Spellbound
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Collection themes
I have noticed that a number of collectors have a theme in their collection. Alfredo Paramico, the Milanese banker who now manages a watch fund, collects White Pateks. andrewluff has a wonderfully eclectic "orange fetish". Bernard Cheong and Hororgasm love Max B and other Indies. samwan has a preference for the white metals, and his collection is certainly stunning and elegant. Some of you collect Hublot's, and some collect Submariners. I am sure I have missed a number of PuristS in this post, but I am beginning to question my own collection. There is absolutely no consistency in the watches I have purchased over the years. I have always been drawn to different models. The only two watches that might form a theme are the two Pilot watches I own, one from IWC, and one from Zenith. I also have a couple of divers. Now I am thinking, I want a theme too ! Could I continue to build on a Pilot theme? Might be an idea. So I am reaching out to you to see your views on collection themes. What are your themes? Are there any other unique theme out there to consider? Are any of you sticking solely to one brand? Cheers,
Dean
Collection themes
I have noticed that a number of collectors have a theme in their collection. Alfredo Paramico, the Milanese banker who now manages a watch fund, collects White Pateks. andrewluff has a wonderfully eclectic "orange fetish". Bernard Cheong and Hororgasm lov...
There are any number of ways to rationalize a collection...
Hi, Dean, I used to collect by brands - at least one "iconic" example from each significant brand. Then by complication - calendar; chronometric; tool; acoustic; displays which then sub-divided into tourbillons; escapments; chronographs; rattrapantes; per...
Ya know... it's funny
I never had a theme except 'I want the best I can afford' and I never seemed to have any other theme. Then, after I 'calmed down' a bit and stopped trying to buy the Ultimate all the time... a funny thing happened. An accidental and organic theme emerged....
I tend to agree with you Thomas
Although I am leaning towards independents and time only watches, but finally, what you love is what you keep. I recently broke theme couple of times with chronograph a and it's variations , in the end, I love them all
Themes, or...
... preferences ??? It is difficult to argue against Thomas' proposition that inviolable dedication to a theme may result in some missed opportunities. From a personal viewpoint, the watchbox bespeaks a preference for AHCI and Independent pieces over othe...
Thanks for the responses
I don't think I will ever be disciplined enough to stick to single brands or single complications. Often if i like a watch, I would buy two of the same watch in different metals. I am probably the only person in the world that bought two Defy Extreme Open...
"Does anyone collect alarms?"...
It's funny that you should ask. That seems to be another preference: But for that question you really need someone like Amanico, or Blomman. What would the collection look like if money were no object? Probably all the same themes preferences , but just m...
Stunning JLC collection
Absolutely beautiful. Shows excellent taste, unlike my collection of haphazards. Thanks for posting.
It's completely up to you ...
... and 'no theme' is as valid as any. If white dials make you happy, then buy white dialled watches, but follow your heart. And certainly don't follow what others are buying, be it brands or styles or whatever. I buy what moves me. I sometimes think I ha...
Don't get hung up on themes
or grails which can often be figments of fickle imagination :-) There is nothing wrong with collecting different watches and complications based on your self defined collecting criteria. That self defined criterion whatever they may be, can be your own th...
I am a lost case, but I am not the only one, here.
My favourtie themes are: GMTs, Alarm watches, Diving watches, Chronographs, Chronometers and Amagnetic watches. I dare not say that I have some fantaisies, such as Minute repeaters I developped a recent madness for UTC watches, while I always was ( and st...
Theme with variations.
My central acquisition focus has been to own all of what I considered the most important automatic movements from the last pre-quartz generation. That gave some shape to my collection, but I have certainly not restricted myself to that theme. I also, asto...
I used to buy whatever I liked.
Now, I would like to focus on chronographs and the starting line-up is made od three "heavy" players: PP 5070G and 5980, RD Hommage Chrono monopoussoir. So I finally found a theme after buying 3 handed watches, perpetuals, panoramic dates, diving watches,...
Orange here... :-)
Its funny, I never imagined having an orange collection as such, it just came out of wanting something individual and not seeing someone in the same watch sat next to me on a plane, train or restaurant. I do still buy other pieces that jump out at me and ...
Curation is the key!
I went through similar phases of buying iconic watches from each major brand, focus on one brand, a shift to time only independents, or by function, but in the end I feel that themes (unless you require the added discipline which frankly is a real and res...
That's the dilemma
Do I go all out and purchase a grail like your 5131G once every couple of years, or do I collect more affordable watches in larger numbers. From an investment point of view, the grail way works better I think, but I would get more satisfaction from having...
You do need to 'live' with watches to truly understand them ...
... or, more importantly, to understand your reactions to them. So saving for years to buy a grail watch is all well and good, but you need to own and experience watches to hone your likes, dislikes and preferences, and discover a few things you didn't kn...
Before you ask about themes, you need to ask and answer a more fundamental question -
Is buying and owning a watch to 1. satisfy you (or others) 2. do you, are you able to (intellectually, emotionally, financially) buy and own a watch as something you own (like a vacuum cleaner, a pair of shoes, a great sport coat) or do you, must you, con...
Motives
Thanks for the response. It took a while to read it. And it begs the question as to why people spend thousands of dollars on a watch. For me, it is purely a passion play. I have non conformist tastes. I have never thought of a purchase as an investment, b...
You will have to define what is a Grail, then.
Don't forget that what you perceive as a Grail is not everybody's Grail. Which is very fine, since collecting watches is something very subjective, as well. But which can be very dangerous, if you link Grails and watches to value. Best, Nicolas
I firmly believe almost every Grail is an illusion
an illusion that leads to disappointment, and then more compulsive searching, and then another inevitable disappointment, illusion. However... once or twice, you will find your grail, and you will know it is a grail when you keep it for years and years an...
Not been known on sight... Totally agree with that.
It is more about a sotry between you and the watch you consider as such... Eloquently put, Mostel. Best, Nioolas.
Mmmm... thanks for sharing .. rather profound..
and gets me thinking as well. Grail pieces may not be keepers in the end.. it is a journey I presume.. in discovering .what we really like..
I'm not as sophisticated as the rest here, I didn't
really have a theme, but I usually limit myself of what I can afford before buying what I like. But after reading the posts here, I believe I do have a sub-conscious theme/preference (what's the difference?) in mind: like all my panerai I owned happened t...
Collecting has many faces and principles.
I grew up watching my dad collect stamps. He collected stamps from all over the world but honed in on the US, UN and Israel. Why? He had his reasons. He loved it and it gave him such pleasure. I have his collecting gene. I too started out buying what inte...
i think you will find a theme when the time is right.
i started off with Omegas, then added military watches after getting my first military omega. i also had a tuning fork theme. one day i sent them all to auction and started again, but without a theme. very shortly after i bought a speedmaster from my birt...