Comments on: How To Survive The Watch Hobby: Heart and Mind in Conflict

By: chris

chris — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 01:21:46 +0000

I kept myself sane by not buying lol. I have been watching youtube videos on watches for years and I do scroll through watches online quite a bit. Thankfully I’m poor and can’t afford any. Even in the low hundreds range I can think of better ways to spend my money. However, I do love the horology and the movements of these exceptional watches. I watched a documentary where a master watch craftsman lives in his bunker for a year toiling away making a watch and working 10+ hours everyday nonstop on every single piece by hand everyday until it was completed. It was fascinating.

By: Joe Fernandez

Joe Fernandez — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 01:57:11 +0000

In reply to Jason Tricoli. I enjoyed your article. I am also frugal but do dabble in 1 or 2 expensive hobbies. I appreciate value. My take on this is a bit different. I enjoy high end audio and video . I understand the concept of asking if this one thing 20 times better than the other, and the answer is no. There is a certain point where you have reached 75 -80% the quality of the much more expensive item. Here is where I differ in my opinion when it comes to watches. When you spend 15k in audio video gear instead of 3k, you still feel the qualityof the more expensive item. The same can be said with an expensive car. A 60k car is not 3 times better than a 20k car but you can feel a substancial rise in quality. With a watch, I perceive it to be above 90% aestetics . You can't feel whats underneath a watch like you can a car or the way you can listen to refined stereo equipment. I have seen bueautiful watches for 300-500 dollars. The ones that are 10k to 15k, I cannot feel the difference because it is hidden. Sure if I read up on whats underneath, I will feel good about it, but I would never know it if not told. So I came to the conclusion that I will look for nice looking quality watches that are in the hundreds and I mean the lower hundreds and leave it at that.

By: Xanduur Edwards

Xanduur Edwards — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 20:09:47 +0000

Price Desensitization is THE REASON I got out of watches as a hobby entirely. I now own ONE WATCH. I have allowed myself up to $6000.00 for this watch. So far I have only spent around $750.00 for my current watch.

IF I truly want (not NEED, there is no NEED) a differ t watch, I MUST SELL my current watch FIRST, before buying a replacement watch. ALSO, only one watch purchase a year! Those rules are UNBREAKABLE. This keeps me SANE and not homeless.:)

The hobby turned into a buy, wear (maybe), sell (often at a loss)…rinse and repeat. No more.

My grail watches are a Rolex Oyster Perpetual, an Omega Aqua Terra, a 9F Gran Seiko, or The Citizen (my by Citizen). Someday I may work up to one of them.

By: Sukun

Sukun — Sun, 02 Jan 2022 20:35:29 +0000

In reply to Vicky. That is a dream scenario, hopefully I can get there, I have 6 watches, I can't seem to imagine myself lowering it from there, I did have 10 at one point but 4 of them never got worn for long periods of time, will it ever be 1 or 2? I can dream

By: John

John — Sun, 02 Jan 2022 20:32:28 +0000

the best thing that works for me is getting into other hobbies, Motorcycling, Cars, travelling, all hobbies that are way more expensive than the watch hobby, but sometimes i still scroll aimlessly on watch related content, I rue the day I got into watches on youtube and thought what a dumb hobby and then it hooked me

By: Vicky

Vicky — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 03:38:07 +0000

Great article Jason! I feelings and thoughts completely resonate with that of yours. I too started this journey buying my first watch from my first salary. It was a quartz watch. Later learnt about automatic watches and went on to buy my first one after 6 months research and was so happy. Kept for almost 2 years and enjoyed it every bit.

Then got into watching YouTube channels about watches then added SARB017, SARB033 and this led to “just one more watch” cycle.. then bunch of watches became a “watch collection” that always had “some” watch missing and I tried to fill it and define it.

Finally, I sold them all and felt liberated. I continued to just wear one watch and was very happy and after few months, wanted one vintage watch to pair up with my only watch and then this cycle started again and this time it was even bigger and went out of control.

The way I have been able to come out is to focus on finding the perfect watch for me, which I found with Casio Oceanus S100. Since it is a quartz watch, just to balance it and add a bit of fun factor, I have paired it up with SKX009. So, these are the 2 watches I have decided to own and enjoy, these 2 reflect my personality and sings in sync with me and I am very happy with just these 2 watches.

Two options to keep this hobby under control and enjoy is:
Option 1: Limit your budget and never go over it.
Option 2: Find one watch / 2 watches that you really love.

With both these options, once you reach threshold, have a mandatory rule of “one in one out”. Ultimately, this is a hobby which is meant to bring happiness and if it is not then it is not hobby anymore.

Thanks All.

Happy “watch”ing! 🙂

By: Shane Cheung

Shane Cheung — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 02:21:40 +0000

In reply to Josh Gull. I like to compare the enjoyment of owning a watch to spending the same amount of money on a painting, sculpture, or a print. Both things are aesthetically pleasing and operate in the same price range (very little or an awful lot). While a watch doesn't carry the emotional stimulus of art, it can be enjoyed constantly, in different situations, and is visually reactive to the world around you, providing a very different experience depending on lighting or even being underwater. By all means take you painting underwater, just don't expect to take it back out.

By: Shane Cheung

Shane Cheung — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 02:06:26 +0000

I’ve gone from not really thinking about watches at all to commenting on TBWS articles in the space of six months. On Sunday I was planning on pre-ordering the new Europe Alpinist from Fratello having it sent to my home in Ireland and then posted to me in Australia, all the while thinking that this would be a nice watch to have while I save for the Grand Seiko 9F GMT, and a Speedmaster. Last night I had a conversation about with my fiance about the whole watch collecting thing (she is equally into it) and we decided to forgo any Big Watches for a few years and focus on saving for a house. I feel like I have reclaimed thousands of dollars and a large part of my sanity back. What was I thinking? The gap between being a very frugal person generally and being ready to splash thousands on trinkets is a worrying psychological space to be in.

PS Going to go now and order a red stingray leather strap that looks like it fell off a creature from a John Carpenter movie, but then I am DONE!

By: Evan Kaspar

Evan Kaspar — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 19:52:02 +0000

Very good article. A really blunt honest take on what this hobby is to so many of us is refreshing and needed in the hobby sphere.
Realizing that for me, collecting (for sure purchasing) watches was tied up with a larger, semi-subconscious pursuit of retail therapy was a real eye-opener. I’m glad you touched on it here.
In addition to your comments on price desensitization, it’s really important to honestly ask yourself how much intangible, only-in-your-head value is worth to you. Because outside the cost of the raw materials and hours of machine and human labor (which are usually a tiny fraction of the asking price), that’s where all of your money is going for a Rolex or any other luxury watch.
It’s not wrong to feed your head a bit, but don’t be a glutton about it and you’ll be much better off mentally and financially!

By: Jason Tricoli

Jason Tricoli — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 17:40:53 +0000

In reply to Josh Gull. Hi Josh. Yes, this is the exact kind of analysis I was hoping to provoke. To add the cherry on top of your argument: After enjoying the watch for a lifetime from moment to moment, you can then pass it on to someone important to you. Meanwhile, the 29 years of beers will just be empty bottles (and probably a few hangovers).