An excellent exercise for any true collector (i.e. owner of way too many watches). I am trying to give your categories a go, but I am hesitant about assigning a maximum of 10 points to each item when I do not think that they have the same importance nor would the sum be more than a data point. Two examples: A) Family watches (Father's, Grandfather's) are both somewhat delicate and too precious to lose so equally get little to no wrist time and say for argument's sake (happily not the case) were neither of special technical merit or timeless design. I would still never willingly part with them, sentimentality is worth 100 points! B) Historical pieces. It means a lot to me to have examples from the 20th century developments, WWI, first purpose made lugs, interwar shapes, technical steps in waterproofness etc. etc. Most would score badly on many categories, but collection-wise are 100 points. Lastly a quibble on versatility: When you have a whole collection of pretty much every type of timekeeper let alone wristwatch, why would versatility ever matter for any given timepiece? Appreciate your thoughts, I already have my excel spreadsheet set up to give it a try!
I always dress for what I am going to be doing and with whom (the occasion) which naturally (or pathetically OCD) always includes my choice of time piece. I travel extensively, have many sports and hobbies and move in quite varied social circles so may well need to change more than once a day, if only between exercise and the rest of the day. For me it’s an opportunity to wear more watches more often.
Although I would divide the collection generically between elegant, rugged and fun, there are definitely wide differences in formality, toughness and quirkiness and it is fun to have “just the right thing” for each occasion where the versatility cones not from the puece but the collection.
for me versatile relates more to how I wear it. I have some watches that just feel like they are more formal and I gravitate to watches that are perhaps less so- or at the least able to cover more than one mood. For context, I live an a rural part of the countryside and a non water resistant vintage or minute repeater does not work well on a farm. I guess I dont like changing watch multiple times a day. So I dont mean versatile in the sense of within the collection. I mean in my daily life.
Excellent set of criteria, and I found myself mentally evaluating my collection relatively efficiently as I read the post!
Definitely, I think it would be worth sitting down and doing it more formally although I can tell, right off the bat a couple that will end up at the bottom that I wouldn’t have imagined
The value issue! Yes! This finally explains exactly why I have been so reluctant to put on my CB and wear it anywhere the last 6-8 months!
Absolutely insane it’s apparent value now compared to the retail price I paid a few years ago being a small fraction of what they’re going for now.
Yet I wouldn’t feel good about “flipping” it as I was basically gifted with it by my AD when they were the last retail dealer to be cut off by FPJ when they exited the brick and mortar scene and I was offered the last one they would receive ahead of several dozen people on their own waiting list (they had been the first US dealer as well) …. Possibly it will mostly remain in the one of the watch boxes waiting for the next generation. 🙆🏼🤷🏼🤦🏼
I really loved this. Thank you for sharing it so openly.
What I often say about watches is that the ones we tend to enjoy the most, and tend to keep the longest, are those that give us that jolt and can stand scrutiny of thought too.
The invariable problem with quantifying is that albeit it’s a “rational” system, if the results don’t necessarily share our (even if subconscious) expectations, it leaves us feeling flat. I tried doing that for years with restaurants and stopped altogether.
Being extremely simplistic, I basically summarize my watches and futures purchases — after considering their place amongst my current pieces — as: I feel like this piece is really nice. And try to surf that wave as best as I can.
Essentially it boils down to the answers to 2 complementary questions: "I should like this" and "I do like this".
I have not sold a watch yet as I have not needed to, but often find that involving a disinterested party (the wife, usually) and asking them to nominate watches to sell often catalyses the thought process.
If the visceral reaction is "no, god no, never" - the watch will IMO likely have staying power that overrides any intellectualisation or rationalisation of the downsizing process.
An excellent exercise for any true collector (i.e. owner of way too many watches). I am trying to give your categories a go, but I am hesitant about assigning a maximum of 10 points to each item when I do not think that they have the same importance nor would the sum be more than a data point. Two examples: A) Family watches (Father's, Grandfather's) are both somewhat delicate and too precious to lose so equally get little to no wrist time and say for argument's sake (happily not the case) were neither of special technical merit or timeless design. I would still never willingly part with them, sentimentality is worth 100 points! B) Historical pieces. It means a lot to me to have examples from the 20th century developments, WWI, first purpose made lugs, interwar shapes, technical steps in waterproofness etc. etc. Most would score badly on many categories, but collection-wise are 100 points. Lastly a quibble on versatility: When you have a whole collection of pretty much every type of timekeeper let alone wristwatch, why would versatility ever matter for any given timepiece? Appreciate your thoughts, I already have my excel spreadsheet set up to give it a try!
Thanks for your reply. Quite reasonable!
I always dress for what I am going to be doing and with whom (the occasion) which naturally (or pathetically OCD) always includes my choice of time piece. I travel extensively, have many sports and hobbies and move in quite varied social circles so may well need to change more than once a day, if only between exercise and the rest of the day. For me it’s an opportunity to wear more watches more often.
Although I would divide the collection generically between elegant, rugged and fun, there are definitely wide differences in formality, toughness and quirkiness and it is fun to have “just the right thing” for each occasion where the versatility cones not from the puece but the collection.
for me versatile relates more to how I wear it. I have some watches that just feel like they are more formal and I gravitate to watches that are perhaps less so- or at the least able to cover more than one mood. For context, I live an a rural part of the countryside and a non water resistant vintage or minute repeater does not work well on a farm. I guess I dont like changing watch multiple times a day. So I dont mean versatile in the sense of within the collection. I mean in my daily life.
Thanks for the “likes”. And wow,, a like from Kingfum. Honoured.
Last thought on “versatility”: If I find an occasion for which I don’t have an appropriate watch, that is the occasion to find a watch!
Excellent set of criteria, and I found myself mentally evaluating my collection relatively efficiently as I read the post!
Definitely, I think it would be worth sitting down and doing it more formally although I can tell, right off the bat a couple that will end up at the bottom that I wouldn’t have imagined
The value issue! Yes! This finally explains exactly why I have been so reluctant to put on my CB and wear it anywhere the last 6-8 months!
Absolutely insane it’s apparent value now compared to the retail price I paid a few years ago being a small fraction of what they’re going for now.
Yet I wouldn’t feel good about “flipping” it as I was basically gifted with it by my AD when they were the last retail dealer to be cut off by FPJ when they exited the brick and mortar scene and I was offered the last one they would receive ahead of several dozen people on their own waiting list (they had been the first US dealer as well) …. Possibly it will mostly remain in the one of the watch boxes waiting for the next generation. 🙆🏼🤷🏼🤦🏼
Great post!
thank you. Yeah, the value thing really surprised me also, but I think it explains why many watches just sit in the safe
Sell Nautilus. 😂
🤣🤣
did the cs really triple in value recently? and you had written about how hard it was to sell last year. that is hilarious 🤣
Great article - thought provoking
If your score doesn't reflect how you feel, then it must be missing something
I really loved this. Thank you for sharing it so openly.
What I often say about watches is that the ones we tend to enjoy the most, and tend to keep the longest, are those that give us that jolt and can stand scrutiny of thought too.
The invariable problem with quantifying is that albeit it’s a “rational” system, if the results don’t necessarily share our (even if subconscious) expectations, it leaves us feeling flat. I tried doing that for years with restaurants and stopped altogether.
Being extremely simplistic, I basically summarize my watches and futures purchases — after considering their place amongst my current pieces — as: I feel like this piece is really nice. And try to surf that wave as best as I can.
Oh, by the way... you did ask, so here's 2 old posts on this subject:
https://www.screwdowncrown.com/p/the-watch-collectors-matrix?utm_source=publication-search
https://www.screwdowncrown.com/p/watch-collectors-matrix-2
far more impressive than my system!
Essentially it boils down to the answers to 2 complementary questions: "I should like this" and "I do like this".
I have not sold a watch yet as I have not needed to, but often find that involving a disinterested party (the wife, usually) and asking them to nominate watches to sell often catalyses the thought process.
If the visceral reaction is "no, god no, never" - the watch will IMO likely have staying power that overrides any intellectualisation or rationalisation of the downsizing process.
Good read! Enjoyed it.