With all of the Rolex talk, and many forums members having multiple Rolex in their collections, I always find it interesting to see the break down of watches.

Some buy and never sell, and other only have 1 watch at time.

Details aren't necessarily important, and this thread is meant to get a snapshot of what members collect, the timeframe that they acquired the pieces, and fluidity of buying and selling.

My collection represents buying and selling over 125 watches in the last 20 years, and I have always focused on dive watches, but have recently gotten into chronos.

6 Rolex (all bought between 1987-2010)
9 Omega (all in the last 6 months, as well as the ones below)
2 Zenith
1 Movado
1 Nivada
1 Technos
1 Yema

 

Wow, that's a lot of watches you've gone through over the years!! I'm not a collector, so I only have 3, but I'm impressed that you've purchased 15 watches in just the last 6 months!

 

1 seiko chrono
1 tag F1 chrono
9 omega watches from 1967 to 1975
1 sm300 Co axial

I bought them between 1990 and yesterday. I am trying to keep it down to a sensible number because I want to wear them. I like the more interesting dials. I have a SM200 banana, a chronostop driver, a dynamic, a f300 cone with white dial amongst others and yesterday I bought a 176.007,gold capped with leather strap from 1975. (Hopefully the funds clear this week and it will be on it's way to me shortly afterwards)
I decided to stick to omega watches because I would be bankrupt if I started buying all the watches I wanted. I am only a teacher and the wages are modest

 

Mine consist of:

8 Rolex, 11 Omegas, 3 Hamilton Electric, 3 Hamilton mechanical wrist, 13 Accutrons, 1 Certina, 1 J W Benson (Tavannes), 4 Bulovas, 1 1962 Timex Electric, 1Mido, 50 plus American and Swiss pocket watches, and so on. This all could change later today!

 

Started in the mid 90s. I have lost count. Primarily Sports Rolex Omegas and old chronographs. Also have a soft spot for round JLCs.

 

I'm a buy and hold kind of guy.
I've been slowly collecting for over 20 years now.
It's up to about 20, from a humble SKX Seiko to more aspirational pieces from Rolex, IWC, etc. and an Speedy on the agenda.
The problem with this is that more and more find themselves in the safe deposit box and not on my wrist. That's why I'm moving my interests away from big dollar pieces that I really don't want laying around to a handful of classics that don't break the bank and are a blast to wear. It's a win win really. Another dollar saved today is ~4 dollars in my retirement portfolio, and since I've hit 40, I think about that more and more, and that S class Mercedes and precious metal AP that I like so much shine just that much less. Though they will make great retirement presents.

 

bought far too many - sold maybe only 5 - so you may call me a hoarder...

I must confess I can´t stop.

Some "not so kind" () member here once called me the black hole of Europe...

 

That's a good thing right, that means you love all of them doesn't it?

 

For at least the last 7 years, I've averaged 20 ins and outs a year. Last year the slow down of purchases started, and things are in a low cycle now. Might last a few months, might last a few years - who knows?

 

So for those of you have have lots of buy and sell transactions every year, do you actually break even financially or does this hobby just get more and more expensive the more watches you cycle through?

 

OWN
9 Omegas
2 JLC
2 SEIKOS
11 watches from various manufactures that get little or know wrist time.

SOLD
1 Blancpain
9 Omegas (Speediorite, POXL, 2054, PO ti, SM300 - three of them, SHOM, Omega dress quartz)
10-12 watches from various manufactures that get little or know wrist time

Wow, almost collecting for 4 years. This averages about a purchase every month. No wonder my wife says I waste so much time on watches.

I do not keep a spreadsheet, but my estimate is that I am at break even for my buy and sell transactions. Bigger issue is the average price point. When starting, $250-350 was average, slowly crept up.

 

I'm starting to get an inferiority complex!

 

Thanks for the info, I guess as long as you can break even it's possible to just continuously buy and sell all the time. That would be a nice way to at least experience a lot of different watches for a little while that most people wouldn't be able to own all at the same time.

 

Lost count as well, at the most I had 38 watches I believe. I try to keep it now just under 30 so I try to trade. On my count if I remember correctly:

2 Panerai
6 Omega
5 IWC
4 Cartier
1 Bell&Ross
1 Tag Heuer
1 Genta Geffica
3 Baume&Mercier
1 Waltham
1 Zenith
1 JLC
7 Rolex
1 Grand Seiko
1 G Shock...
1 tudor
The ones I got for my wife because I liked them...
a few antiques: Hamilton, eberhart, Gruhen, (a coupe of these where donated at the last NYC gathering.)

 

I have always funded my future purchases by buying and selling. My collection is in constant motion, and I always try to buy at 25-50% of market value to ensure a favorable cost basis.

 

I guess that's the trick isn't it? My question is, how exactly in this age of the Internet, where everyone has all the information at their fingertips, do you buy something at 25-50% of market value?

 

People do not know how to properly research. Also, eBay algorithms that try to help people price, do not take into account vintage models and condition...they make a lot of bad pricing suggestions.

 

So mannnyyyy ! Far above 150
Today:
17 Omega, mostly Speedies vintage to Snoopy
3 Sinn
4 Seiko / Grand Seiko
4 Tudors
4 Panerai
2 Ebel
4 Doxa
1 Breitling
And few other micro brands

 

You just reminded me of the sweet white gold Villeret I sold a few years back. Definitely one of the most regretted sales I've ever made.

 

I don't regret selling the Blancpain. While it was one I really liked, I did not wear it much, as my go to diver is the Ploprof 1200. And then when I bought the Ploprof 600 I really did not see the point of keeping the Blancpain, as it was worn only once a month.

And yes, the Villeret is a really attractive dress watch.