Change of Direction?

[nighthawk77]

Hey TRF. Currently at a cross roads with regards to my collection - what to keep, what to get next, and what direction to head in.

Rewind 6 months and I would've told you I was looking for a varied collection across multiple brands. I had an Omega Seamaster, a Tudor GMT, a Rolex Explorer and I had been planning to pick up a Speedy at some point this year, with a Sub further down the line. In other words, I had a little direction/strategy when it came to my watch collection. However, in the last few months I've had a little good luck, and a little bad luck too. This has changed my perspective and has left me scratching my head a little as to where to go next.

Firstly, I was able to acquire a Sub Date. This is a watch I'd wanted for a very long time, but I didn't think I'd be able to get my hands on so soon. During lockdown I was given the opportunity to pick this up from my AD so I grabbed it with both hands. Before I could pick the Sub up, disaster struck when my Tudor GMT started skipping dates. This had been my daily wear pretty much since acquiring this last October, with the Explorer as a more under the radar secondary.

So in came the Sub, and out went the GMT, literally within a day of each other. The Sub has firmly taken over as the daily wearer which leaves me questioning whether or not I actually want to keep the GMT once I get it back, particularly as the date fault doesn't seem to be guaranteed to be remedied and I don't want any more hassle with this watch. At the same time, the Omega I mentioned above has been collecting dust for the last few months, and it would've been sold already if it weren't for sentimental reasons. Essentially, if I'm reaching for a watch from the box, it's a Rolex and I don't envisage that changing. At the same time, I've been that impressed with my Rolex watches that my appetite for models outside of the Rolex line up has dwindled.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not in any rush to change things up. I still need to wait to get the GMT back from repair after all. I'm grateful for what I own and I'm enjoying the watches in my collection. Although I'm still probably in the 'honeymoon' period with the Sub, I have been wondering if it's time to rethink the direction I want my collection to head in.

So, have others switched up their collecting strategy, and what were the reasons? Should I let the Tudor and Omega go, and pick up another Rolex? Has anyone else gone all in with Rolex, and if so was this a decision which you lived to regret?

Thoughts and comments would be helpful as a little food for thought...

Cheers

[LOWERCASE GUY]

I think you have a great collection with good variety but it stands to reason to move the pieces on which don't get any wrist time.

The Omega Seamaster and Sub are effectively the same watch (divers). Personally, I wouldn't want both for the same reason as you, I want to wear all my watches and I find them too similar. I would also routinely reach for the Rolex.

Naturally the Explorer is a staple in the collection and not going anywhere.

The Tudor GMT is a great watch too but again if you don't think it will get any wrist time you should move it on. They are fairing well in the secondary market so you probably won't take much of a hit on it.

Ask yourself this question, if you could swap your Omega & Tudor for a SS DJ (or equivalent value Rolex - only mentioned the DJ as it dresses up your collection and is about the same price as Tudor+Seamaster) how much wrist time would it get? Probably would make it into your regular rotation i'd guess.

I hate to hear about unworn pieces, that poor Omega gathering dust in your watch box is waiting to be loved & worn regularly. If not you then do the right thing for the watch and move it on. Watches have feeling too you know.

[Napoleon]

Originally Posted by LOWERCASE GUY

I think you have a great collection with good variety but it stands to reason to move the pieces on which don't get any wrist time.

The Omega Seamaster and Sub are effectively the same watch (divers). Personally, I wouldn't want both for the same reason as you, I want to wear all my watches and I find them too similar. I would also routinely reach for the Rolex.

Naturally the Explorer is a staple in the collection and not going anywhere.

The Tudor GMT is a great watch too but again if you don't think it will get any wrist time you should move it on. They are fairing well in the secondary market so you probably won't take much of a hit on it.

Ask yourself this question, if you could swap your Omega & Tudor for a SS DJ (or equivalent value Rolex - only mentioned the DJ as it dresses up your collection and is about the same price as Tudor+Seamaster) how much wrist time would it get? Probably would make it into your regular rotation i'd guess.

I hate to hear about unworn pieces, that poor Omega gathering dust in your watch box is waiting to be loved & worn regularly. If not you then do the right thing for the watch and move it on. Watches have feeling too you know.

That’s solid advice.

The sub is definitely a daily driver. So others need to be unique enough to spice things up.

Tudor GMT def fits that bill. Seamaster prob does not. I own blue Seamaster and a 114060 so to me it’s different enough. But if both black and you have the date on both they are too similar.

Speedy is different enough too as having the chronograph/manual wind is a different experience from the sub.

Collections are always fluid so not a bad thing at all.

[JR16]

Nice collection ... i would dump the Tudor gmt and pick up a speedy as my next move . After that if you still crave a gmt, add another Rolex (BLRO, BLNR, CHNR..). If the Seamaster has sentimental value , hold onto it as you will prob regret selling/trading it.


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[StillTrying]

I feel you. Although I’m always thinking about my “next watch”, recently I’m only considering Rolex references, whereas before I was open to a large number of brands. This is a direct result of only reaching for my Rolex. Why buy/own watches you don’t wear? I recently traded an IWC and seamaster 300m for a Rolex. I hope to be more interested in other brands soon, but who knows. None of the shit is logical or rational so I just go with it.


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[iTreelex]

I was once like you, wanting one from each brand. Then I found out the charm of daily wearing a Rolex. I let go of my Omegas and just have 2 Rolex and just added the new spb149 from seiko. At this point I really don't mind just collecting Rolex.

[Bruno Datejust]

I'm experiencing something similar. I was very happy with my two 1162XX Datejusts, one quite coloured, the other one discreet all silver. Then I found the silver somehow dull and traded it in for a Sub. Now the remaining Datejust is getting little to no wrist time and I'm considering what to do. I was considering to take something similar to the Sub, say a GMT or an only time Sub (for my small wrist it's always 5-digit pieces) and add an older Datejust (16234) to keep something of the Datejust line. But I fear that even this piece could get little wrist time. It seems that I could end up with an only second Sub-date, maybe vintage in great shape. All this to tell you that until few months ago I was very happy with my Datejusts and now it seems there is no more love for that lineup. Strange..

[HogwldFLTR]

Originally Posted by nighthawk77

Hey TRF. Currently at a cross roads with regards to my collection - what to keep, what to get next, and what direction to head in.
...

So, have others switched up their collecting strategy, and what were the reasons? Should I let the Tudor and Omega go, and pick up another Rolex? Has anyone else gone all in with Rolex, and if so was this a decision which you lived to regret?

Thoughts and comments would be helpful as a little food for thought...

Cheers

I sold a lot of watches as I got tired of having a large collection; I've gone to something more manageable, a three watch collection trying to keep it to watches that I want to wear. I haven't been entirely successful however I'm in a position that agrees more with my personal habits then when I had the additional 18 watches. For me it's about what I feel comfortable and nothing to do with strategy for collecting.

[Harry-57]

Originally Posted by nighthawk77

I had a little direction/strategy when it came to my watch collection.

The sentence you typed before this, appears to contradict it. You had, and were expanding, a collection of diverse models across multiple brands. That's a strategy, and if I may say so, a good one.

Originally Posted by nighthawk77

Has anyone else gone all in with Rolex, and if so was this a decision which you lived to regret?

No and no. But it's not as black and white as that. Like you, I had an assortment - a Breitling, an Omega, some Tag Heuers, and a few assorted odds and ends with dials on them. I didn't have a white dial watch and from the comparatively small range of options available, the 42mm Polar looked like the obvious choice. That was where it took an unexpected turn.

The Polar (bought off a spec call to my AD in early 2018) was supposed to be my last watch. High quality (by my buying standards), classic, desirable, a centre piece to finish off my collection. It was so achingly cool and of such good material and finish quality that I caught the bug. My wife and I now have eight Rolex watches between us. But we have also bought an assortment of other watches, all cheaper and all just as loved and worn regularly. I try to keep to a rotation which means all my watches get a day on the wrist in turn. My wife tends to wear one for longer periods, then switches, gradually rotating back to the first one over several months or years.

It seems like I've been through something like you are now experiencing. Every watch in my collection commemorates something or means something. I made a huge mistake when I let a Breitling go because it was not getting much wrist time. I got a decent price (partly because I bought it at a bargain price) but I soon regretted it. It was like I'd sold a piece of my life to a stranger. I regret it and I won't do it again.

[nighthawk77]

Originally Posted by LOWERCASE GUY

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Cheers for input - funnily enough I had been considering the DJ as a possible next move - fluted jubilee and white dial. But this would likely require me to let go of the Omega and GMT. The Omega is blue, so does offer a little variance, and I'm not sure if it's out of favour because of successive incomings - GMT (October), Explorer (December) Sub (June).

Originally Posted by Napoleon

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Thanks for the insight. Similar to you my SMP is blue, and does offer a little something from the Sub. Whilst GMT does fit the bill, the problems I have faced, partly down to poor service at the AD, has put me off the watch completely. Tudor out Speedy in might work though...

Originally Posted by JR16

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Good shout - I might look into this. Speedy is probably the only non Rolex piece I'd consider adding to the collection.

Originally Posted by StillTrying

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Thanks for the reply, good to hear I'm not the only one!

Originally Posted by iTreelex

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Cheers - seems like I'm in that position at the moment. Hope you're enjoying the Seiko though - if that had've been release 12 months prior I'd have picked one up myself, but wouldn't get any wrist time at the moment...

Originally Posted by Bruno Datejust

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Thanks - sounds like you've found exactly what works for you which I'm pleased to hear. I do wonder though, will you have to get a new account/name if the DJs go!?

Originally Posted by HogwldFLTR

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Cheers for the input - 18 sounds like a crazy amount, I'm not sure I could deal with that many! Pleased to hear you have found what works for you and IIRC you have some great pieces in your trio!

[nighthawk77]

Originally Posted by Harry-57

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Cheers Harry - not sure I follow you on the contradiction, the plan/strategy and direction was to aim for a varied and diverse collection - in terms of brand, complication, style colours etc...logically I agree with you, it's a good strategy - but similar to yourself, maybe I've caught the bug you refer to.

Great insight with the Breitling too - sorry to hear you regretted letting that one go. My fear is the same with the Omega, so I just hold onto that one a little longer.

[Bruno Datejust]

Hello nighthawk77, you touch an interesting point! (Lol) I wondered if I could change my account name, and found that this is not possible on TFR, except for specific actions by the admins. So maybe I've to keep it, maybe I could obtain "Bruno D" from them. Let's see.
I was checking out little time ago also some Jaeger Le Coultre Reverso to have a different brand and style for a hypothetical three piece collection. I had always admired them as classy timepieces. But no, I found them nice but would sit in the drawer. Tastes change seemingly..

[Boaters]

Everyone is different you just need to do what works for you.

[Harry-57]

Originally Posted by nighthawk77

My fear is the same with the Omega, so I just hold onto that one a little longer.

I would. But each to our own. There is no universal cure for the Rolex illness.

[brandrea]

I may be reading your post incorrectly, but if you just acquired the Submariner it makes sense the others aren’t getting much wrist time. It could just be the honeymoon phase ...

I’d give it a little time before making any decisions