Great advice. I've been collecting for over 50 years and here are some lessons I learned the hard way: try a watch on before buying it. If you don't like the way it wears on your wrist, it will sit in your watch box. Second, don't buy too many watches that looks similar - just because you like black dial 40mm divers, that doesn't mean you need two dozen of them in your collection. Third, don't buy dozens of watches per year. Buy one good watch, wear and enjoy and take the time to decide the next watch to add to your collection. Fourth, dial color matters - dial color diversity greatly enhances a collection.
I agree, I'm currently trying to choose a yellow, red and white dial watch to buy (no hurry). I currently have a blue, orange and black dial. Once these are purchased I'll be done. 5 watches in the watch box and 1 on my wrist, rotating every Sunday.
@@wristopia4101@jh-il5sb It's tricky to give buying/selling advice as inevitably someone will come and complain that it didn't go well for them! If you're looking to buy and sell there are many watch groups on Reddit, Facebook and elsewhere to learn about the process and many nice members would be happy to share with you their process in that limited setting. The best advice in watch buying/selling has been "buy the seller" not "buy the watch", meaning you need to do due diligence to make sure the other side is trust worthy then still take actions to protect yourself by using specific purchasing methods!
That's where I'm at now. I have 3 watches that I have when I first started. One when my son was born I gave to my wife to have (sarb033). And then a watch I've worn as a daily for 2 years. I'm considering one last was watch but it would bring my collection to 3 (my first, my current everyday diver, and then my next watch). I won't count my anniversary present vintage gold watch I wear for special occasions or my g shock square). But seriously one watch is all you need
@ I agree , I have a Casio Royale I wear just about every day. Today I went out with my family and wore my Seiko diver. It’s nice to have variety but nice to downsize.
I have discovered that I don’t like wearing watches without a date complication. I just rely on the date too much. I’m not selling my OP or my Explorer, but I only wear them on weekends and I definitely won’t be buying any more movements without a date.
I agree that after collecting so many watches, the date function is a must have, I am too lazy to get my phone out for the date or time 😂 I also had an OP but sold it just because of no date function and swapped it for a yatchmaster, but I still have my explorer 1 just because it was my very first Rolex 😅
I got to admit I have a 6 piece core collection but only just realised that the best one and done would be my Omega seamaster 2254.50 41mm perfect time piece, ticks all the boxes plus wont get mugged as its not too expensive but still have the prestige brand level 😂
In my book, a diver is a beater and a worker and a gmt (because the bezel can be used as a second time zone indicator). Especially if it's quartz. Add a nice mechanical for the office and events, and you have a perfect two watch combo with no fluff or filler.
I share your thoughts TWI. I've had an interest in watches for many decades. I would add an important piece of advice than that is the cost of ownership of a watch. If you intend to keep mechanical watches it's worth considering service costs into the purchase, an off the shelf movement may be looked down upon by some snobs but they can be serviced at reasonable prices by a good watchmaker and are generally 'as good' in many respects., bespoke in-house movements may be restricted and have to go back to the manufacturer and be away from the collection for quite a while at quite a cost. I also put watches away that I might consider moving on and then try them again at a later date. Most of the time it's like a second honeymoon that reminds me why I purchased the watch in the first place. I've only moved on a couple on loan initially so if I feel I want to get them back I can, oddly when I see them I'm tempted to bring them back but we shall see. I completely agree that it's your wrist so choose what you want to put on it and not just because it's 'in trend'. Another piece of good advice is to slow down, like you when I had the finances the collection grew but fortunately I have no regrets. From memory there have been few occasions when anyone has commented on what is on my wrist with my old JLC Reverso Duoface getting the most comments from watch nerds like us along with my SMP300 also getting the odd nod. Oh and don't restrict yourself to a particular movement type, I'm just as happy to wear my F-91W Casio as I am any other watch. Nothing wrong with Quartz timekeeping.
I'm a dive watch guy mainly with a solid amount of chronographs too so I've been trying to expand my horizons so I'm glad you showed that Raymond weil because it is looking fantastic! Wouldn't have expected that from them
I've been on the lookout for chronographs lately the Baltic tricompax has been tempting me like crazy but when I saw that Raymond Weil on sale I had to go for it and I think it's one of the biggest surprises I've experienced from a watch!
Over the last 6 years or so i’ve bought around 25 watches. I’ve learned also not to ‘box tick’ categories of watches or buy popular ‘watch collector’ watches unless i like them a lot. I started with divers as i am a certified diver so a robust diver (mine was a Citizen NY0040 promaster) was my main watch for years before starting to collect. Cash is an issue for me so i typically buy new or used watches for under £600. Many come in under that price, so my whole collection cost me about £4k. I can’t yet justify £5k for a single watch, when that’s all i’ve ever spent on a car tbh. Though i’m at the stage now where i find that i wear only 8 -9 of my watches regularly because i like them so much. It’s inevitable that i’ll consolidate my collection and concentrate on increasing the quality over time and decrease the quantity. Having fewer better watches i love means i’ll likely enjoy wearing them more often. I think around 10 watches is about right for me, but i do value having a dress watch and divers watches which cover about every scenario practically for me. I’d never use a GMT as i hardly travel internationally, chronos look nice but mechanical ones are a bit pricey for me so i’ve stuck to mechaquartz quartz/solar and a have two but i seldom time anything for more than an hour (which divers do well without another complication that increases service cost). I guess in my mind, watches have to be practical financially and functionally as well as looking good and making me feel great when i wear them, but i guess that’s why watches are so interesting, there are a lot of different factors that influence the watches we wear as individuals.
I’ve definitely made all these mistakes over the years. I’ve loved watches since I was a child looking at my dad’s small collection of Seiko’s. Got a bit more serious around 2007 or so when I got my first Swiss watch, a Tag Heuer quartz Aquaracer that I still have. My tastes have evolved a lot. I no longer wear my 46mm Ball Engineer for example. Ultimately the most important advice to people new to the hobby is just to slow down and buy what you like, regardless of what is popular. Are you on watchcrunch, by chance?
I too have bought and sold many watches, and have learned from each one what I like and what I don’t. Watch collecting, for me, has been a process, an enjoyable process.
I have pretty much the same experiences and thoughts. Currently in a phase of keeping a smaller collection with simpler options I can rotate through with extended periods of wear between.
Uh oh. Another watch to hifi convert... Sounds like me haha! My audio setup is: JDS Element IV, Sennheiser IE900 IEMs, and Focal Azury headphones. That'd be SWEET if you could document your audio journey for us as a beginner! Love your laid-back vibe. Maybe a channel called "The Audio Noob" lol
For what’s it’s worth : after 12 years in the hobby and buying from the humble SKX009 to 214270 Rolex Explorer, with Breitling, Omega and Grand Seiko in between, I know that I never appreciate a watch better than when it’s the only watch I have during travels abroad. Owning multiple watches is really nice, but each day dedicated to one watch is one day when the others sit idle in the box. Factor in the maintenance costs and you will realize that the key to happiness is owning maybe 3 or 4 carefully selected watches, no more.
In 2024, the new watches I've added to my collection were almost all custom builds I've done from AliExpress parts. The price is right and I can make them very much what I want. Only manufacturer watch I bought I can think of was a Signum Cuda Meteorite. Was not planning this, but this is what ended up happening. Still planning on getting something more pricey soon, but I've been saying that all this year!
It seems we share similar tastes; I also own two Tudor Pelagos watches, though my current favorites are my Omega Seamaster Chronometer, Seiko LX Spring Drive, titanium square G-Shock, G-Shock MTG-B3000, and Grand Seiko quartz.
My biggest mistake was not interacting with other enthusiasts. Watch enthusiasm or collecting can be a very social or lonely hobby depending on how you go about it.
What do you suggest is the ideal size of watch collection? Ift here is too many watches, each watch do not get the attention they deserve. Yet if the number is too slow, the lust over watches can hardly be satisfied.
I've sold dozens and dozens of watches the only one I regret selling was my Seiko Orange Monster srp309 because it was what kicked off my watch obsession.
Totally agree! It's a fantastic time to be in the hobby and especially for those who are new. So many affordable watches that are just great watches without needing to say "for the price"
Bought some Chinese homages to see if I really wanted the Swiss originals and it turns out I absolutely do not lol. Totally scratched those itches. Micros/independents are my jam and there’s only two more I see myself procuring. Subbed btw.
This is the main rubber strap I wear it on: amzn.to/3OWzbM1 But there is a clip of it in the video of the original strap it came on which but there's a cheaper version that Uncle straps makes: unclestraps.com/products/omega-seamaster-300m-custom-fkm-rubber-strap
Don’t be afraid to buy similar watches. Sometimes I buy a watch, then find something similar I like better. Buy the second watch, and sell the first watch. Or, buy the second watch, alternate the 2 similar watches for a few days or weeks and you will know which is the better watch for you.
Point 3 is a great one. I only recently had this conversation with my partner. So many watches out there that I love to see on Insta and on the websites, but do I actually want to own them? No, and that’s fine
I’ve got a 5 nice watch rule now, 5 expensive watches and one extra beater is allowed. I’ve realised the more watches I own the more I will gravitate towards just a few
Watches got boring really quickly. The first one, an Omega smp300m(2019) I was over the moon, everything after that, including my Tudor BB Gmt 39" was very muted in reaction. The vanity wore off very quickly for me. Now I just watch TH-cam and am like, oh that's cool, but I'll just watch you enjoy it instead of buying another 😂
I always had a price limit of 10k for one watch, this was at the same time, i think i cared more about what others saw on my wrist over what i thought of the watch. Wasted alot of money and sounds silly but learnt to just buy what i want/like
Making mistakes is expensive. If you're careful with your purchases, then you're less likely to make mistakes. Remember, TH-camrs have to buy and sell watches for content, unless they're being loaned the watches. Take your time and form your own opinion.
Fun to see that for me one of my biggest "mistake" is my spirit zulu time hodinkee wich i now want to sell ... beautiful watch but just not my type ... i jump on it without thinking 😅
I never make mistakes with this. I only buy what i like and only what i can afford. I certainly cannot afford to throw thousands at watches. If you can “afford” to make “mistakes” then you have more money than sense.
My advice is to never pay list for a shop window watch. Rather than wait just get an expensive watch on interest free credit (maybe a UK thing) and enjoy it. If you like a date..... consider an annual calendar. Don't fall for the TH-cam SMP300 hype train. Be 100% sure you like angled bezels, skeleton hands, cup cake shaped manual helium escape valves you will never use, that bracelet, and that a 42mm watch is not too big for your wrist. If you have a budget.... add 50% to get a better watch.
![[UNCUT] เก็บ "สจ.โต้ง" เอี่ยวมาเฟีย รู้ตัวคนบงการ ก่อนสั่งลั่นไก I คนดังนั่งเคลียร์ I 13 ธ.ค.67](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/o-J_p62D40w/mqdefault.jpg)
Great advice. I've been collecting for over 50 years and here are some lessons I learned the hard way: try a watch on before buying it. If you don't like the way it wears on your wrist, it will sit in your watch box. Second, don't buy too many watches that looks similar - just because you like black dial 40mm divers, that doesn't mean you need two dozen of them in your collection. Third, don't buy dozens of watches per year. Buy one good watch, wear and enjoy and take the time to decide the next watch to add to your collection. Fourth, dial color matters - dial color diversity greatly enhances a collection.
Very very great considerations.
I agree, I'm currently trying to choose a yellow, red and white dial watch to buy (no hurry). I currently have a blue, orange and black dial. Once these are purchased I'll be done. 5 watches in the watch box and 1 on my wrist, rotating every Sunday.
since you have sold so many watches, maybe you could do a video explaining how you sell your watches and the process.
Profit/loss would be interesting too.
@@wristopia4101@jh-il5sb It's tricky to give buying/selling advice as inevitably someone will come and complain that it didn't go well for them! If you're looking to buy and sell there are many watch groups on Reddit, Facebook and elsewhere to learn about the process and many nice members would be happy to share with you their process in that limited setting. The best advice in watch buying/selling has been "buy the seller" not "buy the watch", meaning you need to do due diligence to make sure the other side is trust worthy then still take actions to protect yourself by using specific purchasing methods!
This^
Yep
I’m considering becoming one and done and maybe a daily wearer beater. It’s just so much easier.
It really would make life easier no doubt about it! Realistically I'd like to be at 7-10 watches then maybe 5-6. Then back up to 7-10
That's where I'm at now. I have 3 watches that I have when I first started. One when my son was born I gave to my wife to have (sarb033). And then a watch I've worn as a daily for 2 years. I'm considering one last was watch but it would bring my collection to 3 (my first, my current everyday diver, and then my next watch). I won't count my anniversary present vintage gold watch I wear for special occasions or my g shock square). But seriously one watch is all you need
My opinion of course 1 and done with a good reliable beater is the best way to go takes the stress off and creates that better relationship
@ I agree , I have a Casio Royale I wear just about every day. Today I went out with my family and wore my Seiko diver. It’s nice to have variety but nice to downsize.
@@jaredsmailes3912 Agreed 👍🏻
I have discovered that I don’t like wearing watches without a date complication. I just rely on the date too much. I’m not selling my OP or my Explorer, but I only wear them on weekends and I definitely won’t be buying any more movements without a date.
Ever heard of a calendar 😂
I agree that after collecting so many watches, the date function is a must have, I am too lazy to get my phone out for the date or time 😂
I also had an OP but sold it just because of no date function and swapped it for a yatchmaster, but I still have my explorer 1 just because it was my very first Rolex 😅
Agree. It's why I don't wear my Speedy to work, and sold a BB58.
A beater, a worker, a diver, a dresser, a gmt amd a one for special occasions. You can get that in a few watches or six.
I got to admit I have a 6 piece core collection but only just realised that the best one and done would be my Omega seamaster 2254.50 41mm perfect time piece, ticks all the boxes plus wont get mugged as its not too expensive but still have the prestige brand level 😂
What about the 5 black divers most collectors need
In my book, a diver is a beater and a worker and a gmt (because the bezel can be used as a second time zone indicator). Especially if it's quartz. Add a nice mechanical for the office and events, and you have a perfect two watch combo with no fluff or filler.
I share your thoughts TWI. I've had an interest in watches for many decades. I would add an important piece of advice than that is the cost of ownership of a watch. If you intend to keep mechanical watches it's worth considering service costs into the purchase, an off the shelf movement may be looked down upon by some snobs but they can be serviced at reasonable prices by a good watchmaker and are generally 'as good' in many respects., bespoke in-house movements may be restricted and have to go back to the manufacturer and be away from the collection for quite a while at quite a cost.
I also put watches away that I might consider moving on and then try them again at a later date. Most of the time it's like a second honeymoon that reminds me why I purchased the watch in the first place. I've only moved on a couple on loan initially so if I feel I want to get them back I can, oddly when I see them I'm tempted to bring them back but we shall see. I completely agree that it's your wrist so choose what you want to put on it and not just because it's 'in trend'. Another piece of good advice is to slow down, like you when I had the finances the collection grew but fortunately I have no regrets. From memory there have been few occasions when anyone has commented on what is on my wrist with my old JLC Reverso Duoface getting the most comments from watch nerds like us along with my SMP300 also getting the odd nod. Oh and don't restrict yourself to a particular movement type, I'm just as happy to wear my F-91W Casio as I am any other watch. Nothing wrong with Quartz timekeeping.
I'm a dive watch guy mainly with a solid amount of chronographs too so I've been trying to expand my horizons so I'm glad you showed that Raymond weil because it is looking fantastic! Wouldn't have expected that from them
I've been on the lookout for chronographs lately the Baltic tricompax has been tempting me like crazy but when I saw that Raymond Weil on sale I had to go for it and I think it's one of the biggest surprises I've experienced from a watch!
Over the last 6 years or so i’ve bought around 25 watches. I’ve learned also not to ‘box tick’ categories of watches or buy popular ‘watch collector’ watches unless i like them a lot. I started with divers as i am a certified diver so a robust diver (mine was a Citizen NY0040 promaster) was my main watch for years before starting to collect.
Cash is an issue for me so i typically buy new or used watches for under £600. Many come in under that price, so my whole collection cost me about £4k.
I can’t yet justify £5k for a single watch, when that’s all i’ve ever spent on a car tbh. Though i’m at the stage now where i find that i wear only 8 -9 of my watches regularly because i like them so much. It’s inevitable that i’ll consolidate my collection and concentrate on increasing the quality over time and decrease the quantity. Having fewer better watches i love means i’ll likely enjoy wearing them more often. I think around 10 watches is about right for me, but i do value having a dress watch and divers watches which cover about every scenario practically for me. I’d never use a GMT as i hardly travel internationally, chronos look nice but mechanical ones are a bit pricey for me so i’ve stuck to mechaquartz quartz/solar and a have two but i seldom time anything for more than an hour (which divers do well without another complication that increases service cost). I guess in my mind, watches have to be practical financially and functionally as well as looking good and making me feel great when i wear them, but i guess that’s why watches are so interesting, there are a lot of different factors that influence the watches we wear as individuals.
I’ve definitely made all these mistakes over the years. I’ve loved watches since I was a child looking at my dad’s small collection of Seiko’s. Got a bit more serious around 2007 or so when I got my first Swiss watch, a Tag Heuer quartz Aquaracer that I still have. My tastes have evolved a lot. I no longer wear my 46mm Ball Engineer for example. Ultimately the most important advice to people new to the hobby is just to slow down and buy what you like, regardless of what is popular. Are you on watchcrunch, by chance?
I too have bought and sold many watches, and have learned from each one what I like and what I don’t. Watch collecting, for me, has been a process, an enjoyable process.
In your experience how is the best way to sell watches?
Thanks for a thoughtful piece of content.
I have pretty much the same experiences and thoughts.
Currently in a phase of keeping a smaller collection with simpler options I can rotate through with extended periods of wear between.
Uh oh. Another watch to hifi convert... Sounds like me haha!
My audio setup is: JDS Element IV, Sennheiser IE900 IEMs, and Focal Azury headphones.
That'd be SWEET if you could document your audio journey for us as a beginner! Love your laid-back vibe. Maybe a channel called "The Audio Noob" lol
For what’s it’s worth : after 12 years in the hobby and buying from the humble SKX009 to 214270 Rolex Explorer, with Breitling, Omega and Grand Seiko in between, I know that I never appreciate a watch better than when it’s the only watch I have during travels abroad.
Owning multiple watches is really nice, but each day dedicated to one watch is one day when the others sit idle in the box. Factor in the maintenance costs and you will realize that the key to happiness is owning maybe 3 or 4 carefully selected watches, no more.
In 2024, the new watches I've added to my collection were almost all custom builds I've done from AliExpress parts. The price is right and I can make them very much what I want. Only manufacturer watch I bought I can think of was a Signum Cuda Meteorite. Was not planning this, but this is what ended up happening. Still planning on getting something more pricey soon, but I've been saying that all this year!
It seems we share similar tastes; I also own two Tudor Pelagos watches, though my current favorites are my Omega Seamaster Chronometer, Seiko LX Spring Drive, titanium square G-Shock, G-Shock MTG-B3000, and Grand Seiko quartz.
My biggest mistake was not interacting with other enthusiasts. Watch enthusiasm or collecting can be a very social or lonely hobby depending on how you go about it.
Do you have a link for the strap being used on the SPB143? So clean!! Huge thanks!
What do you suggest is the ideal size of watch collection? Ift here is too many watches, each watch do not get the attention they deserve.
Yet if the number is too slow, the lust over watches can hardly be satisfied.
I've sold dozens and dozens of watches the only one I regret selling was my Seiko Orange Monster srp309 because it was what kicked off my watch obsession.
It is truly a wonderful hobby with options available for all price points. A hobby that no matter one's budget there is something to be had.
Totally agree! It's a fantastic time to be in the hobby and especially for those who are new. So many affordable watches that are just great watches without needing to say "for the price"
Bought some Chinese homages to see if I really wanted the Swiss originals and it turns out I absolutely do not lol. Totally scratched those itches. Micros/independents are my jam and there’s only two more I see myself procuring. Subbed btw.
I’ve got 2 watches, but I wear 1 so frequently it’s my one and done basically. Rolex Yachtmaster 16623 two tone silver dial.
Where did you get that rubber bracelet for the omega seamster?
This is the main rubber strap I wear it on:
amzn.to/3OWzbM1
But there is a clip of it in the video of the original strap it came on which but there's a cheaper version that Uncle straps makes:
unclestraps.com/products/omega-seamaster-300m-custom-fkm-rubber-strap
Excellent video! 👏
Don’t be afraid to buy similar watches. Sometimes I buy a watch, then find something similar I like better. Buy the second watch, and sell the first watch. Or, buy the second watch, alternate the 2 similar watches for a few days or weeks and you will know which is the better watch for you.
Point 3 is a great one. I only recently had this conversation with my partner. So many watches out there that I love to see on Insta and on the websites, but do I actually want to own them? No, and that’s fine
I’ve got a 5 nice watch rule now, 5 expensive watches and one extra beater is allowed. I’ve realised the more watches I own the more I will gravitate towards just a few
Yeah, never fall for the luxury watch market mistake.
Here's an important tip for watch enthusiasts: have lots of disposable income. And if you don't have gobs of money stop watching these videos.
Quite right
Watches got boring really quickly. The first one, an Omega smp300m(2019) I was over the moon, everything after that, including my Tudor BB Gmt 39" was very muted in reaction. The vanity wore off very quickly for me. Now I just watch TH-cam and am like, oh that's cool, but I'll just watch you enjoy it instead of buying another 😂
I always had a price limit of 10k for one watch, this was at the same time, i think i cared more about what others saw on my wrist over what i thought of the watch. Wasted alot of money and sounds silly but learnt to just buy what i want/like
Making mistakes is expensive. If you're careful with your purchases, then you're less likely to make mistakes. Remember, TH-camrs have to buy and sell watches for content, unless they're being loaned the watches. Take your time and form your own opinion.
Fun to see that for me one of my biggest "mistake" is my spirit zulu time hodinkee wich i now want to sell ... beautiful watch but just not my type ... i jump on it without thinking 😅
I never make mistakes with this.
I only buy what i like and only what i can afford. I certainly cannot afford to throw thousands at watches.
If you can “afford” to make “mistakes” then you have more money than sense.
When I first got into the watch collecting about 5 years ago, I started with a well-made homage diver watch. I would not buy an homage watch again.
I actually want to wear the watches I buy…and since there is only so much time, that’s a great limiter on the size of my collection.
I learnt that I always need a date function, watches less than 42 mm diameter, maximum thickness 13 mm done. 😂👍
I don't gravitate towards time only watches either.
Headphones and watches here too!
How dare you say that you could buy too many watches! Do better 😂😂😂
You are not a tool watch guy, that I see, but what's the mistake? You thought you were? You lost too much of a resale value? I don't get it.
My advice is to never pay list for a shop window watch.
Rather than wait just get an expensive watch on interest free credit (maybe a UK thing) and enjoy it.
If you like a date..... consider an annual calendar.
Don't fall for the TH-cam SMP300 hype train. Be 100% sure you like angled bezels, skeleton hands, cup cake shaped manual helium escape valves you will never use, that bracelet, and that a 42mm watch is not too big for your wrist.
If you have a budget.... add 50% to get a better watch.
Que horror 😝
🥱🥱🥱