Horological Meandering

I have recently gone through the much dreaded phase of burnout. I felt apathetic towards watches and it seemed like nothing was peaking my interest. I'm sure it has happened to each and every one of us. It's not that bad since today, after a couple of wee...  

1. The shortage of watches in general has many of us scrambling to buy watches we wouldn't normally accept. For instance, let's give a hypothetical example. Let's say I want this very very special watch and due to the shortage, I have to buy a plethora of...  

Diversifying leads to a more sustainable horological journey... I'd love a cool clock, either an MB&F or an Atmos

I don't own an Atmos yet! Hmm... And I really like Atmos clocks too! I might have to add one to the collection! But also, I need to slow down. Some rooms have three clocks! I should only buy something that I absolutely cannot live without. Or you just end... 

The system is so unique. It took me years to decide, but when I had finally bought mine, I didn't understand why I waited so long, since it is such a cool object for your room or office. GEO

Ok! You're right! I must get an Atmos! Been saying I would for many years now.

I have numerous collections, hobbies, and interests. At times I become bored with one, so I change my focus for a time. There are times I buy two or three watches a month, and other times I don't even think about adding another to the collection. During t... 

I usually wear a single watch for two weeks in a row before switching to the next in rotation. It always keeps my love fresh.

And my JD and JLC are two I wore virtually exclusively every day for an entire year (actually with the JLC it was a couple days short of a year, I had to send it for service). But there have also been long periods when I've changed watches two to three ti... 

I don't usually change my watches. At least not as a habit. I'm imagining one of those masters of ceremonies who host a show and have to change multiple times in the middle of the show. If I ever had to subject myself to something like that, I'd probably ... 

Medieval coins! That sounds very cool! 18th Century European Porcelain? I don't know much about that, but I do like those Bernardaud plates that I see at every hotel and restaurant. I also like the KPM Porcelain in Berlin and the Meissen Porcelain kind of... 

Antiquities, medieval (and ancient actually) coins, and porcelain are just the tip of the iceberg. Some of my other substantial collections... Medieval manuscript pages Loose gemstones Mid-century furniture and sculpture Original etchings and paintings Pe... 

Always liked the 1994 E420. What a machine! I have a 210 and a 211 in my household. But there's something special about that generation with the 1994! 16th-17th century furniture? English furniture? Continental furniture? Very impressive. Seven metal dete... 

Regarding your Meissen porcelain comment, there's a few in this photo... The lions and sheep are all C.1740, and the needle case (front, center) is C.1750. The rest are various 18th century English and French, except the white libation cup in the center, ...  

And that 17th Century Chinese cup might be quite the thing for someone who likes ancient Chinese porcelain! I hope that your posterity will appreciate these treasures!

I have a few Japanese pieces but I'm just learning Japanese porcelain, which is to me more difficult than Chinese, but over time I'll get the hang of it. It all takes time. ...  

I recall you showing us a photo of your office in the past. What an amazing room. In California, we wouldn't be able to have such a room, as earthquakes would put all of these works of art in danger. Even with the sticky tape on the base, insurance compan... 

This used to be a nice slow hobby but the hype culture of consumption and big marketing budgets of luxury groups has put the pedal to the metal turning the cadence up to something more like fashion. I try to remind myself it's a marathon, not a sprint, an... 

Well said! It's a marathon, not a sprint! I like cars too, but I'm choked by the speed limit and bankrupted by the gas prices. I don't know where you live Fastwong, but I live in California. The price for Premium gasoline here is $7.199 per US Gallon (3.7... 

What are you driving with such a big v8?!?! I'm surprised you aren't driving an EV in CA, carpool lane Legacy speed limits, decreased driving abilities, and more traffic has really dampened the old "sunday drive". That plus in many locales what used to be... 

That's a sweet machine. I've always been a fan of the Cayman. Superb machine. I drive an AMG sedan, those are 5.4 liters (although they're downsizing to 4.0 liters now and will eventually downsize even further). But I also drive a Tesla Model 3. Although ...  

I was always a fan of the big AMG engines, I'm sad the v8 is going away but think an ev future could be fun. Everyone is chasing final edition Dodges as they deprecate the big v8s and while I'll miss the character I'm sure 1000hp evs will be fun too. Plus... 

The AMG V8s are very good engines. Most of them are not dry sump engines, so don't go taking long sweeping turns at high speeds, as a prolonged g-force may cause engine oil starvation. The AMG GT two door sports car has a true dry sump lubrication system,... 

Any other interests outside of watches that have recently been grabbing your attention?

Cazalea ...  

This Muhle Marine Chronometer is new to me. And I already saw your Michelin Man collection, didn't know there was a Michelin clock! Very cool!

i see prices raise vs my personnal income ... so that's quite often now. + when i see that i like more and more specific watches that tend to be out of reach ....

It is disheartening to see more and more watches you desired slip out of your reach

Granted, like you I notice more watches I like than used to be the case. So maybe that’s why noting price changes now. Or this is a completely new phenomenon. Is this a result of Covid, or this has always been?

I have other hobbies/interests to devote time to also. I don't have deep pockets that allow me to buy what I want on a whim, but I sure like to look at watches, in person, in catalogs and on the internet. The other hobbies save me from getting burnt out I... 

That's always a good idea

It‘s not that we lose our homes, or wife, or fall ill if we don’t get our hands around this Aquanaut or Daytona. It’s not that our lives really change all that much if we long for a green dial new release only to see it’s black. Not to lessen our passion ... 

I feel like it's always when we let it get out of hand that burnouts happen.

I have never experience "watch burn out". Sure, I've been disappointed with brands, and forums, but the watches have always been my passion.

What I experienced was a slightl numbness for a couple of weeks. I didn't fall out of love, I just felt stuck in horological limbo.

. . . this was coming. 😌

This incredible passion of ours is just like anything else in life... cyclical. Thankfully my winters have never lasted more than a couple of weeks, while the summers take up the rest of my time!

The worst offenders are the brands that you love the most when they let you down The cure is to diversify, by looking at many different brands

Was mainly following the typical PP pieces decades ago, was easy to see the company change plus I burned out. Sold 'em all except a vintage 3820rg. Took a year off, then started procuring what made ME happy... from $600 fun Kickstarters and nice desk cloc... 

I've reopened my eyes to different options and it worked

. . . is silent.

Maybe I’m also going through the burnout phase. Nothing in the watch world excites me nowadays, especially from the boring Richmond Group. I expected more from Panerai and JLC. Other than a daytona I’m collecting later in the year, I’ve got nothing lined ... 

I'm with you on Richemont brands: too boring. Just give it some time, you'll be back sooner or later, once you have the chance to rest and come back stronger than before

To other hobbies lately. Lots of cardio and shopping for Nike sneakers. Maybe I’ll purchase something next year. Yes it won’t end here yet.

Seriously, some occasional down time is entirely physiological, but this is such a rich and diverse hobby that it was likely you would have returned to it (very quickly, in fact! ;-) It is totally possible though that one day you (or I) simply won't care ... 

It's a hard hobby to fall out of love with, because of how deep and broad it is. I don't foresee myself ever abandoning my passion for watches, but as always in life, you never know...

I have made peace with myself that the Swiss, Germans and Japanese can make them faster than I can possibly afford and obtain, therefore I just enjoy looking for now. 😀

We don't need to constantly look for the next one, it lessens the enjoyment of the pieces you already own

Having different style of watches helps. For example while I am mostly into classic looking 38-40mm watches, this weekend I wore my 372 47mm Panerai for the first time in two months and it totally cured me! Tomorrow back to a 38mm dress watch!

And stop looking at watch releases too often. Yes , lately the watch releases are so boring and underwhelming IWC keep delaying to release new Ingenieur. Instead, they keep release another colours for pilot line. Put new movement in old Aquatimer and call... 

Grand Seiko is so boring I agree. I yawn when I look at their catalogue. I never bought an IWC and perhaps never will. Same for the watches on the Richmont group.

That blue dial JLC MC calendar was so good, I don't get why they decided to limit the best version of the watch. So much more interesting than the silver dial version IMO

Same old same old everywhere and if we watch watch related youtubers, they talk mostly Rolex, Rolex and Rolex... so boring indeed. Are prices coming down more? Is it good time to buy now? Which Rolex model to get? Etc etc... 🥱🥱🥱 If not Rolex, then it's th... 

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Don't want to be part of it

I haven’t picked up my camera since the pandemic but don’t feel bad about it. And I am quite passionate about that. But there are days when even the Muses take a holiday So be it. Why it’s not a profession, thank God. As others have pointed out, something... 

Wise words of advice

The hardest part of collecting wasn’t finding watches I liked. I usually did, and even when I didn’t I enjoyed the exploration. I never hankered after anything I couldn’t get. Why inject misery into something that should be exclusively pleasurable? The ha... 

Be not particular into high horology i have not to wait till an AD pick me out for a rare Patek Philippe. I stopped collecting watches, and be curious how i go to react to it. There is a limit, and i reached it.