Falling out of LUXURY and enjoying AFFORDABLE watches more

roadwarrior

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Affordables just hold no lasting draw/appeal?

May 25, 2020

Bruce Williams

Have you experienced this? After some time wearing luxury watches, you fall out of love and come to the realization that you prefer more affordable watches? Or has it been the opposite for you? After wearing luxury watches you discover that affordables just hold no lasting draw/appeal? Where do you stand in the collecting spectrum?

Thanks for watching guys!

 
Well, for me I don't get to wear my watches every day other than the work G Shock. For me I decided to condense the collection but get stuff I really really have longed for. Are they luxury??? Well I don't consider them to be but others might. I've got down from 33 to 13 with one on the block and another in the crosshairs. I'll probably never be able to afford the traditional "luxury watch" which is ok because my tastes tend to not be in that arena. I guess we buy what we can afford and what sings to us at the time regardless of price
 
I buy what I like, and can afford. I don't have any pieces in my collection that I would call luxury items.:dunno: Not having "High End" doesn't bother me at all.:wink: I am happy for those folks that can afford them if they like them, but I'm happy right where I am.:grin:
 
Interesting thread, it's quite often the other way round, but I have heard similar to what you say before. The most expensive watch I own had a value of £850 when I bought it, and it scares me a little when I wear it, so how would I feel if I had a £10k watch on my wrist.

Now, I am not pretending that a Steinhart is as good as a Rolex, but unless you are absolutely obsessed minute detail why bother spending all that money. Of course, if I were to win a £1m I would probably swallow my words and get straight down the jewellers. There are many types of collector, and no one type is right or wrong. Collecting watches is about what pleases the individual. In my humble opinion there is an optimum price you can pay for a watch, because there after the improvements become smaller and smaller. For me that price is between £200 and £500. That isn't to say you can't get great watches cheaper and more expensive, but it's a good rule of thumb.

I have about 40 watches, and wear them on a rota basis as defined by a spreadsheet. Yes, I know it's sad, but it makes me happy. Here is the latest picture of my collection, albeit it has changed a bit in the last few days
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I have been into watches since my late teens (1978) and had many grail watches I bought and sold as well as the ones I hung on to for several years. I have owned many Luxury watches 8 or 9 Rolex watches got one for my GF for a gift etc. Probably will never buy another Rolex after owning them I was not impressed with the brand sorry in advance for the guys who like them. My favs were my Hublot Big Bang, a Ullysy Nardin a Reverso, a Panerai and my Patek I wore the most. I had a bunch of other big names over the years and they were OK but grew old fast. They are all gone but the 4 Cartier watches that hold sentimental value for me. As time went by and I realized I was spending a lot of dough just to keep the high end stuff running it made sense to sell them probably in the neighborhood of 10 to 12K in 15 years or so. I switched to less expensive watches about 15 years ago and never looked back. I enjoy these watches much more they get more comment than the expensive brands got and no more "Is that a real Rolex" questions. LOL Now if I break something I am not afraid to repair it if I scratch it I don't really care and aside from having to change batteries in a lot of them they never gave me a problem. I am all for not spending big money on these luxury brands anymore. I actually love to find the bargains and can wear a different watch everyday for a couple years if I want! LOL
 
I came into watch collecting kind of backwards. I started with the luxe brands, many of which I bought second hand. I've added a few more purchased new and a couple I bought at the auction of an investment advisor's goods seized by the IRS. I still have all of them and will probably not buy any more (well, there is a Breguet I've had my eye on...). I haven't bought anything over $1k for a couple of years and mainly confine my buying to under $500 pieces now.
 
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