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How many watches is too many?

watchbie
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As many others have pointed out that is a very personal thing. I don't consider myself a collector. I am a watch enthusiast. To me this means that having a large collection that is sitting on a box or safe doesn't make me happy. I want to wear my watches and I like to have like a "signature piece" that would match my style/personality/lifestyle and that could be a one-watch collection. That's my Aqua Terra and it could be something like a VC Overseas in the future... This is the watch I definitely wear the most. I refer to myself as a one watch guy with 3 watches in the rotation : )
 
Flysatchmo
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My wife keeps asking me “how many watches do you need?” My reply is always the the same...”just one more”
 
Dries
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Instead of absolute numbers, try finding your personal sweetspot between available funds and the types of watches you want to collect.

for me, currently, that might allow me about 10 watches but who knows where I might find myself in 5 or 10 years.Make that journey yourself
 
JwRosenthal
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Flysatchmo Flysatchmo
My wife keeps asking me “how many watches do you need?” My reply is always the the same...”just one more”
I have learned not to show her the ones I want to get rid of because they quickly end up in her collection.
 
shaun hk
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I do not consider myself to be a collector, the watches I own are too random to be a “proper collection” and I generally just buy what appeals to me. Though this does have drawbacks as I end up with pieces that I really wanted at the time but which do not get worn. And some (that Dan Henry quartz for example) are hardly worth the shipping fee to sell.
I very recently decided to be tough and sell some of those that are just collecting dust and sold a Seiko Bellmatic, I started to take the photo’s and got thinking “this is really quite a decent piece, I can see why I bought it, maybe should keep it”. Then I put up the ad thinking “if no one wants then not a biggie, as it is worth keeping”. But someone liked it and now I’m just waiting for the funds to hit my bank account, hopefully they will wear it more often than I did.
So I am now down to 15, and plan on culling a couple more, then I can buy the Tudor Black Bay that is currently on my must have list.
This may be the wrong thing to say here, but for me they are just things. Things I covet and search for and want and enjoy but I try to remember them as just pieces of metal put together in a fascinating way. They are not living and if at any time I need the money I spent for something real, then I will let them go. There are maybe 2 or 3 that I would not sell unless life took some very unlucky turns, and hopefully the Tudor will fall into this category.
 
shaun hk
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JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
I have learned not to show her the ones I want to get rid of because they quickly end up in her collection.
The first time I told my wife I was thinking of selling one, she was very much “Uh, really, OK” then a bit later was asking “is everything OK, do I need to be concerned about your finances?” She’s used to it now, and trusts that I won’t overspend (or will balance out if I do), so rarely comments on anything, in many ways she is happy when I buy as in her mind it means we are financially secure.
 
ikanbilisclub
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3 years back, I bought a 6 slot watch box.
Ditched that a year ago for a 10 slot watch box.
Added a 6 slot watch roll a few months back.
Halp 😲
 
Larry S
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I had been happy with my Two Jaegers and my Rolex GMT. When the vintage bug bit me, I fell hard and went nuts acquiring mostly Chronographs. Now retired and with Covid shutting society down, it all seems a bit superfluous. Mrs S is pushing me to sell. It’s hard letting go as I bought some nice pieces. Also bought some just ok stuff too. My advice is to go slowly. Watches are not an investment. Always remember that. You win on some and lose on others.
 
ikanbilisclub
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Larry S Larry S
I had been happy with my Two Jaegers and my Rolex GMT. When the vintage bug bit me, I fell hard and went nuts acquiring mostly Chronographs. Now retired and with Covid shutting society down, it all seems a bit superfluous. Mrs S is pushing me to sell. It’s hard letting go as I bought some nice pieces. Also bought some just ok stuff too. My advice is to go slowly. Watches are not an investment. Always remember that. You win on some and lose on others.

Wise words.
After >1 year of not getting much, I tripped into the rabbit hole of vintage (vintage chronographs) which led to a rapid expansion over a few months.
I am now learning to take a step back, breathe and enjoy the collection day by day.
 
JwRosenthal
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Larry S Larry S
I had been happy with my Two Jaegers and my Rolex GMT. When the vintage bug bit me, I fell hard and went nuts acquiring mostly Chronographs. Now retired and with Covid shutting society down, it all seems a bit superfluous. Mrs S is pushing me to sell. It’s hard letting go as I bought some nice pieces. Also bought some just ok stuff too. My advice is to go slowly. Watches are not an investment. Always remember that. You win on some and lose on others.
Logic would say to move the just OK stuff along and keep the best, but it is hard as you see what you could get for it and think- well, that’s not worth selling it then.
To truly purge, you have to divorce yourself of what you “think” something is worth and commit to moving it- make it gone, you get what you get. And once it’s gone, don’t look back.
 
sxl2004
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Larry S Larry S
I had been happy with my Two Jaegers and my Rolex GMT. When the vintage bug bit me, I fell hard and went nuts acquiring mostly Chronographs. Now retired and with Covid shutting society down, it all seems a bit superfluous. Mrs S is pushing me to sell. It’s hard letting go as I bought some nice pieces. Also bought some just ok stuff too. My advice is to go slowly. Watches are not an investment. Always remember that. You win on some and lose on others.

Dibs
 
Larry S
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JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
Logic would say to move the just OK stuff along and keep the best, but it is hard as you see what you could get for it and think- well, that’s not worth selling it then.
To truly purge, you have to divorce yourself of what you “think” something is worth and commit to moving it- make it gone, you get what you get. And once it’s gone, don’t look back.
Yep...I’ve always said that a watch is redeemable for some value. It may not be the value you agree with. Didn’t get into this thing of ours to make money. It has always been for fun. Yea..moving the just OK stuff is a good idea. Also the stuff I’m just not into. The challenge next is the departure of good pieces. You a have to be cold about “making it gone”.
 
JwRosenthal
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Larry S Larry S
Yep...I’ve always said that a watch is redeemable for some value. It may not be the value you agree with. Didn’t get into this thing of ours to make money. It has always been for fun. Yea..moving the just OK stuff is a good idea. Also the stuff I’m just not into. The challenge next is the departure of good pieces. You a have to be cold about “making it gone”.
Yup- cold is exactly the way. Sometimes it’s not even about the money. I had a ‘05 Tag Carrera I’ve owned for 15 years and maybe wore it a dozen times, I just never bonded with it. It was worth maybe $1.5k, I thought about selling it and rolling that money into something I do want. My watch handy friend (who is of very modest means- works for his family business and has a 3 year old) and does most of my restoration work gratis (including reluming) has lusted after it for years. I gave it to him- he earned it. It felt much better to give that one to someone I knew would love it than to just sell it off.
 
JohnWoo
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A limited number may be 7 [plus 1], one for each day of the week and a 'special' dress watch for occasions of meaning?
You can upgrade the daily ones from time to time by flipping the other. That always keeps the 7+1 and have the fun of buying and selling.
Just my theory.
 
Archer
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When these threads come up, people often talk about a hard limit, or "one in one out" rules, or rules about it must go if it's not being worn "regularly".

I've never been a fan of rules for this hobby. So I have no set limit, no rules about how often something must be worn to stay in the collection, or what I must sell to acquire another watch. I don't buy or sell near as much as others here, so that's probably why I don't have such rules, but I've always thought that rules take away the enjoyment to a degree.

I try to think of it this way...I own the watches, they don't own me. So if I haven't worn a watch for a year, who cares? If I still like it and want to keep it, I'll keep it. Sometimes it almost feels like people seem pressured into moving something if they don't wear it all the time...

An aside - whenever I see one of Mike's photos, I recall getting an email from a guy who said he was "the biggest Omega collector in the US" who asked me about servicing and told me how many Omega's he had. I can't remember the number he told me, but I thought to myself that "I know a guy who has more than that number of just one model!"
 
Speede
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JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
C5422C47-F4AF-4FAC-81DF-E2180FB5B88C.jpeg 7A7DCA22-0674-4A84-98C1-513F8517B89A.jpeg E9AF2E5B-9A92-4507-9FD9-5A6ED1CDE35D.jpeg

got about another 25 in queue for service...it’s a problem
Haha, it’s only a problem if you want it to be. Nice collection
 
Scooterino36
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Larry S Larry S
My advice is to go slowly. Watches are not an investment. Always remember that. You win on some and lose on others.

Well said, and these two points are really my only current parameters.
 
Flysatchmo
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JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
I have learned not to show her the ones I want to get rid of because they quickly end up in her collection.
Looks like you picked a winner of a partner! My wife loves her watches...she has 4... 2 AT’s different colors of course, the Mother of Pearl seamaster and her dads old Omega Automatic we had refurbished. She’s happy with those choices but can’t understand why I lust over so many different watches. So just one more!
 
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