When did you realize...

[superdog]

....that you are a WIS?

For me: my old man used to contract for Armitron. He'd come home with all sorts a A-watches. The he did work for Lucien Piccard...loved the watches he brought home.

I could never get enough. It was always about watches for me. Started flipping high end pieces about a decade ago. Still love the hobby.

Did not realize that I was a WIS until about a year ago, when I joined this forum.

But....it started for me when I was about 10.

How about for guys and gals?

[Fiery]

It was quite late for me, in my late 20s. I suspected something is "wrong" with me after buying my first 3 expensive watches in just a 3 months period And of course there came the usual scandal from the wife, the constant hunting for next watch acquisition, etc. etc...

[esm]

What are the main differences between a WIS, a collector and or an enthusiasts?

[joeychitwood]

When I began the search for a second Rolex. Until I started reading TRF, the thought had never occurred to me.

[mikeinalexandria]

Yeah, when I discovered TRF. I have always been enthralled with Rolexes because of the sense of adventure they inspire.

[brkanand]

In 2009 when I was too old already!

[Alcan]

For me it was last Tuesday.

[Watchonisto]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

When I began the search for a second Rolex. Until I started reading TRF, the thought had never occurred to me.

x2

[superdog]

Originally Posted by esm

What are the main differences between a WIS, a collector and or an enthusiasts?

Big. Depending on your defintion of each.

[TakesALickin]

It must have been about 2001, when I discovered Ebay and all the vintage watches that were for sale there at the time. I would spend hours looking at auctions, trying to find unnoticed gems. I managed to score quite a few very nice vintage pieces for a few years, but those days are over I think - the market has become what they call "fully rationalized".

[thewatchguy93]

Originally Posted by esm

What are the main differences between a WIS, a collector and or an enthusiasts?

You just hate the word WIS, dont you Eric mate!!...

[captkevin]

5 months after I bought my first Rolex, because I bought 2 more in that 5 months. Thanks to this forum by the way.

[HL65]

I am still trying to find my way and figure it out.

[Hairdude1]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

When I began the search for a second Rolex. Until I started reading TRF, the thought had never occurred to me.

Same here

[vintage69]

When I recieved my first watch,a Wyler which I still have, for my 6th birthday from my Mom. That was in the early 50's.

[mjclark32]

Good question and pretty tough to narrow down... May have been when I was looking for my sub and really got into the history of the brand and then started expanding/growing. There is a ton to learn.

[LightOnAHill]

i'm not yet

[boogiebot]

i don't consider myself a WIS. More of an enthusiast. to me a WIS is someone who appreciates the watches and has a vast amount of knowledge.

i like the watches but my knowledge is VERY limited.

[Time2time]

I became an enthusiast in 2009.

WIS? Just hate that term.

[QueueCumber]

Originally Posted by esm

What are the main differences between a WIS, a collector and or an enthusiasts?

Here is my guess based on the definition of idiot savant:

A WIS is narrowly focused on only one aspect of collecting or enthusiasm to the exclusion of other aspects (like an idiot savant is narrowly and intensely focused in one ability with serious disparities in other areas). A collector doesn't need to be a WIS or an enthusiast to own watches. An enthusiast doesn't need to be a WIS or to own actual watches to have enthusiasm for watches.

Whether or not WIS means someone who is an idiot savant for a particular company, type of watch, watches in general, or buying watches (and having no real knowledge of them aside from a compulsion to own them) seems to be used interchangeably quite a bit, so there seems to be no general consensus on its exact meaning. Of course, it could also mean someone who knows everything about all watches and nothing about anything else in life, but I've never seen it used like that and no one knows everything about all watches except maybe a very small handful of horologists.

[doubleinfive]

I am not a WIS...I just own watches because I enjoy wearing them...

[superdog]

I suppose similar to society as a whole, people just put too much emphasis on defining something.

For me, it's simple: I like watches. I like them so much, I actually frequent an online forum dedicated to not just one watch brand, but to the history and to horology in general.

Let go of the definition.

All I'm asking is when did you realize you like watches so much it became a hobby.

[QueueCumber]

Originally Posted by superdog

I suppose similar to society as a whole, people just put too much emphasis on defining something.

For me, it's simple: I like watches. I like them so much, I actually frequent an online forum dedicated to not just one watch brand, but to the history and to horology in general.

Let go of the definition.

All I'm asking is when did you realize you like watches so much it became a hobby.

I like definitions... <shrug>

It allows coherent communication about things like watches and the intricacies of their histories and complications.

There was a thread like this the other day. My first watch was a Mickey Mouse Ingersol I found in my parent's attic when I was a toddler. Loved that thing...

Then digital watches (game watches, calculators, etc), swatches (my favorites were the skeletonized ones), cheap luxury watches, and finally mechanical watches...

[ingoodtime]

Whether a wis, enthusiast or just one that likes jewelry and considers a watch as such, we all had that moment that we became "aware." for me, after my mother passed away in May of 2005, I was pretty sad. One night I saw Jim Skelton on ShopNBC with the owner of Renato watches. I enjoyed the show and was very interested in a few of the Renato products. I was hooked then and there. One thing led to another and I was lucky enough to join the Rolex family. I love this site and spend lots of time browsing.

[QueueCumber]

For me, all of the ingredients for watch collecting were there already. I like devices that exhibit mechanical engineering acumen (e.g. pinball machines, modified cars, audio/theater acoustics), and I have the visual spatial reasoning skills to appreciate the science involved. I enjoy collecting things (e.g. comics, baseball cards, pinball machines, vinyl, reel to reel, CDs, blurays, etc.). I have a lustful history with watches already. I love shiny things (jewlery, etc.) and art!

It all came together for me when my love of pinball machines somehow opened the door to mechanical watches (I think a friend pointed out the similarities). I pretty much had Tag Heuers and Movados before that. Once I discovered mechanical watches as a collectible mechanical engineering art form that I could carry around everywhere on my wrist it was all over.

[FeelingTheBlues]

I always liked watches but always for different reasons. I guess I really became interested about movements and complications about a year ago or so. In fact, I developped the passion so much that I've decided to work on making it my future career!

[Mikehii]

I'm a newbie ^___^

[QueueCumber]

I'm fortunate in that I have a friend who collects independent watchmaker's watches, and he has been showing me his independent pieces and exposing me to more obscure collectibles. I'm not anywhere near that circle of collecting yet myself, but I hope to build up to that level of exclusivity eventually. I'm happy sticking to watches that are for the most part in-house at the moment. I like a watch to represent completely that company's efforts. It has to be aesthetically pleasing to me visually as well.

[Grissom]

I've been collecting, buying and selling watches since I was in my teens....just had no idea there was a name for this, until I joined TRF!