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Now that I’m about a decade into my watch collecting journey, I figured I’d share some of the observations I’ve picked up along the way. These are some things that I wish I could tell myself when I was first starting out. This is by no means a comprehensive list, just some thoughts at this stage of my collecting journey.
1.) Service Costs Matter
When I first started purchasing watches, I naively didn’t even know they needed to be serviced. I just thought they’d run forever, and being mechanical, they’d never need a new battery. Turns out watches do need to be maintained, and it’s expensive. It also gets increasingly more expensive the more expensive the name on the dial gets.
Want a watch with complication beyond just a simple date window? How about a chronograph? You’ll most likely be paying even more in service costs. The more complicated, the higher the cost of ownership. When I buy a watch now, I try to factor in cost of ownership overall during the life of the watch (or at least the time I own it), just as much as the initial price tag.
Buying a pre-owned watch might appear to be much, much cheaper, but if you’re buying a watch that needs service (or worse, one that has major mechanical issues and needs replacement parts) – that pre-owned watch from eBay might not really be that cheap.
2.) Case Size Doesn’t
While service costs definitely matter a lot if you plan to keep your watch for the long-term, case sizes don’t matter as much, if at all. The below three watches are both quoted as 42mm on paper:
I can tell you this, though. Despite sharing the same case size, the Baume & Mercier Capeland looks and wears significantly larger than the Omega Speedmaster and the Seiko SKX009. You can blame this on multiple factors:
1.) The Capeland has a white dial. White dials tend to wear larger than darker dial watches.
2.) The Capeland basically has no bezel. This makes the dial look much larger, which also makes the watch appear much larger on wrist.
3.) The lug-to-lug (arguably a more important metric for how a watch will wear than case size) is only 46mm on the SKX009, while it’s pushing past 50mm for the Baume & Mercier. Larger lug-to-lug = larger wrist presence.
4.) Thickness matters: The Capeland is over 15mm thick, and wears just as thick as its quoted size.
5.) Case shape matters: The Speedmaster has a much slimmer mid-case, and the SKX has a rounded side-case. These are two methods that make them wear much slimmer and svelte than the Capeland chrono with its slab-sided case.
3.) When Watch Collecting: Buy The Watch, Not The Brand
I fell victim to this one early on. I thought I only liked Omega watches, and that one day I’d have a watch box full of them. I’m sure many people (and collectors) think this way. I’ve come to realize that I actually like having some brand diversity in my life.
At this point, I try to own only one model from a brand (although rules are meant to be broken, which is why I used the word “try”).
An exception to this is made for Seiko watches, which are like potato chips – you can’t seem to have just one. I’d say that I pretty much enjoy wearing my entry-level Seikos just as much as my Speedy Pro as well.
If you disagree with this observation, that’s perfectly understandable. This is more of a personal preference. At the end of the day, though, if you like a watch, buy the watch – forget about the name on the dial.
4.) And Finally: In-House Movements Can Be Overrated
Notice I didn’t say in-house movements are overrated? They certainly can be, though. Give me an ETA 2892 or Valjoux 7750 over a random, unproven in-house movement any day. Also, there’s something to be said about a movement that’s been tried-and-true for decades, and used by pretty much every major brand out there.
If you’re Seiko or Rolex, I get it. Your in-house movements are bulletproof and it makes sense. Otherwise, in-house movements can cost more to service (see observation 1), and getting parts might not be as easy to source by your neighborhood watchmaker (especially as time goes on).
I went through a snobbish phase were I thought only watches with in-house movements were the best-of-the best. I also wondered why anyone would ever pay up for a watch from a brand like IWC when its watches are powered by the same ETA movements found in cheaper, “entry-level” brands.
Once you hold the IWC in hand, side by side with the more entry-level piece with the “same” entry-level movement – you’ll know where all that extra money goes (usually its pretty apparent in the finishing). A watch is way, way more than just the movement.
Wrapping Things Up: A Decade Of Watch Collecting
Collecting watches has been a very rewarding hobby so far. I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve developed a sense of what I like – but it took a lot of buying and selling to get there. I’m content with what I have at the start of 2022, but the hunt for the next watch is often more fun than actually owning it. Currently, I’m thinking my next target will probably be a triple calendar watch.