Luxury Watch Collection Next Frontier Part I

JoshTheCanadian's introspective journey into luxury watch collecting offers a relatable narrative for enthusiasts navigating the evolving horological landscape. His 'Next Frontier' post, penned in 2022, explores the pivotal decision points collectors face after acquiring a grail watch, specifically a Patek Philippe. This article distills community insights on expanding a collection, considering independent watchmakers, and the challenges of brand accessibility in a dynamic market.

In the late oughts, I started my journey as a watch enthusiast in earnest.  I had always had at least a passing an interest in watches – owning and wearing, at various times, a Casio calculator watch, a Casio G-Shock, a Victorinox, and others I cannot now recall – but until that point, I had not breached the surface of this hobby.

My earliest horologically significant memory is this:  I clipped a Patek 5035 from a magazine, and had it under the glass of my homework desk.  That was about it.

I cannot recall what, in particular, ignited my interest, but I plunged into the hobby headfirst – as I have a tendency to do with most of my hobbies.  I was a student at the time and, being on a student budget (I’m talking a selling platelets, and eating ramen budget), I started with the usual suspects:  a Seiko Orange Monster, an SKX007, an Orient Mako, and others.  Ultimately, I saved my money, and in late 2012 and early 2013, following a couple years of summer clerkships, I was able to purchase my first two serious watches – a hesalite Omega Speedmaster, and a Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin Moon – both of which remain in my collection.  I considered saving up additional money, and trying to get a FPJ Chrono Bleu when I started working, but it was beyond what I was comfortable spending at that time (a meager $14,000 if I paid cash – we all make mistakes (nb. – including the AD, which lost its right to be a FPJ AD).  As a result, I put this hobby on the backburner, and directed my attention to other things.

For the following seven some odd years, I generally followed what was going on in the watch world.  I read the blogs, checked out the forums every now and then, etc.  However, I moved twice, married once, bought a house, adopted a pet, and had a child.  So it is not like I was doing nothing.

It only took the COVID-19 pandemic to reignite my passion.

With a few cancelled vacations, and a modest windfall from cryptocurrency, I decided that 2021 was my year to tick an item off of my horological checklist – a Patek.  For as long as I can remember (see comment about the Patek 5035, supra), that has been my goal.  And, towards the end of 2021, I picked up my first and only Patek, the 5205G-013.  It was not my first choice – specifically, I have always lusted for a 5712 (way before it was cool to do so).  However, now that I own it, I am glad that I did not have the option.  In addition, I also picked up a 36mm Rolex Explorer, and a Bvlgari Octo Finissimo S.  Good things come in threes, perhaps.

So, in total, my six-watch watch box is filled with five watches:  the hesalite Omega Speedmaster, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin Moon, the Patek 5205G-013, the Rolex Explorer, and the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo S.

Which means, at this juncture, I’ve got one spot remaining.

Which brings us to the title of this article:  The Next Frontier.

In my journey as an enthusiast, I feel like I have reached something of a crossroads.  As a long-term goal, the Patek was an easy decision.  I had already narrowed down the brand.  However, now that I am the owner of what I once strived for – what do I do next?

The first branch in the road:  I could dive farther into the world of Patek.  Perhaps I could save for a grand complication – a perpetual calendar, or maybe even a perpetual calendar chronograph.  Or, perhaps, I could buy a Calatrava or complication, with the goal of getting a 5231 – or whatever its replacement might be by the time I receive the allocation.  Or, perhaps, I could get an allocation for a 5712, or a 5164.  Now, I understand that going this path would require some not-so-desired purchases – perhaps, a twenty-4 for my wife, or some dust-gathering reference.  And the thought of that eventuality left something of a bad taste in my mouth.  Further, the more I considered this branch, the more I thought to myself – do I really want to jump through the hoops?  Do I want to keep the flow going, when the flow is such a substantial amount of money?  Do I want to buy things I don’t want to get things I do want?  And, correspondingly, the more thought that I gave to this branch, the more that I decided this may not be the path I want to go down.  I felt a little niggle in the back of my head – is this what luxury is supposed to feel like?  Why do I feel so disconnected from the experience?  It almost felt like I was keeping up with the Joneses, but in this instance, no one cares about my fancy watches.

The second branch in the road:  I could be happy with the 5205G-013 being the apex of my collection and embrace other watches that I appreciate, some equal to, and some less than, the 5205G-013.  The Lange 1815 up/down comes to mind.  I’ve always wanted an Omega Seamaster.  Oh, and lest I forget, the VC 1931.  And, of course, a precious metal Daytona on Oyster Flex.  And the PF Tonda.  And a Grand Seiko, or even two.  And the list goes on.  And on.  And on.  After flipping and flopping back and forth, I remembered a snippet from my High School Latin class:  nosce te ipsum, “know thyself.”  If I do not focus, I will find a million different things to love.  And I am a man who falls in love hard and fast.  Further, in my mind, I am dead set against being a collector, as opposed to being an enthusiast.  I enjoy wearing my watches, and would like to keep my collection at six so I can do so (which, more realistically, will likely mean that I will end up with eight).

The third branch in the road:  be happy with that I have.  Frankly, I gave some thought to this.  Sure, it isn’t very fun – but I already have five gorgeous watches.  Fortunately, I talked myself out of this path – specifically, this brings me joy in my life, and why would I want to stop that?

The fourth, and final, branch in the road:  the road less traveled.  A bumpy, winding road.  Single lane, no passing.  Speed limit of 25 mph.  Of course, I speak of the road of the independents.  I have always had a soft spot for independents.  A small operation, working with an artisan, a personal experience, a watch made closer to the traditional way – all the things I love about my other hobbies, tailoring and shoemaking, chief among others, in this hobby of watches.  What can I say, I’m a romantic.  As I have grown in this hobby, I have realized in myself that I am generally disinterested in complications.  Or, to put it a different way – I am more fascinated in interesting and complicated ways of keeping precise time, as opposed to complications that I have little need for.  To that end, I’m drawn to time-online watches, and that is where the independents shine.  In particular, I have always had a soft spot for Kari, and I thought – maybe I should just shoot him an email!  To me, obtaining a watch from him has seemed next to impossible, as, in my eyes, he and Philippe Dufour share the same pedestal.  But, sure enough, I received an email from Kari personally, shortly thereafter, received an agreement, and wired my deposit.

I have zero clue where this will go from here.  If the COVID-19 pandemic permits, I would love to visit his workshop, and that will provide me with a great opportunity to contribute Part II.  Until then, I am keeping the watch and my proposed idea under wraps, but will keep you fine folks abreast of the journey.