Comments:
Would working in watches kill your love of the hobby?
What do you guys think?
When I had a guitar retailer and pedal co, it killed my love of guitar for a while, and even now I barely play guitar compared to before. Things went quite well, but working on guitar related stuff 10 - 14 hours a day, and then playing guitar after simply didn't seem fun lol 
Not many people can actually have the good fortune to work in an industry of their hobby ..
I don't know, but I think this depends on your job function, because I think it will be different if you are in Marketing/Sales, R&D, watch restoration or repair, or a watchmaker.
For me, I have the thought of working in the watch industry like a Sales AD when I'm half or ready re-tired lol....I feel my love of watches will keep me engaged with all the different brands/models and new releases...but reality might be cruel...not sure?
Something thats on my mind too for quite some time now but with the same thoughts like you!!
Not sure if it will ever happen but would think it would be kinda cool .
Never try, never know :)
I'll think about it but for now, I'm enjoying being the customer and be pampered, haha...
Perhaps it’s not just guitars
but all of the other things that accompany having to make a go of a viable business. When I was a pro photographer, I loved every single minute of it and was doing it 24 hours a day, but of course I hated the business end of it which was a total drag and that’s why I eventually got out. When I was a ring fighter, I watched MMA not for entertainment, but for homework. I think the truth of it is that every situation is slightly different.
I was doing big budget
(250K - 500k per job) fashion so it would be like a Hollywood director going from Titanic to home movies. I’m completely out now but there are parts of it I really miss. Mostly the energy and creativity.
I think you’re right.
I resisted ever working in the car industry for exactly that reason. I can wrench on my cars or go instruct drivers at my leisure. If I need to do that for others I think it would kill the fun. I think the same could hold for watches. They are a fun diversion. They lose that appeal if you have to interact with ones you don’t care for.
I was nominally in the automotive industry for 25 years
My jobs involved writing & editing technical information for professionals - service, diagnostics, labor estimating, parts catalogs, residual values, etc. I enjoyed it a lot and took me to many places around the world driving fun cars and going through factories and dealerships. But it was really the “information” business, collecting and condensing and reselling data about a subject I loved. Best of both worlds, really. And in the meantime I bought and sold about 50 cars, not as a business but as a car nut.
Some thoughts on working in watches
This first paragraph reflects the experience of a friend who worked in a store for about a year
Selling luxury is hard work and requires skills I didn’t have. Luxury goods customers are looking for a next watch to buy, on the hunt for just the right watch or, having already found it, are confirmation shopping. There are browsers with free time to burn (theirs and mine); others are on a mission to find a present, and a rare few bring in a watch for repair, so they are just looking while they wait. Could I entice these potential customers to buy something that they didn't need? Ask what they are wearing, as an icebreaker? Or wear a watch from a brand we carried? A watch that we had in the display case or could easily order? I imagined I could subtly create customer interest by exhibiting something we sold, but on the other hand, my collection included limited-production pieces; rare models not carried by our store; special, precious-metal watches. I really wanted to wear my own watches yet I was also afraid of damaging them. The boss finally nudged me out and gave the job to a guy who was hungrier than I was.
I worked in a watch repair business part-time for a few years
My experience repairing watches was mixed. I liked the close work; the beautiful technical bits of a watch, but it was very stressful. Damaging something means expense and wasted time trying to obtain replacement parts. And there are plenty of boring things in a watch business, such as changing batteries, or swapping straps, or adjusting bracelets. Not too inspiring! What was much more fun for me was talking to the customers to learn what was wrong, then sharing it with the watchmakers who never wanted to waste time talking to civilians. I also took over the job of communicating what we discovered, and sending pictures and explanations to justify our invoices. That was the part I like best. When my watchmaker friend retired, I bought his inventory and tools, but only for a hobby — I didn’t like it enough to try to make a living at it.
Cazalea
It may
I think clueless said it best, very few people have the good fortune of making a livelihood out of their hobby. And for those that do, they are very, very lucky. I’ve actually thought about this before. After being with the same small business for 20 years, is there be another job at say BMW, or Omega, for example, where I may be able to apply my experience and skill set in sales, marketing, business development and relationship management? Likely not in a higher level position that would return close to the same salary. Could I be a SA at BMW, or CA at Omega? Probably, but that is not the lifestyle I want. So the answer is, if I could somehow land a higher level position at BMW or Omega (extremely unlikely) I’d have to give it a go, and see what affect it has on my hobby. It may actually ignite the passion further. But to be a sales advisor at one of these companies. Not for me. Just not what I’m looking for at this point in my life. So I’d say that would burn me out .
Changing jobs is a b*tch, isn't it?
I think many of us have thoughts to change something in our professional lives and chase the rabbit elsewhere.
Too bad it's pretty much always starting from the bottom. And we have only that much time left.
Too bad it's pretty much always starting from the bottom. And we have only that much time left.
I made the switch from hobbyist to pro
The main differences are that A) it makes you focus even more on the stuff that you think is actually good vs the sea of bs. And that B) we all do go through ups and downs with any hobby and having it as a profession doesn't allow you to modulate your exposure like you may otherwise. I solve B with more of A
Best,
Steve
Hi Steve, as I recall, I bought a watch from you … or wait, did you buy one from me?
It was so long ago - you drove down in a new Aston Martin and we made a swap in San Clemente? Must have been 20+ years ago.
Mike
Mike
Was it the Gerber? I think I bought it, but I also can't totally remember. Time flies...
Difficult to say as I've been in the business for 25 years
I wasn't collecting before... it was a job before it became a hobby. Once it became not just a job but my hobby the work part became a lot more fun! I still love watches dearly to this day, but as Steve points out, as time goes on I'm much better suited to sift through the BS and focus on what personally matters to me.
Cheers,
Brandon
Depends……
Retail would suck unless I could curate the inventory ( vintage, used )…..
For me, most watches as just depressing (boring, too blingy, some fatal design flaw, too big, too small, overpriced)…..
The design or repair part might be cool…..
For me, most watches as just depressing (boring, too blingy, some fatal design flaw, too big, too small, overpriced)…..
The design or repair part might be cool…..
Yes. That said, I know of one guy who, after early retirement, went . . .
. . . into a business he had a passion for and successfully made it his second career. Fast forward to the 5' 40" mark if you don't feel like watching the whole video.
This clip was recorded early in the pandemic - Stiix Billiards reopened successfully.
This clip was recorded early in the pandemic - Stiix Billiards reopened successfully.
Would I like to own a pool hall? No, not really . . . but I admire Jerry immensely.
Art
It Happened To Me ...
50 years ago when (as an avid motorcyclist to this day) I thought
nothing could be better than working in motorcycles. So ...
I took a sales job at a local dealership. 6 weeks later I was
in motorcycle overload.
Luckily, I quickly quit that job and the fire returned.
Making your avocation your vocation is often a mistake.
KPB