What is this word you speak of “whittle”?

 

Thanks everyone. It wasn't easy, but here was my thought process.

-First off, I would consider myself a chronic flipper, with nothing staying in my collection, typically for more than 3-4 months so I have owned hundreds of watches, never really exceeding for than 5-6 watches at a time. I have tried a lot.
-I learned over the years that I like dive watches. I like the robustness, water resistance, the look, and I always reach for them when choosing from my watch box. Business casual at work, so never had the feeling of needing something dressier.
-I started with Seiko and micro brands, moved up in value including tons of Omega (Speedmaster, Aqua Terra, many Seamasters, many Planet Oceans) and Tudor (Black Bays in all colors, Pelagos in both colors, Heritage Chrono in all colors), stopping at the highest end and priciest for me at Rolex, (Sub, Explorer, both colors of the Explorer II, and a Datejust II)
-Came to the conclusion that the two brands that I loved wearing the most, brought me the most pride, and struck a balance for me between prestige, enjoyment, and value were easily Omega and Tudor.
-3 watches total would probably be my ideal number, but after selling everything off, 2 seemed right to get me what I was looking for without dipping into my checking account and just using watch sale funds for the new purchases.
-I was initially going to get one Omega and one Tudor, but the Planet Ocean and the Seamaster 300M were my top two choices, with the Pelagos a close runner up.
-For those that were asking, these 5 watches were my most recent over the past couple of months that made the sacrifice to get to my two.

 

I usually have 3 throughout the year:
1. Cold to warm weather watch: Everything but submerged in water due to leather band. Set a bit tighter on band. Currently the Omega Speedmaster BSotM in ceramic. Used to be my De Ville Chronoscope GMT.
2. Summer watch: Bracelet so I can happily sweat in it and then wash it in the shower. Set a bit looser on band/bracelet. Currently the X-33 Gen2 on bracelet. This used to be my everything watch for many years.
3. Basher: Usually on silicon strap or titanium bracelet. Cheap so if I break it I don't care. Usually some form of Citizen since Eco-Drive is virtually maintenance free, grab and go.

Might substitute which goes into each slot from time to time but not on a regular basis.

 

It means you stand in the air intake of a running jet engine and if the watch is sucked off your wrist you didn't want it sufficiently.

 

Thinking about it more I just could not have these two as my only two.
I do hope you still have something like a Casio GShock for when you really need a beater.
Also Id need something a little dressier on a strap as a second even if I rarely ever dress up so Id need to drop one of the two.
Even if I had two sports watches Id need one modern and one vintage or one Rolex and one Omega.
These two are just too close to the same for me.
LOL but as I have said that is simply my .02 cents and its not even really worth .02 cents!
If it makes you happy, MARVELOUS!!!!

 

I have been thinking about this and wondering if I could drop my small collections from 10 to 2 and the answer is no, there are watches in my collection that I keep for sentimental reason, presents from people or old watches belonging to family members no long with us, and whilst these are rarely worn I could not move them on.

Also I want to improve my collection, I enjoy wearing different watches and have worked out a plan for future purchases so dropping to two watches is just not going to happen.

 

Whittling is a term that refers to shaving down or carving a piece of wood, usually from the branch of a tree, or a small piece of driftwood. I'm probably showing my age but in the 1960's and 1970's, long before video games, one would pass the time, holding a stick and shaving it down with a pocket knife. Occasionally, we would try to actually carve something but more often, we just created wood shavings. I was 9 or 10 when I got my first pocket knife and spent many hours doing this. Whittling is often applied to a situation where we are reducing the size of something, in the same manner as "paring down". I'm from Canada, so it may be a North American thing.

 

The Longines Legend Diver is a nice watch!
I had one for a while but mine was the date and I just did not like it on this watch, the ND is the winner for sure of the two.
I loved the strap it came on but really had fun with it on NATO straps.

 

"What is this X of which you speak?" (and many variants) indicates that the writer knows exactly what is meant but could not or would not do such a thing themself. Been around in various forms from about 1920s. Earliest quote I could find is from 1943 by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

 

Took my first step. Made an excel spreadsheet showing the dates I purchased each of my watches and the prices, whether I have serviced them and any other associated costs I have. It's quite overwhelming when you start adding up prices.... I've so far managed to choose 9 to sell.... it's quite a rewarding task and I'm quite excited to seeing some of that cash again if I manage to sell them! haha

 

I've started doing the same recently (I was inspired after watching an art collector who did the same with his art collection). $$ adds up quick. For me, a two watch collection is kind of the "end game", narrowing down to one sports and one dress. But, I feel as though one has to own a lot more before they can understand what they really like or don't like and feel completely comfortable only owning two watches.

 

I was seriously going to dump half my accumulation but it's a buyer's market right now and there would be no point. Besides some of them are pretty nice and I have a history with them even if I rarely put them on.

That said, I upgraded watch boxes and the ten-slot primary box has seven Omega, the Lemania for dress, a modern Seiko, and my new Hamilton chronograph. That is the "A" team. There's another ten in a similar box as the "B" team.

 

I feel better knowing that you owned hundreds of watches first! Thought you just had it perfect out of the gate

 

Thanks - I guess he got me on that one. I'm not always tuned into UK sarcasm.

 

To quote our esteemed Prime Mini Steer

"It is [bangs table ] the [pause] duty of [louder] every [bangs table] [quieter] member of our [bangs table] to errr understand our [bangs table] commonwealth which [hits table twice] includes the fine, fine errrr Canadian Repup [pause] Country of, of, my good friend @amcclell here, which [pause] we [louder] welcome [quieter] in our [pause] fight against [pause] everything we are [louder] fighting [very loud] against [bangs table three times] [sits down]".

 

Yes, I did the spreadsheet thing, then separated them out to keepers and sellers. But still have not done the selling thing.

 

Like others, I tried the spreadsheet route. Being a serial flipper the amount of money I’ve wasted made me pretty uncomfortable. So I did the manly thing and bailed out of that approach - preferring not to think about it!

 

It is not actually ‘loss’ until you sell the watch. Until then you can quite happily live in the belief that you will break even.

 

I tell myself that every week. I could do with just a couple of appreciating assets that I sell at the right time and boom all my losses are wiped out.

I’m still galled at selling my 16610 lv for 4K a few years back (after wearing it for 2 years) and pleased I made 1k on it. Clearly my timing is way off. Haha.

 

Sorry I was being facetious. I understand the term but not the concept, I, in my wildest dreams could not imagine whittling down to two