The Buying Plan: As Explained to The Wife ;)

[Chadridv]

Last night I had a rather successful conversation with my wife about a watch buying plan/strategy/goal. I figured I would share with the group how it went down, and why I think it worked well.

First off all, she's already as cool as they come. She wears a 31mm OP, loves her Chanel, her shoes and other luxury items (that IMO will never have the same value as our Rolexes), so she has a decent understanding of this sickness. But we have a lot going on these days and coming home with a new $15k+ watch would not receive a fantastic reception. Especially since I just bought a brand new 116610LV in Jan.

So many months back (just after buying my new 116610LV) I start a thread about what should be my next purchase. I came up with a 3 tier purchase option. They basically went in order "cheapest-expensive" while coinciding with date obtained "near future-to distant future". See here. In other words the cheaper the watch, the sooner I will get it.

As most of us do I am constantly window shopping for my next piece. My ultimate goal would be to purchase a PM Daytona, or an AP Royal Oak as well as a few other's within that price range.

This is how I explained it to the wife...

If every 3-6 months I came home with a $2-3k watch, she won't be shocked. I would probably get a little bit of an eye roll and a joking "you're an idiot" comment. BUT at any point in time if I came home with a $15k-$20k watch I would definitely be sat down for "a talk".

Now my basic point was that I could continue on for the next 2 years buying half a dozen $2k-3k watches that would seemingly fly right under the radar. Knowing myself, I would probably end up selling, trading, flipping, regretting, etc. Would it be fun? Yeah, definitely, but ultimately I know I wouldn't be truly satisfied till I got the Daytona or AP RO. It would never end till I bought the right watch and in the end I would likely be sat down for "a talk" no matter what. I want to avoid "a talk" no matter what.

So what I present, was that if I hold off for now on the lower end watches, set goals and saved money, there should be no difference in perspective on the day I come home with my new Daytona or Royal Oak. Essentially, I just excavate the building site for buying a new watch, "coming 2017'! There should be no justification for "a talk" and everyone should be pleased with the outcome. I mean what is the difference if I saved the money and dropped a big lump sum, vs little by little spent the same amount of money over multiple purchase!?

I know this is all relative here. Some people save years to buy a $3k watch, and others will buy a PM Daytona like it was a cheeseburger, but the strategy can work! I think you just have to figure out what the ultimate goal is, find the price point that seems to be regularly acceptable within a certain time period, hold back on spending that, and wait it out.

anyway just thought I'd share. Let the waiting begin! I'm new to marriage so maybe I'm fooling myself here.

[brannonj1]

I like it! Think it will work with my wife too?

[sirduncs]

that's a cunning plan.

i, however, bought my LV mid-March and have yet to 'fess up to my wife. i am not sure what is worse...the fact that i haven't done that yet, or the fact that i have been wearing the watch every day and she hasn't noticed.....

[Steve36Efc]

Sounds like a plan.. A good plan

[Chadridv]

Originally Posted by sirduncs

that's a cunning plan.

i, however, bought my LV mid-March and have yet to 'fess up to my wife. i am not sure what is worse...the fact that i haven't done that yet, or the fact that i have been wearing the watch every day and she hasn't noticed.....

haha oh man. Your situation will require an even more cunning plan if a different variety. Let me think on that.

Or maybe you can pull the old, "No, you knew about this?". Hmmm. I don't know, does that actually work?

[Air Tzar]

Originally Posted by sirduncs

that's a cunning plan.

I, however, bought my lv mid-march and have yet to 'fess up to my wife. I am not sure what is worse...the fact that i haven't done that yet, or the fact that i have been wearing the watch every day and she hasn't noticed.....

Good luck buddy!

[Britexpat76]

Originally Posted by sirduncs

that's a cunning plan.

i, however, bought my LV mid-March and have yet to 'fess up to my wife. i am not sure what is worse...the fact that i haven't done that yet, or the fact that i have been wearing the watch every day and she hasn't noticed.....

Thats brilliant. My wife has eyes like a hawk when it comes to shiny things.....

[REDiesel]

Originally Posted by sirduncs

that's a cunning plan.

i, however, bought my LV mid-March and have yet to 'fess up to my wife. i am not sure what is worse...the fact that i haven't done that yet, or the fact that i have been wearing the watch every day and she hasn't noticed.....

I bought a polar 16570 and didn't tell my wife for a few months. I didn't wear it in front of her. Eventually, I decided to come clean and wear it on vacation so there was no chance of hiding it. I thought she would notice when I showed her how to change the hour on it when we landed, but it took until dinner the first night. Helped that you can't be upset on vacation in paradise.

PS I'm sure my wife would notice an LV very quickly.

[travisb]

Good luck. I hope it works out.

[ronin_ph]

Originally Posted by sirduncs

that's a cunning plan.



i, however, bought my LV mid-March and have yet to 'fess up to my wife. i am not sure what is worse...the fact that i haven't done that yet, or the fact that i have been wearing the watch every day and she hasn't noticed.....

Ha. I tried that for about half a day with my last purchase. I cracked under pressure and confessed. Worst paranoia ever. Having lunch a having to eat my burger one handed. Felt like a high school kid who just smoked pot and had to take a car ride with his mother.

With that said, I kind of like being in the nook of being around a $5-6k or so buyer. It's a decent budget with a wide array of choices, which allows me to get a new watch every quarter or so. (But wait, it's May and I've bought 4 watches this year ;)


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[theprocess]

Makes perfect sense. But you failed to mention your wife's response/reaction...

[Chadridv]

Originally Posted by theprocess

Makes perfect sense. But you failed to mention your wife's response/reaction...

Thanks! Oh mentioned in the beginning the reaction was successful which as you all know that means smooth sailing FOREVER!!!!!

[theprocess]

Originally Posted by Chadridv

Thanks! Oh mentioned in the beginning the reaction was successful which as you all know that means smooth sailing FOREVER!!!!!

Haha, to me having a "rather successful conversation" doesnt necessarily mean getting the green light. Explict approval is best to avoid the sit down But excellent plan, hope it all works out for you.

[ems12]

Just have to have the discipline to save for 2 years and you're good d to go!


=)

[bdex75]

Originally Posted by ems12

Just have to have the discipline to save for 2 years and you're good d to go!


=)

This is where I fail horribly.

I see this Hamilton and that Archemede and I am done.


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[ap1]

i have a problem with the waiting part

[997.2]

Originally Posted by ap1

i have a problem with the waiting part

^^^^

[johneh]

I like it, in fact, I have a similar plan in place. I used to flip watches like crazy, to the point where my fiancee would just shake her head. Instead of doing this, I've managed to talk her into a "one new watch per year" policy.

I've explained that my next watch is going to be a little more than what she's used to seeing so I am holding off from buying anything this year, and then next year...Boom! AP RO. Green light.

[watchwatcher]

You will be better off in the long run saving for what you really want. $2-3k watches are not likely going to hold their value as well, so you're looking at losing money flipping.

[mfer]

If you buy right, it doesn't matter much. If you can prove to your wife (aka be honest) that you aren't really losing money, what does it matter. Bottom line, don't try and fool your wife.

[sco]

I don't know anything about your finances, if you think this plan is good, then go for it. I would just keep in mind that things happen in life that you could never have planned for. Don't go for the "big" purchase unless you feel covered for the unexpected.

[Chadridv]

Originally Posted by sco

I don't know anything about your finances, if you think this plan is good, then go for it. I would just keep in mind that things happen in life that you could never have planned for. Don't go for the "big" purchase unless you feel covered for the unexpected.

Agreed! can't argue this.

But this is why I mentioned this bit about relatively, because we don't know what kind of finances we're all respectively dealing with! Let's just put it this way, I can afford to buy $2k-3K watches pretty often. It won't be that huge a deal. That's why this strategy works. Maybe for someone else this means, they cut down on the $300-500 watches and wait it out till they can buy that $3000 watch they always wanted. again, all relative!

Originally Posted by Chadridv

I know this is all relative here. Some people save years to buy a $3k watch, and others will buy a PM Daytona like it was a cheeseburger, but the strategy can work! I think you just have to figure out what the ultimate goal is, find the price point that seems to be regularly acceptable within a certain time period, hold back on spending that, and wait it out.

[rudegar]

Originally Posted by Chadridv

I'm new to marriage so maybe I'm fooling myself here.

Haha.. The question is do you want to be old IN marriage? :)

Good luck. I like the part where you said she would just call you an idiot. If that really means that she light-heartedly holds the mirror up to you for your little "failures" but believes in you in the whole, you'll have a good marriage indeed.

[tkerrmd]

its called saving money, it works

[ChicagoPhil]

I have done something similar with other interests. What ultimately ends up happening though is that when I have saved that kind of cash over that period of time, its VERY difficult to spend it! All of the sudden you are hit with the realization of just how much cash you are about to drop. I would never have bought my Corvette had I employed this strategy, but break it down into 36 payments @ $xxx with a modest down payment, and no problem.

I know the golden rule here seems to be "never finance a watch". But as long as your total debt load is small relative to your income, why not? I paid for my 114200 outright because it was a relatively painless purchase. But I would have no qualms about financing a $15k watch if my overall debt ratio was very good. People finance BMW's all the time....even the ones who preach here that financing is evil. Whats the difference? You didn't "need" that $60k Beemer when a $17k Ford would have accomplished the same task, right?

[ChicagoPhil]

Originally Posted by tkerrmd

its called saving money, it works

It used to work...today there is just no incentive to save any more than a "cushion". Bank might pay 1% if you are lucky, but that's a net -4% when you account for inflation. So a cash savings account is actually counterproductive in this economic climate.

[srvrf]

If the ultimate goal is a few more expensive watches it's a good plan. But since you're new to marriage, make sure you've got things like emergency funds, a nice jump on retirement and/or educational savings taken care of. Unexpected things come up all of the time.


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[Vincent65]

Wow, you used a reasonably logical rationale, and it worked...

Well done. And good luck!

[ernie2]

To buy something expensive, I would find a good reason/ occasion and make the purchase sounds like it is not just for me, it is for the family / kids.

I recently bought a SD4K ( close to $10K) and I told my wife the watch is to commemorate our first born. My son was born last year and the SD4K was reissued in 2014. I told her I got the watch for my son's birth year and I will pass this down to him when he has his first born.

My wife agreed totally and offered to pay 1/2 of it.

Now I need to find a new excuse when the EVEROSE YM comes out.

[Chadridv]

Originally Posted by ernie2

To buy something expensive, I would find a good reason/ occasion and make the purchase sounds like it is not just for me, it is for the family / kids.

I recently bought a SD4K ( close to $10K) and I told my wife the watch is to commemorate our first born. My son was born last year and the SD4K was reissued in 2014. I told her I got the watch for my son's birth year and I will pass this down to him when he has his first born.

My wife agreed totally and offered to pay 1/2 of it.

Now I need to find a new excuse when the EVEROSE YM comes out.

Hmm so by this logic you're saying the more babies you make the more watches you get! Genius! although I might need to call my financial advisor to confirm