Not so serious collecting

[MarkoTVR]

Having recently had my head turned by a very nice Accurist, I've seen even more great looking budget watches. It seems as though your GBPs can buy some aesthetically pleasing items these days.

Now I know the hardcore horologists and collectors will probably be after premium/luxury/rare items as investments with an eye on future returns, but does anyone here just buy whatever they can afford solely for the hell of it? I'd happily part with four figures for a luxury watch given the spare funds, but I could never collect at that level.

Part of me thinks it could be fun as I've had a thing for watches almost as long as I've been into cars, and at the more affordable end of the market it would be easier to collect and less fraught with worry if want you pick ones out to wear.

Edited by MarkoTVR on Friday 1st May 21:29

[Soft Top]

Pretty much I buy what I like. I am quite mainstream in my tastes but I do have a Bvlgari Scuba in my collection which is not a make often mentioned on forums. I do like it although passed it over for my Seamaster this evening, (mainly because the Seamaster is my newest addition).

[MarkoTVR]

Quinny said:

Most certainly

I've just forked out for a watch, based on the fact that I really liked it and nothing else.

I don't care about re-sale
I don't care if others don't like it
I don't care if it's in fasion or not
I don't care if its seen as cool or not

I bought it just for the hell of it, because I wanted it, and because I could.

Excellent! I've seen people collect APs and the like, but this side of a EuroMillions win that'll never be me! Shame though, those Royal Oak Offshores.....

I like your take on things, too. I'm the same in the respect that I don't really buy stuff with the future value in mind. That might not have been the best approach in some cases, but I'm of the opinion there's usually something bigger in life to worry about than whether you get a certain percentage return. If I like and I believe I can get what I deem to be value from it that's equivalent to its price tag.....job's done, for me.

I sense a new hobby approaching.....

Edited by MarkoTVR on Friday 1st May 21:46

[dustybottoms]

Quinny said:

MarkoTVR said:

does anyone here just buy whatever they can afford solely for the hell of it?

Most certainly

I've just forked out for a watch, based on the fact that I really liked it and nothing else.

I don't care about re-sale
I don't care if others don't like it
I don't care if it's in fasion or not
I don't care if its seen as cool or not

I bought it just for the hell of it, because I wanted it, and because I could.

Completely agree I'm exactly the same. Don't care what others think regarding the make, style or whether it is cool. Why would I? I'm buying it for me!

This is the approach I have to every purchase (watches, clothes, gadgets etc) and if a purchase turns out to be a brand name, is perceived as cool by some or a name with some heritage then that is a happy bonus.
As regards to re-sale value this never comes in to the equation as I never sell anything I buy, apart from cars of course but I always lose money here, so I buy what I like.
I may one day flip a watch but it still wouldn't sway my original purchase decision.

[ShadownINja]

Thing is, if it's expensive but you think it looks crap will you wear it? And given a restricted budget, I'd rather have many different watches that I could take turns to wear when I get tired of a couple than one single watch that is the same value.

[Dargie]

See here for proof that i only buy what i like!

[MarkoTVR]

Dargie said:

See here for proof that i only buy what i like!

I'd forgotten about those! Fair play, I think they're quite cool in their own way.

Incidentally, I've been looking around some more this evening/morning (!).....found even more I like, although I'm questioning why I never looked at the Werner's site before. What was I doing?!

Edited by MarkoTVR on Saturday 2nd May 00:46

[ShadownINja]

I do like their watches but my tastes are changing, now preferring cheap automatic divers, ie watches I don't mind smacking against walls. The Werners ones are too pretty to be damaging.

[Geoffers]

Most definitly into not so serious collecting!

I have a 1960`s Breitling, a 1960`s Baume and Mercier, they are my "special watches"
Everyday watch is an Aquapro Dive watch, given to me by my father, and worn through out my Diving career, been all over, never missed a beat!
After that, I have an assortment of odds and ends that appeal purely to me, from random Russian dive watches to outlandish watches sponsered by Nike!!
Happy collecting guys!

[whitney44]

Nick at Werners has some divers watches in his range now SN and are the usual good pricing. By way of recommendation I have just bought my 2nd watch from him and I am very happy with the product and service.

[ShadownINja]

whitney44 said:

Nick at Werners has some divers watches in his range now SN and are the usual good pricing. By way of recommendation I have just bought my 2nd watch from him and I am very happy with the product and service.

Thanks. He's been selling divers for a long while but they'll all be shiny and new.

Which models do you have from Werners, then?

Edited by ShadownINja on Tuesday 12th May 20:26

[anonymous-user]

If people are buying 'something a bit different' I really hope they continue, like Darkie, to post about it with a few photos on here.

It makes the forum so much more interesting. It would be really boring if we all liked the same stuff,

[eccles]

I don't have the means to buy barely any of the watches mentioned on these forums, having said that my tastes lie firmly in the vintage camp.
I usually just go for watches I like the look of, and if it's a nice old chronograph I'll stretch the budget up to around the £200 mark, though usually my watches are well south of £100.

[ShadownINja]

eccles said:

I don't have the means to buy barely any of the watches mentioned on these forums, having said that my tastes lie firmly in the vintage camp.
I usually just go for watches I like the look of, and if it's a nice old chronograph I'll stretch the budget up to around the £200 mark, though usually my watches are well south of £100.

I'm in that price-bracket, too. I have come close to spending nearly £1k on a watch but just cannot bring myself to do it. How can an object the size of a mobile phone's screen and just tells the time cost £1k? I am sure I will one day, though. In the meantime I get great pleasure from enjoying cheap but nice looking (in my view) watches. Today I'm wearing Benrus sports watch that I paid around £3 for... the Nato strap it's on cost me more... but I like the look of it... even if the bezel has lost all its markings so it's just a pointless clicking thing that spins around.

[whitney44]

Just bought a Silver Bubble and had an old stock Elysee Auto last December. Great kit for the money!

[ShadownINja]

whitney44 said:

Just bought a Silver Bubble and had an old stock Elysee Auto last December. Great kit for the money!

Cool. Those Bubbles look quite funky. Get some pics up esp of the bubble when you receive the watch.

[eccles]

ShadownINja said:

eccles said:

I don't have the means to buy barely any of the watches mentioned on these forums, having said that my tastes lie firmly in the vintage camp.
I usually just go for watches I like the look of, and if it's a nice old chronograph I'll stretch the budget up to around the £200 mark, though usually my watches are well south of £100.

I'm in that price-bracket, too. I have come close to spending nearly £1k on a watch but just cannot bring myself to do it. How can an object the size of a mobile phone's screen and just tells the time cost £1k? I am sure I will one day, though. In the meantime I get great pleasure from enjoying cheap but nice looking (in my view) watches. Today I'm wearing Benrus sports watch that I paid around £3 for... the Nato strap it's on cost me more... but I like the look of it... even if the bezel has lost all its markings so it's just a pointless clicking thing that spins around.

Like you, one day if I get some spare cash I'd like to spend around the £1k mark on a nice vintage Carrera or Datora, but until then i'm quite happy with my cheapie watches.

[ShadownINja]

I'm now wearing my carre-cased lk colouring... with just an hour hand. (The minute hand fell off.)