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What makes a watch collectible?

gostang9
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froezenite froezenite
I know that any answers to this thread will be purely based on opinion and not fact.

-SWK

So for me, a watch is collectible if:
1. it has a special aesthetic that I find very appealing
2. it is not a look I can purchase new
3. it is from a brand with a strong reputation for quality and reliability
4. it is available at a price that I'm willing to pay and still wear the watch (this goes against the common grain perhaps)

For me, I would love to acquire a Daytona 6263 Big Red. While this fits my criteria 1 to 3, unless my income increases dramatically, I likely won't ever own one.

A Speedmaster 35th anniversary meets all criteria including 4, and so this is a model that will very likely make it into my collection at some point.
 
styggpyggeno1
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I am all over the place. I am a hoarder believing in diversity. That might be the red line thru my collection. And I am taking impression from what others do on the net - seeing pictures of vintage watches makes me want them. It can be a seventies LED Nivada for 30 USD or a Jaeger LeCoultre for a lot more. The value part is not important for me when it comes to collecting vintage. When it comes to users ¨(semi-modern) I have a different view - then it is more of value for money, second hand value, if spare parts are available, etc.

When @LouS posted pictures of a vintage Zenith Captain "turtle" about a hundred years ago I immediately understood that I had to have one. I ended up with having four for a period. I did not even know they existed and then I had to hoard them...
Edited:
 
STANDY
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Then @styggpyggeno1 posts a picture of his four Zenith Turtle,s he's hoarded and I had to have one. ( not knowing they existed before hand also )
 
ahsposo
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Oh, I just like to capture butterflies, gas them, then stick a pin through them.

Oops! Wrong forum!
 
U
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styggpyggeno1 styggpyggeno1
And I though you were @ulackfocus - capture noobs, harass them and wave a stick at them...::stirthepot::😉

Alright, let's set the record straight on the above post.

"capture noobs": First off, I don't capture them. They volunteer for their hazing by publicly doing something silly, completely unprovoked by me, that deserves a little verbal smack upside the head. Second, hard lessons are lessons learned for life. Third, it's n00bs, dammit!

"harass them": Yes, you could use that word, but as you see above I prefer the term haze. It's more in line with the fraternity feel we have here. 🤪

"and wave a stick at them": Pfffft, I don't wave sticks - I swing bats. 😲 😁
 
DON
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You have it, Others want it = collectible

You have it - Nobody wants it - not collectable

DON
 
MSNWatch
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You wave fora and books and blogs written about it.
 
kingsrider
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longhornbba longhornbba
For me, it's mostly story. Along with that is the potential for sentimental value, which is hard to quantify.
Yaaaaaaaaaaah, I'm going to need you to come in on Saturday.
 
kingsrider
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My collection is kind of theme and period based. Made in sixties and early seventies with a sporty or technical look. Kind of like me...
 
Wongo
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Just trying to collect watches that doesn't cost a leg and a arm.
 
WatchVaultNYC
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Supply vs demand. For vintage watches, supply is mostly fixed. Demand is based on popular opinion at the time.
 
Modest_Proposal
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froezenite froezenite
Wouldn't you say price is a reflection of collectability?

As has been mentioned, there is a feedback loop between the personal desire for a watch and the perceived community desire for a watch. It can lead to sudden price rises. Universal Geneve is a prime example of this.

People who are part of a community want to be respected in that community. One way to do that is to become knowledgeable in a subfield of watch collecting. Another is to simply own watches that people in the community respect (which usually connotes knowledgeability). This is not overt. People aren't thinking about this when they buy or own a watch. But it is there - subconsciously influencing personal taste.
 
Dr No
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froezenite froezenite
I know that any answers to this thread will be purely based on opinion and not fact.
I'm attempting to write a research paper on the factors that make a watch collectible and would like some opinions from vintage watch collectors.

For example when I look for a vintage watch I look at:
Condition
Originality
Rarity
and most importantly, story

If it isn't an inconvenience, could members post a list of what they look for in a vintage watch?
It can be one thing or it can be 100 things it really doesn't matter at this point, I am just trying to gather data.
People can have the same answer and in fact the more the better so that I have a large sample size.

Thank you so much

-SWK

I look for this . . .

DSC01325.jpg


. . . on the dial.

😀
 
gostang9
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DON DON
You have it, Others want it = collectible

You have it - Nobody wants it - not collectable

DON

True when considering the overall watch community. When considering one individuals definition of "collectible", this isn't necessarily true.
 
STANDY
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Was just reading this from a search for something else and it needs a bump for newer members perspective.
 
Syzygy
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Wonder how that paper turned out.

My collection is all over the map. For the pieces that I consider a fairly large outlay, I am pretty focused on condition, how it fits with the others to round out the group, and if it speaks to me.

The others that are much more affordable, the first factor is 'oh, shiny thing, me want', followed by case and dial design and movement quality. I've learned quite a lot since I first fell down this rabbit hole, so the factors that influence an addition to the collection have evolved along the way.
 
Canuck
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One watch in my collection is most important to me because I have acquired a wealth of archival material from the original owner’s family, and I have a complete record of almost all of the repairs the watch had over the 45 years the original owner wore it. He carried it all those years in his bib overalls, during a career from apprentice fireman, fireman, and locomotive engineer. It is an ugly watch, and cosmetically, it is not pristine. The only thing it has going for it that it could still meet railroad standards, and the provenance. Nobody could possibly like it as much as I do!
 
vintage hab
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Canuck Canuck
One watch in my collection is most important to me because I have acquired a wealth of archival material from the original owner’s family, and I have a complete record of almost all of the repairs the watch had over the 45 years the original owner wore it. He carried it all those years in his bib overalls, during a career from apprentice fireman, fireman, and locomotive engineer. It is an ugly watch, and cosmetically, it is not pristine. The only thing it has going for it that it could still meet railroad standards, and the provenance. Nobody could possibly like it as much as I do!
Where’s the photo?!?
 
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