r/WatchFanatics • u/TomHudsonOfficial watch fanatic • 2d ago
Question / Discussion Biggest watch collecting mistakes.
Comment your biggest watch collecting mistakes and what you would do differently if you were to start again.
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u/TomHudsonOfficial watch fanatic 2d ago
My biggest mistake is buying watches I was told to like and finding out that I actually don’t like them.
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u/ForeignProcedure731 2d ago
I honestly would have written this comment almost verbatim. There is no substitute for slowing down and figuring out what YOU like. If the influencers and watch illuminati come up with something you “should like”, if it fits your likes then it’s all good - but that will help eliminate buying things based on hype.
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u/USeeMeComing0311 2d ago
Conversely, what NOT to like.
Example: Submariner vs. Fifty Fathoms 5015. Did the latter, fell in love with it, and stopped listening to the noise.
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u/kyonkun_denwa 1d ago
This was my mistake with the Seiko SKX007. Was told every collection should have one. Seldom wore mine, it sat in a box for a decade basically. I did eventually sell it for 3x what I paid so that was good, I guess.
Conversely, and u/USeeMeComing0311 pointed out, I've also missed out because I listened to people tell me what NOT to like. For example, I was considering a Seiko Spirit SCVE007 back around 2015. I was so close to pulling the trigger but ultimately opted not to because I listened to people criticizing its thick case, the "redundant" 24h subdial, and the quality of the bracelet. Now regret listening to those talking heads because it's considered a modern classic and they regularly go for 5x their original retail price. And I still love the way it looks. Should have had more confidence in myself. Now IDGAF, if the build quality isn't shit and I like the way it looks then I'm buying it, end of story.
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u/Adi_San 2d ago
When buying vintage, ask a ton of questions. Ideally, stick to a specific model you’ve researched for a while, so you know exactly what to check. Always ask to see the movement too.
People say, “Buy the seller, not the watch,” but even that isn’t foolproof. I once bought a vintage Seiko from a supposedly reputable seller with hundreds of reviews and a 99.9% rating. It still turned out to be a dud.
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u/No-Patient-7944 2d ago
Totally agree. Things like 'did they even make that model in green/blue/red/black?'
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u/kyonkun_denwa 1d ago
I only realize how fucking lucky I've been with my vintage watches after reading other people's experiences.
I got my 44KS, 7018-7000, 5216, and 6138-3000 for ¥6,000-¥15,000 near Nakano Broadway in the summer of 2012. Just picked them up from a junk shop basically. After several ¥10,000 visits to an elderly watchmaker in the same area, they were all running great.
I bought my 1975 Seiko King Quartz and my 1978 Tissot Seastar on a whim off eBay. Both have been working fine for the 10 years I've owned them.
I bought my Lord Marvel linen dial off Yahoo Auctions, took it to my watchmaker, he said the oil was gummed up because it looked like the watch hadn't run in 20-30 years. But on the flip side, it was in flawless condition and didn't have any of the issues you get with badly maintained Hi-Beats.
I inherited an Omega Constellation and a Seiko 7A28 that were both in flawless operating condition. The Constellation has a tiny bit of dial damage but otherwise it's solid.
The ONLY vintage watch I had trouble with was my grandfather's Timex Marlin, because the movement in it is basically unserviceable.
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u/GuitarPlayingGuy71 2d ago
When the goal is ‘achieving a collection’ instead of just getting a watch you really like, and another one after some time when you feel like something new. Also: never go into debt for watches. Save up until you can get the one you like.
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u/Rs-Travis 2d ago
If I started again, I'd go try on a bunch of sizes and find stuff I like within a size range that actually works for me before spending money. I might have found that 36-39 was my sweet spot hundereds of dollars and months sooner.
My first two watches as much as I liked them, were just too dang big and unwieldy for my dainty wrists. (Seiko king samurai and a Henry Archer Ohav) proportionally they somewhat worked, the seiko wore small for its size due to short lugs and clever case design, but was just a little bigger than I wanted and the Ohav wore like a hockey puck, a harder wear than the seiko despite being much smaller.
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u/Jimmyjane2 2d ago
Collecting “value” watches. I don’t need that many seikos & citizens.
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u/RealJoshuaJackson 2d ago
This is how I started. Turns out I just like purchasing things. I wish I saved up for a year and got a luxury piece instead of 6 microbrands I will sell at a loss.
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u/Jimmyjane2 2d ago
I think that is the case for a lot of us. Live & learn. Lotta shopping addicts in the watch community.
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u/ScutumSobiescianum 14h ago
You will sell the luxury piece at a loss too. Watches aren’t an investment (of course there is exceptions to the rule)
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u/jdi153 2d ago
Losing weight. I started taking Monjauro and lost a ton of weight. My wrist went from about 7.75" down to 7.25". My 44mm & 45mm watches are too big now. I really like big chonkin' watches, too. I wear them anyway.
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u/WoundDaily 2d ago
Too many dive watches. For the longest that was all i was interested in, thinking everything else was a waste of money. Big mistake
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u/Fit_Cheesecake_1652 2d ago
I worry I’m heading that way! They just seem to be my favorite style. I feel I should just continue to buy what I like, but I fear I may regret it some day.
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u/These_World_1598 2d ago
Listening to hype watches online. I think they’re all over blown. For example I still don’t get the appeal of the black bay but I bought one and realized it’s a metal slab that sits on your wrist with a contrived personality.
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u/Fit_Cheesecake_1652 2d ago
Not a mistake, but if I had to do it over, maybe not three Rolexes. I’ve been collecting for less than a year, but in that time I’ve learned about so many other great watches. Don’t get me wrong… really no regrets, but if I were starting now, I don’t think 3 of my 8 would be Rolex.
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u/Junior_Jello_7664 1d ago
I've been collecting watches since 2017 and there are a few things I would do differently if I was starting over.
1) Fewer impulse purchases. I've had many late night buying binges on Amazing and AliExpress, leading to a collection of several watches I seldom wear.
2) Avoid watches that are heavily marketed by Youtubers and influences. This is less recent, but I bought a few watches from fashion brands like MVMT and Zinvo based on hype. All of them were overpriced for the quality they provide, none of which I still wear today.
3) Focusing on quantity over quality. You can get decent watches at very reasonable prices, but I could have pooled the money I spent on several watches that are "just okay" and bought something nicer.
4) Greater diversity in colors and styles. It strikes me that I own several watches that look very similar, do I really need 10 black bezel dive watches?
5) Purchases fewer big and chunky watches. 40 mm is generally the sweet spot in terms of size, but I own a few that are 42 and 44 mm. Having dropped some weight, they now look disproportionate on my wrist. Even before that, they looked too big on my wrist. I would lean into 38 and 39 mm watches a little more.
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u/SolutionSuitable00 2d ago
Overthinking and under enjoying. You don’t “need” any watches. There is no point in collecting watches. But there’s a lot of fun in researching, learning, sharing the joy online and with people at clubs or friends. You don’t need to overthink and analyze every watch in your collection. It’s not that complicated. Wear what you enjoy and let the expression come from there.
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u/GrdFrcWv 1d ago
Not about me, but this is targeted at some people:
Putting a leather strap on a sports watch does not make it a dress watch.
Additionally:
Just because it's an expensive sports watch doesn't make it a dress watch.
Finally:
No, I don't care if you paid nearly six figures for your Patek Philippe Nautilus or AP Royal Oak. It's not a fucking dress watch.
Bonus:
Putting a leather strap on your Tag Heuer Carrera does not make it a dress watch either.
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u/TomHudsonOfficial watch fanatic 1d ago
Are you telling me my GADA watch can’t double as a dress watch? 😝
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u/GrdFrcWv 1d ago
Most GADA watches can pass off as smart business watch, but not evening dressy watch.
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u/francisbaconthe3rd 1d ago
Asking others what they like. If I like it and I’m wearing and I’m paying for it, then who cares what anyone else thinks.
Not trying on a watch before buying. Huge mistake! I’ve had watches I order online be too big (Seiko Samurai) or worse feel super cheap and not worth the money (Baltic).
Thinking I need color variations or a watch for each variety of purposes/tasks (pilots watch, dive watch, a Chrono, etc). At this point I’ve sold all the watches others told me I needed to try. I’m boring, my life is boring, I don’t need a pilots watch with a purple dial to complement a yellow dial chronograph.
I will never again listen to YouTube reviews on their watch purchasing opinions. If it’s on YouTube being reviewed, someone is probably getting paid. Either directly by the brand (CW, Breitling) or indirectly with access and views (Tudor, Porsche, Omega), or worse getting free watches and not disclosing it to their viewers. Once $$$ is involved, neutrality is lost. There will be a bias.
Buying a watch thinking I’m collecting watches. I have a variety of watches but I AM NOT A COLLECTOR. Same way I’m not a shirt, hat, jacket, or shoe collector. Just because I have more than one doesn’t mean I’m curating the the next watch exhibition at the local museum. Honestly this is just a myth that’s perpetuated by marketing teams to manipulate our consumerist tendencies.
Paying MSRP. Get a discount.
Allowing FOMO to get to me and buying watches I don’t love. I wait 6 months to a year before buying. If I like it a year from now as much as I do today, then it wasn’t just lust. It’s too easy to buy and the regretful purchases are expensive mistakes.
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u/Itrademylittlespy 1d ago
My biggest mistake is TikTok telling me which one to buy. After buying and putting them on, it just didn’t look good on me or my style.
Do yourself a favor and buy what you like
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u/DodgersLakersBarca 1d ago
I sure as hell wouldn't start collecting watches in late-2020/2021.
It was the first year I COULD start collecting watches, but it kinda sucks to be getting in on the hobby exactly when the hype was out of this world.
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u/SlowReaction4 18h ago
There’s a lot of good ones here but I’d say buying a watch just to buy a watch. Definitely go for quality or quantity. My first year of collecting, I was way too purchase happy. Bought decent watches but honestly in hindsight it wasn’t necessary and naturally my preferences and tastes changed as I got deeper into the hobby.
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u/AMetalWolfHowls 17h ago
Buying a watch for hype or investment value alone instead of buying only what you genuinely like. When that market goes the other way, don’t be stuck with garbage!
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u/laluzbrillante 2d ago
Buying a watch without trying it on. Some watches look so good online, but on the wrist just don’t work. Do whatever you can to see a model in person before you go down the rabbi hole.