Aquaracer1
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Guys, what is the fate of watches that aren’t being worn?
Let’s exclude sentimental pieces
- Immediately move it on and replace with something that will get more wrist time?
- Admire it, as you would a piece of art in its watch box, but keep it?
- Take a break from the hobby, as you may be experiencing burning out?
- Revisit said watch in x months, and see if the passion is reignited at that point in the future?
- Other?
Example: Sadly I haven’t worn my Sub or ALS 1815 in months. But in this moment, I feel I’ll surely regret selling them. Sometimes it’s hard for me to accept keeping watches that aren’t being worn. But one is a classic icon, the other, a precious, hand-finished mechanical marvel. For now, their fate is unknown.
What about you? What is the fate of your watch(es)that aren’t being worn?
Guys, what is the fate of watches that aren’t being worn?
Let’s exclude sentimental pieces Immediately move it on and replace with something that will get more wrist time? Admire it, as you would a piece of art in its watch box, but keep it? Take a break from the hobby, as you may be experiencing burning out? Re...
They are beautiful but
They are meant to be worn. I have foumd that when i owm more than 5 watches , i dont wear some enough. I now have 4 that i wear regularly. Its enough for variety.
That’s the number I landed on too…
… and it works! The one I wear least (platinum dress) I still enjoy tremendously, and look forward to all of them.
Oh, wow! A question I face every day with TOO many in my collection
(Personally, I would be happy to wear your Sub and ALS any day and often) ha ha At one time I made a rotation schedule, and faithfully wore my watches according to that daily schedule, rotating each day. I don't do that as much these days, but I try to be...
Seems a very measured and reasonable approach
Thanks for sharing . I am a big fan of one in one out these days. Otherwise I’m left with 10 and even more don’t get worn. There is something very liberating about only having a few to choose from , in that, you avoid that analysis paralysis , and free up...
Very tough
I have watches that don't get worn a lot but have a specific reason for being in the collection. I have 3 watches I have sold ... I really loved them ... but they weren't getting wrist time and I decided I don't want stuff sitting around. I realized I can...
“I realized I can appreciate something I desire but don’t need to have them…”
That is incredibly insightful. As in my 15 years of collecting, I desire , so I must acquire . It won’t be easy for me, but perhaps working through accepting that is the key to freeing up the clutter sort of speak. Truly appreciate your perspective. Would...
For sure
For example this weekend I have been wearing my yellow gold vacheron constantin les collectionneurs chronometer royale from 1957. I have always wanted a YG watch but I knew it would not get worn much, so I decided to get something vintage, which imo makes...
Smart strategy , makes sense
After years of looking at pics online I finally tired a polar EXP II on in the metal. I too was taken with its cool dial and orange accents . However I couldn’t get past the 42 mm case size and wider bracelet, like you. So it was an easy pass for me. Supe...
I have a very small collection by the forum standards, 3 nice watches..
But they don't get even wrist time. Thing is you only have 1 left wrist... So I think I want to keep my collection to 3 and then consolidate up as I go. When something new catches my eye, sell my least worn and then just pay the delta in price out of pock...
Nice approach
When something new catches your eye, that you want, simply sell the least worn. Makes sense. Can you please share your three watches?
I think that
They are only an icon to you and precious to you…life is too short…in my opinion…move them and get something you love now and will wear. That is my thought. Otherwise…why have them…to quote Daniel Craig in his Esquire video with Nick Sullivan…you should w...
Thanks for sharing Greg
I’ve owned 100 watches and have no regrets. Because I haven’t worn those 2 for some time, I guess I feel things are getting a bit stale. At the same time I also think there is not something I desire more than those two at this time. If I really wanted an ...
This is what I was going to propose
Sometimes I sell just to have sold, but that's silly: if you still look at them and feel glad to own them, keep them! The fact that you aren't wearing them much doesn't mean you MUST get rid of them, but it does mean that you CAN, as in: they are natural ...
In my mind, I’d sell ‘em..
But I’m too lazy to sell so it sits resulting in this daily reminder (like an annoying itch) at the back of my mind that I have some cash sitting in unused stuff. Goes for cameras and lenses as well.
#4 for me. Which resulted in selling only 1 watch so far (kudoke 2 that I helped design for my watch group) and keeping the rest. No regrets, bc I know that somebody else may enjoy it more. That’s the only watch that I sold because of ‘love lost’.
I’ve other wise sold for financial reasons, like paying for my wedding (no-date sub and PAM 359) or for starting a charity (AP RO 15400, Mark 1 Rolex Batman, Kurono Tokyo TOKI). The more important decision is to avoid buying more watches unless they absol...
I am still at 4 .
But for a while now i am considering consolidate my collection so i can give them all some attention they deserve. Still not motivated to do so at this point 🫣
4 seems to be the magic number for me
Much more and they are not getting wrist time because it’s too man choices. Care to share your 4?
I mean point 4 🫣
I wish i could pick 4 pieces to keep and let the others go but i am to much of a WIS i guess. I think my magic number is 12 but even that will be a tough choice 😬
I don't sell my watches, I always buy to keep them
That may be different from you, but I would wait. You never know, what you rarely wear now may become what you end up wearing every day in a few months. Give it time.
I feel this is good advice
In the past I’ve always been a flipper. I tend to get restless with my rotation from time to time. I’ve slowed way down, and that has encouraged me to enjoy what I have . Thanks for weighing in
You're welcome!
I usually wear one watch for one or two weeks before switching to the next in rotations, this allows me to spend time with each piece and I always end up craving the next since I only wear each watch every two months... Maybe this could prevent a burnout
This may seem an odd criteria for adding to a collection.
If I find a watch I like, I try to imagine in what setting would I have an opportunity to wear it. The occasion, time of year (temperature), wardrobe (dress/casual/sporty) and most important, whether it duplicates something I already own. Appetite suppres...
Very logical criteria actually
Avoiding that temptation can be most difficult! This year I am way into integrated bracelets. In this moment I feel I must have 2, but trying hard to resist for the reason you mention. Mainly redundancy, repetition and buyers remorse on one especially
Dust catchers
I have a bunch of watches that be tru to this thread. Simply it do not wear fine on my wrist. At the other hand it is the fault of my beloved watches that push the unwanted away. One is so cheap, selling is no option, so perfect to make a beloved one happ...
If a model
is readily available you can always fix any regret by rebuying it in the preowned market
This is a point that cannot be ignored
The Sub can be replaced all day every day. The Lange is much rarer and will be more difficult to reacquire. But can be done. Funny story on my Sub; Once I sold it for a 39 mm EXP I. That lasted three weeks. And so I got Sub back 😂
Comes and goes
I love rediscovering a watch I haven’t worn, sometimes in years. I am fortunate in that I am not forced to sell a watch to make financial room for a new one, so I simply keep them. I have returned to every one of my watches at some point, even if they are...
I must admit
Rediscovering a piece that hasn’t been worn in months is an awesome feeling !
Well said
At this point, selling a watch just to have money in the bank or invest in mutual funds doesn’t make sense for me. I’ve only once sold a watch for similar reason, and that was for a down payment on my daily driving car, lol
A bit of 3, a bit of 4, and a bit of indecision I suppose.
Somehow unworn watches survive well; It is the owners who enter 'purgatory'.
Hi.......So, as someone that is.....
selling a couple of pieces, for me various elements come into play...I don’t have a huge collection, but my reasoning for selling these (and maybe some more later) are: 3. Horo-fatique and/ or realisation; I was out of the watch game I believe in 2022/ 20...
Thanks Yaco
Like in any hobby, burnout happens. Which gives an even longer period to leave and come back, to reflect on the rotation. There is an incoming which will be a good test to see if it helps me reignite the passion. Let’s see! In the case of the Sub and ALS,...
I shrank my collection down by a lot in the last 3 - 4 years for that same reason.
I found that once I didn’t wear a watch for a while, I would force myself to go back to it and just didn’t love it. So all those watches went into trades or 47th street.
I never feel good about owning a watch that I don't wear...
...so, as per option "4", I'll consider the watch for a while, and try to decide just why I'm not wearing it. Most often, it winds up that the watch in question is somehow redundant in my collection, without features sufficiently compelling to me to make ...
🙏🏻
Sounds like the right process. Interestingly enough, the ALS is nothing like anything else in my collection. It’s not redundant. It is however considered a “dress watch,” which I’m rarely in a formal environment. The other thing is I don’t wear leather st...
I certainly get that.
My work environment is such that I can wear pretty much whatever I want, "dress watch" or not, but that's certainly not the case for everybody. Interestingly, I had an 1815 myself a while back, but wound up trading it towards the rose gold/black dial Caba...
Nice!
My work environment is flexible regarding watches and attire. There are some days I’ll wear the 1815 with sweatshirt and sweatpants around the house 😂 And on the other end of the spectrum, even though there are less of these occasions, it goes perfectly w...
Send the Lange to me! I guarantee you won't regret it!
Joking aside, loan one of your watches to your son or a family member. Seeing them enjoy your watch is a satisfaction that you might enjoy!
You're welcome!
Good luck with this! Personally. I have a lot of dress watches and honestly, I don't use them often. I use my sportier watches. I tend to go for sporty models that are a little special. Like Reversos (this was the first sports watch), Nautilus, Octo Finis...
Very much so
I reach for my sportier watches more than my dressier watches. As is reason for 1; ALS 1815 😉 I have 6 watches at the moment, so I’m not quite there yet with allocating 3 to my kids, etc, this will be an exercise far into the future. Many would agree (inc...
If there are new watches that you want to buy
& if you need to sell those to acquire the one you want, then sell, otherwise what’s the point of selling? As collectors I believe we feel like we need to feel passion towards our watches, if we are not feeling it, comes the feeling of guilt and need to m...
I’d sell the farm for 1 epic piece
I don’t keep many in my rotation (currently 4) and with just 4, I find it frustrating sometimes deciding what to wear. I’ve long pondered over consolidating down to one (gasp) truly great watch. Not too long ago, I read an inspiring story about a fellow w...
I love reading stories like this
Many times, I considered selling the farm for one ALS 1815. However I became extremely fortunate and was able to add Lange and a few other sport watches. My latest thought was selling 3-4 pieces for one AP ROO. However I just couldn’t justify that move (o...
They go after a while
Hard to justify the number of watches anyway and if it doesn’t get worn it should go to more appreciative custodians. Best Andreas