Watch wisdom

[proby24]

Good Morning: I have been collecting watches for most of my life and in a more serious fashion for the last 18 years. I know there are many others who have been collecting for longer and several here who are in the watch business.

Over your time collecting, repairing, dealing, what watch 'wisdom' have you learnt? This is intended to be a firmly tongue-in-cheek thread.

I will start with a quote from T.S. Eliot.

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."

My first 'good' watch was an Omega SMP. The last watch I bought (after having a hundred plus come through my hands) was, you guessed it, an Omega SMP.

[GrandS]

Over your time collecting, repairing, dealing, what watch 'wisdom' have you learnt?

1. 1 good watch is better than 100 mediocre ones. It is worth saving for a good watch, years if necessary.

2. Always sell used watches without a recent service, if at all possible.

3. Always insist on a fresh, documented manufacturer's service and associated warranty when buying a used watch.

4. Always insist on full documentation, papers, boxes and accessories.

5. Always inspect any watches you intend to purchase carefully, including new ones. Use a loupe. Also inspect the papers and pay special attention to serial numbers. (It is better to get this right the first time, rather than have an argument about a flawed watch or missing papers later.)

6. Avoid watch winders.

7. It is not good to hoard watches, unless you are a serious collector. It you are not using it, sell it, rather than have it rotting away somewhere.

8. A good timing machine is worth it's weight in gold.

9. Avoid fashion brands and any brand that is frequently and heavily discounted.

[Bluetinfloor]

When selling a watch less than 40mm dia don't forget that that they always "wear larger on the wrist"

Bagging a grail watch and declaring as a keeper is the first stage in the sales process

more seriously - always, always buy the seller

[tritium]

1. 1 good watch is better than 100 mediocre ones. It is worth saving for a good watch, years if necessary.

2. Always sell used watches without a recent service, if at all possible.

3. Always insist on a fresh, documented manufacturer's service and associated warranty when buying a used watch.

4. Always insist on full documentation, papers, boxes and accessories.

5. Always inspect any watches you intend to purchase carefully, including new ones. Use a loupe. Also inspect the papers and pay special attention to serial numbers. (It is better to get this right the first time, rather than have an argument about a flawed watch or missing papers later.)

6. Avoid watch winders.

7. It is not good to hoard watches, unless you are a serious collector. It you are not using it, sell it, rather than have it rotting away somewhere.

8. A good timing machine is worth it's weight in gold.

9. Avoid fashion brands and any brand that is frequently and heavily discounted.

Listen to no 1 that's something I learned.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[seikomatic]

[kaiserphoenix]

1) BUY the seller, very important.

2) Flipping is at the end of the day, a waste of money, unless you kept the watch for at least 3-5 years for price rises to catch up.

3) Quality over Quantity yes, but there is also a point where this reverses. i.e. 1 Rolex Sub is better than having 2-3 mediocre dive watches, but having 1 Patek Philippe complication doesnt beat having a Rolex, IWC etc to play around with.

4) Buy used is always a good call.

5) Buy what YOU like, not the hype.

[seffrican]

Nothing. I've learned nothing. As demonstrated by the fact that I bought another watch last week.

[walkerwek1958]

I`ve been involved as a collector for over 20 years and in recent years as both a collector and fixer-upper. Also had a short spell as a buyer and seller (never quite graduated to fully-fledged dealer status).......it's fair to say I`ve seen watches from a few different angles!

Key messages I`ve learned?

Buy what you like, don't be influenced by fashions or the taste of others.

ALWAYS buy a good example, even if you end up paying more than you wanted to. Better to pay a little over the odds for a good 'un than buy a bargain and end up spending money trying to get it right. Leave that to the folks who know what they're doing.

Think carefully before letting a watch go, don`t sell in haste and regret it at leisure.

Paul

[Der Amf]

Some of these aren't pieces of wisdom, unless you want to count the underlying wisdom of learning of recognise and follow your own desires than other people's.

Having one expensive watch rather than many cheaper watches is a stupid thing to do if having a selection of watches is what you actually want. Losing money on flipping watches is not a problem if you enjoy the endless variety of incomings, and have the spare money to indulge that pleasure.

Personally I dislike losing money on watches, and try to minimise that element of watchylife. Personally I would rather have my dozen watches than one single Rolex or Grand Seiko. My following these two desires is wise; my claiming that they are pieces of universally applicable advice would be bobbins

[animalone]

Easiest way to make a watch more accurate is to take the seconds hand off.

Watch winders aren't really worth it.

Not servicing a regularly worn watch for 20+ years is not big or clever!

Buy what you like not what you think is an investment.

Don't underestimate the value of a good AD

[Wallasey Runner]

You can manage buyers remorse, but you cannot manage flipperitis.

An example, if you buy a Speedmaster from Goldsmiths for the RRP of £3.3k and decide to sell it the next week, you are going to struggle to get £2.5k - therefore a heavy loss is to be expected. However, buy a Smiths Everest on SC for £160 to £180 and decide to sell and apart from a bit of postage you will basically get your money back. Lesson learnt for me, before getting the wallet out, stop and ask yourself if I sold that watch today what would I get. By doing this you can sensibly manage buyers remorse.

Flipperitis, there is no cure. It doesn't get wrist time, it's too big, it's too small, I've realised that I don't like vintage after all etc etc. Nothing wrong with flipperitis, but if you follow the advice for buyers remorse this constant flipping won't leave you too much out of pocket.

Here endeth today's lesson.

[Mark lowman]

1: buy the best watch you can for the money you have. Don't financially stress yourself. This should be fun not a burden.
2: Your good watch could be someone's mediocre watch. Don't stress the damning comments. Enjoy what you have.
3: Be wary of too many dead brands or watches with multi complications. Too many of these and servicing costs could be immense and part supply painful.
4: Diversify the collection have a lovely vintage dress watch along with the divers. All bases covered and dress watches offer some of the best value.
5: Have a good quartz along with a manual so that you have grab and go watches when the autos are on a 6 week service.

[aldfort]

I've learned very little. I have acquired knowledge but that knowledge has lead to more questions.
I like vintage more than modern stuff.
I only wear some watches very occasionally.
The modern watches in my collection are there mostly because of the in house movement they use.
My go to watch is a GMT. Or my Smith's Everest.

[sweets]

Conversely to some comments here, I am very convinced that there is just as much pleasure to be found in finding a nice example fo something you have been huntng for in any part of the market, from £50 to 2000 (this is my range of buying prices).
People get watches right (and wrong) all the way up and down the price scale.

Get a good one, unless you know that you are immune to the "grass is greener" feelings of having not quite found the right one.

Do think about servicing and repairs, and more recently, spares.

Enjoy

[proby24]

I will add the RRP or value of a particular watch has zero correlation with the enjoyment I get from it. Often a high value becomes a burden.

[Der Amf]

Derived both from my own experience and from talking with people at g2gs:

amongst the watches that have been successfully brought into the core of someone's collection, the variation in how fond they are of each one has little to do with the various prices paid.

[Iamcalledryan]

Don't rush to write-off a watch even if you wouldn't wear it or can't fathom the price - there is (almost) always something to be appreciated about it.

[Schofie]

If you're thinking of buying a watch as an investment, such as a Rolex, start a thread about it. People will be more than happy to help

[forpetesake]

It's not about the watch but all the stuff you’ve done whilst you happened to have it on. There’s lasting enjoyment to be had making even an initially unbecoming watch truly your own.

[Neil]

You can only sell something once is what I've learned. I have parted with numerous watches none of which I could (afford to) buy again.

Neil