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Controlled or uncontrolled watch passion - which is it?

STANDY
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Like a schizophrenic ordering a pizza
 
x3no
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Its interesting to hear how others approach their watch buying hobby 馃榾

For me, I'm still in the stage of figuring out what "makes me tick", pun intended. I've rotated out a few since I have started at the beginning of this year, but have been fortunate to start to find my "niche" of what I like, given my financial restraints. Once I get a solid foundation of what I like, I may continue to collect those that sing to me, but also I'll try to keep things orderly at the same time. I agree with @ChicagoFrog in that if you do your research ahead of time, then you are able to snatch up something special at the right moment.. And that is what it's all about for me--finding the diamonds in the rough.. the satisfaction of the hunt and the capture 馃憤
 
Archer
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I don't have a particular process, and don't really consider myself a collector in that way. If I like the watch, and I think I'll like it for a while, I get it. For me it doesn't need to be any more complex than that.

Over the years I've noticed a couple of things that happen with people...nothing scientific by any means, just my casual observations, and these are also from non-collectors.

Your tastes will change. Mine certainly have, and a lot of the watches I used to really want, I look at now and wonder what I was thinking. I have seen people make very dramatic shifts in what they collect, sometimes with those shifts coming full circle and people collecting again what they did many years prior. A personal example for me is the Speedmaster - I used to look at them and think "Meh - what is all the fuss about?" but now it's the watch I wear the most out of my small collection.

People burn out in this "hobby". I find that those who are chronic flippers of new watches in particular, tend to burn out quicker than those who are a bit more measured in their approach. I've seen people who flip easily 100+ watches a year, and they don't tend to be around for too long. There are certainly vintage collectors who are constantly dealing and trading, but that's different. I'm talking more about the newer person who goes all in, and "tries everything they can" in a short time.

My buying is not really impulsive. I buy watches with the intent to keep them, so I take time to carefully consider if it's a watch that I think I'll keep. I take even more time before I decide to sell. This is why I've never had any regrets about what I have sold, and haven't ended up buying the same watch over and over again as I've seen some others do.

Cheers, Al
 
Pvt-Public
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My problem is that I am not very well controlled when it comes to Hamilton pocket watches. On the flip side, spending on pocket watches controls what I can spend on wrist watches. 馃檨
 
oddboy
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I usually go after watches that have 'speed' and 'master' on the dial. I generally prefer ones where the speed and master are close together.
 
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