Vintage Watches and Collecting in General

[marc2828]

I grew up with a father that loved collecting stuff...just not stuff that really interested me. He collected porcelain birds and other animal statues (which were bad for ball playing in the house), abstract art from this one weird artist (which currently hangs in multiple rooms in my home), and lots of coins. The coins are cool but sit in a box/safe. The coin dealers always grade them high when selling and low when buying...very subjective market.

I tried the wine collecting route...have a cellar, learned a bit, and now have a bunch of wine "aging". Red wine sort of gives me a bad hangover, especially drinking the full bottle. Next hobby was classic trucks/cars. Worked on them in my garage, tried to get my sons interested in working on them, but video games were more fun. Fun to drive when they start, annoying when they leak, and sitting at car shows got old real fast.

Brings me to vintage watches, and possibly Rolex. I have had some vintage Breitlings and had trouble getting them repaired. Expensive and difficult to locate parts. Was toying with vintage Rolex, but I hear those are also difficult and costly to repair.

I personally like collecting hobbies that you can use/see the item. Buying items to sit in a safe seems silly. But, I really don't like maintenance and large carrying costs (i.e. insurance).

I really ask myself why I like an item...is it to impress others?...generate positive comments from family/strangers?, the rarity? or merely just the hunt. After some self introspection, I think it is the hunt.

[gt0279a]

Definitely the hunt.

I bought a vintage rolex because I wanted a birth year watch. Learned alot in the process and met / talked with some good people.

Plus, You can't get a new Rolex with patina, lug holes or chamfers.

I found a few other collectible / hobbies my kids are into, as the watches are interesting to them (what does the bezel do, how can you tell them time without numbers, etc.) but that is as fas as the conversation goes. I did get into watches to have something to pass down to them, so we will see if the interest grows.

[marc2828]

Originally Posted by gt0279a

Definitely the hunt.

I bought a vintage rolex because I wanted a birth year watch. Learned alot in the process and met / talked with some good people.

Plus, You can't get a new Rolex with patina, lug holes or chamfers.

I found a few other collectible / hobbies my kids are into, as the watches are interesting to them (what does the bezel do, how can you tell them time without numbers, etc.) but that is as fas as the conversation goes. I did get into watches to have something to pass down to them, so we will see if the interest grows.

great pic

[donq]

I wouldn’t say vintage Rolex are difficult to repair.

Expensive yes, But not difficult.

They were made on a large scale and parts for movements, even 40 and 50 year old ones are still available.

Buy one in good condition and enjoy.

[roosvelt]

I like to collect different things Vintage or rare L.E badges and Firearms. I agree nothing like going out and using my all my firearms no matter how rare or old they are. Badges are great to look at but not the same!

[joli160]

Originally Posted by roosvelt

I like to collect different things Vintage or rare L.E badges and Firearms. I agree nothing like going out and using my all my firearms no matter how rare or old they are. Badges are great to look at but not the same!

Please read the forum rules about what you can and cannot post, before the thread gets closed.

On topic,
I used to have loads of collectible stuff, nautical antiques, early 18th century Chinese porcelain and WWII memorabilia until I got bored with the clutter in the house.
Sold everything for bottom prices and never looked back.
Glad I have less possessions now

[beshannon]

Originally Posted by marc2828

I really ask myself why I like an item...is it to impress others?...generate positive comments from family/strangers?, the rarity? or merely just the hunt. After some self introspection, I think it is the hunt.

Excellent story and even better questions.

I have been on a multi year quest to rid my life of "things" that serve no purpose save that of being a trophy.

Good luck on your "collecting".

[marc2828]

Originally Posted by beshannon

Excellent story and even better questions.

I have been on a multi year quest to rid my life of "things" that serve no purpose save that of being a trophy.

Good luck on your "collecting".

I have gotten rid of the classic truck/car. I have no more Breitlings. I am long a bunch of Bordeaux, coins, abstract art, and at some point will have some porcelain statues to unload. Learning about vintage Rolexes.

[JonaG]

Great thread. I seem to have been through a few phases myself and although they never pass completely, I reach a stage when it's time to move on. I got into Nikon cameras/lenses about 15 years ago, spent a couple of years buying lenses from 12mm to 500mm. Shot pics after work, on weekends. Got a few paid projects (weddings, catalogue pics etc). That's when I began to turn off it, it ceased to be a hobby and I just felt the pressure. I sold all my Nikon gear literally last month.

Next was vintage audio from 2010, namely vinyl. Bought and restored a Thorens deck, had fun in the record shops around Tokyo. Played around with tube amps. Then got into vintage B&O (really hard in Japan!), I had to ship a couple of deck/amps to the U.S. for repair. Still love my Beogram 8002 and gets good use but when it one day ceases to work, that'll be $$$.

And now, tired of 3 years of Apple watch I have come to Rolex just at the worst time. lol.

I look at some of my friends who don't have any hobbies like this, some just like to go for a "nice walk" and I feel slightly envious. Am I materialistic? I certainly love the hunt, and when I'm content I'll leave it there and move on.

The difference with Rolex is the sheer cost, my dabbling in cameras, audio usually went around the $1k - 2k mark a pop. I never considered a 10k Leica. Now, however, I've gone from watches a few hundred dollars to feeling that 10k is now no problem on a Rolex. It's the sheer leap in budget that has me thinking...

[marc2828]

Originally Posted by JonaG

Great thread. I seem to have been through a few phases myself and although they never pass completely, I reach a stage when it's time to move on. I got into Nikon cameras/lenses about 15 years ago, spent a couple of years buying lenses from 12mm to 500mm. Shot pics after work, on weekends. Got a few paid projects (weddings, catalogue pics etc). That's when I began to turn off it, it ceased to be a hobby and I just felt the pressure. I sold all my Nikon gear literally last month.

Next was vintage audio from 2010, namely vinyl. Bought and restored a Thorens deck, had fun in the record shops around Tokyo. Played around with tube amps. Then got into vintage B&O (really hard in Japan!), I had to ship a couple of deck/amps to the U.S. for repair. Still love my Beogram 8002 and gets good use but when it one day ceases to work, that'll be $$$.

And now, tired of 3 years of Apple watch I have come to Rolex just at the worst time. lol.

I look at some of my friends who don't have any hobbies like this, some just like to go for a "nice walk" and I feel slightly envious. Am I materialistic? I certainly love the hunt, and when I'm content I'll leave it there and move on.

The difference with Rolex is the sheer cost, my dabbling in cameras, audio usually went around the $1k - 2k mark a pop. I never considered a 10k Leica. Now, however, I've gone from watches a few hundred dollars to feeling that 10k is now no problem on a Rolex. It's the sheer leap in budget that has me thinking...

I think there is always a bit of being "materialistic" when buying and collecting items we don't "need". And most definitely the hunt is highly correlated to the rarity of an item which makes collecting fun.

I have a friend in the music business that collects first print vinyl records...really cool stuff on his walls. He said the the values have dropped significantly as the older generation is passing, and the millennial generation have no interest. I found the same with classic autos/trucks. I presume old camera and audio equipment collecting might also lose sponsorship. Will vintage Rolex become less collectible? Hmmm....

[lhanddds]

In case you haven’t noticed, there is a vintage section here. You might get more responses and find some interesting reading there.


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[marc2828]

Originally Posted by lhanddds

In case you haven’t noticed, there is a vintage section here. You might get more responses and find some interesting reading there.


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At what point do we think collecting "new" watches turns into vintage? My OP is more about collecting rather than specific "Vintage Rolex" details.

[gin@tonic]

Collecting: There’s always a thrill in the chase and the ‘kill’ (purchase), isn’t that why we love repeating the experience?

[lhanddds]

Originally Posted by marc2828

At what point do we think collecting "new" watches turns into vintage? My OP is more about collecting rather than specific "Vintage Rolex" details.

Sorry, it looked like you specially mentioned vintage Rolex...



Brings me to vintage watches, and possibly Rolex. I have had some vintage Breitlings and had trouble getting them repaired. Expensive and difficult to locate parts. Was toying with vintage Rolex, but I hear those are also difficult and costly


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[05carbondrz]

Originally Posted by marc2828

I grew up with a father that loved collecting stuff...just not stuff that really interested me. He collected porcelain birds and other animal statues (which were bad for ball playing in the house), abstract art from this one weird artist (which currently hangs in multiple rooms in my home), and lots of coins. The coins are cool but sit in a box/safe. The coin dealers always grade them high when selling and low when buying...very subjective market.

I tried the wine collecting route...have a cellar, learned a bit, and now have a bunch of wine "aging". Red wine sort of gives me a bad hangover, especially drinking the full bottle. Next hobby was classic trucks/cars. Worked on them in my garage, tried to get my sons interested in working on them, but video games were more fun. Fun to drive when they start, annoying when they leak, and sitting at car shows got old real fast.

Brings me to vintage watches, and possibly Rolex. I have had some vintage Breitlings and had trouble getting them repaired. Expensive and difficult to locate parts. Was toying with vintage Rolex, but I hear those are also difficult and costly to repair.

I personally like collecting hobbies that you can use/see the item. Buying items to sit in a safe seems silly. But, I really don't like maintenance and large carrying costs (i.e. insurance).

I really ask myself why I like an item...is it to impress others?...generate positive comments from family/strangers?, the rarity? or merely just the hunt. After some self introspection, I think it is the hunt.

What you said about Coin grading is the EXACT same thing you’ll run into with vintage Rolex.When a Dealer has a beat Watch he makes up a name for the damage and now it’s rare....When YOU have that same Watch it’s a POS and almost worthless.

[rolexero]

Ah, collecting! Over the years, I have tried to declutter and live by the motto of the influential industrial designer Dieter Rams: "weniger aber besser" = "less but better"

With Rolex, partly due to the costs involved, and definitely due to the high quality, it's easier to live by that principle. Still keep a collection, just more curated.

It's hard not to buy random fun watches and other things. I just try to keep in mind: buy fewer but better things.

[Godwin Austen]

Interesting thread.

I originally bought my first Rolex in 1989 when I was 22 years old, (a 1965 pepsi GMT Master) because I wanted to get one nice watch, rather than keep gathering cheaper watches! Ha!! It sort of worked as it slowed down the collecting but didn't get rid of the itch and it is nice to look and see what's around.

Like others in this thread, I've also been on a bit of a quest to rid myself of unnecessary clutter but it's still nice to have that one good watch - now a 116600 Sea-dweller.

[glamorama]

Originally Posted by rolexero

Ah, collecting! Over the years, I have tried to declutter and live by the motto of the influential industrial designer Dieter Rams: "weniger aber besser" = "less but better"

With Rolex, partly due to the costs involved, and definitely due to the high quality, it's easier to live by that principle. Still keep a collection, just more curated.

It's hard not to buy random fun watches and other things. I just try to keep in mind: buy fewer but better things.

It's certainly a good principle, quality over quantity.

[xspect]

My collecting includes vintage denim (yeah that's a thing), fountain pens, fountain pen ink, vintage scuba diving equipment (aqualung), cigars, old pour silver bars (engelhart). 1/10 AGE's.

I love old vintage watches. But its such a minefield. I sold all my vintage watches except my '64 gold seamaster and snowflake tudor. I have over 10 mid ranges watches (omega, rolex, iwc, tudor, JLC) but I dont consider myself a watch collector. I buy watches I like and "need".