Thought-provoking. I read this shortly after reading an article about the DHS Secretary inspecting a prison in El Salvador that is housing deportees from the USA suspected of being criminal gang members. She was photographed wearing a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 18k (reference #116508?) in full view of hundreds of prisoners and the article focused on the choice of wristwatch in such an environment. Not exactly a good marketing strategy.
I’ve certainly grown weary of my own habits. As of last count I’ve gone through about 130 watches since I bought my first Tangente 13 years ago. Mostly what drove the shuffle was the thrill of discovery, the desire to get my hands on as many things as possible, to figure out what it really is that I like in a watch. The majority of these 13 years, I’ve “only” had between 3-5 watches at any given time, but over the last 4 years it has ballooned to up to 15 at times (at 10 now along with a few cheapies) and I’ve just gotten kind of tired of it and the process around it.
So yesterday, an idea that’s been brewing for a couple weeks or so, was put into place. I put half of my watches away in the closest (including the watch I wore the most last year) and will just live with the 4 “most me” watches (and a nice “beater”), two of which I’ve actually owned for about three years! I’ll see where I am in a month or so, figure it out from there.
Tangente was my first too! (Maybe we’ve talked about this before?).
Your experiment reminds me of the old closet trick: flip around all the hangers in your closet, and if in one year a hanger hasn’t been flipped around and the clothes worn, time to get rid of that item.
I can’t remember if we discussed that or not, but if I remember correctly, you also got married in a Tangente and you don’t have that one any longer either?
I do still have my Ahoi though (3 years next week!), which is one of the four watches not currently hidden away.
Paul, I went through a similar process with my wardrobe. Living in a two-season climate, I got down to a single large suitcase of clothes from a full closet. I told myself I’d be a minimalist until I really understood what I needed and not just what I wanted at the moment.
Fast forward three years and I still have very few clothes, but they’re much better and more versatile than before. It just became an interesting exercise in curation and made me realize how little I needed to cover my bases.
Best of luck on your spring cleaning and reorganizing.
The single biggest thing I tell my friends regarding a watch purchase is to take their time. Research, take it easy, and make sure it’s what you really want. In theory, the more you research (and hence, you’re at “peace”) the more you’ll enjoy a watch.
I have three pieces with me atm, and one thing is true for all of them: I constantly enjoy these watches, repeatedly. Wether it’s looking at them, taking shots, plainly just wearing them. No anxiety. No big plans ahead, just enjoying in the purest sense what I got right now.
Per usual, I think you provide some well-worded insights into the nature of collectibles. Doing well at building watch media, not buying it.
Like fashion, it’s deceptively hard to have the watch of the month. Spend too much time chasing the wave and you end up with a watch for everyone but you.
The beauty of vintage is lingering on the good instead of constantly parsing the bad. I’d rather spend a year hunting a grail than pay for the marketing something brand new.
I like your thinking: Frankly, I also observe similar habits with me collecting (not vintage) watches. Research (and you can go quite deep with all the info online) and anticipation (for new models being on the wait list) is a big part of the fun. Going through my collection today I actually remember this process for most watches. And, for those watches for which I spent most time searching on platforms like eBay, it feels rewarding in the end.
I keep a wishlist of models I would like to own at some point in the future (regardless of price point), which I constantly update. I just restarted for a model, which I put on the list end of 2023, remove due to other projects and brought back on a few weeks ago. And - that watch still interests me even though I haven’t spent a lot of time looking into it for more than a year - still a good sign!
Always a good sign if you’ve wanted something for years, I can certainly relate to that. I’ve noticed that some of my wants are very enduring. Many others are more fleeting!
After attending many fairs in the past (W&W but also Basel before) as private end-buyer and enjoying both vintage and modern watches, I do understand your conflicting feeling. Luxury watchmaking has an inherent tension between desirability/craftsmanship and industrial production. If good marketing is here to solve this issue, bad marketing is just highlighting this “inconsistency” and making the tension even more uncomfortable for watch enthusiasts.
By the way, I have the conviction that both universes have converged in the past year: Because some brands have successfully managed to better nurture their attraction power, consumption of modern watches is not only a question of spending money in a quick and easy way. And because of the social networks and digital platforms, some of the rarest vintage watches can be seen (and therefore bought) without waiting for years. Collecting has never been faster. And both universes have now their international rendezvous with big events such as seasonal fairs or auction weeks.
Let’s find the right balance between the vintage way of consuming or the modern way of collecting!-)
It’s true. To be clear, you can also engage in “fast consumption” of vintage watches - I’ve seen it happen. Internet, tech, can make everything faster. It removes friction. But sometimes friction is good. It causes you to slow down :)
+1 to your sentiment here Tony. I too am allergic to the seasonality of watch releases (you could call it a seasonal allergy), à la fashion whereas precisely watches should be at the opposite of fashion - something you could theoretically keep for life, and then pass on.
Every year, I say I won't go to W&W and then eventually cave in, mostly to see friends.
The one thing though that makes more positive about the "industrial cycles" is that, living in Bienne, I see first hand the importance of the trade on the local economy, employing thousands of "normal" people. So always a fine balance in the end, like most things.
100p, I think because of your location you have a better appreciation for this. When I look at (new) watches, part of what I try to think about is how much of my dollar is going to those people, vs how much ends up in the pockets of profit-driven goobers. I love watches because they support these jobs that exist in the physical world, which we don’t have enough of (he types into his phone to be transmitted to his digital newsletter)
Thank you, Tony. I promised myself not to purchase any vintage watches this year, and I am doing well so far. It's a big commitment, but I want to appreciate what I have. I want to wear all my watches and decide which ones I want to keep or sell. I'm trying the KonMari Method and keeping the watches that spark joy.
Thanks Tony. Every introspective person buying watches considers the insanity of it all at some point. The interesting people in watches are those buying what they love - finding a watch either aesthetically beautiful, or an example of inspired engineering. They have complete disregard to the outside world and possess their own sense of style and taste. A great example of this is my wife - she has 0 interest in watches, luxury goods, or anything of the sort. While watching the Great British Baking Show, she noticed a watch she loved on Mary Berry’s wrist, and remarked on it. It just so happened to be a Cartier Tank. It could have been a Casio and held the same appeal. She owns that watch and didn’t own it as a result of some hype or what it meant to someone else, she owns it because it is her. Be you, be original, and reject the marketing hype. One of my favorite watches is a Tiffany CT60, widely ignored due to its lack of ingenuity from a movement perspective and the substantial thickness for the 42mm chronograph amongst other reasons. I had a Rolex dealer once ask me if I were looking to get my first real watch while wearing it. I’m sure he will be very attentive to Watches and Wonders. Hilarious times.
That is a very astute comment. How much of our taste is truly our own is something to debate, but I think we can all start by paying attention to watches we are naturally drawn to, rather than basing one’s desire for acquisition on what Leonardo DiCaprio just wore.
you couldn’t be more wrong tony. i disavow the title “collector”, i want no association with that group. i have no wish to be mistaken for anything other than a pure consumer.
but my consumption is not “fast”, i obsess over every detail of the product, assess every permutation of every move i can make, sometimes waiting for years, before i buy the watch. but the pleasure only starts when i have the product on the wrist, in the actual act of consumption, the hours spent staring at it, luxuriating in the physical sensations it generates, letting its beauty soothe my soul.
and as a consumer, i couldn’t be more particular about what i chose to consume, i wouldn’t wear 99% of the watches made today even if you gave it to me for free. every purchase is not just a tribute to the noble manufacturers who make these beautiful objects, but an intentional insult to the unworthy who keep failing to win my patronage.
only consumers are qualified to speak of the product, i place no value in the opinions of collectors.
Not owning equals not having enough “skin in the game” to have an opinion? Lots can be known from a watch without having it. Of course, once you own its the ultimate experience to understand, but if you already don’t like a piece without buying, why bother then?
We analyze and think deeply (in theory) long before we pull the trigger. Every consumer is a possible consumer at first.
oh i agree with you. but the opinion has to be from a consumer’s perspective, whether you own the watch or not. i have many opinions of watches i’m yet to buy.
Thought-provoking. I read this shortly after reading an article about the DHS Secretary inspecting a prison in El Salvador that is housing deportees from the USA suspected of being criminal gang members. She was photographed wearing a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 18k (reference #116508?) in full view of hundreds of prisoners and the article focused on the choice of wristwatch in such an environment. Not exactly a good marketing strategy.
ha, yes! The co-writer on the WaPo piece is a big watch guy, I believe he subscribes so I hope he sees this too
I’ve certainly grown weary of my own habits. As of last count I’ve gone through about 130 watches since I bought my first Tangente 13 years ago. Mostly what drove the shuffle was the thrill of discovery, the desire to get my hands on as many things as possible, to figure out what it really is that I like in a watch. The majority of these 13 years, I’ve “only” had between 3-5 watches at any given time, but over the last 4 years it has ballooned to up to 15 at times (at 10 now along with a few cheapies) and I’ve just gotten kind of tired of it and the process around it.
So yesterday, an idea that’s been brewing for a couple weeks or so, was put into place. I put half of my watches away in the closest (including the watch I wore the most last year) and will just live with the 4 “most me” watches (and a nice “beater”), two of which I’ve actually owned for about three years! I’ll see where I am in a month or so, figure it out from there.
Tangente was my first too! (Maybe we’ve talked about this before?).
Your experiment reminds me of the old closet trick: flip around all the hangers in your closet, and if in one year a hanger hasn’t been flipped around and the clothes worn, time to get rid of that item.
I can’t remember if we discussed that or not, but if I remember correctly, you also got married in a Tangente and you don’t have that one any longer either?
I do still have my Ahoi though (3 years next week!), which is one of the four watches not currently hidden away.
Paul, I went through a similar process with my wardrobe. Living in a two-season climate, I got down to a single large suitcase of clothes from a full closet. I told myself I’d be a minimalist until I really understood what I needed and not just what I wanted at the moment.
Fast forward three years and I still have very few clothes, but they’re much better and more versatile than before. It just became an interesting exercise in curation and made me realize how little I needed to cover my bases.
Best of luck on your spring cleaning and reorganizing.
The single biggest thing I tell my friends regarding a watch purchase is to take their time. Research, take it easy, and make sure it’s what you really want. In theory, the more you research (and hence, you’re at “peace”) the more you’ll enjoy a watch.
I have three pieces with me atm, and one thing is true for all of them: I constantly enjoy these watches, repeatedly. Wether it’s looking at them, taking shots, plainly just wearing them. No anxiety. No big plans ahead, just enjoying in the purest sense what I got right now.
Well said Paulo, and also what I tell friends. I’ve seen too many people go in too fast and burn out quickly.
This perspective on W&W really resonates. Such a flurry of previews and teasers over the last couple of days. What are we supposed to do with it all?
Fine to ignore, mostly.
this is the way.
Per usual, I think you provide some well-worded insights into the nature of collectibles. Doing well at building watch media, not buying it.
Like fashion, it’s deceptively hard to have the watch of the month. Spend too much time chasing the wave and you end up with a watch for everyone but you.
The beauty of vintage is lingering on the good instead of constantly parsing the bad. I’d rather spend a year hunting a grail than pay for the marketing something brand new.
Thanks Michael, and well said by you too — agree with you!
Great post, Tony.
Thanks for reading Jess
I like your thinking: Frankly, I also observe similar habits with me collecting (not vintage) watches. Research (and you can go quite deep with all the info online) and anticipation (for new models being on the wait list) is a big part of the fun. Going through my collection today I actually remember this process for most watches. And, for those watches for which I spent most time searching on platforms like eBay, it feels rewarding in the end.
I keep a wishlist of models I would like to own at some point in the future (regardless of price point), which I constantly update. I just restarted for a model, which I put on the list end of 2023, remove due to other projects and brought back on a few weeks ago. And - that watch still interests me even though I haven’t spent a lot of time looking into it for more than a year - still a good sign!
Always a good sign if you’ve wanted something for years, I can certainly relate to that. I’ve noticed that some of my wants are very enduring. Many others are more fleeting!
Thank you Tony for your stimulating thoughts.
After attending many fairs in the past (W&W but also Basel before) as private end-buyer and enjoying both vintage and modern watches, I do understand your conflicting feeling. Luxury watchmaking has an inherent tension between desirability/craftsmanship and industrial production. If good marketing is here to solve this issue, bad marketing is just highlighting this “inconsistency” and making the tension even more uncomfortable for watch enthusiasts.
By the way, I have the conviction that both universes have converged in the past year: Because some brands have successfully managed to better nurture their attraction power, consumption of modern watches is not only a question of spending money in a quick and easy way. And because of the social networks and digital platforms, some of the rarest vintage watches can be seen (and therefore bought) without waiting for years. Collecting has never been faster. And both universes have now their international rendezvous with big events such as seasonal fairs or auction weeks.
Let’s find the right balance between the vintage way of consuming or the modern way of collecting!-)
It’s true. To be clear, you can also engage in “fast consumption” of vintage watches - I’ve seen it happen. Internet, tech, can make everything faster. It removes friction. But sometimes friction is good. It causes you to slow down :)
+1 to your sentiment here Tony. I too am allergic to the seasonality of watch releases (you could call it a seasonal allergy), à la fashion whereas precisely watches should be at the opposite of fashion - something you could theoretically keep for life, and then pass on.
Every year, I say I won't go to W&W and then eventually cave in, mostly to see friends.
The one thing though that makes more positive about the "industrial cycles" is that, living in Bienne, I see first hand the importance of the trade on the local economy, employing thousands of "normal" people. So always a fine balance in the end, like most things.
100p, I think because of your location you have a better appreciation for this. When I look at (new) watches, part of what I try to think about is how much of my dollar is going to those people, vs how much ends up in the pockets of profit-driven goobers. I love watches because they support these jobs that exist in the physical world, which we don’t have enough of (he types into his phone to be transmitted to his digital newsletter)
Thank you, Tony. I promised myself not to purchase any vintage watches this year, and I am doing well so far. It's a big commitment, but I want to appreciate what I have. I want to wear all my watches and decide which ones I want to keep or sell. I'm trying the KonMari Method and keeping the watches that spark joy.
Exactly. Wearing watches is the cool part :)
Thanks Tony. Every introspective person buying watches considers the insanity of it all at some point. The interesting people in watches are those buying what they love - finding a watch either aesthetically beautiful, or an example of inspired engineering. They have complete disregard to the outside world and possess their own sense of style and taste. A great example of this is my wife - she has 0 interest in watches, luxury goods, or anything of the sort. While watching the Great British Baking Show, she noticed a watch she loved on Mary Berry’s wrist, and remarked on it. It just so happened to be a Cartier Tank. It could have been a Casio and held the same appeal. She owns that watch and didn’t own it as a result of some hype or what it meant to someone else, she owns it because it is her. Be you, be original, and reject the marketing hype. One of my favorite watches is a Tiffany CT60, widely ignored due to its lack of ingenuity from a movement perspective and the substantial thickness for the 42mm chronograph amongst other reasons. I had a Rolex dealer once ask me if I were looking to get my first real watch while wearing it. I’m sure he will be very attentive to Watches and Wonders. Hilarious times.
That is a very astute comment. How much of our taste is truly our own is something to debate, but I think we can all start by paying attention to watches we are naturally drawn to, rather than basing one’s desire for acquisition on what Leonardo DiCaprio just wore.
Well said. The hard part is often knowing what’s truly your taste - a lot of noise in this world!
you couldn’t be more wrong tony. i disavow the title “collector”, i want no association with that group. i have no wish to be mistaken for anything other than a pure consumer.
but my consumption is not “fast”, i obsess over every detail of the product, assess every permutation of every move i can make, sometimes waiting for years, before i buy the watch. but the pleasure only starts when i have the product on the wrist, in the actual act of consumption, the hours spent staring at it, luxuriating in the physical sensations it generates, letting its beauty soothe my soul.
and as a consumer, i couldn’t be more particular about what i chose to consume, i wouldn’t wear 99% of the watches made today even if you gave it to me for free. every purchase is not just a tribute to the noble manufacturers who make these beautiful objects, but an intentional insult to the unworthy who keep failing to win my patronage.
only consumers are qualified to speak of the product, i place no value in the opinions of collectors.
Not owning equals not having enough “skin in the game” to have an opinion? Lots can be known from a watch without having it. Of course, once you own its the ultimate experience to understand, but if you already don’t like a piece without buying, why bother then?
We analyze and think deeply (in theory) long before we pull the trigger. Every consumer is a possible consumer at first.
oh i agree with you. but the opinion has to be from a consumer’s perspective, whether you own the watch or not. i have many opinions of watches i’m yet to buy.
call yrself whatever you like then! i think we are saying the same thing...