Ginger
814
Not for one watch, but there are phases in collecting
I agree with many of the comments made above. I have several vintage sub collections and enjoy the hunting aspect, the search for completeness, the joy in finding something long sought or finding a perfect example of a beat up item already in the box. I can't imagine giving up that pleasure, which as Cen mentioned brings relief to the monotony of daily life. I also agree with Stephen (BluNotte) that I will not purchase something (not limited to watches) only if I have to sell other things to afford it. The decision to sell or trade or pare down the collection in the future may be for reasons of "housecleaning" or change of focus, with an eye to a new quest or activity in the future.
However, I know many long time collectors who do choose to reduce the collection, both to accumulate funds and because most of their watches no longer hold their interest. They then acquire a unique or specially ordered watch. I always wonder if it is worth it in the long run, or if in a few years they will shift focus again.
Ginger
Would you sacrifice quantity for quality?
I wanted to post this on the Panerai forum but then I think about it, I wanted to hear more opinions about this from all of you... I have been having this question in my head for a while.. Is it worth to sacrifice your whole collection to afford one watch...
I could easily
sacrifice most of my watches but not all. In any case I would like to keep a couple of watches in order to change the watch every now and then because wearing just one watch would not be enough for me. But surely, if I would have a real grade, I would eas...
it really depends on what you would
define as quality and quantity.. i would definately not sacrifice all watches including my daily beaters for my grail watch.. that would make my grail watch my daily beater! there are some that i wouldnt mind having removed, but i do feel a strong bond to...
I would not
Because all the watches that i have bought to the present are the jewels of my own hard word. If the grail comes, and if i cannot afford it. Then so be it. The sacrifice is not worth it. But i am indeed curious to know what your Grail is that caused you t...
I would feel comfortable with at least three other watches...
I would be utterly happy not to mention extremely blessed if my collection looked something like this: Omega Speedmaster Professional Rolex Submariner URWERK 202 altin
No
It will mean several things: 1. Grail is a full stop. No it isn't. It's like perfection, it's something that you strive to achieve. When your income level is $200k, your grail is FP Journe; but when you have shit load of $, and that damn HM4 or central to...
Trust me Sam, there's no such thing as the
'ultimate grail'. Every next piece is a better one, sings louder, may seems like a "ultimate grail", but they often aren't. Things evolve, wealth, taste, liking, ... do. Do what's best to acquire your next piece, if it means to sell your entire collection...
Without any problem.
If you talk about Panerai, the Epitome is, for me, the 6154 or the 6152 4 lines. For them, I would let go all my panerais, to get the Panerai. Best, Nicolas.
If you ever found one....
I should be the first to know if you're selling your preVs... Hopefully by then I'd be able to afford them... Cheers Sam
Actually, I found both of them...
I even tried in hurry to sell my Panerai watches in the hurry, and I had no answer from no one in the right moment... So I had to pass on them. To be precise, the 6154 went to a German Gentleman, who became a friend. And the 6251 4 lines ended in Asia. 2 ...
trying to imagine
Nicolas - assuming that you sold ALL of your watches, is there a single watch that you imagine replacing them all? I am trying to think of one watch to rule them all, so to speak; that watch would most certainly be as powerful as THE ring from Tolkien's l...
This will turn into another Grail watch subject
I don't believe in Grail watch, I believe in Grail list. Our collection grows and slides with the up and downs like the vagaries of our lives,,,,and is a total reflection on liege philosophy. Very similar to weight gain or loss, we all go thru periods of ...
What a great answer..
I can actually see your points! Thank you for sharing! Cheers! Sam
Hope you achieve horological Enlightenment
To be frank, perhaps it would be more useful if you suggest what you have that you are thinking of selling and what they are being sacrificed for.
Grail by defintion cannot be achieved.. if achieved then it is no longer a grail.. same co
concept with watches or any object for that matter...... julian
I too agree...UP..and down..and UP.
I still like having MANY. ONE watch? Nah...even if it was a "super watch", and I can qualify easily for that statement. So can you, and many here.
this seems a limiting case....
and therefore a tough call. I guess it depends--what is in my collection and what is my grail. I'm still discovering what I find alluring in a watch, so I don't think i can answer that question at this moment. However, I do want to make some case for quan...
Raw quantity, yes; quantity making for a complete collection, no.
My collectinon was originally built around a desire to own a fairly complete collection of the important pre-quartz auomatic movements.That means I own a number of watches that fall well below the average quality I own. However, they are not mere "quantit...
A simple answer: NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
As I collect mainly vintage I would NEVER sacrifice my collection for only one watch! It took me decades to find all the "treasures" of my collection (not meant from the sum in $$) - behind most of these watches stands a story... I could sacrifice maybe a...
hmmmm ?! not really
hey .!! firstly we are a WATCH NUTS ,which means we LOVE Watchezzzzz ;0)))))))))) to Answer your Question ?? i don't think i can live with Only One.!! i tell you why: i believe that No Matter How MUCH YOU LOVE your Grail Watch ,IT'S NICE TO MISS IT every ...
No, I would do the opposite...
Actually, to me, being mostly a vintage watches type, most of the joy is in the hunting of the rare, under-appreciated timepiece. This year, I have found myself selling a watch that had a significant monetary value (more than I would ever pay for a watch ...
A nice contrarian point of view.
My grails have certainly changed through thru the passage of time and what was once desired would not find its way into my collection now.I now don't believe in grails as that would mean the end of the road and there are far too many pieces that I like to...
Not for one watch, but there are phases in collecting
I agree with many of the comments made above. I have several vintage sub collections and enjoy the hunting aspect, the search for completeness, the joy in finding something long sought or finding a perfect example of a beat up item already in the box. I c...
I agree with many posts here . . . .
1- You cannot have only one watch. Need at least two for dress watches to alternate, plus a beater, in addition to the grail 2- Once you have acquired the "grail", most likely you will start searching for the next "grail" on your list. We are never satisf...
i did exactly that 3 years ago sam
in order to buy my UN Freak i sold 225 watches which left me, at the time, with only 12. i had spent years gathering 3 seperate collections. military watches, Omega's and Tuning forks. it was a huge sacrifice, but i did well and managed to buy several oth...
You sold 225 watches?? Woah...
That's a large amount for watches you sold for the FREAK... Well thank you for sharing your experience Graham... Cheers Sam
i must admit that i...
i must admit that i do regret selling a lot of them Sam. i've owned so many of the vintage pieces that are now more desirable than frankincense, but with so many i'd lost the interest and found i was overflowing with choice so i ended up wearing just a fe...
Well I really hope you can get some that you really love back...
But knowing vintage watches, each are unique... So best of luck my friend! Thanks again for sharing! Best, Sam
this is where my new...
this is where my new theme is paying dividends Sam. collecting vintages only from 1964 means that many of what i sold i dont want back and i've managed to get pieces that i didnt have before so it is cyclical as Andrew has already commented. you should do...
thats a good question PP...
thats a good question PP and yes is the answer. it is a stunning watch, a totally conceptual piece that is like no other. it is a love it or hate it watch though as it isnt to everyones taste. i hope i never have to part with it, but if i do it will be so...
The short answer is YES!
And I have done so in the past - no regret. I had too many watches back then anyway. But now the quantity is multiplying before I realize - I am still pursuing quality, but not necessarily with sacrificing quantity. Meaning, I am finding more and more (re...
Almost every week?!
Wow Ken, you must be very successful here in Tokyo! I envy you! Tschuss Stephen
Hahaha, I am talking here about...
... the ones for USD3K here, 5K there, 2K here and 0.5K there and such A zero or two zeros are missing from what you might have imagined? But, mind you, these are all high quality (in my veiw), simple but elegant and super accurate, manual winding mechani...
I once thought that I would be willing
to trade all my watches for one, but I have found that all the watches I have purchased grow on me with time, I actually like them better the longer I have them. As stated by many, I like to have variety and wear a different watch every day. My goal is to...
So you ended up happy with your watches?
But do you still think of getting that particular one watch you were going to buy? Thanks Stewart Sam
Nope. I always choose quality over quantity
But if you're sacrificing 3 quality watches for 1 super quality, then I'm not sure I would do that. If the watches are not quality, then yes Cheers, Anthony
Nope, can't do that
I have one wife 35 years. I've only had 2 houses in 40 years. And 3 cats in 40 years. There the restraint stops. I like variety. 150 watches. 75 cars etc Cheers Cazalea
Not all at once, of course
but over time. In order to experience the fullness of any collection spanning something as rich as watches or vehicles, one must be willing to let go, or extremely wealthy and/or have lots of space!
Depends on the collecting stage too ...
Great question, Sam, and lots of interesting responses. Many have experienced the cylical nature of collecting. I just wanted to mention that in the early phases of collecting, or when moving to a new theme, there is usually a learning curve. It is during...
Yes...
With the underlying principle that the ultimate goal of life being a state of contentment/peace achieved through simplicity. If one agrees to this tenet, then it makes sense. No physical attachment to the several drawers of watches maintained, allowing on...
But will you be able to live with just one watch ?
Thank you for sharing your view Rob! Best, Sam
At this point...
I really don't know since I can't speak from personal experience just yet. What I do know is that I look forward to the day when there are no choices other than the one on my wrist to accompany me on my journeys aka life. Whether that ONE watch be as basi...
I am a strong believer in quality over quantity . . .
Consistent with this philosophy, I have reduced the number of watches I own in order to finance grail acquisitions. That being said, I would not sell all of my watches in order to acquire a single grail. A certain amount of variety is essential, including...
Possibly, sometime in the distant future for me, but
at the moment I find that I crave variety and enjoy the choice of wearing a different watch every day. Each of the watches in my small collection has its own charms and my most difficult decision is which one of about five watches should be the next one a...
I Limit it to 3 - But I Always Trade-Up Over Time....
I settled on 3 watches in a rotation that I continually wear. I've had as many as 4-5 but I always end-up combining the bottom 2 to trade-up to a new "third" watch. My approach is to spend as much as I can possibly afford (given my personal circumstances ...
Not for me.
I don't think one single watch fulfills every aspect of my life adequately. Plus, if I have to let one go to bring one in, I probably shouldn't be buying the piece. Now, if you choose to trade up/out that's one thing, but I wouldn't buy something where I ...
I agree with Daos...
I want to believe that at this point, the watches that I'm buying have qualified after much research to be keepers. To surrender one for another one will undermine the whole raison d'etre of how and why i buy watches... and that might bring me back to zer...
Answer is NO!
I would never consider selling my WHOLE collection for ONE watch, however much grail it is to me, a Voutilainen, a Dufour, or some super-duper complication. The interesting thing in this world of horology is that there are way too many offerings and varie...