elliot55
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How Did Your Journey Begin...
...Whenever I meet a passionate
watch collector, I am always curious to know how it all started. As I’ve posted on this very forum, my journey
began when I purchased that Submariner some thirty years ago. And in the years since I have accumulated a
whole lotta’ watches.
Some even say that
people like us are nutty just for having more than one watch, let alone
spending more than five-hundred bucks on one.
I mean, who can successfully argue with a person who has forty handbags
and fifty pairs of shoes, all housed in a special closet that would dwarf some
New York apartments.
The other day, a
friend asked me (with an almost judgmental tone), “How many watches do you
actually have?”
Actually?!? Actually, I had to think about the answer. Did he mean, “How many watches do I own in
total?” or did he mean, “How many watches do I wear?” or “How many are
insured?” Or…? My answer turned out to be more of a question,
“I don’t know, twenty?”
Frankly, now I
was curious about the grand total and after spending a few minutes culling
together everything this horological packrat has gathered (horded?) over the
years, the accurate number of pieces is (gulp) thirty-three. Granted, that’s EVERYTHING. Every piece-of-crap novelty-watch given out as
‘swag’ by some mortgage company; every junky pocket watch picked up while
foraging at some NAWCC swap meet; every Timex or Casio I’ve ever owned -
running or not – all crammed together in a pile, like Schwarzenegger’s drawer full
of forgotten AP’s. Only without all the
AP’s.
At the end of the
day, the actual number didn’t even matter.
In fact, I am reminded by a dear friend who has always made the point “it’s
not the timepiece, it’s the story”. So,
I have to ask: How did your journey
begin?
Looking back, I guess
I’d have to say watch collecting is in my family’s DNA. Growing up, my grandfather had a beautiful
pocket watch that he kept in the vest pocket of his 3-piece-suit. Whenever I would come for a visit, he trusted
me with it and let me carry it around.
Of course, as a kid I had no idea what a Breguet was so when I was older
and the watch was left to me, I had a minor freak out. And I am pretty sure I’ve never seen my dad as
pissed off as he was when the watch was left to me and not him.
Unfortunately, it’s one of those timepieces that is only accurate twice a day and yes, I have explored having it repaired. There are two issues: 1) Parts that need to be replaced must be made and estimates have been received in excess of $20,000, and 2) Even if repaired I am quite sure it would still sit in the box at the bank. I can almost hear my German watchmaker friend saying in his Deutsch accent, “Fuggettaboutit”.
Sometimes the
obsession starts with a gift. Another
friend of mine was given a Jaeger LeCoutre Reverso by his wife for his 40th
birthday. We’re talking a guy that was
all about his G-Shock. Here we are
fifteen years later and that same G-shock devotee has got a bunch of Rolex, several
JLC’s, a Patek Philippe, a couple of Omegas – well, you get the picture. For others, the affliction comes from an
appreciation inherent to one’s own occupation.
I know a collector with an absolutely amazing collection of A. Lange
& Sohne timepieces.
Each one is a masterpiece, front and back, and when you ask him, “Why A. Lange & Sohne?” He tells you that as a retired engineer there is nothing like it anywhere in the world. He goes onto say no-one-but-no-one can engineer something like this better than the Germans. Or as he likes to say, “Niemand macht es so wie die Deutshen.” This is where curiosity
gets the best of me. So tell us: How
did your journey begin?
Cheers!
- Scott
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How Did Your Journey Begin...
... Whenever I meet a passionate watch collector, I am always curious to know how it all started. As I’ve posted on this very forum, my journey began when I purchased that Submariner some thirty years ago. And in the years since I have accumulated a whole...
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Excellent Topic!
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Ha! No Complaining Here...
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Both Are Beautiful...
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I'm sure I've told the story before, but since you asked . . .
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