On the upside....

Hey gang,

I am sad.

I've been off the forums for a while, and I'm doing my best to lay low on buying right now (though I have still picked up a piece or two - sometimes I just can't help myself!).

On coming back a little more frequently, I can't help but notice all the doldrums and mournful attitudes decrying the death of the hobby. While I can relate to some of this as it relates to some of the references I love, I can't help but look for the upside...

Why let the top end (ok, the stratospheric top end) ruin it for you? As many have pointed out, there's still a lot of good stuff out there. Also, you/we are a large part of getting these watches into the eyes/hands of all those sharks that are swimming around these days. Think of all the talk about how vintage speedies are WAY undervalued as compared to Rolex of the same era. Of course that will bring some speculators to come have a look - once they get wind of it.

The bigger risk, I think, is that of the supply of new collectors in the watch scene. If new comers aren't coming in, then the market is doomed to collapse... This makes me think of the good ol' days when I joined here. There was very little commentary about value and discussions were mainly about the watches. I am so grateful for all the members here that freely shared their opinions and knowledge which is what really attracted me to the scene. Many of those collectors are still here and still sharing what they know though maybe less frequently because everyone else here is talking mainly about astronomical prices of a very short list of references and how the hobby is dead. I'm not sure I would have stuck around here if the general consensus was that the hobby is about to follow the dinosaurs and the combustion engine into the fog of history.

Let's turn it around. Its within our power to make this forum and, to a degree, this hobby generally more fun. If certain brands or references are out of reach for us mere mortals, let's look elsewhere.

I mean, look at this watch!

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexcha...s_wyler_heavy_duty_vintage_watch_599_shipped/
(jeez, why did I post this one?!)

Or this one:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/qo8nc4/wts_tropical_zenith_sporto_769/

or this:

https://uhrforum.de/threads/fortis-stratoliner-571-10-142.459559/

or this

https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/...-panda-chronograph-poor-mans-carrera.5351952/

I have no affiliations with any of these sellers, just posting here as examples of some nice looking vintage watches that are still very affordable... I'm not recommending these watches or sellers, but felt I should post the links along with the pics as they are active sales threads.

(yes, those that know me know that I will take any excuse to post watch pics!)

Instead of focusing on how out-of-reach particular brands or references are, I've been spending more time looking for things that ARE within my means and it's refreshed my interest in collecting.

I don't mean to belittle anyone's feelings about the hobby. i have certainly gone through peaks and valleys myself. All I can say is that for me, all the downcast threads are depressing and make it less appealing to come here and just browse the WRUW thread (for a few hours) or the sales corner or anything like that. I'm doing my best to ignore those threads and focus my attention on the watches as that's the whole reason places like this exist.

...and that's worth exactly $0.02 CAD I'm sure.

Agree 100%. Plenty of Omega watches that don’t cost a fortune, even if the prices have risen across the board compared to a few years ago. I have grown to like speedmasters, I have three, and Rolex, just the one, but its those funky 70s designs that still give me the most enjoyment.

I think the focus on value is understandable but at the same time it is blinding some to the joy of simple joy of collecting watches. I was wearing a 2020 Hamilton re edition LED watch at work the other day, three of my colleagues were asking about the watch, I got to talk about how President Nixon had one, and all the stars of the day wanted the original; as well as how technically advanced it was when it came out. One did ask how much it cost, but only because they thought it was solid gold as opposed to gold coloured.

I do mourn the loss of the good old days when I could pick a 5513 for a few £hundred or a Speedy for much less and Windows 95 was the way to go. You are indeed right and it is time to refocus and look forward. Personally I have been spending time researching vintage Longines. Just like starting over again with lots to learn (without the misery of dial up), lots of bargains and fun to boot!!!

Agreed, I’ve moved away from Omega recently and have gotten into military watches. I’ve picked up a Record (dirty dozen) and for my next purchase I’m looking at a Heuer. It doesn’t mean I won’t buy another omega again but the market is a lot more limited for Omegas well at least for me. But I still love watches and will still continue to collect as when I can afford to.

It's been some time since my last Omega purchase. But I have picked up a couple of nice Seiko watches and a Nodus watch over the last 12 or so months. Much more affordable than Omega.




But reality, my goto watches are Omega.

How about one of the most underrated dials in vintage watch collecting. Hand carved logo, so time consuming that Seiko had to stop producing them just after a few months of starting the first Grand Seiko. With some effort and patience you can still find these around. And no stratospheres. If you stop concentrating on auction results and “in” watches you can find some really lovely stuff.

I think at almost every price point in this hobby, there are bargains and duds. The joy of this forum for me is learning from my erudite colleagues about the difference -- so that when I see something that's genuinely awesome (or at least awesome value) I can pounce quickly, or stay the bidding course. So I'm grateful for the accumulated wisdom here!

I truly get as much satisfaction for paying $100 for a funky 70s Seiko, or $1000 for a gorgeous Omega that's worth double that. And yes, my wonderful wife bought me the $10k Rolex for my 50th and I love that as well (particularly since it was a Batman at retail...)

100-fold difference, and I enjoy them all... so Oddboy, don't be sad! The hobby ain't dead yet.

Very much agree that there's still much fun to be had in this hobby! There are still a ton of watches that fly under the 'hype radar' that are fun to hunt for when uncommon and doesn't break the bank.

One of the more under the radar IWCs!

Agreed - there are still great watches out there, at a range of price points. These are my purchases this year, all for less than the price of a modern Speedy



The hobby isn’t dead, just living in a different direction…

Thanks for the tip @oddboy - I bought that Hamilton. Always wanted one!

I have some cheap(ish) watches that bring me lot of joy. For example I got one Grand Seiko 61GS that I bought for a reasonable price. I have found a Seamaster chronograph that’s rather rare and because it was wrongly titled on an auction it didn’t draw much attention. And one cheap Citizen that just looks like a million bucks 😀

Even when we can’t really go out much and share the love with other enthusiasts, I can wear these gems and just admire what they are.