Why Did You Buy Your Last Watch?

SteveH · 2008-06-26T10:33:01Z

Explore the diverse reasons collectors buy watches, from Hublot Big Bang comfort to rare finds and community support. Share your watch acquisition story.

SteveH

WPS member · Horological Meandering forum

26 replies5603 views0 photos

SteveH's post from 2008 explores the deeply personal motivations behind a watch purchase, moving beyond mere aesthetics or technical specifications. He invites the community to share the 'why' behind their latest acquisition, highlighting the unique stories and emotional connections that drive collecting decisions. This discussion reveals the diverse factors that influence collectors, from serendipitous encounters to long-held aspirations.

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I was thinking about this earlier this morning while reading through the "favorite brands" article. Everyone has such diverse taste.

For me it was my Hublot Big Bang Frappucino. I went to a dinner with Mr Biver when they were first introduced and subsequently read quite a bit on the internet, knew people who bought them, etc. I was never overly interested as my focus was on more haute horology pieces.

The tipping point came when a friend asked me to helped sell his for him. I put it on my wrist and never looked back. It was so comfortable and immediately struck me as something I'd get a lot of wear out of. Plus I liked the uniqueness of the brown, and the scratch resistance of the ceramic.

So just the last watch you bought, where did you hear about it? What finally caused you to buy it? Finally, show us a pic!

Here's a wrist shot. Doesn't it look comfortable?!

Key Points from the Discussion

The decision to buy a watch can be influenced by reallocating funds from other luxury interests, like cars, into horology, sometimes leading to exploration of less common brands like Grand Seiko.
Childhood fascination with watches, like the Omega Apollo, can evolve into adult collecting, sometimes spurred by gifts or a newfound appreciation for specific brands like Ferrari or Movado.
Thorough research, including forums, catalogs, and expert opinions, is crucial for some collectors seeking specific features like an automatic dress watch with date, power reserve, and a thin in-house movement.
Impulse purchases can occur when a rare or limited-edition watch, like a rose gold IWC Big Pilot, is unexpectedly encountered, especially when it compares favorably to existing collection pieces during an in-person comparison.
A watch purchase can be triggered by seeing a piece live at a collector's gathering after admiring it online, leading to immediate acquisition if the opportunity arises.
Significant life events, such as closing a business deal, realizing an investment, or selling an unloved piece from a collection, often coincide with the decision to acquire a long-desired watch.

The Discussion

GaryK

Jun 26, 2008

A rare piece from one of my favorite brands...

This became available at my dealer. I knew it might be my only chance to buy one.

AnthonyTsai

Jun 26, 2008

Cause I couldn't stop drooling over it

My last watch is actually the PuristSPro All-Black Rescue watch just like pplater above, but if you take that out of the picture, my last watch would be the Richard Mille RM11. I was drooling over this watch the day I saw pictures of it in our Richard Mille forum and happened to see one live unexceptedly at a PuristS gathering. Thanks to a fellow Purist, I didn't know I would drive home that same very night with that watch on my wrist! If a watch makes me salivate and drool every time I see its

Chucky1103

Jun 26, 2008

met the creator....

during tempus nad decide that he really has a passion in what he is doing as well as the quality of the product it;s just so ............. now the long wait till Summer of 2009. want to take a guess what it is????

tony p

Jun 27, 2008

Gotta be the Observatoire, not the Regulateur.

I don't think Kari had announced the Regulateur at the time of Tempus. T.

pplater

Jun 28, 2008

Good call, but...

...as a counterpoint the Observatoire was supposed to have been fully subscribed long before Tempus. Cheers, pplater.

rijowysock

Jun 27, 2008

i remember when you got that steve... looks good..

i bought this freak because it was my grail for several years now....... i really liked the freak 2 design more but its too easy to obtain and also too big for me.. so freak 1/1.5 it was.. i finally settled on the 1 because of its rarity..... now that i have the piece, its kinda of a mixed emotion.. i have my grail watch=a plus, but i find myself being more careful than usual because im afraid of hurting it...=not a plus..

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