Watches you don't wear

Wlcutter · Jan 18, 2021

kov
This topic is definitely part of the collecting journey and no doubt there will be as many different opinions as people participating in this conversation.

My personal opinion on watches I don't wear changed several times during the last decade of collecting.

I went from :

- I am happy to own a couple of pieces, I will wear the hell out of them all.

to

- Found that rare bird, happy to own it but I don't wear it as if I damage it, I won't find another one. Wear the hell out of the rest.

to

- I am wearing everything except that not really rare but expensive one because I cannot afford a 5k scratch.

to

- This is a NOS 35 years old full set, I don't want be the one who unNOSes it 😵‍💫. Got enough to wear, it is okay to keep this one for the sake of collecting.

to

- Why the hell would I keep a watch sitting in my bank safe? Sell it, buy something to wear, enjoy !

to

- It's uncommon, it's in a great condition, it's got the tag, papers, box, sales ticket, provenance... damn, it's got everything !! I need it in my collection. If I let this go, I will certainly never ever find one that ticks all the boxes again. Got enough to wear, let's keep this one in the dark.

to

- Actually collection goes split in 3 categories :

a) watches I'll never ever find again if I damage them or let them go. They enjoy the dark and I enjoy knowing I have a solid core collection.
b) watches that are rather rare (specific ref or common ref but collector condition) that I do wear, but with attention and on special occasions
c) watches that give me joy and I wear the hell out of them

This is perfect.

TimeODanaos · Jan 18, 2021

kov
- Actually collection goes split in 3 categories :
a) watches I'll never ever find again if I damage them or let them go. They enjoy the dark and I enjoy knowing I have a solid core with real collector items.
b) watches that are rather rare (specific ref or common ref but collector condition) that I do wear, but with attention and on special occasions
c) watches that give me joy and I wear the hell out of them

+1 👍
Some folks have really thought this one through! I for one found it helpful to see all that written out longhand, as it were.

Canuck · Jan 18, 2021

One I wear ONLY when I photograph it for WRUW. Too fragile! And close to 88 years old. Lose it, or wreck it, and I’d never be able to afford to replace it. My late father bought it in 1933, so I’m the second owner. When he ran his watch repair business in the 1950s and 1960s, he used this watch as a LOANER, when he had a customer’s watch for repair! I shudder to think!

wristpirate · Jan 18, 2021

kov
- This is a NOS 35 years old full set, I don't want be the one who unNOSes it 😵‍💫. Got enough to wear, it is okay to keep this one for the sake of collecting.

+1

I've bought a few new old stock watches and worn the mintyness out of them. Nowadays I look back on it and think that's one less mint watch out there.

I have a few pieces that I know I will never wear, they were bought with that in mind. I get more joy out of looking at them thinking they are "pure and untouched" than I would wearing them.

There are also some pieces which I swing my arms wildly wearing them. Battle scars!

Marsimaxam · Jan 18, 2021

I have never been a member of the “If You Don’t Wear It, Sell It” fan club.

I’m a watch collector and I also collect art. I don’t carry my art outside with me everyday much like I don’t wear all my watches as I consider them to be art as well and some for a variety of reasons get little or no wear.

1. Dress watches
Only wear on special occasions....weddings, formal events, etc

2. Vintage watches in NOS or almost new condition

3. Watches that have increased exponentially in value

Every watch I have ever owned, I have worn, just some more than others

Some watches that get little or no wrist time

View attachment 1145220

View attachment 1145224

Waltesefalcon · Jan 18, 2021

Personally, I wouldn't buy a watch I didn't plan on wearing.

rcb · Jan 18, 2021

I have too many watches that I've bought and never wear, mostly relatively inexpensive Seiko/Orient/Citizen/Casio, but some much more expensive. I am in the process of greatly cutting my collection, to just a few pieces that I intend to wear.

McKinley · Jan 18, 2021

Did anyone else think this thread was going to pertain to watches we never wear cuz we have moved on from them or never bonded with them, they have been pushed to the back of the watch box and where someone else might call "Dibs" and they would be loved again? Was I the only one?

McK

JayBe · Jan 18, 2021

Condition has become such a dominant value determining factor on the market, that it's understandable that serious collectors with seriously nice examples want to protect their investment and not risk it. I am glad that this leaves more beat up examples frowned upon and keeps them relatively affordable for people like me, who don't mind character and some history to be told by the watch. Of course, how could we be part of this history, if we don't leave some marks. 😀

That being said, I'm quite careful and have yet to leave some aesthetically unpleasing mark on a watch I care about, so maybe I just didn't learn my lesson yet.

JayBe · Jan 18, 2021

Oh, and i actually don't wear my F300 nearly as much as I'd like to, because I'm mortified to wear off the index wheel and jewels at that frequency. 🙁

TimeODanaos · Jan 18, 2021

McKinley
Did anyone else think this thread was going to pertain to watches we never wear cuz we have moved on from them or never bonded with them, they have been pushed to the back of the watch box and where someone else might call "Dibs" and they would be loved again? Was I the only one?
McK

No, falling out of love with a piece, that's a whole different species of pain - too much to handle atm on top of the dilemmas already in this thread. I need to go and do some real-world stuff to take my mind off all this! 😉

asrnj77 · Jan 18, 2021

Am I the only one hoping that some of these beauties end up in the FS section?

I have some watches that I wear for certain occasions but none that I keep for keeping sake. Not saying it’s wrong because I also don’t have any pristine condition watches. Most of mine were pre-loved by the prior owner and I’m just the next in line to enjoy them

Syrte · Jan 18, 2021

kov
c) watches that give me joy and I wear the hell out of them

Those are the only watches I’m really interested in, although some can bring joy without being worn so much.
I accidentally acquired one watch which is like new, but which I have worn. I avoid watches whose condition is NOS or would make me fear damaging them as I find them useless (to me), and therefore wasteful.

TimeODanaos · Jan 18, 2021

Marsimaxam
I’m a watch collector and I also collect art. I don’t carry my art outside with me everyday much like I don’t wear all my watches as I consider them to be art as well and some for a variety of reasons get little or no wear.

I think you're opening an interesting debate there. Just for example, your Starwheel and Dubuis are primarily technological and aesthetic statements: were they ever really meant to be "worn" in the sense that your VC or Daytona originally were? (OK, maybe one for a new thread - sadly, I have no suitable examples to post!)

Marsimaxam · Jan 18, 2021

TimeODanaos
I think you're opening an interesting debate there. Just for example, your Starwheel and Dubuis are primarily technological and aesthetic statements: were they ever really meant to be "worn" in the sense that your VC or Daytona originally were? (OK, maybe one for a new thread - sadly, I have no suitable examples to post!)

Hmm.... interesting. All watches are meant to be worn, but some aren't worn as much as others.

I have often wondered about collectors who amass huge collections of watches whether they are celebrities like John Mayer, Orlando Bloom, Sylvester Stallone, Eric Clapton, or the unknown European collector who owned over 2000 watches wear all their watches or is it collecting for the pure joy of owning. Interesting debates in so many different directions.

Oku · Jan 18, 2021

Wlcutter
everyone needs to find their own threshold on that. I personally won't wear more than $2k on my wrist

It is not a matter of value what I meant. Many years ago, I thought I would never wear a >10k watch... nowadays a Speedmaster or 5513 is beyond that threshold and I really don't care.
But knowing that a vintage watch survived in a NOS condition and each day on the wrist brings down this condition makes me reluctant to wear it. This only holds for a very few watches that I didn't intend to just put in the safe. Like @Syrte I wanted to enjoy them on the wrist. But now I only enjoy them when I put them out of the safe and look at them, put them shortly on the wrist and then store them away again.
Interestingly, this holds only for a very few watches. I have other watches in great condition where I have no problems to wear them.

Marsimaxam
I’m a watch collector and I also collect art. I don’t carry my art outside with me everyday much like I don’t wear all my watches as I consider them to be art as well and some for a variety of reasons get little or no wear.

I think the post of @Marsimaxam captures it well. These watches are like art. I really like the watches and enjoy them, just not on the wrist....

JayBe
Condition has become such a dominant value determining factor on the market, that it's understandable that serious collectors with seriously nice examples want to protect their investment and not risk it.

My concerns have nothing to do with value. I don't buy watches as an investment. It's just that I don't want to make a scratch to a vintage watch in NOS condition. Like you don't want to break the 200 years old Meissen porcelain you got from your grandma. It would be irrecoverable.

asrnj77
Am I the only one hoping that some of these beauties end up in the FS section?

Maybe a long long time in the future in a galaxy far, far away for an obscene offer I can't refuse...

Syrte
and therefore wasteful.

Isn't any watch at higher value wasteful to some degree? In particular the tenth, twentieth or sixtieth watch?

Marsimaxam
or the unknown European collector who owned over 2000

Are you talking about @mac_omega? 😉

Marsimaxam
I have often wondered about collectors who amass huge collections of watches whether they are celebrities like John Mayer, Orlando Bloom, Sylvester Stallone, Eric Clapton, or the unknown European collector who owned over 2000 watches wear all their watches or is it collecting for the pure joy of owning. Interesting debates in so many different directions.

We don't need to ask the celebrities. Here on OF, there are several members who own >>100 watches. Maybe they chime in.
It is another point when you have so much money liek Stallone or Bloom. Then, I guess, it is not "collecting" in the first place, they just buy when they see a nice watch they like. They wear it, then switch to another and whoops, they have a collection. But there are certainly also wealthy people who are really into watches and who are very knowledgeable. So it most probably depends on the person.

Oku · Jan 18, 2021

Marsimaxam

May we see better pics of these two beauties please?🥰

DirtyDozen12 · Jan 18, 2021

Oku
I also have a classic car and I drive it whenever the weather is fine. It is strange but it is a different thing for me. The car will suffer when it is not used. The watch won't until it is used.

The comparison with cars is often drawn and I agree with you, they are different. The experience of driving a car is much more involved than that of wearing a watch, IMO. And as you stated, cars often benefit from being used versus sitting. I also think that one could wear a watch and not wind it, whereas one could not enjoy the acceleration of a car without driving it. Anyway, I am curious which vintage car you have. Below are a couple of watches that do not see any use but are admired from time to time.

Oku · Jan 18, 2021

Both gorgeous watches, in particular the Eterna!

DirtyDozen12
Anyway, I am curious which vintage car you have.

Austin Healey 3000 MKIII BJ8 from 1967
I just realized that I have only very few pics of the car... here is the best I could find:

DirtyDozen12 · Jan 18, 2021

Oku
Both gorgeous watches, in particular the Eterna!

Thank you! The Eterna is more my style, as well.

Thanks for sharing that photo of your 3000. An iconic car in a fantastic paint scheme!

Watches you don't wear

Wlcutter

TimeODanaos

Canuck

wristpirate

Marsimaxam

Waltesefalcon

rcb

McKinley

JayBe

JayBe

TimeODanaos

asrnj77

Syrte

TimeODanaos

Marsimaxam

Oku

Oku

DirtyDozen12

Oku

DirtyDozen12

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