Anatomy of a Buy...What Do Yours Look Like?

"rare bird"! 😜

We need to develop a decision matrix for watch collectors. Let's get started!

I buy what I like, wear it for a while, get bored, sell it, rinse and repeat.

I tend to befriend old people with watches who don't have any children in hopes of getting in their will.

But, until I become soulless and actually do that, I pretty much do what everyone else has said.

I choose a few brands (and the eras that call to me from them) and try to limit my searches to those brands and time periods. I then have a handful of models I actively search for, research the going rates, and set an upper limit for myself on what I'd be willing to pay before emotions come into play in the middle of a bidding war or excitement at seeing a rare model. I'll admit I still get caught up in the excitement sometimes and pay more than my pre-set limit, but I try to at least make sure I don't get raked over the coals if it doesn't do it for me upon delivery.

Shoot first ask questions later, then ask forgiveness from my wife ‍♀️

Due to a lack of funds at this early stage in my professional and watch collecting career I tend to spend most of my time reading OF, doing research, and figuring out what I like and what I want next. As a result, once I have the requisite funds I basically know exactly what I want and am willing to pay for it so my infrequent buys basically consist of pulling the trigger as fast as possible so I get the watch before anyone else can. 😁

Mine is similar to yours. There's one other important reason I like buying from friends and fellow collectors, and it's that when I see the watch it reminds me of the person I bought it from. If he was a nice guy, it makes me appreciate the watch even more. Which is why I was very pleased to acquire a Seiko 6105 from the OP @watchknut himself 😉

I don't have one method.

I do the drunken BIN's and also sometimes wake up to have won several auctions of identical watchboxes I really don't need.

Then I have the purchases I have either studied thoroughly or am reasonably able to spot the qualities from bad pictures and as such am comfortable to buy online (basically the watch models I've had before and know what to look for, like the Constellations & Conquests).

Then there's the category where I get nervous (pre-moon speedies, Sub 5513, 18k Datejust, Day-Date), basically the 5K+ watches. I have never bought a watch over 2500 euro without holding it in my hands. This limits me to local buys (I have driven up to 250kms into Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands for them).

But often I buy stuff that look good and afterwards start researching what the hell I've bought.

I guess buying stuff is the best part of this hobby for me.

I live in Europe, so I'm not totally comfortable on buying from the US/Asia etc. knowing that customs are hard & I really prefer seeing the piece beforehand (if possible obviously).
I really only but what I like, and since I'm young and have limited funds, I pounce on local deals of watches I love at a good price for the condition, also depending on the deal structure (do I know the seller, cash or bank wire, am I extremely busy at work, etc.)

By doing so I've never got stung yet (meaning that I never lost that much money if I had to flip it in order to fund the next buy). Found some nice pieces including Speedies, Sherpa Graph, Wittnauer 3525, Lip Paul Newman, Connie with recessed crown, Dodane type 21, Zenith A3630...
And then sometimes I just want a piece badly and go on great lenghts to find one (damn you, Heuer Bundeswehr)

Most purchases I make are at bricks and mortar auctions. The thing about being an auction "regular" is that you get to know all the dealers and you can pick up many a good piece from those who carry out estate and house clearances. We tend not to work on values of watches (though most of us could tell you to within a few pounds what recent examples have sold for); what we work on is turnaround and profit. Of late, the pickings have been very slim and getting slimmer. I picked up a nice Seamaster a few weeks ago that is still here waiting to go for a complete overhaul (1020 movement totally seized ... so we'll see what that ends up costing but was £120 at the hammer); prior to that I got a ladies' Bucheron in a mixed lot (£30 for the lot including two nice watch boxes); at Christmas I managed to get a great 5513 at what I thought was a steal. I'm still working one dealer to part with a 2998 and have another who brings every Omega box to me before anyone else gets to see it.

These are all examples of auction purchases after they've been cleaned and serviced:



Here's the latest Seamaster that's waiting its turn with the watchmaker:


Then once in a while, I walk past a shop window and decide I really like something in there ...


EDIT: I forgot to add a photo of that 5513, although it's since been to the spa (what looks like rust on the inside of the bezel is some pitting, presumably from sand) ...

Online, it all begins with crappy pics. Some of my very best finds, including my current daily, came as a result of that. As there's no such search parameter as 'crappy pics', you just have to sift away. 😀
In person, instinct, patience and discipline carry the day. Just the other day I made an amazing discovery of some parts I never thought I would, unless I were in some back alley in Hong Kong or Padua. But, my sixth sense led me there..
All of the above, minus perhaps a strong sixth sense, is gradually developed over time. I would not recommend for total beginners to start buying like crazy off of online listings with crappy pics-many times, crappy pics are of crappy or fake items by scammers...

Hum there it goes
Yeah I like it, couple days go by, yeah I really like it, couple more days yeah baby I like this thing, couple more ...NO NO NO I shall not, should not, need not, will not....couple more days darn it I really really like it and really need it......couple more hours ...screw it let's do it I have done decent on resale so why not. PayPal please, ding... and done .

That is my strategy and I am sticking to it.

I'll never forget this UG that I bought off craigslist for a great deal from an original owner. That won't happen again...

Wow, that's beutiful!🥰

I just look for the ones that are gold platinum or palladium. Though sometimes if I find a complicated and cheap one that I like I go for it too.

Watch list is full (mostly ended beauties that I would miss if I deleted), so If its auction style I bid "JUST to see where it goes later"... 7 days go by and I get an alert "this or that watch is about to end in 5 minutes" its at this last moment that I start to ask myself SHOULD I BID? HOW MUCH HAS THESE BEEN SELLING FOR? SEEMS LIKE A GOOD PRICE, OH MEN ONLY 2 MINUTES LEFT... and its exactly like this that I end up buying stuff I dont need. The rush of bidding at the last second has caused me many unwanted, or in the best case uncalled for, purchases.