Horological Meandering

I feel like my limit keeps rising. It started out as anything around a few hundred dollars was really expensive, and now i've been known to spend 20k or more for a single watch. i feel crazy for even contemplating spending 100k usd or more, but in my mind... 

Hi rlh3458, While bracket creep has a specific fiscal definition, I tend to think of watch collecting like this too. And it’s not just a monetary issue, although there is a mental hurdle as well to spending $10K, $20K, $100K on a watch. But we also freque... 

..to keep up with this hobby. rl, which watch did you spend on for that USD10k or 20k?

On August 27, 2008, I made a post entitled "The Addiction: Breaching Self-Imposted Price Limits." I have copied my post below. The irony is that, in the two and a half years since I made the post, my addiction continued to evolve just as I prophesized, an... 

I am completely amazed by the psychology of obsession, but the answer to your question is "anything." You will get that answer over and over. The only ceiling is budget. A better question is "what about a watch will make you pay?" "pay any amount?" The sa... 

Your psychological limits will dramatatically reduce when your horological culture will grow up... You're not alone. We are a lot of victims of the same phenomenon, here. Best, Nicolas.

I've discovered that my limit is often raised as I spend more time on Purist Pro and other sites like it Raises the following question--how much time should I spend on any given day learning about horology?

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I think as long as you don't go overboard and stay within your limits, you'll be fine. "I can resist anything but temptation"..... cheers PAt

... the preparedness to spend anything - literally anything - on the right watch is limited only by the availability of the requisite amount of free cash. "Free cash" here means money available for discretionary spending after meeting all of the familial ... 

Loved your comment on Craig, yes, he's a class of his own. However, I am sure that there are more than a few similar characters quietly lurking here ... Regards, Marcus

" Cojones of hardened platinum "??? Are you sure? Best, Nicolas.

...very happy to take it on faith! ;-) Cheers, pplater.

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Hi rlh3458, your self-observation is obviously confirmed by the experience of many others around here - and other examples (cars, handbags) have been given. I have observed the same tendency for myself and was surprised how much money I would be ready to ...  

i, for example, will happily pay up to $100 for a good watch best Graham

What a progress, Graham! Best, Fifty Quids man! Nicolas;

I promise. Best Andreas

These days, most watch manufacturers seem to apply their greatest creative powers to price-raising. Nevertheless, a lot of watches have not significantly gone up in price. You can still get a nice vintage Patek or IWC for about the same that it would have... 

My first watch was $10,000. And from what I've learnt..its very time-consuming for me to keep multiple watches. Whther is it servicing or mantience etc.. Because I look after my things really well, and time is limited.. I'd rather save up the money, inves... 

On your free cash.. More than on your income..aka your other liabilities, say house(s) wife, ex-wife, kids, etc. On eventual other interests. Are you into cars..? Shares..? Or..? On the given watch..Rarity, ones in a lifetime, grailwatch... --------------... 

work in famous auction house once told me that any watch above $100k is 'silly'. He will not get any watch above that price, though he himself owns a few of them that's currently worth above that price point. I listen carefully to what he said and made my... 

It usually depends on the availability of my free cash, my wife's verbal approving limit and of course my desire to own the watch. I have tried to set a limit but never keep it. Regards Ling

is very similar to yours. Each new watch is more expensive than the last, and as Andrew said once I got over the mental hurdle of spending a large amount of money it gets easier and easier to spend a lot on subsequent pieces. Having crossed a money barrie... 

and when you start to get serious with your new hobby, find yourself yet another hobby.

is my current mental-limit. A watch or two or three in a lifetime will push you past any limit. Most will fall under that bar... If I still feel as strongly as I do about the RS 2 Open in another year... I will have passed any personal limit by quite a bi... 

For any collecting, cars, paintings etc. I don't think it is crazy, very normal. Unless one has unlimited or vast amounts of monetary resources, one has to fiscally prudent, and grows one collection in tandem with ones real wages, that's all, no magic for... 

Thanks for the responses. In moments of weakness I feel it's completely rational and deserved given the hard work and sacrifice its taken to make a good living. then again, i know if I ever saw that much money in the flesh that I would never pull the trig...