JoshTheCanadian
328
FabR - I really appreciate hearing your thoughts on my post. I read and considered your response, and that response helped to fine tune my perspective:
Jan 14, 2022,14:47 PM
Specifically, at this juncture, I am under zero illusions that my identity as a hobbyist is permanent. A leopard cannot change his/her spots. And, I am a firm believer that interest in watches is highly cyclical, and the current frenzy will likely (hopefully) abate. In other words, us watch enthusiasts will be around far longer than the hanger-ons.
I plan to go with Kari for this next piece, and this watch will keep my "dark passenger" (to borrow a phrase from Dexter) at bay. To be honest, there are not very many references in the current Patek catalogue that I am significantly interested in (although your 5236P is one such reference), at a price level that I am comfortable with, and, to echo your point, there is a "reward [in building] a beautiful Patek collection [] step by step". Patek is not going anywhere, and I think I need to be at a different place in my life, at the very least, monetarily speaking, before taking that next step (and that is, if I take that step at all). I'm in my thirties, after all. Conversely, I do think there is a shorter fuse on ordering something from Kari. With an output of 60 watches per year, and an already lengthy waitlist, a Gronefeld type restriction could occur. I guess, you just don't know when you are dealing with such a small operation.
Like you said, it is critical to enjoy each minute of this game, and I have thus far. But I get the feeling that my enjoyment, if I go down path number 1 at this time in my life, may take a dip. To provide an example, I think I would be unhappy if, at the end of two years, I have two additional Pateks I did not and do not want, and am still wondering whether I will be allocated the one I do want. At the end of the day, it is a marathon not a sprint.