Author Topic: What's the fascination in collecting watches? (Read 16071 times)

sharong · « **on:** January 29, 2012, 07:13:59 AM »

Hi all

I don' know if this has been discussed before.Anyway, I would like some feed back from all about your fascination in
collecting watches.

I never look at a watch other than telling time. I have gone through the Seikos .Citizens .Casio, the digital ones as well
as the analogue, almost all using cheap quartz movements.- through my schooldays to uni and all through my working life.

Then suddenly, last Oct,my faithful Seiko failed and I had to buy a replacement so I bought a Luminox.
For some reasons which I cannot explain I started to collect watches after that.one after another , and the last one more expensive than the previous.
In 2 months I bought Baume and Mercier Riviera,the Grand Seiko, the Rolex submariner (2nd hand form
a seller from MWF), and a Zenith El primero.

So now I have more watches than I need, I keep them all running, tuned accurately to the atomic clock and see which one
is the more accurate.I have practically watches for all occasion, except for one with a second time zone for which i am thinking of getting the Rolex explorer 2 or the JLC master geographic. Hopefully I will stop buying more watches after that

To me to sustain a hobby there has to be some interaction.I am thinking of doing some photography of watches (there is a book out there on this), and maybe try my hand at resizing bracelets and changing watch straps.

Maybe my perspective is quite different from most of you, as I am about to retire quite soon and our reasons may be
vastly different,Any way I would like to hear from one and all what is your fascination in collecting watches

Cheers

sshark · « **Reply #1 on:** January 29, 2012, 02:18:56 PM »

I can understand your fascination with watches. I too had a similar experience as you were when I bought my first "real" automatic watch. It was a Speedmaster Triple Date. Just like yourself I continued buying more watches since, the price tags were going higher and higher than the previous. I am slowing down now as I have limited income and the number of watches I can own.

infinityws · « **Reply #2 on:** January 29, 2012, 10:07:04 PM »

i started collecting watches after I realise it somehow represent your status. Just like gals with their handbags.

I went into a shop in Sydney looking for a Tag Heuer for my wife but the ang mo shop owner don't give me a damn when I have no watch on my hand and on my shorts, doesn't talk to me much and NO DISCOUNT. But his attitude changed the next week when I go to the same shop with my Tag and the same person gave me a nice 20% discount straight away. WTF !

Fascinating??? haha

ivanswk · « **Reply #3 on:** January 29, 2012, 10:27:44 PM »

i buy watches because i am surrounded with people telling me buying watch is fascinating

ston3r · « **Reply #4 on:** January 29, 2012, 11:27:14 PM »

This is an interesting thread... come to think of it, I've owned a fair share of casios G-Shocks and all and my first ever real watch was one given to me by my grandfather, a quartz seiko. I didn't appreciate the quartz movement back then and soon settled back to the digital world of casios. After that I got a few swatch watches and one particular model stuck with me since 2000 until today, a chrono irony. Then I bought myself a Guess chrono watch and when I graduated from uni, I bought myself an Omega SMP, the Bond model.

I sold that after 4 yrs and bought myself another SMP Chrono, my America's Cup Omega and after that, I bought a PO Big Size. I've been hooked on Omega and never regretted purchasing one. However ever since I got the PO, my SMP Chrono gets lesser wrist time as I love the bigger watch. The other one spends most of its time in a watch winder.

musclehedz · « **Reply #5 on:** January 30, 2012, 06:07:52 AM »

for me..it started becoz if the aesthetic value of the watch, then it progressed to become a 'passion'...this is when I began to learn more about watches.....then,gradually.... I became interested in 'movements'.....so, watch collecting is more of a 'journey' for me :-)

meoramri · « **Reply #6 on:** January 30, 2012, 08:33:35 AM »

Ever since I was young, the hobby of "collecting" has always been there. First it was collecting stamps, then it progressed to First Day Covers, followed by coin collecting and now (from the age of 40 onwards) it is watches.

Regardless whether a watch in my collection gets worn or not, I still appreciate it as any collector would do.

For me, having such a hobby - whatever item collected - is like being a curator of your own museum.

mcqueen · « **Reply #7 on:** February 01, 2012, 05:45:19 PM »

clothing shows ur status, bunch of dog eyes

Hoegaarden · « **Reply #8 on:** February 01, 2012, 06:19:18 PM »

i collect watches because i like watches...is that simple

hanz079 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 01, 2012, 06:39:33 PM »

I collect watches because when I look at my wrist to check the time, I wanted to give myself something nice to look at.
Something that tug my heart strings.
Men can only have so many hobbies... gadgets get outdated, stamps get stale after awhile, in Malaysia, there is no buying a boat and going fishing kind of stuff, the cycle of fashion/clothing gets outdated, no extreme sports, no rock climbing, cars are way too expensive with loans to service, bonsai gardening is for retired age, photography is too technical with gears getting more and more expensive...
Which leave 2 hobbies that I can think of... Watches and cooking...
And I do both...

Watches? Timeless and most importantly... if taken care of well enough... can still pass to your kids...
Best thing is watches need not be expensive... there are pretty good affordable mechanical watches at any price point.

Awee · « **Reply #10 on:** February 03, 2012, 10:12:09 PM »

Everyone has their own reasons for collecting watches. Mine is more to fascination with the brand and model history, dial designs that 'speaks' to me and price range that suits by budget. i am also into large cases usually 44mm and above. Anything smaller would normally be for specific model that I must have.

joskovic · « **Reply #11 on:** February 07, 2012, 12:28:51 PM »

hi all, as some of u might know. i'm new in MWF.
my real passion on watches starts when i got my 1st rolex. after dat, i couldn't stop looking at what's on others wrist wherever i go. i just love looking at watches. Staring at the sub-second hand ticking every second feels good.

n what's fascinating about collecting watches to me i guess it gives me satisfaction & to some extent gives me some self-confidence as well.

am_sober · « **Reply #12 on:** February 07, 2012, 06:31:49 PM »

Self satisfaction in owning a watch perhaps..? ><
Owning a watch brand that give u that status u want..
Owning a watch that have the design that u like..
Owning a watch that have the movement that u like..
Owning a watch that have the function that u need..
Owning a watch that have a rich history..
Owning a watch that is rare..
Owning a watch that is wanted and envied by other people..

TheHobbit · « **Reply #13 on:** February 07, 2012, 07:04:08 PM »

Something small and mechanical on your wrist.

dpkong · « **Reply #14 on:** February 07, 2012, 08:03:55 PM »

1. knowing there's something mechanical ticking away on my wrist and keeps very good time everyday

2. i don't like jewelry other than watches

JPSP · « **Reply #15 on:** February 08, 2012, 12:24:47 PM »

i can't collect women
i can't collect stamps cos will attract termites
i can't collect wines cos no space
i can't collect cars cos too expensive

so i collect watches lor...

sshark · « **Reply #16 on:** February 08, 2012, 12:41:11 PM »

James, you can start collect cameras.. what happen to ur boat collection idea?

JPSP · « **Reply #17 on:** February 08, 2012, 12:42:53 PM »

Quote from: sshark on February 08, 2012, 12:41:11 PM

James, you can start collect cameras.. what happen to ur boat collection idea?

boat too expensive...now waiting for property prices to correct itself and hopefully i can buy something...

Ted baker · « **Reply #18 on:** February 09, 2012, 08:17:10 PM »

For me collecting watch is a passion...i do some research about the movement, design, history of the watch and te market value.and the value for watch is increasing 5-8 % a year...something interesting to start with...

Angryrodent · « **Reply #19 on:** February 10, 2012, 05:57:52 AM »

dad inlaw gave me an Omega speedmaster... never heard of Omega just Rolex, Seiko and Casio... got it checked it out online and got stuck 12 watches later and a heck of alot poorer

meoramri · « **Reply #20 on:** February 10, 2012, 06:13:24 AM »

Quote from: Angryrodent on February 10, 2012, 05:57:52 AM

dad inlaw gave me an Omega speedmaster... never heard of Omega just Rolex, Seiko and Casio... got it checked it out online and got stuck 12 watches later and a heck of alot poorer

You are definitely infected with the "virus"!!

Watchnewby · « **Reply #21 on:** February 10, 2012, 08:18:45 AM »

I started getting fascinated with watches, especially the mechanical (not the quartz) type when my friend told me that quartz watches may "die" off one day due to corrosive batteries but mechanical watch will last longer, even a lifetime with proper servicing.
Then I start joining MWF and after that, I couldn't stop looking at what's on others wrist wherever I go. Love looking at the dial, its colours, the different hands, the different sizes, the bracelet linking the watch, the sweeping second hand ticking every second sounds good.

One can say I got "poisoned" by watches. Initially I am interested in "odd watches" like Russian made (Poljot, Maktime,Vostok), later dvelved into Asian made watches (Seiko, Casio, Orient, Citizen). So far I have encountered a French brand (Hermes), Swiss/HK brand Titoni, US brand with Miyota movement (CAT, a quartz watch), Swiss brand (Swatch - all quartz). What's fascinating about collecting watches to me is the satisfaction of looking at the watch that "sings" to you and taking care of them like your children (unless a daily beater or for extreme sports which I will require tough to break/scratch watches).

jefnando · « **Reply #22 on:** February 12, 2012, 06:30:36 PM »

I remember it started with the parnis.... now i have more than 12 watches but still 2 wrists...

Cyma2011 · « **Reply #23 on:** February 12, 2012, 06:33:51 PM »

IMHO, every1 here has a fascination with things that 'move'. I've read here that this incls boats, cars, cameras, etc. And generally it involves men.
Think about it guys, we like things that 'operate', with a 'function', and to some of us, has 'beauty/aesthetic' and, a limitless combination to suit everybody.
Watches includes all the above i've just mentioned. I got bitten when I got a Cyma with moonphase (not sure whats the model) real cheap from a jilted lady who got the watch back from her boyfriend. To add insult to injury, my company gave me a Tissot GMT when i resigned. That got me hooked. I guess that there is a trigger point whereby we all have stories how our passion/obsession began.
Today, I've got more watches than I can use, for sure. They mostly range from vintage watches (coz they're more affordable) swiss that are aplenty in the market to a few contemporary ones. I've even got a Seiko Chrono Triangle from a MWF member here. What a catch.
I take them out once a week or so to appreciate them just like any piece of art, to be appreciated, valued, (some even loved), shown about, or just to satisfy our fascination.

Cyma2011.

Enkidu · « **Reply #24 on:** February 13, 2012, 09:22:28 PM »

Quote from: sharong on January 29, 2012, 07:13:59 AM

For some reasons which I cannot explain I started to collect watches after that.one after another , and the last one more expensive than the previous.
..... To me to sustain a hobby there has to be some interaction.I am thinking of doing some photography of watches (there is a book out there on this), and maybe try my hand at resizing bracelets and changing watch straps.

Collecting watches will get more fun once you learn about the history of the particular time pieces, the famous personalities that had worn the same watch(es)...like for example Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin wearing the Omega Speedmaster Professional to the moon, or James Bond wearing the vintage submariner.

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Author Topic: What's the fascination in collecting watches? (Read 16071 times)