Horological Meandering

Craig LA
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The Addiction: Breaching Self-Imposed Price Limits

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, and I long ago passed the boundaries that, in 2008, I labeled "insane."

From 2008:

The Addiction: Breaching Self-Imposed Price Limits

When I was 10, I told my father I would never smoke marijuana, and I meant it with every fiber of my body. One year later, I smoked my first joint. Thereafter, I promised myself I would never try cocaine. A year later, I was doing lines. Thereafter, I promised myself I would never try LSD. A year later, I was dropping acid. I repeatedly established limits/barriers for myself, with every intent of restraining myself accordingly, and I repeatedly breached my self-imposed barriers as my addiction evolved. FWIW, I have been sober for 25 years.

So what does this have to do with watch collecting? I vividly recall the first time I spent more than $5,000 on a watch. Prior thereto, I never thought I would spend such a sum on a watch. Yet, I did. I was incredibly nervous about the expenditure. I was in foreign territory, spending more than I ever expected. I told myself I would only purchase one such "grail" watch. At the time, a friend of mine was spending $20,000-$30,000 on individual watches. I told myself I would never spend $20,000 on a watch. At the time, I genuinely believed that I would comply with my self-imposed barriers. Yet, notwithstanding my initial conviction, my watch expenditures continued to gradually increase. I quickly eclipsed each and every ceiling I artificially imposed on myself.

A few days ago, I spent more than I have ever spent on a single watch. If you had asked me two years ago whether I would spend this amount on a watch, I would have responded with an emphatic "no" and I would have meant it. Yet, two years later, I did it without remorse.

Now I look at my friend who previously spent $20,000-30,000 on a watch, and he currently shells out $200,000+ for a single piece. I wonder if I will ever spend such a sum on a watch? If you ask me today, the answer is an emphatic "NO" and I firmly believe that. $200,000 is an insane amount to spend on a watch, particularly when you consider what else you can purchase with $200,000. Yet, given my history of breaching self-imposed ceilings, I wonder what my thinking will be two years from now, as my passion for watches continues to evolve.

Have you set limits in terms of how much you will spend on a single watch? Have you eclipsed those limits? Have you done this repetitively?

Craig