Community Stories

What’s your “starter kit” for watch collecting?

Willi
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If you had a watch budget of maybe AUD6000 per year and were just starting out collecting. Where would you start? Also why?

I’m debating between:
-Three smaller purchases to help spread the itch?
-Two middle ones to bring a bit more thrill to the game? or
-One Watch to rule them all and in the darkness bind them?
 
Davidt
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Impossible to say without a bit more info.

E.g. are you looking at vintage or modern? If vintage, what period styles are you interested in? Sports or dress? Stew or precious metal? Do you have a particular min case size? Are you thinking Omega only or others makes - if so, which? Etc...
 
Willi
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Davidt Davidt
Impossible to say without a bit more info.

E.g. are you looking at vintage or modern? If vintage, what period styles are you interested in? Sports or dress? Stew or precious metal? Do you have a particular min case size? Are you thinking Omega only or others makes - if so, which? Etc...

thanks for you reply.

I should clarify:
I am very new to watch collecting but have fallen down what seems to have been a greasy rabbit hole. I would say:
Mix of sports and dress
Mix of vintage and modern with bias towards vintage
Omegas mostly but I’m open to interesting examples from other brands
I prefer steel cases
32mm is probably my minimum prefer 34 and up

I am now asking what other forum members might do given the financial constraints mentioned earlier. (purely their own personal preference)
I realise it might not necessarily be what I should do but I’m hoping it will provide inspiration for perhaps what I could do.

Optional background story:-
I started because I found a deville ‘77 watch for auction. I thought (ha how innocent of me).
“oh a birth year watch, that might be nice. Also omega is a pretty good brand. I’ll have a bid”

And it began.

I was outbid but hooked. A few short weeks and five vintage omegas later I had to slow down.
(List below for those interested.)

I found myself reading about watches, talking about watches. Watching videos of watches. Annoying my wife with a watch box that whirrs at night to keep the automatics wound. I had become a watch person.

Fast forward a few months and a few modern watches added to fill in the time (certina podium, various modern Seiko 5s, a vintage wolbrook and three vintage seikos) I am in watch budget deficit for this year.


Omega seamaster Mariner iii 1986
396.0985
Omega seamaster 1967
166.010
Omega seamaster 1963
165.001
Omega Constellation Steel 1966
168.004
Omega Cosmic 2000
166.0131
Omega Automatic c1950
2640?
 
Darlinboy
Posts
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69,401
Willi Willi
If you had a watch budget of maybe AUD6000 per year and were just starting out collecting. Where would you start? Also why?

I’m debating between:
-Three smaller purchases to help spread the itch?
-Two middle ones to bring a bit more thrill to the game? or
-One Watch to rule them all and in the darkness bind them?
Willi Willi
thanks for you reply.

I should clarify:
I am very new to watch collecting but have fallen down what seems to have been a greasy rabbit hole. I would say:
Mix of sports and dress
Mix of vintage and modern with bias towards vintage
Omegas mostly but I’m open to interesting examples from other brands
I prefer steel cases
32mm is probably my minimum prefer 34 and up

I am now asking what other forum members might do given the financial constraints mentioned earlier. (purely their own personal preference)
I realise it might not necessarily be what I should do but I’m hoping it will provide inspiration for perhaps what I could do.

Optional background story:-
I started because I found a deville ‘77 watch for auction. I thought (ha how innocent of me).
“oh a birth year watch, that might be nice. Also omega is a pretty good brand. I’ll have a bid”

And it began.

I was outbid but hooked. A few short weeks and five vintage omegas later I had to slow down.
(List below for those interested.)

I found myself reading about watches, talking about watches. Watching videos of watches. Annoying my wife with a watch box that whirrs at night to keep the automatics wound. I had become a watch person.

Fast forward a few months and a few modern watches added to fill in the time (certina podium, various modern Seiko 5s, a vintage wolbrook and three vintage seikos) I am in watch budget deficit for this year.


Omega seamaster Mariner iii 1986
396.0985
Omega seamaster 1967
166.010
Omega seamaster 1963
165.001
Omega Constellation Steel 1966
168.004
Omega Cosmic 2000
166.0131
Omega Automatic c1950
2640?

You're no longer at the starting line, your journey has already begun and the advice you're asking for is moot. It's more fun to forge your own path anyway. 👍

For those reasons, I'm out. Good luck with your hunt!
 
Donn Chambers
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3,312
If you really do have a budget of 6000 AUD every year from now into the future, I would start with a watch I really, really want (new or used) at or below that price point and enjoy the heck out of it for the next year, then add another one next year when you have the funds.

This is based on personal experience from my journey. When I started buying mechanical watches over 20 years ago, I really, really wanted a new Seamaster Pro (the one with the sword hands) or the Seamaster GMT 50-year anniversary. Those retailed for about $2000 at the time. I spent the next year buying less expensive watches trying to satisfy the itch, including vintage, and probably spent close to that $2000 in total over a year or two.

At one point, I probably had about 6-7 watches and while I wore them, I didn’t really like any of them because none were the Seamaster I really wanted. So around 2004, I sold them all (for a substantial loss, I might add), took the money from the sale and more from savings, and bought the Seamaster GMT I had always wanted.

and guess what? I was so happy with that watch, it was the only one I had in my collection for nearly 6 years before I got the bug again for a Speedmaster.

so, in short, get a watch you really, really want, even if it’s just one, and not a lot of lesser ones just to say you have a “collection.”
 
Dan S
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Donn Chambers Donn Chambers
so, in short, get a watch you really, really want, even if it’s just one, and not a lot of lesser ones just to say you have a “collection.”

Yes. It’s a good idea to skip the typical first stage of collecting if possible.
 
Nobel Prize
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13,793
Willi Willi
thanks for you reply.

I should clarify:
I am very new to watch collecting but have fallen down what seems to have been a greasy rabbit hole. I would say:
Mix of sports and dress
Mix of vintage and modern with bias towards vintage
Omegas mostly but I’m open to interesting examples from other brands
I prefer steel cases
32mm is probably my minimum prefer 34 and up

I am now asking what other forum members might do given the financial constraints mentioned earlier. (purely their own personal preference)
I realise it might not necessarily be what I should do but I’m hoping it will provide inspiration for perhaps what I could do.

Optional background story:-
I started because I found a deville ‘77 watch for auction. I thought (ha how innocent of me).
“oh a birth year watch, that might be nice. Also omega is a pretty good brand. I’ll have a bid”

And it began.

I was outbid but hooked. A few short weeks and five vintage omegas later I had to slow down.
(List below for those interested.)

I found myself reading about watches, talking about watches. Watching videos of watches. Annoying my wife with a watch box that whirrs at night to keep the automatics wound. I had become a watch person.

Fast forward a few months and a few modern watches added to fill in the time (certina podium, various modern Seiko 5s, a vintage wolbrook and three vintage seikos) I am in watch budget deficit for this year.


Omega seamaster Mariner iii 1986
396.0985
Omega seamaster 1967
166.010
Omega seamaster 1963
165.001
Omega Constellation Steel 1966
168.004
Omega Cosmic 2000
166.0131
Omega Automatic c1950
2640?

Of course the exception is always on the particular watch but In my experience the purchases I end up regretting are either the very expensive ones or the very inexpensive ones.

I'll buy something on a whim that is affordable but interesting and I end up not wearing it and it is not worth to flip because the loss/profit ratio is just silly. Or I get that super expensive piece based on desirability and passion and then I realize I also don't use it that much and I am down a few grand. I can flip, at a loss.

The midd entries often hit the mark between great design and quality and wearability at an affordable bracket.

As you become more comfortable with your own tastes and wallet you'll be able to really choose the right piece that is worth the extra $, or the right inexpensive jewel.

good luck!
 
Shabbaz
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4,939
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18,332
It's so dynamic watch collecting. For example, I started out with collecting dress watches from mainly iwc and omega. Then my interest shifted in sport watches. Before I knew it I had 8 seamasters 120 from the 60's. Then my interest for dress watches, and especially constellations, came back. This resulted in buying many connies. I had a black dial period as well. I hated submariners but suddenly I was interested and bought one. I had a speedmaster thing. This resulted in buying a couple of speedies. Recently I'm mainly into sport watches from other brands (eterna, heuer). And now I dont have money because I'm rebuilding my house. But I still can enjoy the watches here on OF like the ones you will buy. So accept that you dont know where you'll be in 5 or 10 years. Just go with the flow and buy what you like.
 
arktree
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53
Watch collection is a journey with possible change in interest and preference along the way. I have taken a break in between, in fact, initially thought I would not resume the interest again.

Like what most shared here, get what you like, wear and enjoy it.
 
Awetaylor
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170
Likes
256
A bag of money and an understanding partner 😉

The best lesson I've learned so far is that "having an object is not the same pleasure as desiring one"
 
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