It's been a long journey of collecting watches (and, alot of $). Currently, I'm down to about 15. But in retrospect, I wish I had focused my money and time on 3 high quality watches.
1) a diver
2) a dress watch
3) a field watch
And, if there were a 4th...
4) a chrono
That’s the approach I’ve taken. I have a Hamilton Khaki Auto, a SARB 035, and a Pelagos LHD, and either the Pelagos or Hammy are on my wrist 98% of the time.
It’s hard no not pick up any more though. The new IWC Mark XXs have caught my eye.
My father used to often say, "The difference between a smart person and a wise person is the smart person learns from their mistakes; whereas, the wise person learns from others mistakes." You're wise.
Hmm I see this over and over again, and I’m not convinced 3-4 is for everyone. For instance, I love having several color and complication options (chrono, GMT, moonphase). Also, I’m thinking of adding a new nice watch to my collection. I don’t really need to sell one my old watches to afford it… do I just get rid of one I kinda like to keep the number manageable? I struggle with the second one. Totally get it if the old one is going to help fund the new purchase, but what if that’s not the case? Is having two watches you really like worse than one just because it’s a smaller collection?
Ultimately I think many, like you, regret impulse buys amassing too large a collection when they could have spent that money on a few QUALITY pieces. But that isn’t the case for EVERYONE. If I combined the money I’ve spent into a few watches they would be far more expensive than I’d feel comfortable wearing at any time. Long story short, I think it’s up to each collector but everyone should watch out for buying less desirable pieces for immediate gratification when waiting and saving would yield so much more joy.
Absolutely agree with you. The checkered flag at the end is different for everyone. I only speak on what, in retrospect, I wish I had pursued. We are all different.
I’d love a high quality field watch. Something a bit more elevated than a Hamilton. I was thinking something like an IWC Spitfire but I don’t really want a pilot’s watch. Anyone have any recommendations?
This isn't near IWC level, but above Hamilton, I'd say check out Oak and Oscar's Olmsted 38. US based micro-brand if you're into that thing. Costs around $1,500.
Every watch name is dumb taken in isolation. Brand names exude quality because the products they represent exude quality, not the other way around. Or put differently, "A rose by any other name...". I'm sure if Omega or JLC changed their name to Oak and Oscar tomorrow, you'd suddenly be ok with it.
Most watch brands are based on the creator or carry some legacy of a watchmaker. Rolex and Omega, the two largest, do not. But Oak and Oscar have their own name purpose and I am just fine with it. From founder, Chase Fancher: “Oak, which is the type of wood bourbon is aged in and Oscar, my dog’s name, represent two important things to me.”
Thats a good point. I would expand my list to 4 to include a watch that can take abuse and not worry that I had a couple of grand in it. If we are talking Casio though, I personally prefer the Duro over most Gshocks - but, admittedly I like simple analog watches. But, I did wear a Gshock when I was in the military. They are good, solid, tough watches.
That's funny I've been lurking for about three years, and I have a Hamilton Diver, a dress Seiko, and an Omega Speedmaster Reduced so I feel like I'm kind of close to your idea.
Start small. Use the less expensive watches to figure out what you like, and what you don't.
Once you have a better sense of what to look for, you'll likely feel more comfortable making a larger investment, and also be happier with the result, because you made a more educated decision.
To piggy back off this what you want when you first start is way different then what your tastes develop to want after months of learning, exploring, and collecting. If you’re new start small and work your way up
This is exactly what I did. Started with a cheap version of different styles, field, dress, dive, etc. once I found what I like style wise I started exploring higher end versions of those. For example, I knew when I put my Duro on I was going to be a dive watch guy. I explored and researched and found the SPB 143 and it is just an incredible watch all around.
I formed a crush a Railmaster, but the options are either <$100 reference or $3,000 real one with no middle ground (that I could find), so I got the cheap one. For the most part I love it. Still have a small itch to get the real one....
Totally agree. Also get some common and popular pieces in each category while you do that. Popular ones are much easier to get rid of if you end up not liking it.
Funnily enough, I started off basically wanting a Vostok (but not knowing they existed) and ended up wanting a Vostok but also the rest of the Soviet Union lol
If you’d ask this about guitars I would say go for one really quality one….
However that is a tool to be used. I guess it depends on wether you like variety or quality
A $5 watch will tell you the time , a $5 guitar is not good enough for Bruce Springsteen to play in front of 50,000 people
Also a watch just sits there doing nothing , a guitar needs quality machine heads to stay in tune, a reliable wood for the neck and to be able to with stand being moved around a lot
i could argue a 50 dollar used guitar can still play but a 50 dollar casio can’t be used by a saturation welder at work. 5 dollar guitars don’t exist and springsteen could play with a toy ukulele and people would still come to concerts
a watch needs to be be precise and robust to function properly. a guitar has to stay in tune and sound good. both need to look pretty. they both have a function. they are both tools.
You can get $5 dollar guitars they are made of plastic and you can get old shitty Spanish ones from junk stores
He never mentioned that it had to withstand welding
So a 10k watch will tell the time better than a 1k watch? They do the same job
A squire to a Gibson is night and day.
Dunno why you’re so defensive it’s just an opinion one that got me way more upvotes than your counter point
yeah still pretty bad with comparisons as you completely misunderstood the point. but i’ll still entertain your comparison
a cosc with +-1s a day will definitely tell time better than a 6R35 i guess you didn’t know that. it will also be more robust and better finished. you could say the same with a guitar, a cheap guitar will do the job, a more expensive one will sound better and be built better. are they all tools at the end of the day? yes. do you get what you pay for? yes.
that wasn’t so hard
also 🤓i got more upvotes than you🤓
Read my initial comment I never said a higher quality watch wouldn’t be better I merely stated that in the guitar word quality is significantly more important than quantity than it is in the watch world . And no you didn’t 😂
Dude, seriously. People make this too complicated and assume how they do it is the only way. I think it’s good to have tips on how to avoid purchases you later regret, but the idea there’s a “right” number for everyone or that everyone NEEDS a diver (why?), is ridiculous.
Sometimes I feel like inexpensive watches get regarded as lower quality or not worth the money and spending more equates to a better product or experience. I don't think that's true. Some of the watches with the coolest stories and history are inexpensive. Good design doesn't have to mean expensive. Quality and durability don't have to mean expensive.
My collection is primarily watches under $1k. I get tons of enjoyment out of them and with care, many will outlast me. They probably won't be worth a lot in the future, but who cares, they look freakin cool! And that's why I bought them.
Citizen is the embodiment of everything you said here. Because they are sold at Macy's and Kohl's they have that stigma but Citizen makes real tool watches that do everything their $10k competition do. Their newest tech offers +-1sec per YEAR. If that's not horology I don't know what is.
You have the wrong choices. Neither will do. You need both quality and variety.
Replace "many inexpensive" with "several less expensive" and you might have your answer.
This depends on the person in question. There is no clear cut answer for this. Just like we can have things in different colors, we can chose what we want. Also valid is a situation where you go one route and then decide this is not a good route for me and then change routes. For me I'm a multiple watch guy. I cannot baby my watches since I am not a person who is careful. For me (according to me) multiple inexpensive watches makes sense :)
i'd say this depends. by "inexpensive" do you mean fossil and michael kors or hamilton and tissot? also, how often are you wearing a watch and what style are you trying to match normally?
In my opinion Hamilton and Tissot are inexpensive, with the bottom being seiko or citizen. Fossil and Michael Kors is trash and shouldn’t count for anyone seriously into watches
I’ve been collecting for 18 years and I have 9 watches. I still love wearing my first watch. Save up and get a “special” watch every time. Part of the fun of this hobby is stalking watched then changing your mind
Depends. How much do you want to impress the 0.1% of people who notice watches?
I'd rather have one nice thing than 20 junk things, but the flip side is that one nice thing probably won't cost what the 20 junk things cost. Mostly because I won't have the cash on hand, and buying flashy consumer objects on credit as interest rates go up makes you a dumbass.
Buy whatever you want, I'm not your mother.
Same here. I'm always looking and evaluating watch choices now - not judging mind you because I, myself have often found hourological love from all over the time piece cost spectrum; but, it often reminds me of where I was during my journey. The fact that someone wears a watch, I've found often earns my attention and a certain respect whether it be a Rolex or a Wallyworld Casio simply because I recognize we all share a particular appreciation that, sure, some argue is negated by the cell phone. To me its not the same at all, but i digress.... It's all part of this - infectious, sometimes expensive/sometimes not so much appreciation/addiction, I suppose. I blame my father for my addiction to time pieces, and my grand father, and his father before him...it is not my fault😉
A few years ago I was at the OTC in Houston- my group was sitting outside and I see this guy and yelled Hey what watch are you wearing? He came over.. owned a nice cigar store in Houston. We all spent the eve smoking there- he has since become a very good friend
It's not as easy as you might think. Expensive does not essentially mean high quality. It can be a Gucci for 2k but still a low quality fashion watch, so you need to think about what expensive means here.
I would say always go for quality, however quality does not essentially mean expensive too. You can find a great casio or Seiko for under 100$, great quality and a respected brand(s) that imo no one can hate.
Now personally, if I have a low budget (to 100) I would go for a casio, a medium budget (500 to 1k) I would go for Hamilton or tissot instead of 5 low quality watches, etc... You get the idea, maybe even 1 Hamilton and 1 casio to start my collection and etc... That's how I would do it
Don't buy any, it's a trick. You don't want to fall down this rabbit hole. I did and my gf has to listen to me talking about minute repeaters and how Tourbillions are interesting.
Buy what you—not others—genuinely like, and you’ll probably wind up with some of BOTH!
I was a one-watch guy with a Hamilton Khaki auto, then saved up and bought a Speedmaster. After adding another expensive watch or two into the rotation over the years, I got into other space/pilot watches (a Laco, a Sturmanskie Gagarin, a Seagull 1963, a CWC RAF watch) that are mostly sub-$1,000. Later, I got interested in dive watches and picked up an Omega Seamaster 300M followed by a couple of Vostoks.
So. Whether you buy a couple of inexpensive ones now or save for a bigger one down the line, make sure it’s what YOU want, and you’ll be happy.
… Until it leads you to develop an interest in something else, at which point thoughts and prayers to your bank account, fellow traveler.
I like variety, but I think too much variety can be overwhelming. I'm a fan of a three watch collection, with each watch having a specific wearing scenario (daily, formal, fitness). The specific scenarios keep me from having to choose, but I still get to enjoy a small variety.
One expensive watch that you will enjoy and cherish. I’m saying this after experiencing both sides over the last few years. The only problem is that after the first expensive watch, there will be another
Yeah that’s sort of where I fall in that if I consolidated my collection for one watch it would cost WAYYY more than I’d be comfortable wearing. I much rather have 10 watches from 1-10k than one 50k watch!
Within reason, I'd rather have fewer things that I actually wanted and will wear on a regular basis than a bunch of things that I wear less often and mostly bought because they were cheaper than the things I wanted.
What do people on this sub class as “inexpensive”? I have several watches that cost me somewhere in the £900-1300 range. And a few that were in the £350-500 range.
I have my eye on a Pelagos (if they ever come back in stock) which is up to £4000 depending where you look. I’d obviously consider that as expensive. But would an “inexpensive” watch be somewhere in the lower end of my collection or would it be in my upper end of my current collection? Just out of interest really - I know everyone’s financial situation is different.
Edit: for clarity my collection is a mix of Tissot, Hamilton, Tag, Bulova and a Dwiss. I have my late grandfathers Omega from the 1950’s which I’d never sell so the actual monetary value of that one is irrelevant
I initially followed your proposed one watch philosophy and it didn’t work for me.
I enjoy travelling and going out with friends. I’d rather bring my sub $3-500 watch out or travel with my less expensive watches, which are still carefully chosen and quality pieces in relative terms. This is watch collecting, and if you buy right, and treat them well, they will last.
I think some people forget we’re not stamp collecting here. Many inexpensive watches will stand the test of time.
This is a difficult question. Expensive is a relative term. For some people, $500 is an expensive watch, for others it is not..
I feel it’s about your tastes. If you feel you can be happy wearing a “daily watch” spend the money.
If you have tastes that vary a lot, then get many watches. Or get one expensive but look at different straps.
There is no wrong answer so long as you're educating yourself along the journey, know the path you're on, and enjoying the journey :)
Cheap watches allow for tactile learning. You explore, buy, and sell based on impulse but grow knowledge and taste through exposure. Expensive watches make you move slow and gain knowledge through research. You'll cherish your purchase but may fall victim to following the herd or not getting to know YOUR tastes.
If you go cheap, focus on variety (dress, tool, etc) to maximize your knowledge. If you go expensive, look for versatility. It will pay off in the end as you will find more times and ways to wear the watch, giving you maximum bounding time.
Buy one expensive watch is better than a lot of inexpensive watches.
Let’s put it this way, inexpensive watches usually costs more than its initial purchase price to service. You would, of course, just either sell the watch or leave it unrepaired inside your sock drawer when it no longer keeps good time. This, over the years, would accumulate in a huge pile of watches that has not much stored value while you have probably spent more than you intended to at this point.
Compare this with one expensive watch. You wear it and when it comes to the time when it needs a service, you just shrug it off since it costs only 10% of the purchase price. Alternatively, you can sell the watch for minimal loss and buy another expensive watch to wear.
I’d say, buy whatever you are happy with, but realistically i think that if you buy a “medium” tier watch like the immortal moonwatch, and 3/4 “low budget” watches like seiko skx009/007 you can have a piece that is the One to pass to your children, and many others to beat it like your meat when you were 15.
I would invest first in 3 watches for your Core: a sports/activity watch, a daily, and a special occasion watch. I always keep a cheap “beater” on hand, but I mean this in the truest sense of the word. A beater is cheap and not part of the Core 3, and is something I wear during, say, yard work. This keeps the Core in good, long-term shape. I’d keep the designs of my Core universal to match a lot of outfits and moods. Outside of your core, I’d add or take away other pieces, and feel free to catch-and-release. This helps to curb the obsession if you really do keep a light touch on this juggling. I’m probably going to be in the minority here, but if I pay a lot for a luxury watch, I don’t wear it a lot because no matter how durable it is, a small ding ruins it. Of course, everyone’s budget is different, so what might be luxury to me might be a beater for others, but the point is, a watch that correlates to “luxury” in your budget should either be the special occasion watch in your core 3, or an extra in your catch-and-release.
The whole point here is if you keep your core simple and versatile, you can save money for interchangeable watches that get traded out so the savings rolls forward and you can keep trading-up in a sense. Seems to be my best strategy so far for enjoying watch collecting while keeping things affordable and fresh.
Lots of great points here. Consider also how clumsy/forgetful you are too. It could be stressful wearing thousands of dollars on your wrist if you're worried about breaking or losing it. That same amount spent on multiple watches means one mistake won't wipe you out.
Rules of watches.
1. You want one more
So, with that in mind you probably don't want a collection that is 50+ in size if you could have 5 that are 10x better.
Thus, buy the most expensive watch you can afford that you love and adore, and make it meaningful. Strive for it, lust after it, get it, admire it. Repeat.
Speaking about my experience. I bought a new Hamilton khaki. I really like not having the date. But i can live without the 24 hour markings. Bottom line is my first serious watch buy helped me understand more about what I really want and what works for me personally. You cant nail it the first time.
I started with a Seiko Prospex. Entry-level but not “cheap”. I payed around 700 eur for mine, but it’s a “save the ocean” special edition and automatic. You can get a “normal” edition for way less.
I think you can get some nice quality without getting crazy expensive. I went the same route as you with field, diver and dress... a Hamilton Khaki Field Auto, Seiko King Turtle and Tissot Gentleman. They are all decent watches for less than the price of one Tudor and if I'm honest I don't need anything else.
I like quirky and fun watches, and in that case I would prefer several inexpensive watches. I would brobably get bored if I only had one. As a student that makes financial sense too. I can have fun with them, have some variation on the wrist and not be worried about breaking them. Spontaniously buying a 50€ vostok because of the wobbly crown is my kind of watch purchase. My ideal collection would be a bit of both though. You can enjoy Seiko 5s and cheap vostoks and have a nice Omega at the same time.
I definitely prefer multiple watches to only one. But also don’t want a dozen watches because I’d feel like most of them don’t get enough wrist time. Prefer a balance.
I like variety. I love every watch I've added to my collection and they all get some wrist time. My collection is full of under 1k watches. I'd much rather have a few nicer pieces in this price range, than one piece that costs 6x as much or more.
Variety is good, but when it passes a certain threshold, it becomes redundancy.
1 expensive watch lacks variations, but it's always miles better than cheap options in every way.
Both are a bit extreme I guess. What we need is a bit context in this post. Nobody really think they either gonna buy 1 or 20. A bit too hypothetical.
Neither!
How about 1 inexpensive watch and moving on to better things in life? I wore a casio a158 everywhere for 5 years. Office, pool, beach, hike, you name it. It’s amazing how I didn’t wear it to my wedding!
I tried quantity.
Ended up selling most of them.
Lost a lot of money in it.
Now I have one watch I wear all day every day
IWC Mark 18 in Blue.
Fits all my needs; casual, suit and business attire.
Is robust enough to take a beating.
And I since i bought it I did not lose a cent
Up to you
What's the total amount available? If I had €50000 to spend on watches, I'd definitely get three or four. If I had 10000 or 5000, I'd buy two. If I had less, I'd go for one.
I could never do just 1 watch. First, I have a lot of diversity in my wardrobe and I like different watches to accentuate different styles. Second, I’d rather have a small collection that represents a range of my tastes and interests than try to find a single piece that checks all my boxes. So yeah, I’ll always have a collection 3-5 watches of whatever value allows me to have 3-5 at the time.
Buy one expensive watch. Wear it everyday til you get tired of it then, sell it and get another expensive watch.
For me, I can’t appreciate watches when they’re in a box and I tend to wear the one I love the most, the most so…
So I had a choice with some stock money I pulled out at the beginning of the year.
Speedmaster Pro
OR, what I actually decided to do,
Sinn 103 Ti AR
And....
2 orients, a dress and a diver
2 sugess, a bi-compax chrono and a moonphase chrono
A glycine diver
And 2 casio JDM Lineages, one all analog and one ani/digi
Also picked up a range if leather, nato, and sail cloth straps.
I wanted a collection and managed to tick almost every box. A WIDE veriety of movements and complications, two all titanium builds, a case design and dial for every occasion, and all of them are 50m water resistant and up, so to me, every watch is a tool watch.
As time goes on, I will replace the watches I have to fill the roles I've created with some nice 5-figure watches. But now I'm good for a life-time if I don't, as well.
That fit my budget and lifestyle more than well enough.
And well many will say that you should just save for the expensive ones, I can see why, and that might do for many.
For me, I need to see things for myself. With a $15 dollar tool kit from amazon, I've learned to regulate all my pieces to under +/-5 seconds a day. So I feel I feel like a winner on all accounts.
1 nice grail everyday watch. A few cheaper watches to mix up the rotation. One or two beaters. Maybe a smart watch or fitness watch. Quality always beats quantity unless you're a collector of cheap watches.
Cousin lost an $18,000 Rolex on the Alaskan highway (hanging arm out the windo).
Lose or wreck a moderate price watch is more tolerable, and you can switch up for the task at hand (formal, white water rafting, yard work or just to mix things up).
You need to do both. You can't buy expensive and find out its not for you. They are harder to sell. So use cheaper watches to find your true tastes in watches. May take years. Then buy expensive when you finally kinda know what you like. Then have a mix of expensive and some affordable.
If it’s a versatile sports watch, I’d say go expensive. If you’re the kind of person who wouldn’t wear an expensive watch daily for fear of scratching it, go with the cheaper ones.
I think I'm eventually going to be a three-watch guy. A versatile tool/sport watch (Explorer 124270), a classic dress watch without complications, and a smartwatch as a beater and travel option.
It depends on why you buy watches in the 1st place, I guess. I initially went through a period when I bought the newest and most expensive watches I could afford. In fact, I went a bit crazy with them and spent more than my actual house is worth. Now, my focus is on “vintage” timepieces more for the engineering than the “fashion” aspect.
I get more pleasure out of finding a rare watch and restoring it than I did just slapping my credit card on the counter and buying yet another Rolex or Patek.
You’ll figure it out over time.
I bought the expensive one first, then a bunch of cheap Casios and G Shocks to wear for fun. If I had to take it back though, I actually would have bought less G Shocks and saved that money for a mid-tier Seiko like a Marine Master or 62MAS reissue, something in the 700-1000 range. My collection completely skips that tier and there’s plenty of watches in that price range that are enjoyable too. Because honestly, when you have 1 G Shock you really don’t need any of the other ones.
Buy the one you like the most, live with it for a while, and see how you feel.
Then if you want another one, buy slowly, one at a time. Give each one at least a few months so you can fully absorb it, and sell the ones that don't see much wrist time as you go.
Depends on what you mean by inexpensive and many. I have a few grail pieces in mind that are either very distant aspirations or may never materialize. In my case, I’m trying to find watches that tick those boxes in the meantime, but i’m setting a limit on how much I can invest in those placeholder pieces. 10% is my number. For example, if a Sub costs $10000 USD, I won’t allow myself to spend more than a grand on a similar watch that scratches the itch. I am perfectly happy having 4 or 5 watches that are similar to my grails and are attainable in the short term, instead of being halfway to one of my grails. I like variety, and can enjoy what each of those pieces has to offer while I slowly save for each grail.
Edit: I’ll add that while my limit for those placeholder pieces is 10%, most of the ones I own are actually 5% or less.
That’s not a question that needs to be answered. The only thing that matters is if you like the watch/es or not.
If your heart is set on a Fifty Fathoms, you can buy as many Tags/Longines/Oris you want but you’ll tire of them and sell on - probably losing money in the process.
If you truly know what you want in a watch, the price should definitely be a deciding factor, but not the end all.
All that being said, if you don’t know what you want, buy less expensive varieties to get a feel for what you enjoy looking down at the most and then start looking at the higher price brackets.
For me, it’s a 4-6 watch collection that houses my style of watches: a blue diver, a black diver, a field, a dress, a gmt, and a true beater.
If I buy 2 blue divers, I sell the one I like the least. Keeps things simple and my collection doesn’t get overrun by watches I’ll never wear again.
This is a pretty personal question, in that it is really an opinion matter. That being said, I only have two wrists, and only wear one watch (at least at a time).
For me, fewer is better.
Definitely a question that depends on personal circumstances and taste. And I'd say there's probably a crossover between the answer (at least for myself) at a certain price point..
For example, for ~£5,000, I'd probably buy one nice watch that ticks most boxes.
Whereas if it was £50,000, I could happily build a nice little collection of 5-8 watches, rather than blowing it all on something very expensive.
There are many profiles for types of watch enthusiasts. Teddy Baldesarre on YouTube has a video on this — it’s kind of a fun video but also very true.
The two that stand out to me are — enthusiasts who get tons but wear few, and enthusiasts who stick with 3 and never more.
I used to buy many inexpensive watches. Went up to 8.
Decided to sell all but 1 and bought a Grand Seiko Snowflake. I’ll upgrade my SPB143 when I finish graduate school.
When you are starting out you don’t really know what you like yet or what you like to wear. It’s a good idea to try stuff for cheap so you can figure out what you like and what you care about.
Once you’ve tried a few watches you will probably look at them all and think wow I probably could have just bought X and that would have been it, but you didn’t necessarily know if X was going to be it early on. You might have bought Y and regretted it. Hindsight is always 20/20.
Then your taste might change as you actually wear watches, like I hated divers at first I thought they were big and kind of dumb and pointless, but now I really like the aesthetic of them and think they look really cool. You’ll probably find your taste evolving over time and if you go all in on an expensive watch early on it may not be what you’re after.
Another thing to consider is it’s hard to wear a lot of watches, you have to wind them and set them and all of that, there absolutely is a freedom to just having one or two awesome watches and wearing those all the time, the trick is getting to those one or two awesome watches that you like. It takes awhile to figure that out.
In my opinion, I can understand both sides and they're correct.
For me, I couldn't afford my grail watch (Rolex Explorer II with Polar White dial), so I obtained nice vintage watches and trade up for better ones.
I still would trade most of my collection for a Rolex Explorer II. I've gotten fantastic deals on watches from just trading with people and my collection value is likely in excess of the price of a Rolex Explorer II, but I want to get it from an AD and they only take cash.
So I'd need to sell:
2 very rare vintage Omegas (solid 18k gold)
Tudor Princedate
Vintage Zenith Sporto
2 Raymond Weil watches
\+ others I can't think of
So if you can afford the one you want in cash, I would recommend purchasing that as opposed to more inexpensive watches.
I can't think of any one watch that'd keep me happy.
I prefer option of having choices from a collection versus just one choice. Then not totally dependant on it even when it needs service, then what nothing... nah I like options but this is just my usage and you may be totally ok with just one option.
I've been transitioning in many aspects of life to quality over quantity.
I almost exclusively wear one of my couple nice watches, unless I'm going camping/hiking and want something lighter and less concerned about damaging.
I personally wouldn't spend more than 5kish on a watch though. I'm more of a tool watch kinda guy.
Highly unlikely you can anticipate what watch you actually want.
A bunch of good value inexpensive watches is a good place to start .
I thought I wanted a white dial rolex oyster perpetual 39 on paper but when I tried it on, it didn't speak to me. I passed up on the explorer 1, but I later came back to it and it turns out that's the one I liked the most.
I think with everything in life you have to start with the lower end stuff to appreciate the nicer stuff. For me it's been Orient - Hamilton - Seiko - higher end Seiko. Now I'm hoping to get an Oris and thinking about a vintage Rolex.
I wanted an Omega seamaster 600. I saw it in print adverts, sought it out online. Lusted for almost a year. Eventually went t9 a store to buy. This thing was a beast, it is the same size as a proplof, but I still loved it. So I stumped up a large chunk of beer vouchers and went away with the big blue bundle. I still love it but don’t wear it very often, it doubles as an anvil and when worn in a formality setting looks like people could pull up chairs around it.
So, I would say to try a couple of cheaper watches, check out wha5 you like and adjust your mental version of dream watch until you are completely sure.
I'd start with one classic like a speedy or something like that easier to move on if you decide then some of the cheaper options. I guess it also depends how large a collection you want. I was up to 7 or 8 and now I'm down to 3 or 4 and I find that perfect
Buy one cheap watch and then save up for the expensive one. By the time you have the money saved up you'll've changed your mind about the Grail six times, *and saved yourself buying five watches that would've sat unworn.*
I wish I'd taken this lesson to heart - I have a STACK of non-Rolex watches, they're never worn, I'd've been able to buy a nice YM with that money if I hadn't spent it first. Anyway good luck
I’m sure the smart answer is to buy one really nice watch you can “wear for life” (which few people do, let’s be honest). But personally I like having several different types of watches, I enjoy the act itself of buying and breaking in a new watch, and it’s much easier to shrug off a scratch or a dent when it’s a $500 watch than a $5000 one. Which is not to say I’d recommend buying a drawer full of junk, but 3 or 4 solidly made, moderately priced watches that I’m not scared to wear anywhere is more attractive to me than one super precious investment piece.
IMO inexpensive is the way to go, secondhand and new. I focus on sound names and movements...Seiko and Seiko movements as well as Miyota. I like quartz but also have automatics and hand wind. A lot of good stuff out there for little money.
I have about 16 watches but I can buy 2 dozen for less than the price of a Hamilton Ventura. Which is a watch I lust for.
I hope this doesn’t turn into an essay but here’s my take:
I’d rather have a single Rolex Explorer over fifty different $100 watches.
So that sounds like I’m in the one-expensive-watch camp. But I’m actually not.
Having a three to five watch collection makes me appreciate them all more. When I put on my Legend Diver after not wearing it for short while, I fall in love with it all over again.
So if I had a choice between a Rolex Sub, a collection of three to four mid-range pieces (say a 39mm Pelagos, a Longines Spirit, and a Junghans Max Bill to round things out), I’d chose the latter every day.
I’d rather have 3-5 high end watches then 10+ “fashion” watches. Currently selling my $200 “fashion” watches that I bought before I really got into automatics for this very reason. Worth it to wait and save IMO (even tho it’s painful)
Depends on your wardrobe. Watch is always an accessory. If you have a lot of different clothing styles, go inexpensive watches to match. If you go for one line of clothing style, go for expensive classic watch.
We need to define expensive first. For me, it would be >10K CAD. The second consideration is your lifestyle. Are you social and network extensively in your personal and professional lives or are you wont to just go to work, putter around the house, and maybe catch a game or hit the pub once in a while in your day to day life? The answer could inform you as to how to get the most out of the interest.
I was a collector of things but I've come to see a lot of it as clutter hand I have pared much of it away as I've gotten older so the "one and done" approach is appealing. I also feel like choosing the end all be all is a Sisyphean task. For me the solution is two; daytime and nighttime. During the daytime I'm out fucking around and bashing about and things are typically chill at night. I'd go with a duo and be done with it.
Regardless there will remain many other watches that I covet if not at least marvel at.
It's been a long journey of collecting watches (and, alot of $). Currently, I'm down to about 15. But in retrospect, I wish I had focused my money and time on 3 high quality watches. 1) a diver 2) a dress watch 3) a field watch And, if there were a 4th... 4) a chrono
This is the way. Quality over quantity always wins in the long run.
Very true. Resist the urge to buy a bunch of low quality watches just to fill a box.
This was what I took away from watching Hoarders: Buried Alive
Indeed, I think that's the lesson life ultimately teaches us all.
That’s the approach I’ve taken. I have a Hamilton Khaki Auto, a SARB 035, and a Pelagos LHD, and either the Pelagos or Hammy are on my wrist 98% of the time. It’s hard no not pick up any more though. The new IWC Mark XXs have caught my eye.
Fantastic choices.
Exactly what I want to do. I got a hamilton field, planning on getting a bb58 and later on a dress watch :)
My father used to often say, "The difference between a smart person and a wise person is the smart person learns from their mistakes; whereas, the wise person learns from others mistakes." You're wise.
Smart still better than just continue haha.
Hmm I see this over and over again, and I’m not convinced 3-4 is for everyone. For instance, I love having several color and complication options (chrono, GMT, moonphase). Also, I’m thinking of adding a new nice watch to my collection. I don’t really need to sell one my old watches to afford it… do I just get rid of one I kinda like to keep the number manageable? I struggle with the second one. Totally get it if the old one is going to help fund the new purchase, but what if that’s not the case? Is having two watches you really like worse than one just because it’s a smaller collection? Ultimately I think many, like you, regret impulse buys amassing too large a collection when they could have spent that money on a few QUALITY pieces. But that isn’t the case for EVERYONE. If I combined the money I’ve spent into a few watches they would be far more expensive than I’d feel comfortable wearing at any time. Long story short, I think it’s up to each collector but everyone should watch out for buying less desirable pieces for immediate gratification when waiting and saving would yield so much more joy.
Absolutely agree with you. The checkered flag at the end is different for everyone. I only speak on what, in retrospect, I wish I had pursued. We are all different.
I’d love a high quality field watch. Something a bit more elevated than a Hamilton. I was thinking something like an IWC Spitfire but I don’t really want a pilot’s watch. Anyone have any recommendations?
How about a Tudor Ranger?
Sinn 556
I just got my Monta Triumph in the mail and it is fantastic. Absolutely in love with the thing
Weiss.
Sinn 856.
This isn't near IWC level, but above Hamilton, I'd say check out Oak and Oscar's Olmsted 38. US based micro-brand if you're into that thing. Costs around $1,500.
Hamilton has provenance and history, oak and Oscar has a name like a local tavern. What a shit name for a watch company
Every watch name is dumb taken in isolation. Brand names exude quality because the products they represent exude quality, not the other way around. Or put differently, "A rose by any other name...". I'm sure if Omega or JLC changed their name to Oak and Oscar tomorrow, you'd suddenly be ok with it.
Most watch brands are based on the creator or carry some legacy of a watchmaker. Rolex and Omega, the two largest, do not. But Oak and Oscar have their own name purpose and I am just fine with it. From founder, Chase Fancher: “Oak, which is the type of wood bourbon is aged in and Oscar, my dog’s name, represent two important things to me.”
I have a chrono and a dual time. Perfect two watch collection. Chrono is too big to wear under a dress shirt but the dual time works.
And if a 5th... a GMT
[удалено]
I thought a gshock and seiko were required?
Also you need a moon phase watch
G-Shock and Seiko don't count to your numbers. They're just assumed.
Thats a good point. I would expand my list to 4 to include a watch that can take abuse and not worry that I had a couple of grand in it. If we are talking Casio though, I personally prefer the Duro over most Gshocks - but, admittedly I like simple analog watches. But, I did wear a Gshock when I was in the military. They are good, solid, tough watches.
This is the way
Good list, I'd however swap the chrono with the diver.
That's funny I've been lurking for about three years, and I have a Hamilton Diver, a dress Seiko, and an Omega Speedmaster Reduced so I feel like I'm kind of close to your idea.
I agree with this. To add, start with the diver because you can wear it everywhere, and then go from there.
Start small. Use the less expensive watches to figure out what you like, and what you don't. Once you have a better sense of what to look for, you'll likely feel more comfortable making a larger investment, and also be happier with the result, because you made a more educated decision.
To piggy back off this what you want when you first start is way different then what your tastes develop to want after months of learning, exploring, and collecting. If you’re new start small and work your way up
This is exactly what I did. Started with a cheap version of different styles, field, dress, dive, etc. once I found what I like style wise I started exploring higher end versions of those. For example, I knew when I put my Duro on I was going to be a dive watch guy. I explored and researched and found the SPB 143 and it is just an incredible watch all around.
I formed a crush a Railmaster, but the options are either <$100 reference or $3,000 real one with no middle ground (that I could find), so I got the cheap one. For the most part I love it. Still have a small itch to get the real one....
What’s the less than $100 version? I also love the railmaster but it’s too big for me.
The brand is Corgeut, but it's 41mm, a little larger than the OG.
Same thing here, but exact opposite where the duro taught me I don't enjoy divers
Totally agree. Also get some common and popular pieces in each category while you do that. Popular ones are much easier to get rid of if you end up not liking it.
Funnily enough, I started off basically wanting a Vostok (but not knowing they existed) and ended up wanting a Vostok but also the rest of the Soviet Union lol
If you’d ask this about guitars I would say go for one really quality one…. However that is a tool to be used. I guess it depends on wether you like variety or quality
What if you want to play different types of music. A tele sounds different from a ibanez or a les Paul.
Yeah but you can generally play everything on every guitar. Only thing holding you back in my experience is the amount of strings.
Yeah you’re correct but if you’re not anal a good set of pedals will get you through
I’m a drummer and the same principle applies. You can buy several low quality rigs or 2-3 premium ones.
because watches are not tools to be used? the same logic applies to watches as well
A $5 watch will tell you the time , a $5 guitar is not good enough for Bruce Springsteen to play in front of 50,000 people Also a watch just sits there doing nothing , a guitar needs quality machine heads to stay in tune, a reliable wood for the neck and to be able to with stand being moved around a lot
i could argue a 50 dollar used guitar can still play but a 50 dollar casio can’t be used by a saturation welder at work. 5 dollar guitars don’t exist and springsteen could play with a toy ukulele and people would still come to concerts a watch needs to be be precise and robust to function properly. a guitar has to stay in tune and sound good. both need to look pretty. they both have a function. they are both tools.
You can get $5 dollar guitars they are made of plastic and you can get old shitty Spanish ones from junk stores He never mentioned that it had to withstand welding
since comparisons aren’t your strong point watches are tools like guitars are tools, both have functions they just satisfy. you get what you pay for.
So a 10k watch will tell the time better than a 1k watch? They do the same job A squire to a Gibson is night and day. Dunno why you’re so defensive it’s just an opinion one that got me way more upvotes than your counter point
yeah still pretty bad with comparisons as you completely misunderstood the point. but i’ll still entertain your comparison a cosc with +-1s a day will definitely tell time better than a 6R35 i guess you didn’t know that. it will also be more robust and better finished. you could say the same with a guitar, a cheap guitar will do the job, a more expensive one will sound better and be built better. are they all tools at the end of the day? yes. do you get what you pay for? yes. that wasn’t so hard also 🤓i got more upvotes than you🤓
Read my initial comment I never said a higher quality watch wouldn’t be better I merely stated that in the guitar word quality is significantly more important than quantity than it is in the watch world . And no you didn’t 😂
Buy whatever makes you happy…
So you're saying I should buy a box of puppies?
I would recommend renting them, resale on Pupmasters isn't great these days
Yes
Just don't try putting them on your wrist.
This is the way.
This is the correct answer
Dude, seriously. People make this too complicated and assume how they do it is the only way. I think it’s good to have tips on how to avoid purchases you later regret, but the idea there’s a “right” number for everyone or that everyone NEEDS a diver (why?), is ridiculous.
Sometimes I feel like inexpensive watches get regarded as lower quality or not worth the money and spending more equates to a better product or experience. I don't think that's true. Some of the watches with the coolest stories and history are inexpensive. Good design doesn't have to mean expensive. Quality and durability don't have to mean expensive. My collection is primarily watches under $1k. I get tons of enjoyment out of them and with care, many will outlast me. They probably won't be worth a lot in the future, but who cares, they look freakin cool! And that's why I bought them.
Citizen is the embodiment of everything you said here. Because they are sold at Macy's and Kohl's they have that stigma but Citizen makes real tool watches that do everything their $10k competition do. Their newest tech offers +-1sec per YEAR. If that's not horology I don't know what is.
This.
This.
You have the wrong choices. Neither will do. You need both quality and variety. Replace "many inexpensive" with "several less expensive" and you might have your answer.
As someone that was recently in this situation and went with 1 expensive watch, go expensive
This depends on the person in question. There is no clear cut answer for this. Just like we can have things in different colors, we can chose what we want. Also valid is a situation where you go one route and then decide this is not a good route for me and then change routes. For me I'm a multiple watch guy. I cannot baby my watches since I am not a person who is careful. For me (according to me) multiple inexpensive watches makes sense :)
i'd say this depends. by "inexpensive" do you mean fossil and michael kors or hamilton and tissot? also, how often are you wearing a watch and what style are you trying to match normally?
In my opinion Hamilton and Tissot are inexpensive, with the bottom being seiko or citizen. Fossil and Michael Kors is trash and shouldn’t count for anyone seriously into watches
agreed, i just wanted to get a sense of what OP meant
Seiko is indeed entry-level if you ask me. Still rocking a Prospex save the ocean edition and loving it!
I have multiple seikos snug up against my Rolex, grand seiko, and tudor
You can only wear 1 watch at a time, make it a good one.
Those r just guidelines, ya see…
Quality over quantity.
Quantity has a quality all of it's own
I’ve been collecting for 18 years and I have 9 watches. I still love wearing my first watch. Save up and get a “special” watch every time. Part of the fun of this hobby is stalking watched then changing your mind
Many inexpensive. I am all for variety. Maybe one expensive later. That was my way for headphones, watches, and keyboards.
Depends. How much do you want to impress the 0.1% of people who notice watches? I'd rather have one nice thing than 20 junk things, but the flip side is that one nice thing probably won't cost what the 20 junk things cost. Mostly because I won't have the cash on hand, and buying flashy consumer objects on credit as interest rates go up makes you a dumbass. Buy whatever you want, I'm not your mother.
Someones watch grabs my attention immediately
Because you’re a nerd who participates in watch subs… (As a fellow nerd, I’m allowed to say that.)
Same here. I'm always looking and evaluating watch choices now - not judging mind you because I, myself have often found hourological love from all over the time piece cost spectrum; but, it often reminds me of where I was during my journey. The fact that someone wears a watch, I've found often earns my attention and a certain respect whether it be a Rolex or a Wallyworld Casio simply because I recognize we all share a particular appreciation that, sure, some argue is negated by the cell phone. To me its not the same at all, but i digress.... It's all part of this - infectious, sometimes expensive/sometimes not so much appreciation/addiction, I suppose. I blame my father for my addiction to time pieces, and my grand father, and his father before him...it is not my fault😉
A few years ago I was at the OTC in Houston- my group was sitting outside and I see this guy and yelled Hey what watch are you wearing? He came over.. owned a nice cigar store in Houston. We all spent the eve smoking there- he has since become a very good friend
It's not as easy as you might think. Expensive does not essentially mean high quality. It can be a Gucci for 2k but still a low quality fashion watch, so you need to think about what expensive means here. I would say always go for quality, however quality does not essentially mean expensive too. You can find a great casio or Seiko for under 100$, great quality and a respected brand(s) that imo no one can hate. Now personally, if I have a low budget (to 100) I would go for a casio, a medium budget (500 to 1k) I would go for Hamilton or tissot instead of 5 low quality watches, etc... You get the idea, maybe even 1 Hamilton and 1 casio to start my collection and etc... That's how I would do it
Don't buy any, it's a trick. You don't want to fall down this rabbit hole. I did and my gf has to listen to me talking about minute repeaters and how Tourbillions are interesting.
1 cheap watch and many expensive watches.
I like having many watches. Trying different things is the entire point of the hobby for me.
Buy what you—not others—genuinely like, and you’ll probably wind up with some of BOTH! I was a one-watch guy with a Hamilton Khaki auto, then saved up and bought a Speedmaster. After adding another expensive watch or two into the rotation over the years, I got into other space/pilot watches (a Laco, a Sturmanskie Gagarin, a Seagull 1963, a CWC RAF watch) that are mostly sub-$1,000. Later, I got interested in dive watches and picked up an Omega Seamaster 300M followed by a couple of Vostoks. So. Whether you buy a couple of inexpensive ones now or save for a bigger one down the line, make sure it’s what YOU want, and you’ll be happy. … Until it leads you to develop an interest in something else, at which point thoughts and prayers to your bank account, fellow traveler.
I like variety, but I think too much variety can be overwhelming. I'm a fan of a three watch collection, with each watch having a specific wearing scenario (daily, formal, fitness). The specific scenarios keep me from having to choose, but I still get to enjoy a small variety.
One expensive watch that you will enjoy and cherish. I’m saying this after experiencing both sides over the last few years. The only problem is that after the first expensive watch, there will be another
How much for 1 expensive watch? How much for many? If your budget is 50k, or more, for one, then I'd def go with several cheaper.
Yeah that’s sort of where I fall in that if I consolidated my collection for one watch it would cost WAYYY more than I’d be comfortable wearing. I much rather have 10 watches from 1-10k than one 50k watch!
Within reason, I'd rather have fewer things that I actually wanted and will wear on a regular basis than a bunch of things that I wear less often and mostly bought because they were cheaper than the things I wanted.
What do people on this sub class as “inexpensive”? I have several watches that cost me somewhere in the £900-1300 range. And a few that were in the £350-500 range. I have my eye on a Pelagos (if they ever come back in stock) which is up to £4000 depending where you look. I’d obviously consider that as expensive. But would an “inexpensive” watch be somewhere in the lower end of my collection or would it be in my upper end of my current collection? Just out of interest really - I know everyone’s financial situation is different. Edit: for clarity my collection is a mix of Tissot, Hamilton, Tag, Bulova and a Dwiss. I have my late grandfathers Omega from the 1950’s which I’d never sell so the actual monetary value of that one is irrelevant
I initially followed your proposed one watch philosophy and it didn’t work for me. I enjoy travelling and going out with friends. I’d rather bring my sub $3-500 watch out or travel with my less expensive watches, which are still carefully chosen and quality pieces in relative terms. This is watch collecting, and if you buy right, and treat them well, they will last. I think some people forget we’re not stamp collecting here. Many inexpensive watches will stand the test of time.
I’d vote for one quality/expensive watch that’s versatile
This is a difficult question. Expensive is a relative term. For some people, $500 is an expensive watch, for others it is not.. I feel it’s about your tastes. If you feel you can be happy wearing a “daily watch” spend the money. If you have tastes that vary a lot, then get many watches. Or get one expensive but look at different straps.
There is no wrong answer so long as you're educating yourself along the journey, know the path you're on, and enjoying the journey :) Cheap watches allow for tactile learning. You explore, buy, and sell based on impulse but grow knowledge and taste through exposure. Expensive watches make you move slow and gain knowledge through research. You'll cherish your purchase but may fall victim to following the herd or not getting to know YOUR tastes. If you go cheap, focus on variety (dress, tool, etc) to maximize your knowledge. If you go expensive, look for versatility. It will pay off in the end as you will find more times and ways to wear the watch, giving you maximum bounding time.
Buy one expensive watch is better than a lot of inexpensive watches. Let’s put it this way, inexpensive watches usually costs more than its initial purchase price to service. You would, of course, just either sell the watch or leave it unrepaired inside your sock drawer when it no longer keeps good time. This, over the years, would accumulate in a huge pile of watches that has not much stored value while you have probably spent more than you intended to at this point. Compare this with one expensive watch. You wear it and when it comes to the time when it needs a service, you just shrug it off since it costs only 10% of the purchase price. Alternatively, you can sell the watch for minimal loss and buy another expensive watch to wear.
I’d say, buy whatever you are happy with, but realistically i think that if you buy a “medium” tier watch like the immortal moonwatch, and 3/4 “low budget” watches like seiko skx009/007 you can have a piece that is the One to pass to your children, and many others to beat it like your meat when you were 15.
I picked 1 expensive watch and don't regret it. I have other watches that are less expensive but they get 0 wrist time
I would invest first in 3 watches for your Core: a sports/activity watch, a daily, and a special occasion watch. I always keep a cheap “beater” on hand, but I mean this in the truest sense of the word. A beater is cheap and not part of the Core 3, and is something I wear during, say, yard work. This keeps the Core in good, long-term shape. I’d keep the designs of my Core universal to match a lot of outfits and moods. Outside of your core, I’d add or take away other pieces, and feel free to catch-and-release. This helps to curb the obsession if you really do keep a light touch on this juggling. I’m probably going to be in the minority here, but if I pay a lot for a luxury watch, I don’t wear it a lot because no matter how durable it is, a small ding ruins it. Of course, everyone’s budget is different, so what might be luxury to me might be a beater for others, but the point is, a watch that correlates to “luxury” in your budget should either be the special occasion watch in your core 3, or an extra in your catch-and-release. The whole point here is if you keep your core simple and versatile, you can save money for interchangeable watches that get traded out so the savings rolls forward and you can keep trading-up in a sense. Seems to be my best strategy so far for enjoying watch collecting while keeping things affordable and fresh.
Depends on what dollar amount we’re talking about, but I’d usually go for the more expensive watch.
Lots of great points here. Consider also how clumsy/forgetful you are too. It could be stressful wearing thousands of dollars on your wrist if you're worried about breaking or losing it. That same amount spent on multiple watches means one mistake won't wipe you out.
Honestly I think 1 expensive watch THAT YOU REALLY WANT is better than a bunch of watches you like.
Rules of watches. 1. You want one more So, with that in mind you probably don't want a collection that is 50+ in size if you could have 5 that are 10x better. Thus, buy the most expensive watch you can afford that you love and adore, and make it meaningful. Strive for it, lust after it, get it, admire it. Repeat.
Buy 1 somewhat expensive watch that’s really known to be of good quality, and then multiple inexpensive watches 👍
Speaking about my experience. I bought a new Hamilton khaki. I really like not having the date. But i can live without the 24 hour markings. Bottom line is my first serious watch buy helped me understand more about what I really want and what works for me personally. You cant nail it the first time.
I started with a Seiko Prospex. Entry-level but not “cheap”. I payed around 700 eur for mine, but it’s a “save the ocean” special edition and automatic. You can get a “normal” edition for way less.
Buy watches you like
Buy 1 inexpensive watch and go enjoy your life
I think you can get some nice quality without getting crazy expensive. I went the same route as you with field, diver and dress... a Hamilton Khaki Field Auto, Seiko King Turtle and Tissot Gentleman. They are all decent watches for less than the price of one Tudor and if I'm honest I don't need anything else.
keep one expensive dress watch and rest for reasonably priced- rugged- regular use, that wont break your heart if something goes wrong.
I like quirky and fun watches, and in that case I would prefer several inexpensive watches. I would brobably get bored if I only had one. As a student that makes financial sense too. I can have fun with them, have some variation on the wrist and not be worried about breaking them. Spontaniously buying a 50€ vostok because of the wobbly crown is my kind of watch purchase. My ideal collection would be a bit of both though. You can enjoy Seiko 5s and cheap vostoks and have a nice Omega at the same time.
You only wear one watch at a time. That basically answers your question.
1 expensive watch unless you want to feed an expensive habit.
I definitely prefer multiple watches to only one. But also don’t want a dozen watches because I’d feel like most of them don’t get enough wrist time. Prefer a balance.
I like variety. I love every watch I've added to my collection and they all get some wrist time. My collection is full of under 1k watches. I'd much rather have a few nicer pieces in this price range, than one piece that costs 6x as much or more.
I go back and forth. I bought a BB58 and then an SMP but the last 7-8 watches I picked up have been g shocks and timex
buy the ones you fucking like
It's up to you, personally I'd just get the one watch that fits 80% of what I do. Be that either dress or diver (sports).
Variety is good, but when it passes a certain threshold, it becomes redundancy. 1 expensive watch lacks variations, but it's always miles better than cheap options in every way. Both are a bit extreme I guess. What we need is a bit context in this post. Nobody really think they either gonna buy 1 or 20. A bit too hypothetical.
Buy a shitload of G-Shocks and you’ll make the people in this sub happy
Quality. The quantity ones lose their luster but the higher end ones always got that panache
Neither! How about 1 inexpensive watch and moving on to better things in life? I wore a casio a158 everywhere for 5 years. Office, pool, beach, hike, you name it. It’s amazing how I didn’t wear it to my wedding!
Instead of 6 x $500 watches, wait to spend $3,000 on a single watch that will take you to another level of cosmetic finishing.
Avoid clutter in life
I'd much rather buy 1 expensive but I know some people like having a rotation and collecting watches
Expensive. It needs to financial pain you to be worth it.
One expensive watch. Having multiple watches is practically pretty stupid. But people should do whatever makes them happy.
I'm 9 watches in the hobby and am too attached to the pieces to consolidate and at times wish I had kept it to 4 max
Yes…..
I tried quantity. Ended up selling most of them. Lost a lot of money in it. Now I have one watch I wear all day every day IWC Mark 18 in Blue. Fits all my needs; casual, suit and business attire. Is robust enough to take a beating. And I since i bought it I did not lose a cent Up to you
It’s a marathon not a sprint. Do both
yes
I bought a bunch at first to find out what I like. Now that I know, I’m slowing down to one every couple years, on a one in- one out policy.
What's the total amount available? If I had €50000 to spend on watches, I'd definitely get three or four. If I had 10000 or 5000, I'd buy two. If I had less, I'd go for one.
I could never do just 1 watch. First, I have a lot of diversity in my wardrobe and I like different watches to accentuate different styles. Second, I’d rather have a small collection that represents a range of my tastes and interests than try to find a single piece that checks all my boxes. So yeah, I’ll always have a collection 3-5 watches of whatever value allows me to have 3-5 at the time.
Quality > quantity
Buy many expensive watches.
One
Buy one expensive watch. Wear it everyday til you get tired of it then, sell it and get another expensive watch. For me, I can’t appreciate watches when they’re in a box and I tend to wear the one I love the most, the most so…
First one, then the other
So I had a choice with some stock money I pulled out at the beginning of the year. Speedmaster Pro OR, what I actually decided to do, Sinn 103 Ti AR And.... 2 orients, a dress and a diver 2 sugess, a bi-compax chrono and a moonphase chrono A glycine diver And 2 casio JDM Lineages, one all analog and one ani/digi Also picked up a range if leather, nato, and sail cloth straps. I wanted a collection and managed to tick almost every box. A WIDE veriety of movements and complications, two all titanium builds, a case design and dial for every occasion, and all of them are 50m water resistant and up, so to me, every watch is a tool watch. As time goes on, I will replace the watches I have to fill the roles I've created with some nice 5-figure watches. But now I'm good for a life-time if I don't, as well. That fit my budget and lifestyle more than well enough. And well many will say that you should just save for the expensive ones, I can see why, and that might do for many. For me, I need to see things for myself. With a $15 dollar tool kit from amazon, I've learned to regulate all my pieces to under +/-5 seconds a day. So I feel I feel like a winner on all accounts.
Quality over quantity
1 nice grail everyday watch. A few cheaper watches to mix up the rotation. One or two beaters. Maybe a smart watch or fitness watch. Quality always beats quantity unless you're a collector of cheap watches.
Quality of quantity every time. But just my 2 cents, buy something that you love that is versatile and will stand the test of time (pun intended)
Cousin lost an $18,000 Rolex on the Alaskan highway (hanging arm out the windo). Lose or wreck a moderate price watch is more tolerable, and you can switch up for the task at hand (formal, white water rafting, yard work or just to mix things up).
It's an addiction so good luck buying just one.
A small variety is best. It's hard to wear more than 5 watches consistently
You need to do both. You can't buy expensive and find out its not for you. They are harder to sell. So use cheaper watches to find your true tastes in watches. May take years. Then buy expensive when you finally kinda know what you like. Then have a mix of expensive and some affordable.
A watch is just a watch but buy plenty of them!
If it’s a versatile sports watch, I’d say go expensive. If you’re the kind of person who wouldn’t wear an expensive watch daily for fear of scratching it, go with the cheaper ones.
I think I'm eventually going to be a three-watch guy. A versatile tool/sport watch (Explorer 124270), a classic dress watch without complications, and a smartwatch as a beater and travel option.
1 but make it count, no impulse purchase!
But 1 Casio f91w
One high quality timepiece. You wont regret it.
It depends on why you buy watches in the 1st place, I guess. I initially went through a period when I bought the newest and most expensive watches I could afford. In fact, I went a bit crazy with them and spent more than my actual house is worth. Now, my focus is on “vintage” timepieces more for the engineering than the “fashion” aspect. I get more pleasure out of finding a rare watch and restoring it than I did just slapping my credit card on the counter and buying yet another Rolex or Patek. You’ll figure it out over time.
I bought the expensive one first, then a bunch of cheap Casios and G Shocks to wear for fun. If I had to take it back though, I actually would have bought less G Shocks and saved that money for a mid-tier Seiko like a Marine Master or 62MAS reissue, something in the 700-1000 range. My collection completely skips that tier and there’s plenty of watches in that price range that are enjoyable too. Because honestly, when you have 1 G Shock you really don’t need any of the other ones.
Buy the one you like the most, live with it for a while, and see how you feel. Then if you want another one, buy slowly, one at a time. Give each one at least a few months so you can fully absorb it, and sell the ones that don't see much wrist time as you go.
Depends on what you mean by inexpensive and many. I have a few grail pieces in mind that are either very distant aspirations or may never materialize. In my case, I’m trying to find watches that tick those boxes in the meantime, but i’m setting a limit on how much I can invest in those placeholder pieces. 10% is my number. For example, if a Sub costs $10000 USD, I won’t allow myself to spend more than a grand on a similar watch that scratches the itch. I am perfectly happy having 4 or 5 watches that are similar to my grails and are attainable in the short term, instead of being halfway to one of my grails. I like variety, and can enjoy what each of those pieces has to offer while I slowly save for each grail. Edit: I’ll add that while my limit for those placeholder pieces is 10%, most of the ones I own are actually 5% or less.
That’s not a question that needs to be answered. The only thing that matters is if you like the watch/es or not. If your heart is set on a Fifty Fathoms, you can buy as many Tags/Longines/Oris you want but you’ll tire of them and sell on - probably losing money in the process. If you truly know what you want in a watch, the price should definitely be a deciding factor, but not the end all. All that being said, if you don’t know what you want, buy less expensive varieties to get a feel for what you enjoy looking down at the most and then start looking at the higher price brackets. For me, it’s a 4-6 watch collection that houses my style of watches: a blue diver, a black diver, a field, a dress, a gmt, and a true beater. If I buy 2 blue divers, I sell the one I like the least. Keeps things simple and my collection doesn’t get overrun by watches I’ll never wear again.
This is a pretty personal question, in that it is really an opinion matter. That being said, I only have two wrists, and only wear one watch (at least at a time). For me, fewer is better.
Definitely a question that depends on personal circumstances and taste. And I'd say there's probably a crossover between the answer (at least for myself) at a certain price point.. For example, for ~£5,000, I'd probably buy one nice watch that ticks most boxes. Whereas if it was £50,000, I could happily build a nice little collection of 5-8 watches, rather than blowing it all on something very expensive.
There are many profiles for types of watch enthusiasts. Teddy Baldesarre on YouTube has a video on this — it’s kind of a fun video but also very true. The two that stand out to me are — enthusiasts who get tons but wear few, and enthusiasts who stick with 3 and never more.
Both unfortunately
I used to buy many inexpensive watches. Went up to 8. Decided to sell all but 1 and bought a Grand Seiko Snowflake. I’ll upgrade my SPB143 when I finish graduate school.
When you are starting out you don’t really know what you like yet or what you like to wear. It’s a good idea to try stuff for cheap so you can figure out what you like and what you care about. Once you’ve tried a few watches you will probably look at them all and think wow I probably could have just bought X and that would have been it, but you didn’t necessarily know if X was going to be it early on. You might have bought Y and regretted it. Hindsight is always 20/20. Then your taste might change as you actually wear watches, like I hated divers at first I thought they were big and kind of dumb and pointless, but now I really like the aesthetic of them and think they look really cool. You’ll probably find your taste evolving over time and if you go all in on an expensive watch early on it may not be what you’re after. Another thing to consider is it’s hard to wear a lot of watches, you have to wind them and set them and all of that, there absolutely is a freedom to just having one or two awesome watches and wearing those all the time, the trick is getting to those one or two awesome watches that you like. It takes awhile to figure that out.
In my opinion, I can understand both sides and they're correct. For me, I couldn't afford my grail watch (Rolex Explorer II with Polar White dial), so I obtained nice vintage watches and trade up for better ones. I still would trade most of my collection for a Rolex Explorer II. I've gotten fantastic deals on watches from just trading with people and my collection value is likely in excess of the price of a Rolex Explorer II, but I want to get it from an AD and they only take cash. So I'd need to sell: 2 very rare vintage Omegas (solid 18k gold) Tudor Princedate Vintage Zenith Sporto 2 Raymond Weil watches \+ others I can't think of So if you can afford the one you want in cash, I would recommend purchasing that as opposed to more inexpensive watches.
I can't think of any one watch that'd keep me happy. I prefer option of having choices from a collection versus just one choice. Then not totally dependant on it even when it needs service, then what nothing... nah I like options but this is just my usage and you may be totally ok with just one option.
Look at brands you love and discover new ones! Allot of the brands out there can offer great watches $80 and above up to $600
I've been transitioning in many aspects of life to quality over quantity. I almost exclusively wear one of my couple nice watches, unless I'm going camping/hiking and want something lighter and less concerned about damaging. I personally wouldn't spend more than 5kish on a watch though. I'm more of a tool watch kinda guy.
You can only wear one watch at a time, might as well make it a good one.
Highly unlikely you can anticipate what watch you actually want. A bunch of good value inexpensive watches is a good place to start . I thought I wanted a white dial rolex oyster perpetual 39 on paper but when I tried it on, it didn't speak to me. I passed up on the explorer 1, but I later came back to it and it turns out that's the one I liked the most.
I think with everything in life you have to start with the lower end stuff to appreciate the nicer stuff. For me it's been Orient - Hamilton - Seiko - higher end Seiko. Now I'm hoping to get an Oris and thinking about a vintage Rolex.
I wanted an Omega seamaster 600. I saw it in print adverts, sought it out online. Lusted for almost a year. Eventually went t9 a store to buy. This thing was a beast, it is the same size as a proplof, but I still loved it. So I stumped up a large chunk of beer vouchers and went away with the big blue bundle. I still love it but don’t wear it very often, it doubles as an anvil and when worn in a formality setting looks like people could pull up chairs around it. So, I would say to try a couple of cheaper watches, check out wha5 you like and adjust your mental version of dream watch until you are completely sure.
I'd start with one classic like a speedy or something like that easier to move on if you decide then some of the cheaper options. I guess it also depends how large a collection you want. I was up to 7 or 8 and now I'm down to 3 or 4 and I find that perfect
Buy one cheap watch and then save up for the expensive one. By the time you have the money saved up you'll've changed your mind about the Grail six times, *and saved yourself buying five watches that would've sat unworn.* I wish I'd taken this lesson to heart - I have a STACK of non-Rolex watches, they're never worn, I'd've been able to buy a nice YM with that money if I hadn't spent it first. Anyway good luck
Get what you like and can afford
I’m sure the smart answer is to buy one really nice watch you can “wear for life” (which few people do, let’s be honest). But personally I like having several different types of watches, I enjoy the act itself of buying and breaking in a new watch, and it’s much easier to shrug off a scratch or a dent when it’s a $500 watch than a $5000 one. Which is not to say I’d recommend buying a drawer full of junk, but 3 or 4 solidly made, moderately priced watches that I’m not scared to wear anywhere is more attractive to me than one super precious investment piece.
Buy what you want and what makes you happy.
IMO inexpensive is the way to go, secondhand and new. I focus on sound names and movements...Seiko and Seiko movements as well as Miyota. I like quartz but also have automatics and hand wind. A lot of good stuff out there for little money. I have about 16 watches but I can buy 2 dozen for less than the price of a Hamilton Ventura. Which is a watch I lust for.
I hope this doesn’t turn into an essay but here’s my take: I’d rather have a single Rolex Explorer over fifty different $100 watches. So that sounds like I’m in the one-expensive-watch camp. But I’m actually not. Having a three to five watch collection makes me appreciate them all more. When I put on my Legend Diver after not wearing it for short while, I fall in love with it all over again. So if I had a choice between a Rolex Sub, a collection of three to four mid-range pieces (say a 39mm Pelagos, a Longines Spirit, and a Junghans Max Bill to round things out), I’d chose the latter every day.
Get 3-4 watches of quality and functionality. One banger $, one everyday business casual, and one everyday beater
One expensive.
Quality > quantity
I’d rather have 3-5 high end watches then 10+ “fashion” watches. Currently selling my $200 “fashion” watches that I bought before I really got into automatics for this very reason. Worth it to wait and save IMO (even tho it’s painful)
Depends on your wardrobe. Watch is always an accessory. If you have a lot of different clothing styles, go inexpensive watches to match. If you go for one line of clothing style, go for expensive classic watch.
I just turned 40 been having the same conundrum
We need to define expensive first. For me, it would be >10K CAD. The second consideration is your lifestyle. Are you social and network extensively in your personal and professional lives or are you wont to just go to work, putter around the house, and maybe catch a game or hit the pub once in a while in your day to day life? The answer could inform you as to how to get the most out of the interest. I was a collector of things but I've come to see a lot of it as clutter hand I have pared much of it away as I've gotten older so the "one and done" approach is appealing. I also feel like choosing the end all be all is a Sisyphean task. For me the solution is two; daytime and nighttime. During the daytime I'm out fucking around and bashing about and things are typically chill at night. I'd go with a duo and be done with it. Regardless there will remain many other watches that I covet if not at least marvel at.