Mainstream Watch Collection Overview

Rosneathian · 2022-11-01T20:32:32Z

Rosneathian shares his journey of curating a 'modest mainstream' watch collection, moving from 'artier' pieces to a more toned-down selection. Discover insights on collecting philosophy, vintage Vacheron Constantin, and the joy of intentional curation.

Rosneathian

WPS member · Horological Meandering forum

36 replies3925 views5 photos

Rosneathian, a respected voice in the WatchProSite community, shares a deeply personal evolution in his collecting philosophy. After divesting from a significant portion of his 'artier' watches, he reveals a new, deliberately modest collection. This introspective post invites readers to consider the journey from passionate pursuit to potential rut, and the liberating power of intentional curation.

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Friends will recall that I decided to let go of my artier watches about 2-3 months ago. I've since found contented buyers for 12 of 18 of them, evenly distributed between east Asia, north America and western Europe.

In their place are watches of deliberately middling stature. It's a toned down and dialled back selection, precisely what I was hoping to achieve.

There's a variety of dial material and colour here, and of manual and self-wound movements. In terms of complications, I've kept it to chronographs, world time, moon phase, and three handers. I wanted watches with Arabic and Roman numerals, and indices. I also wanted watches evocative of some of my favourite decades in design: the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. I'm a dial rather than a movement man, so that's made the choices more straight forward. Simple requirements and simple results.

Here's the first of two photos, of the 'new dirty dozen.'

There's also a bedside drawer full of odds and sods - a gallery of rogues that has no place in this august forum :p

Here are the six watches that will, in time, go. This might seem odd to say, but with each departure I've felt a tad more liberated. This has made me wonder if my pursuit of watches of recent years went from being a groove to being a rut. Perhaps it did.

Thanks for bearing with these occasional posts. I thoroughly enjoy the thoughtful, good-humoured engagement

With best regards.

Age_of_Surfaces

Key Points from the Discussion

The Vacheron Constantin 6562, with its Calibre K1072 / T, exemplifies Rosneathian's appreciation for vintage elegance and impressive movements, even as he embraces a more 'toned down' collection.
The Patek Philippe 5124, Daniel Roth, and Kudoke pieces, though departing, are highlighted for their elegant dials and representation of independent watchmaking, reflecting a collector's deep appreciation for horological artistry without being overly pretentious.
A collector's philosophy can range from Rosneathian's curated modesty to an 'anything rare' approach, as exemplified by Jacques Littlefield's tank collection, where the pursuit of uniqueness overrides other considerations.
The Longines Hour Angle is praised as a standout piece, demonstrating that true horological value and personal connection are not solely dictated by brand prestige or price point, but by how a watch fits one's personality.
Rosneathian emphasizes that his collecting decisions are part of a broader life philosophy of intentionality, where he periodically re-evaluates desires and needs, allowing for clean breaks or incremental changes that he can fully own.
The analogy of Brunello Cucinelli (casual elegant, low-key) versus Stefano Ricci (flamboyant, bold patterns) is used to illustrate the spectrum of elegance in watch design, highlighting that both styles have their place depending on personal taste.

The Discussion

jlux

Nov 1, 2022

I hope you will not regret letting the other six watches go as they are truly beautiful and special.

LiftAngle51

Nov 1, 2022

The styles are amazing. Your Longines Hour Angle is maybe not the most expensive watch you had, but it rocks everything for me. A tip of the curtain why watch enthusiasts must not be blinded by brands who only make 5 figures priced watches, or are hard to get for the rush of investment peaces. Try to get the watches which fits personality is an art of it’s own. Crazy to say, even a model from Oris could be the best for someone, while he or she stare blind for Audemars Piguet. In my journey with

FabR

Nov 1, 2022

For sure, the chosen twelve would be the delight of many knowledgeable and sophisticated collectors! Cheers.

LiftAngle51

Nov 1, 2022

I remembered your post of your core collection. It is also my kind of collecting watches. A difference is, i collected in a row chronologically. Making no mistakes took me hours and hours, but it gave me a big smile on my face. The main secret of collecting watches in the perfect way is to not let you make crazy from other watch enthusiasts. Influenced by community. A point we both found out later. We both do not ask others to follow, is not our intention either. Bring over the enthusiasm, that

KCLQMULKU

Nov 1, 2022

I like your new collection and appreciate the beauty of all those watches. I can certainly empathise with seeing timepieces leave, but I have never really regretted those decisions, and will always remember wearing and enjoying them. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your new collection!

cazalea

Nov 1, 2022

You might be inundated with PM asking for this, that or the other watch. If so, let me know privately and I will put up a similar picture of the ones I could afford to move along. Perhaps like this: Seriously now, I commend you. Obviously you are a more discerning collector than I (and a few others here as well). Well done. Cazalea

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