You don’t need another watch. Not yet at least.

Fine assortment of vintage goods. Heuer Monaco reissue, two vintage Submariners, an Oyster Perpetual, and a beautiful Speedmaster.

I love watches, and I’m sure you do as well. Not sure why else you would be reading this article. However, watches are like tequila shots: your first one feels great, and then all of a sudden you’re throwing up in the uber and your rating drops to 3 stars… and you have a $200 fine… ask me how I know.

Anyways, I’ve seen and experienced the exact same life cycle that every watch collector goes through. You get into watches and you end up doing a shit load of research, putting money in the piggy bank, and then one day you muster up the courage to go and spend more money than you ever have on this little wristwatch. The feeling is euphoric, you walk out of the store simultaneously feeling two things: “Damn this feels incredible” and “Why the fuck did I just do that?”.

Stunning GMT Master 1675, and a naughty platinum Cartier Tank Cintrée

Watch collecting can be one of the slippier slopes in life - right up there with gambling and gateway drugs. I know for a fact that I’m not alone in this either, it’s a common joke in the watch collecting world that we’re all going into debt to collect watches, or that one day we woke up and had 30 watches, half of which we never wear. And yeah it’s funny and all… until you realize that we’re actually not joking at all. When I started collecting around 5 or so years ago, I remember the feeling of getting my first watch; I also remember the feeling I had the literal same night… I was right back online looking for my next one. I collected more watches than I knew what to do with, I got addicted to flipping and finding deals, and selling something to get the next coolest thing, and convincing myself that all of this was just me enjoying my hobby.

No.

After time had passed, and my credit card bills were up to my neck, I sold off every watch I had in my collection and took time to reflect. I was greedy as hell, and this hobby makes people greedy as hell. When in reality, watch collecting should be slow, thoughtful, and kinda beautiful in a way. After taking time to reflect and talk to the dumbass in the mirror, I let myself buy ONE watch to start fresh. And that Seiko 5 would be the only watch I had for a long, long time.

My humble collection at the moment: Seiko 5 SRPK29, Casio A168, Vintage Tag Heuer Professional, and a Norqain Wild One Skeleton (on loan)

Here is how you should collect watches, and yes I’m telling you, not suggesting. Buy a watch when it means something beyond the transaction. When something good happens in your life: a big milestone, getting married, a birthday, or getting over your situationship. Watches are unique in the sense that they can carry a memory better than any other material good. When I look at my Seiko 5, I remember how fucked up my life was, and me making the decision to change it. When I look at my Vintage Tag, I’ll always remember me quitting my job and moving to New York with nothing in pursuit of my dreams.

That is what makes watch collecting so amazing. I love when I compliment someone’s watch and they immediately go into the story of their watch and what it means to them, the funny part is that non-watch enthusiasts usually have better stories than watch collectors. There aren’t enough moments in your life to justify the 30th watch in your collection, and if there are, you should write a book.

I can’t end this article without bringing up money. Make sure you put away money over time for a watch purchase. If you keep filling up the piggy bank, and wait for the right moment - the splurge of a watch purchase won’t feel as… splurge-y… it will feel like you earned it, trust me. Even if you’re loaded, I encourage you to follow these rules as well, I promise that your 3rd AP in a year isn’t going to feel that good.

On that same note… 3 AP’s in a year must feel so sick.