Watch Collecting: Sharing Hobby with Spouse

MTR · 2021-06-10T06:20:00Z

Explore how luxury watch collectors navigate their passion with spouses. MTR's insights on shared hobbies and investment justifications spark a lively debate.

MTR's original post delves into the often-humorous and sometimes challenging dynamic of sharing a passion for luxury watches with a spouse. His candid reflections on spousal understanding, investment justifications, and the 'reallocation of assets' resonate deeply within the collector community. This article explores how fellow enthusiasts navigate their partners' perspectives on horological pursuits, offering a diverse range of experiences and insights.

She understands me. Not always with my purchases. But in principle. I hope so, at least. Hahahahaha

And I always emphatically assure her how much the value of my watches is and that this is a great investment („A reallocation of assets is not a real expense.“ 😊).

Just like „I always try to reduce my collection“ by letting rarely or not worn watches go.

Sometimes she looks at me in silence with a long look that seems to penetrate me. I'm not sure if she doesn't see through me…

But fact is that she has a great understanding of why watches are so special for me and some of them are, yes, works of art.

My best wife of all has significantly fewer watches than me.

But she really enjoys wearing the few watches she has.

What are your experiences with your spouse or partner? With regard to watches, of course. 😉

Best
Thomas

Key Points from the Discussion

Involving the entire family, including children, in major investment decisions like timepieces can foster shared appreciation and understanding for mechanical objects.
A single, significant watch gifted for a milestone, like a Jaeger-LeCoultre Basculante for a child's birth, can become a cherished heirloom, worn consistently for years and passed down through generations, embodying a different kind of horological 'zen' compared to a constantly evolving collection.
While partners may understand the passion for watches, modern smartwatches often compete for wrist time, even among those who appreciate mechanical timepieces.
Selling rarely worn pieces to fund 'grail' watches is a common strategy that helps maintain a focused collection and can also garner spousal understanding for new acquisitions.
Some partners prioritize 'quality over quantity' in watch collecting, often encouraging the sale of less-worn pieces, while collectors may view all their watches as sentimental 'distance markers' in their horological journey.
Sharing watches with a spouse, where both partners wear pieces from the collection, can be a strategy to ensure spousal support for the hobby, though some collectors find this level of sharing challenging.

The Discussion

amanico

Jun 10, 2021

Lucky you. Sharing is fundamental.

MTR

Jun 10, 2021

Definitely.

But you can’t hide any new acquisition… 😉

amanico

Jun 11, 2021

Well, I can... I am like a crocodile which buries its preys in the mood for some time before " enjoying " it. ;)

MTR

Jun 11, 2021

Hahahahaha!

Excellent! I hope you always find your buried treasures again. 😁

amanico

Jun 11, 2021

Don't worry, I have an excellent memory. :)

MTR

Jun 11, 2021

You definitely share this not always harmless quality

with my wife.

Watch Collecting: Sharing Hobby with Spouse

Key Points from the Discussion

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