I'm starting to feel a bit more confident on the forum now, I have read threads not to do with Omega specifically, I have seen people upset at being ribbed & ridiculed (although jokingly) and have decided to put myself forward for derision as necessary.

Am i a collector?

I always loved watches as a child, they were all digital, it was after all the early-mid seventies and I was young so these technological LED marvels were amazing and almost affordable.

I cant say when it happened, but as I got older I had a massive desire to own a really good watch and Omega called to me.

My first REAL watch was a mechanical skeleton with exhibition caseback, I think it was Sekonda but i will need to dig it out & check, it reacted to my skin and both the watch & skin turned green, & the rear glass fell out twice within a year.

I was not deterred!

When I could eventually afford to buy something very expensive (to me) in 1999. I set out to Buy a Blue face blue dial Seamaster, it had to be automatic; no more cheap quartz for me. While out with my wife & pointing to the watch i had decided on, she pointed to the one beside it and said "do you not like that one?". I laughed & explained that that one was a Rolex.

Three months later when my "big" wage came in I picked up the.................ROLEX that I had ordered

A 16220 Pink Dial with Roman Numerals & Oyster Bracelet. I had ordered this combination as I thought it was a bit different & I do not like the Jubilee Bracelet.

A few years passed and I stumbled across a Baume-et-Mercier Capeland S XL (in Costco of all places) in 2003. I loved the look of the watch and admired it for a good 6 weeks before pulling the trigger even though I knew nothing of the brand. I just loved it, & still do.

This is now 17 years old & has never missed a beat.

In 2006 I purchased a Hamilton Khaki Field King Day Date Auto. It is a lovely little watch with exhibition back for very very little money.


(The pic is from internet as my wife currently wears this one)

In 2010 I had the opportunity to acquire a Planet Ocean 2201.50.00. This was not new, but only a few moths old & as new. I jumped at it was a classic Omega diver & looked fantastic.

I still love this watch, however it is very difficult to get a good fit as there is zero adjustment on the clasp. This watch is now 11 years old & has never been near a service centre.

Finally, in January I tried on a SM Ploprof Titanium on Titanium to convince myself that it was too big. I loved the very unusual style of this watch & had been admiring it for about 12 months. I really wanted a Rolex Deepsea Deep Blue but I am not prepared to wait for years even IF I could get a dealer to put my name on a list.

I got a very very good deal on the SM and here we are.
My biggest problem at present is that i am so enamoured with this new piece that I do not see when I will rotate. It is an emotional attachment that I have not had since purchasing the DJ even though I love the other watches for different reasons. For both the DJ & the Ploprof, I had to stretch myself and I think that matters.

I love them all, but have no real technical knowledge of them except that I know that the engineering in all of them is fantastic

So there it is. That's my story.

Am I a collector or just someone who likes nice things??

Jeeper

 

Q. Are you done buying? -----------YES------------------> you are just someone who likes nice things
|
|
Heck, no!
|
|
V
You are a collector

 

Or you could just be an early-stage hoarder.

When you start selling, trading, and upgrading ... then you will know for sure that you are a collector.

 

So so far from being done, only money prevents me from buying more, but buy what I like and don't put research into the brands models etc. as others on here seem to do. I want to own a Patek(too many to mention), JLC (again too many to name) & definitely Breguet Type XX11 (although XX1 would do), Vacheron overseas etc etc, but £££ just not there.

Jeeper

 

We have similar stories. I'm not sure if I'm a hobbyist or a collector either. I'm leaning towards collector myself as watches are not the only thing I like "collecting".

 

Thanks Dan S I think that is appropriate.

I wouldn't sell DJ @ sentimental value
I wouldn't sell Baume or Hamilton as intrinsic value is less than they are worth to me.
I couldn't sell PO when I tried.
I cannot imagine when I am going to NOT want the Ploprof.

Jeeper

 

This is a good question. I suppose before one can answer such a question it’s necessary to define what a collector is. I don’t have an answer for that, but perhaps someone else does.

I’ve collected other things in the past, and for a short while I considered myself a collector of those things, but I’ve subsequently stopped, so I’m not sure if I’m still a “collector” in the active sense or a “collector” that has a finished collection that essentially just collects dust.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t want to be a watch collector in the sense of collecting multiple watches. I have 3 watches, a Seiko I got for my wedding, a Globemaster I got for my 40th and another Seiko SKX I got for a backup. I don’t wear my wedding watch and I never wear my SKX as I’m always wearing the Globemaster, so I’m going to sell the SKX. So I essentially have an active 1 watch collection in my mind, or 2 watch if you count the wedding watch. Would I consider myself a collector by just having one watch I wear and another in the drawer? Not sure. I’m active in keeping up with this hobby and retain interest in other watches and developments in the hobby, does that change things?

I have to admit I got bit by the bug and have seen lot of watches I wouldn’t mind owning, but knowing how collecting can get a bit out of control, and the cost and service costs involved with each watch, I’ve decided that sticking to one watch is much healthier for me. Plus I want to wear my Globemaster everyday and it’s nice not having to decide what I should wear and what’s left behind. So after all that, I don’t know if I’m a collector or how to truly define a collector.

 

3 or more = collector

 

Great collection.

That said, if you buy what you like getting into the research stuff, you might also be a compulsive shopper.

But do spend time researching (whether before or after a purchase). It will enhance your love and appreciation for your collection. Though it will also exacerbate your collecting/shopping impulses. Hopefully, even if heightend by research, it will now be more focused.

 

If the number of watches you would like to own is n+1, where n = the number of watches you currently own, then I would say that you are a collector.

 

Wow you sound like the most grounded person I’ve ever me. I absolutely love the globemaster annual calender. Unfortunately after the Ploprof purchase I will find it difficult to spend another £4.5k ish for a while. Personally, I will never ever have sufficient funds to own the timepieces that I currently desire? But that is MY problem as a poor (impatient) guy in a rich guys world. Unfortunately I am impatient & can’t save for ANYTHING. I take my hat off to the REAL collectors who sacrifice,save & ensure that They get exactly what they want. I am massively jealous of their knowledge & discipline.

 

I have laid my heart out. Let us know what you wear!! What you love?? & what you desire.

 

I liked this but what about the what about the n+3 (or 4 or 5) ? Definite collector?

 

Katana.

thank you.

I have just realised I am a “ WANTER”
I WANT the fabulous timepieces
I WANT the history of those pieces
I WANT
I WANT
I WANT etc etc etc

I’ve just realised how needy I am!

 

For me, personally, the meaning of being a collector is knowing that I'll never be satisfied with what I have and that I'll always think there must be even more to find and to study, while meanwhile considering purchasing again what I once sold or thinking about what I should have sold in order to be able to aqcuire even more interesting stuff, well, and all of these aspects combined with the fact that I simply can't find the time to finalize the pending projects.

 

This comment caught my attention, I also wondered if I was still a collector but when I read this thought yep, still am as the desire to move things on to “get the balance right (ie next one I want)” is definitely with me.

 

I love the way you have gone from a 36mm salmon (real men can’t wear a pink watch LOL) Datejust to a PloProf Is just great shows a marvellous eclectic taste, Does the DJ feel tiny if you wear after the PloProf?

 

Thanks Gefmey.

I only buy “things” I like/love. I would buy something that was of no importance to me, only if it was ridiculously inexpensive (doesn’t happen to me)

 

You will regret selling the perfect travel and out door activity watch. Not having an SKX or similar is not something I could live without.

 

Shaun hk

No! I love my DJ. My biggest issue is that I love the new SMP PP just as much. I did not think I would ever ever get another emotional attachment to a watch after the DJ