Horological Meandering

Today, as I was going over my “wish list” and hopeful acquisitions for 2018, I couldn’t help but wonder how others plan and track their collections.

Perhaps my approach is a little obsessive, okay, a lot – but I feel it helps me make solid purchasing decisions by avoiding the occasional “impulse” buy. Also, quite frankly, my method actually acts as an extension of my modest collection and allows me to enjoy my little stash of timepieces if only in a virtual world.

For the past several years, I’ve maintained a set of layered Photoshop files containing images pulled down from the Internet.

The first document has all the pieces currently in my collection as well as space for pieces planned for the coming year. Because it’s a layered file, I can turn pieces off and on, thereby adding and subtracting from the virtual collection. At the end of each year, I flatten the file and save a group image, a snapshot of my collection for that year. 

Initially, I started with my “Top5,” then “Top10,” “12,” “15,” “18,” “20,”…and so on, as my collection grew.

And if that’s not enough, I have additional “wish list” files that project (dream) years into the future. In theory, it helps me plan long-term purchasing goals. I have files containing  “Top25,” “Top50,” and “Top100.” While I may never make it to those numbers, a boy can certainly dream!

So why do I do it? Well, being a WIS wannabe manifests itself in many ways. In this case, it allows me to look at my collection in one image and see how my pieces “visually” interact. Fort instance, I recently acquired a Carl F. Bucherer ChronoGrade on a bracelet. While I absolutely love this watch on a bracelet, when next to my CFB TravelTec (on bracelet), there is visually, a lot of similarity between the two. 

So I added a ChronoGrade on a strap to my Photoshop file next to the TravelTec. Voila! Problem solved! This removed the visual overlap as it creates two distinct pieces. Of course it’s easy to see the difference and similarities between two watches, but this way allowed me to see the relationship in the context of my entire collection. Needless to say, a new strap is on the way!

Beyond any practical reasons, I’ve found I simply enjoy moving pieces around in my virtual collection. 

It’s interesting over the course of a year or more, how many pieces come and go. What I’ve found is that by doing this, it really gives me time to think long and hard before any purchase. If a piece has survived my list for a year or more, chances are it’s one worth getting.

I know people who are constantly buying and selling pieces in order to get the next big thing. Quite frankly, I can’t afford that. My goal is to carefully consider every purchase in hope of never wanting to get rid of it. To date, I’m proud to say that I’ve never considered selling or trading a single piece from my collection. While I may have gifted away some early non-Swiss pieces, I’ve never parted with any of my actual “collection.” I attribute this primarily to making sound decisions and acquiring watches I never want to part with.

NOTE: While these images are identical in format to the ones used in my collection, they do not reflect my actual timepieces or "wish lists." I built these images specifically for illustrative purposes for this post. 

So back to my original question, "How do YOU plan your collection?"

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