Unexpected WIS

[Watch Professor]

Never met one in all the years of collecting. I thought one friend was, but I soon discounted him when he bought a fake on Canal Street. Another friend has a Rolex DJ that he bought in Hong Kong when he served in Vietnam, but that's the last mechanical watch he bought. I thought that I could get my son involved when he bought a mechanical TAG SeL, but he never wears it. In fact, he never wears a watch- uses his I Phone. So I rely on you guys for my WIS fix each day. Thanks.

[skypilot]

The closest thing to another WIS I have met is a former co-worker who has and wears 4 watches. He has his deceased father's Accutron, a Seiko with the symbol of his college, a Seiko he's had forever and a Casio digital that he thought was cool when in school. I'm totally amazed at the students who have nice watches, all I see are digitals. I have NEVER had anyone notice any of my Rolexes and have been wearing them since 1992.

[marcinthemiddle]

At the Pharmacy on Saturday picking up my RX- a guy around my age complimented me on my Submariner...I was wearing my Sea-Dweller. Semi-WIS perhaps?

[bayerische]

Originally Posted by Caraptor

Sadly, no. I did compliment a fellow on his lovely pepsi GMT the other day and he politely thanked me and then promptly moved away. LOL. Come back! Don't you want to be my watch buddy?!?!

Been there, done that! It's frustrating to be alone!

[Eric88]

Cool thread. The only WIS folks I know are my close friend's parents. They live out of town and I only met them for the first time this past Christmas. My friend had told me, "yeah, my parents have the 'watch issue' like you," so I was intrigued to meet them. On our first meeting, we sat around talking about watches and swapping our watches around for probably 45 minutes and it was fun!

Since that time, we went on vacation with these friends and parents, so there was another WIS encounter. Just last week, I was on a business trip where they live and we went out to dinner. The mom was proud to show off her new diamond dial Date and we also talked about the Sub-C. I think my friend wonders what is up with us and our watch enthusiasm.

[GradyPhilpott]

I have to take back what I said earlier.

There's a guy in the service department of my Honda dealership who's a WIS.

He owns several Breitling models and looks down at Rolex a bit, although when I showed him my Explorer, he was very interested in it, if for no other reason I guess than that I used to own only cheap watches.

I can't wait to show him my DJ so that he can look at the heavier bracelet, since that was one of his complaints about Rolex.

It probably won't phase him since it's still not so robust as his Breitlings.

[utc66]

I've been working on and off with this guy and every time I saw him he had a different watch: swatch, seiko, etc mostly in the $100 range. I finally said to him that I noticed his array of watches. He said yeah, kind of sheepishly and our conversation moved on. He never took notice of my PAM at the time. I think there are a lot of low end collectors who appreciate the variety, but haven't delved into the higher end yet.

What if everyone was a WIS? Would that turn you off to watches and force you to look for some other interest?

[rmfnla]

Originally Posted by marcinthemiddle

At the Pharmacy on Saturday picking up my RX- a guy around my age complimented me on my Submariner...I was wearing my Sea-Dweller. Semi-WIS perhaps?

WIS in training!

[marcinthemiddle]

Originally Posted by rmfnla

WIS in training!

Brilliant!

[PanosI]

Originally Posted by DRAWTOOL

Whadda you mean "accidentally wore my Explorer"? I think you was trolling for babes and caught a WIS swimming by!

[Michael M.]

Originally Posted by kyle L

So I was in school today, and I met another kid who is interested in watches. I accidentally wore my Explorer ( ), and he wanted to see it. I took it off and I was surprised he knew a bit about Rolexes, we talked about the Millgauss, and he mentioned Breitling and Omega. I thought it was pretty cool. Meet any watch fanatics lately?

There's a kid at my school that thinks he knows more about Rolex than me, but he didn't even know who Hans Wilsdorf was, he thought he was some type of scientist

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by utc66

I think there are a lot of low end collectors who appreciate the variety, but haven't delved into the higher end yet.

What makes a WIS is not the watches owned, but the passion for knowledge about all things horological.

Some owners of beautiful, high-end watches don't know squat about them and the same can be said of those who accumulate lower end watches.

Someone mentioned a "WIS in training"--good point. I see WIS as a state of "becoming." There is so much knowledge out there to be gained, which is always being added to, that one can never stop learning or "becoming" a WIS.

One can never reach a point at which someone cannot come along with something new and interesting.

True WIS status should require a certification and a CEU requirement.