There’s no right or wrong way to collect watches, but there are definitely a few things you can do to make it all the more fun
For those just dipping their toe into the world of watch collecting, the pursuit can feel a little intimidating at first. When asking yourself the question, “How does one start collecting watches?” it will probably feel like there are either too many paths forward to pick one, or only a handful that have been well trodden before.
Both are true, but the way out of this polarized quagmire is the first rule of watch collecting: buy what you like. It’s as simple, and as difficult as that.
Despair not, however, because we’re here to offer some broad suggestions on how to find what it is that you truly like, the keys to developing your own taste and how to build a collection that’s a “collection” and not simply an accumulation of watches. After all, if the watches you’re buying and wearing don’t bring a sense of meaning to your life, you aren’t likely to be interested in them for long.
Condition Is Critical
The first consideration — especially when you’re buying pre-owned watches — is condition. The condition of a watch is linked to its price for a very good reason, not only because it’s clearly been well looked after by its previous custodians, but also because it gives you the chance to own a watch in as close to new shape as possible.
While there’s an important discussion to be had about the value of a watch that has obviously lived many decades of life before it found its way into your hands — with various forms of patina such as tropical dials, spider dials and the rest commanding a premium — you should avoid buying a beat up watch just because it’s cheaper.
A watch in great condition is a time capsule to a nostalgic past you probably didn’t experience yourself, offering an undeniable charm and truly giving the sense of a historical artifact, rather than an object whose best days are behind it. You might not realize this till a great vintage watch is on your wrist, but once you feel it, it’s impossible to forget.
Another important consideration of condition is the resale value of your watch, even though I’d be loathed to promote the idea of collecting watches only for their investment value. However, the reality of the vast majority of our lives is that money isn’t infinite and if you want to buy more watches in the future, selling a watch you already own for a good price will help the next acquisition immensely.
Without talking our own book too much, the ten-point Wristcheck Timepiece Condition Grading system is worth taking a closer look at. Not because we think it’s the only way to consider a pre-owned timepiece, but because the four-step approach is a useful way of thinking about the condition of any watch you’re considering adding to the collection.
The Devil Is In The Details
It’s time to start pondering your own taste. What is it you love about watches? Is it the history of the manufacturers? Is it the creativity of the designs? Maybe it’s the technical aspects of a movement or something else entirely?
One way to focus your attention on watches that get your blood pumping is to hunt for details you find interesting. The more you learn, the more you’ll find some things more interesting than others and the sharper your personal taste will grow.
Maybe it’s the phenomenon of “retailer signed” dials, which bear the name of both the manufacturer and the brand that sold the watch? Perhaps it’s the limited editions of a more broadly appealing collection? You could be inexorably drawn into the minutia of manually wound chronograph movements and the different forms they took over the decades?
When you find something that sends you into rabbit holes of research and hours of reading, chase that feeling. It means you’re on the right track.
Being A Millionaire Doesn’t Matter
Having a small fortune at your disposal certainly doesn’t hurt when it comes to watch collecting, but it’s important to remember great watches don’t have to cost tens of thousands of dollars. Watch collecting within a budget is another good way to concentrate your focus, encouraging you to find an example of whatever you might be interested in that’s more value-driven, rather than simply buying whatever takes your fancy for five minutes.
As an example, this recently sold DaVinci Perpetual Calendar is the first example of what would become a pillar of modern IWC: the Kurt Claus-designed perpetual calendar movement. It’s significantly more affordable than many of its successors and cased in yellow gold, makes for an extremely handsome watch with an important history behind it.
This value-driven approach to watchmaking has also given rise to the modern micro-brand, with extremely desirable examples in Baltic, Kurono Tokyo, Ming and many others. With great designs, reliable mechanical movements and passionate folks behind all of these micro-brands, there’s never been a better time to collect watches on a more modest budget.
To Collect Is To Sell (Making Mistakes Is Important)
Despite our best efforts and intentions, eventually, you’ll buy a watch that doesn’t do it for you. Making mistakes is an important part of watch collecting, both because it often takes the experience of wearing a watch for a few weeks to know if it’s for you and because it helps sharpen the point of your personal taste even further.
As much as you probably never want to look at a watch that was a mistake to buy in the first place again, the best thing you can do from here is to sell it. Free it from your collection, let someone else enjoy it on their wrist and release some additional funds into the watch budget while you’re at it.
Dwelling on the past doesn’t do anyone any good, and while you’re probably optimistic that keeping it for a while will make you fall in love with it eventually, it’s extremely unlikely. Trust your gut feeling, because your gut is your taste wanting to be expressed. Plus, the worst-case scenario that comes from selling a watch you thought you hated but eventually came to like is that you can (almost) always buy it back again.
Accessories Aren’t Just For Barbie
The final piece of advice we’d offer about how to start collecting watches isn’t actually about watches at all. It’s about the stuff around watches.
Straps, watch boxes, clocks and even historical ephemera are all great areas to dig a little deeper into as you expand your knowledge of the horological universe. A recent example could be the Wristcheck x L’Epée 1839 Grenade Limited Edition, which makes for a perfect desk clock in the office, but equally, buying an extra strap or two for your favorite watch will only make you love it even more.
With some broad brushstrokes about how to dive into the world of watch collecting covered, all that’s left to do is get out there. Read lots, talk to other enthusiasts, learn as much as you can and buy watches that mean something to you.
