Is less more?

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strapline
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Re: Is less more?

Post by strapline »

Thermexman wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 11:51 am
I have a plan.

The plan?
To reduce the numbers down as I approach my intended retirement in a few years.

Something that may end up just being "The One" ?

Just to confirm...there is only one 'ONE'. It has been foretold by both Morpheus and the Oracle. And, what's better, he's returning to a cinema near you this autumn. :lol: :lol: #THEMATRIX

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Re: Is less more?

Post by Thermexman »

^^^its happened before and it’ll happen again.
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Re: Is less more?

Post by gaf1958 »

I’m very late to this thread, but I downsized from 153 watches (not including a few where their market value is almost lower than the cost of postage!) to around 80. It sat there for some time (at least in my head) but reality has shown that it’s closer to 90 now.

I have plans to downsize a few more and keep my Omegas, Panerais and similar ilk, as I wear them more. They are also some of the watches that I’ve owned the longest... Unfortunately, many of my CWs and micro-brands fall into the “not often worn” category, so there’s maybe a couple of dozen or more that may be ripe for the cull there. This might reduce numbers to forty or so if I’m brutal, but I find it hard to imagine owning fewer than that as it would mean selling watches that I have absolutely no desire to part with.

I guess that 40+ watches is going to be what I will continue with and it will mean that many of those watches will be worn once a month, but that is definitely a better scenario than the 2 or 3 times a year from 18 months / 2 years ago.

Of course there will also be those few watches that are not worth selling off in addition to that, but they’re useful for the odd occasion when I’m doing something I shouldn’t do while wearing a nicer watch. Now that I live in an apartment, gardening is greatly reduced (yes!) and I no longer do any work on my car (again, yay!), so the “watch unfriendly” work is significantly less. Maybe I need to ask the kids and their partners to have an open pick of the cheapies and that would free up the best part of a 15 watch box.
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Re: Is less more?

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

Wearing one watch for the last three weeks certainly gave me food for thought!
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Re: Is less more?

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gaf1958 wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 2:39 am I’m very late to this thread, but I downsized from 153 watches (not including a few where their market value is almost lower than the cost of postage!) to around 80. It sat there for some time (at least in my head) but reality has shown that it’s closer to 90 now.
In my OP I posed the question what would it be like to own 10, 20, perhaps even thirty watches? I then go on to discuss some of the potential dilemmas this would cause me if I was in this camp. You take this to another level on the numbers front, Gary. With a great many of your watches being very gorgeous sought after marques. The below quote is from my OP; perhaps if you ever get your numbers down to around the forty mark you'll be a minnow of sorts, albeit a very big one. :lol:

Anyway...what works for you? Have you been a watch 'whale' that is now considering becoming a watch 'minnow'? Personally I don't ever see me owning more than 5/6 watches. I seem perfectly happy being able to vicariously enjoy watch collecting through this forum.
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Re: Is less more?

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Great post.

I like watches. I specifically like mechanical watches. But I am cynical (often without any cause) of the bigger luxury brands, so I don’t expect I will ever own one of them.

3 mechanical watches work well for me. Personal preference.

I am far more interested in cars. Actually I am far more interested in driving - cars just provide the vehicle (pun intended) to) to facilitate. I have a single driver-focussed car that I accept has compromises for some scenarios, rather than buying many. Wife’s car is used if something spacious is needed.

I genuinely don’t think that I would own more than 3 cars even if i won the Euromillions. I have a need to know my cars and their handling traits pretty intimately - which I don’t feel I could do with a collection of 20-30 that many of my driving buddies dream about. (If you are interested : 2005 CarreraGT for manual gearbox hypercar awesomeness, RS4 wagon and maybe a KTM X-Bow or even a Caparo T1 for some serious track work).

Different strokes and all that. 😁
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Re: Is less more?

Post by Jkpa »

Not for me. Nothing “out of control” but I like having a collection of various models.
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Re: Is less more?

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mik wrote: Tue Oct 12, 2021 1:15 am Great post.

I like watches. I specifically like mechanical watches. But I am cynical (often without any cause) of the bigger luxury brands, so I don’t expect I will ever own one of them.

3 mechanical watches work well for me. Personal preference.
Thanks for the thanks... I wonder what makes you cynical of the luxury brands, I'm just curious? I wouldn't say that I'm cynical, but I do often question how much bang for your buck you're getting. And whether the whole luxury watch thing isn't just super-inflated in terms of pricing. I think I've just probably found my lane, to this point, and it hasn't cost me a ton of money. Would you ever entertain quartz or is that a no-no?

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Re: Is less more?

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strapline wrote:I seem perfectly happy being able to vicariously enjoy watch collecting through this forum.[/b]
Good point Des, but for me that vicarious enjoyment of other watches has undoubtedly (in some (hopefully small) part) influenced the size of my collection. I hope to tip the scales back closer to “vicarious” rather than “owning” in the next 6 to 12 months.

Even with the over the top number of watches I had a year ago, there are always more watches that I’d love to own, but reality means that most of them must be admired from afar… particularly as many, if not most, of those watches haven’t been produced for years or even decades.
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Re: Is less more?

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Great post

For me, having been “into watches” since the 90s, I’ve never aspired to having more than I’d wear in rotation.

I’ve bought and sold over 50 in the last few years but the most I’ve owned at any one time is 12-14. I hated it. I felt silly wearing a watch knowing I had a dozen at home costing various sums that were just sat there. I hated the paralysis of analysis every morning deciding what to wear, or for me- what not to wear.

I’ve come to find that for me there needs to be two collections, the main collection which should be 2-3 that I wear/enjoy/love and that all have a job to do. Then there’s my wider collection which includes things like gifts, swatches or g shocks that I may buy on a whim or be given but wouldn’t sell. (I don’t sell gifts and it’s not worth selling my Van Gogh swatch for £47 when it still makes me smile a few times a year.)
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Re: Is less more?

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Fat-Sam wrote: Tue Oct 12, 2021 4:17 pm Great post

For me, having been “into watches” since the 90s, I’ve never aspired to having more than I’d wear in rotation.

I’ve bought and sold over 50 in the last few years but the most I’ve owned at any one time is 12-14. I hated it. I felt silly wearing a watch knowing I had a dozen at home costing various sums that were just sat there. I hated the paralysis of analysis every morning deciding what to wear, or for me- what not to wear.

I’ve come to find that for me there needs to be two collections, the main collection which should be 2-3 that I wear/enjoy/love and that all have a job to do. Then there’s my wider collection which includes things like gifts, swatches or g shocks that I may buy on a whim or be given but wouldn’t sell. (I don’t sell gifts and it’s not worth selling my Van Gogh swatch for £47 when it still makes me smile a few times a year.)
And a great reply, too. Not least for the term 'paralysis of analysis'. I also couldn't have a heap of watches sitting around redundant. If I do ever get to fill my six watch box I know I'll feel wholly indulgent, but that's just me. I've seen a good number of the watches you've flipped as they've appeared in the sales corner. You've moved on some very nice pieces indeed. Paralysis of analysis, what a great name for a band or an album...love it. :clap:

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Re: Is less more?

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StrappedUp wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 5:44 pm It's a yes from me.

I've had thoughts of a single 'grail' watch, but I'm not totally sold on the idea just yet.
I'm assuming with the arrival of the AT, Ryan, these thoughts could be sated? Once again, it's a really gorgeous watch, congrats. :D

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Re: Is less more?

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I've owned numerous watches over the years and still find I tend to wear the same ones on rotation. Less is quite probably more. Until something new comes along and screws over that theory.
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Re: Is less more?

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strapline wrote: Sun Oct 17, 2021 9:37 am I'm assuming with the arrival of the AT, Ryan, these thoughts could be sated? Once again, it's a really gorgeous watch, congrats. :D

Des
Thanks Des. And yes, I really think I could just live with the AT.
It definitely has that X-factor I felt was needed moving forward.
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Re: Is less more?

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Jkpa wrote: Tue Oct 12, 2021 1:33 am Not for me. Nothing “out of control” but I like having a collection of various models.
Me too.
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