying this thread and views more than I have most for a while now! I'm bored, but then I look at some huge, rose gold, cermic festooned, chrono module added, AP in 44mm and I'm back again wondering how to finance such a complete folly!
Now , bit like offering the alcoholic a nice burgundy,have you looked at early high end quartz ??Call off the Samaritans, send away the psychiatrists, I'll pull through :-)
Quite possibly a character trait. I went a bit "deep" with hi-fi some years back. Now I'm over all that. The camera thing was a 6 month loop, triggered by a friend, and after sampling the sweet shop I ended up back where I started, so perhaps a little different. Maybe not. Whatever, if it's a character trait it's harmless and one I seem to share with most males perhaps. It doesn't stop me being bored of watches, hi-fi and cameras though
Effortlessly linking these paragraphs, I do wonder sometimes, well, not very often, but right now I do, if this whole watch ( camera or hi-fi, as appropriate ) malarkey really took off after the fortuitous convergence of online fora and digital photography. With all due respect to our Spanish friend's occasional and welcome reminders that it was all a Biver and Hayak master plan, I think they maybe got lucky. The "here's my trinket !" / "what a lovely trinket !" / "I want that trinket !" / "I know lots about this trinket !" / "I want to learn all about these trinkets !" cycle does rather lend itself to hyperinflation via fora and digital photography. Not to mention the concurrent economic boom. ( Ah,
Now there's no boom, and no watch left un-photographed nor un-eulogised. No undiscovered islands to visit, no journey worth taking. Hence boredom.
Paul
The ones posting are harmless its the Weasels and whinners that I dislike, coupled with the ones that are everyones best mate but only to potentially benefit themselves when buying or selling (without a loss as is their right!)
However I will caveat this by saying that they are a tiny tiny minority and the majority of established and new members are superb and fantastic to meet, I have yet to meet a total idiot (I have purposely dodged the ones I know will be)
RIAC
Can`t say I ever get bored with watches. I`ve been collecting for 19years, done a fair bit of buying and selling (mostly vintage stuff) and now I spend my retirement working on them. I`ve almost gone 'full circle' and my interest is back with the vintage stuff.....where I started from.
Paul
Paul
you don't have time to be stopping work on my watch to write posts on here!!!! Go on get back up those stairs ;)
Andy
get yourselves a vintage moto x / trials bike , fresh air and adrenalin will boost your endorphins , sense of purpose will come back,
+ youll be glad of a sit down and appreciate your time pieces during the week after, also look for the watches of lesser notoriety theyll be what people are talking about soon .
money cant by you love !!!
Well I won't suggest clocks then as an alternative !
Hilarious and true. Still, this site is its members; better than any other watch forum I've visited :)
Please hang in there Paul, you made me buy a Casio Lineage Waveceptor and I never imagined for a second that I'd buy a Casio!
Put your favourite watch on, lock all the others away and stay clear of TZ for a while, I'm sure the wheel will turn full circle?
Bored again. Too bored to start a new topic. Suggestions ? Not watches, cameras or cars. Nor hats, just so we're clear.
Old wooden yachts.
That'll fix you.
Won't have any money or time left for anything else..!
Personally I found getting back to the guitar a couple of years back a revelation.
Difficult thing to get bored with so why not take up a musical instrument?
Cheers,
Neil.
Not a bad idea ... sold my old electric guitar ( anyone remember the "Marlin" Stratocaster copies ? ) about 25 years ago but could be tempted to pick one up again. Would doubtless amuse my kids if nothing else
Have you tried scuba diving?
I did, I have my Open Water certification and have dived a few times, but it never really bit me. Just too much fussing. Even when I was in the Maldives, I preferred snorkelling. Good suggestion though !
Paul
Edit. Buy two pens. A Pilot Metropolitan, and a TWSBI 580. Get a couple of bottles of ink. Interesting colours. Buy a pad of nice paper, and write to people. Proper letters. See who writes back.
Last edited by Qatar-wol; 10th September 2014 at 07:29.
Golf /equipment,got a garage full of the stuff!
Cage fighting Paul. You'll be too terrified to be bored.
Try Aikido.
theres an amusing book by Robert Twigger called Angry White Pyjamas which describes his year of intensive Aikido training with the Japanese riot police - that might be a bit extreme and all in but taking up a martial art is an interesting diversion and something I found especially useful when living in more remote places.
I think you could get something a bit better than a Marlin nowadays.Not a bad idea ... sold my old electric guitar ( anyone remember the "Marlin" Stratocaster copies ? ) about 25 years ago but could be tempted to pick one up again. Would doubtless amuse my kids if nothing else
Go on, give it a go. Quite a few players on here.
Cheers,
Neil.
Have you thought about parachuting? For me it was a toss up between this and scuba diving, for me scuba was more practical and probably a bit cheaper.With regards to the parachuting I ultimately wanted to do free fall then onto base jumping.
The diving lasted about 15 years, at the same time I was heavily into high end audio, 30 years to be exact and all that has now gone.
I have always had an interest in watches from about 8, but only started to collect them in the last few years, I'm lucky in the way I don't hanker for expensive watches anymore, as I've done all that and vintage isn't my thing either.
I am learning new things all the time on this forum, and it's great to see people with a passion for watches.
These days my tastes are simple I'm more than happy going fell walking or mountain biking in the lake district.
Aikido is a good suggestion too. As it happens, my friend is an instructor in Kali and my kids do kick boxing. Could be a good one. My ageing bod has a host of amusing injuries ( knees ! ) that have put me off anything wilder than hiking and cycling but I could probably manage.
Guitar is appealing at the moment. It's been a long time. I can still play the chords without thinking, but if anyone has a decent suggestion for a book I'd appreciate it. Not likely to hire a teacher so self-study.
Paul
^^^^^^^
I did martial arts Judo taekwondo and jujitsu over the years but had to give up as I have back problems now :(
How about taking up fishing, there's lots to choose from and very relaxing.
I agree with those who question the watch 'thing' as being a hobby. I buy a watch because I like the look of it, the actual mechanics doesn't really come into it. My daily wearer is a GMT Master, super looking watch and that's enough. I occasionally get tempted, last was an IWC spitfire Chrono, nice watch silver dial as opposed to the Rolex, but only been worn at the odd time.
And yes, paying out huge sums of money on watches doesn't make a lot of sense. Mind you my stamp collecting doesn't either, and that is really expensive.
I've just bought this for my niece after realising my old copy from 20+ years ago was too shabby to pass on!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Complete.../dp/1405301899
Or there's this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Gui.../dp/082561936X
Good luck, and yes I remember the Marlin Stratocasters from Argos. Get yourself a nice Classic Vibe Squier or Japanese Fender - you won't believe how good they are!
Yes, I always tell people it's not a pastime for the impatient!
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
I'm in the book reading camp - as long as I have something good to read, I'm fine.
Should find myself though also some creative hobby. Trouble is, I'm completely unskilled/ untalented for any of the typical arts and crafts (my peak in mastering music was the triangle). Hmmm... Maybe I'll start writing something. I can type fairly fast.
5 to 9 Micro Adventures is my latest thing, gets me away in both body and mind from the rat race and the stupidity of modern life like which watch to wear today (*) ... connecting with nature and people seems a tad more fulfilling.
http://www.alastairhumphreys.com/
(* Depending on the adventure I find the Submariner the best watch)
A sentiment I can relate to. What has helped recently overcome some of this picking up the odd budget piece, having focused on pieces in the 1k-2k range. As an example was the unexpected pleasure of the one I received this morning, costing £100 and from one of the big manufacturers. Occasionally a larger outlay can lead to disappointment and an immediate flip, perhaps the loss of confidence in the investment? - whereas a budget buy could prove more interesting in terms of what was achieved for the price. Eddie's pieces are of course case in point, and roll on the Seafire!
Skydiving in Scuba Gear whilst practising a roundhouse is all well and good, but they're a little different from Watches as a hobby.
You can google t'interweb, hunt for stuff and dip in and out when you see fit with Watches. The others all require appropriate time/place, kit and training.
Is it that you are looking to replace - a hobby that you can step in and out of when suits you?
Pens, pocket-knives, stuff like that? Small-scale stuff you can research and resource yourself?
For me and watches, I had the same as most others on here at one point or another.... Too much looking, too much flipping, inevitable ennui.
So i dropped off here for a bit, sold all but one, and wore that every day for six months or so.
I forgot then re-found a bit of passion for watches without any concious effort, I happen to be back into it a bit now - but still on 2 watches and keeping a check on my tendancies to impulse and excess.
If you intend to get into guitar again, home studio technology has really advanced to the point where you can do practically anything with a laptop and a good audio interface? Maybe combine guitar with a bit of tech and learn GarageBand or Ableton Live? Hours of fun there....
Although I have a lot of books from the old days TBH you can pick up anything you are interested in learning nowadays on Youtube.
I wish I had that when I was learning. I can remember back in the dark ages spending about 6 hours just trying to tune up.
Still got this from the early '70's with the record inside!
Last edited by Neil.C; 10th September 2014 at 15:02.
Cheers,
Neil.
Haha ! I think that's the book I had ! Very floppy 45RPM "tuning" record inside, almost impossible to use.
Am currently getting into Rare old Cigars... not much cheaper than watches sadly.
This is whats currently taking up all my time and money, So much so that I am thinking of shifting on a few of my watches to enable more Diving toys and courses.
That's the one!
Cheers,
Neil.
Allow yourself to get into debt, then stop paying. That'll liven things up for you.
Gray
Good book, enjoyed it. Funnily enough there's a place that trains aikido round the corner from where I work but I don't have the time to get into that at the moment.
I find it's cyclical. I will go months without thinking about, looking at or buying watches (other than the ones I own). Then all of a sudden something will catch my eye and rekindle my interest.
At the risk of sounding like a monumental old fart, have you tried gardening?
I've been a gardening obsessive for over twenty years, and there's such enormous variety in plants, garden design, growing for food, houseplants, blah blah blah, I've found the interest stays ever-strong.
Growing things is fundamentally simple, but immensely complex in its details - a four dimensional puzzle and an aesthetic treat.
I've just had a succulent on my bedroom windowsill burst into flower for the first time in about ten years for no apparent reason, and the pleasure derived from this simple occurrence is really something special.
Sorry, I'll get back to my crossword...
I am not bored, but sated. After much looking I realise that there is no grail, and I only have one wrist.
As few as possible to cover my variations of activity, mood and dress and I'm sorted. My 337 and SBGX063 are all I really need. I'll keep my Sinn 103 Ti for holidays, sports and really rough stuff, and the rest will go.
If I wanted to pare it back to one watch to do it all, I'd choose a PO or 14060, but I love watches too much to only have one.
Paul is far wiser in his choice of hobby than I...but...
Have you tried Women.
I've been admiring them for (somewhat over) 40 years now. They come in an enormous variety of shapes sizes colours blah blah blah and my interest is ever-strong.
Women are fundamentally simply but amazing complex in the details - a four dimensional puzzle and an aesthetic treat.
.
I've just had a women in my bedroom burst with joy for the first time in about ten years and I have no idea what I did differently. I hope I in turn derive some special pleasure for this simple occurrence.
Sorry, I'll get back to Sudoku
Buy a Jeep Wrangler and don't look back...Enjoy the fun of trail rides
Its a money pit with all the add ons
Last edited by jk103; 11th September 2014 at 02:08. Reason: added wording
Gardening ... I quite like it, but I live in Tokyo where a garden is only for billionaires, and I've some way to go before that. Maybe next year
Women ... see comment about billionaires, I need more funding to invest properly in that area
Jeep ... I do fancy one, but would probably get the Toyota Landcruiser 70. However, I said no cars ! Tokyo again, there's no point. I owned a Merc for a while. I did 600Km in a year, and averaged 11Km/hour. There are better ways to get around here.
Something that doesn't involve looking at a screen, I reckon. Guitar is looking possible. Maybe also piano. Again, played once upon a time but have little remaining skill. Could get into that, simple jazz maybe, if that's not a contradiction in terms.
Paul
I'm bored again. Too much time (BYOP™ - Bring Your Own Pun) spent on the forum and chasing/musing over watches. One seems to beget the other. Time to cut back on one, or go full Seffrican and cut both. Might just wear this one forever as long as I can hold out:
Chosen only because its what I'm wearing now. Must not overthink this. It's just a watch.
See how long I last.
Yours determinedly
TT
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