Why Flip ?

[jonnyz1245]

Many reasons. For me it has allowed me to figure out what I like as well as enjoy other pieces. I can't afford to keep them all. Buy right and you can minimize your losses! Some people flip after a week, a month, a year. Some don't flip at all.

[AK797]

People flip until they have their grail collection. For some it happens right off the bat in the first few watches they buy, for others it takes a lifetime, becomes a quest if you will.

[oddeypaulo]

VPN has a lot of features to offer with SunVPN, the best VPN service provider its up on us to select and search for the best.

[bde]

Too many great pieced out there and I personally can't afford to buy them all. Plus tastes change after a while, at least for me.

[Fiery]

Sometimes a watch just doesn't work out while wearing it for some amount of time. It may look great on pictures, other (WIS) guys and watch reviewers may praise it highly, it can even work when trying it on at an AD, but still wouldn't work out once you start to wear it regularly. It can be too large or too small, too light or too heavy, not enough or too much in terms of looks (too much green, too much red, too much yellow/rose gold, etc). Or you just get tired of it after a while.

With steel Rolex watches we at least don't lose much when flipping them. While with other brands one can be hurt big time when flipping the watch.

[watchwatcher]

If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand.

[toomuchtalk]

I have had several over the years, that have been traded in before I decided on the ones I wanted to keep.
Some Just don't suit you, so that's why they get flipped...

[iinsic]

As Heraclitus informs us, the only constant in life is change.

I bought my first Rolex - a 5513 Sub - in 1981. I've owned four Subs total, most recently a 116610LN ... now all gone.

Had a steel-and-gold Daytona that I loved for several months. Then I didn't. It's gone.

I've even owned a Deepsea. Flipped it in only a week. Too honkin' big for my 7.8" wrist.

I have owned four GMT Masters. All gone.

I have owned five Datejusts, including my late father's 16233. At least I never will flip that one ... it's being held in trust for one of my sons who was especially close to his grandfather. And I hope my latest 116233 will be around for a long time, as will be my new Oyster Perpetual, but I know better than say "never."

It's really nice to own a nice watch and believe it will be with you the rest of your life. FWIW, I've had the same thought ... many times.

The best advice I can offer the OP is not to be too judgmental of chronic flippers. Karma will make you eat those words.

[Watch Chest]

Originally Posted by cdnwatchguy

Easy for me. There are a lot of watches I like and want them all. I can't afford them all at once but I can have them all....once.

Throwing this out to everyone to see what you think. We have been playing with an idea to create a Rolex watch club. Basic premise, you get to wear multiple watches for a period of time. You pay a membership deposit and you get to wear 8-12 (or so) Rolex watches for one year. At the end of the year 75% of your membership deposit goes towards the purchase of the Rolex you enjoyed the most. What do you guys think?

[DCgator]

I don't normally flip, but have done it. Most recent is my ExpII/42 polar dial. Thought I would really enjoy if but after a couple of months I lost interest because it got boring to wear. I bought it because it was bigger than the old style, better made, and it was a new model (per se). So I stopped wearing it after two months and traded it for a BLNR without even flinching. Lost a few hundred dollars but was well worth it to me. I'd do it again if another watch stopped singing to me.

[Bdiesel570]

I do it quite often. I have flipped/traded about 5 Omegas and a Breitling, to finally get my first Rolex Sub 116610. The chase has ceased for a little bit now.

I love this watch!!!

;)

I love the adrenaline, I love opening the new packages, I love it all.

I have to take it easy lost 3700 a few weeks back due to a bank deposit scammer.

[sierra11b]

There's too many reasons to list...

...It could be a way to have fun enjoying great watches until you've eventually flipped upward to your grail.

...Maybe you've grown tired of the watch and want to break close to even with something new.

...Maybe you've reevaluated your collection, want to consolidate, or start a collecting theme which means flipping part of your collection.

Bottom line is you very rarely win on the back end of deals unless you have something rare or constantly increasing in value. That being said, flipping can be a very costly in the thousands.

I was a notorious flipper and realized I could have bought a new SS Daytona outright! Many others are far worse than what I was by flipping the same watch a half dozen times which I've never understood. Some of these people have done this very thing for dozens of models.

I now make very calculated and methodical decisions before buying a watch in order to eliminate the haste = waste scenario and have been successful for a couple years now. However, I do always have room on the winder for that "fun watch" that can always remain liquid in order to keep my interests peaked with something new in the mail (many will agree the anticipation of a shiny new toy is part of the fun).

Some are comfortable with this as categorize it to the 'labor of love' aspect of the hobby which is great if you can afford to do so.

[Racerdj]

My itch was gone, my collection complete until one day I tried on a WG Sky Dweller and the WG Pepsi GMT was announced.

[superdog]

Originally Posted by Mick P

For some strange reason (may be I am warped in the head) I would service the watch I bought 5 years ago. I want to grow old with the watch.

You say this now.

But who can say how they will feel in three years?

[jjnd08]

Originally Posted by Watch Chest

Throwing this out to everyone to see what you think. We have been playing with an idea to create a Rolex watch club. Basic premise, you get to wear multiple watches for a period of time. You pay a membership deposit and you get to wear 8-12 (or so) Rolex watches for one year. At the end of the year 75% of your membership deposit goes towards the purchase of the Rolex you enjoyed the most. What do you guys think?

If you do a quick search on here, there are a couple threads about this topic. I believe there are even a couple of companies doing this.

[samsam]

Many reasons. For me, if I don't feel like wearing my watch for more than a week, then it's not worth sitting in my watch box. Even if I lose couple of hundreds dollars (which what you pay for a good family dine n wine) it's totally worth it. Plus it's the joy of having something different every once in a while. I know in 2 years I'll be a part of a big personal project that will put me in a financial constrain, so I'm enjoying it now and I'm gonna keep what I can during that period to help me survive my addiction.

[Tridor]

I recently flipped my 16 year old GMT 16700 for a new SubC Date. When I bought the GMT, I had wanted a Sub, but the AD didn't have any in stock at the time. So, I settled for the GMT. Great watch, but it never really spoke to me to me like the Sub. I rolled over the profit made from the GMT into the new Sub, and am quite happy with my decision. When a watch doesn't speak to you or if you want something else, you just feel the need to flip. I used to do that a lot with women years ago; however, I don't think my wife would be too pleased if I tried it now.

[ROLEX4EvEr]

Originally Posted by tkerrmd

some watches i love so much they are keepers others i fall out of love with and flip for a new love...

x2

[Muzz]

Originally Posted by Mick P

Chaps

A very high proportion of you seem to indulge in a great deal of flipping and I wonder why you do it.

I have recently just bought an Explorer from new and I intend to keep it until I expire this mortal coil.

I also intend to soon buy a new Explorer2 (black version) and also a Sea dweller. I would not dream of flipping any Rolex once I have bought it.

Why do it ?

I would have thought that half the pleasure of owning a Rolex is that this is a watch that you can keep for life.

Regards

Mick

It's the thrill of the chase. Once you have it (for me anyways) the thrill is over.

[illiguy]

When you have something you like, you're willing to part with it for something that you love.

[datejusting]

Originally Posted by thomaspp

In my opinion, no matter how much research you do, until you spend some quality time with a piece you won't know if it's for you or not.

I know from experience that this is true.

[thomaspp]

Originally Posted by datejusting

I know from experience that this is true.

[the dark knight]

I flipped a lot before getting my grail - the Submariner. I made the classic mistake of trying to get "tide me over" watches until I could afford the Sub. I should have just stuck with a Seiko quartz or something until I had enough money for the Sub, the money I wasted just buying and selling was quite a bit.

I've flipped a lot since getting the Sub as well. Slightly different reasons now. Some of it is just impulse purchasing and then I realize it's not going to get much wrist time. Some I've really loved but just could not get comfortable on the wrist, so I reluctantly had to part with them.

[lmcgbaj]

I am a flipper extraordinaire.

I am in the search for that perfect watch which does not exist. I have flipped over 100 watches. Most of them were just not right for me. Some too big, some too small, some uncomfortable. Some of them got flipped because my taste has changed and some I just fell out of love with after some time.

The only model that survived is the SubC. I cannot find a better fitting diver anywhere. I may sound like a Sub fanboy but you CANNOT replace a SubC in a collection. Must be that Glidelock...

[Hairdude1]

Originally Posted by DrTom

we don't flip watches....we date watches.....this is horological romance. its just we think we're saudi princes....some are keepers the rest are entertainment.....

[V1Rotate]

Nobody gets married expecting a divorce. Time changes all.

[sierra11b]

Originally Posted by V1Rotate

Nobody gets married expecting a divorce. Time changes all.

That's why third party advice from this forum is so valuable. You may think the person you're about to marry will last but how many times have you said "those two wont last very long"

If you really do your homework by studying the posts and habits of users here you can get even more underlying information on what watches may last the test of time. I always search the poster for flipping habits. I'm very reluctant to believe a person finally found "the one" when they have about five dozen for sale threads.

[polarinda]

are you telling me that if your grail watch has a movement problem even after service, that you won't flip, even at a loss? There are a plethora of reasons to flip on a daily basis.

[Lew Archer]

I am not a watch "flipper". I have been fortunate to buy the watches I love and keep them.

I do know, though, that there is a certain pleasure in the acquisition of a fine new watch. It might be the acquisition of a model one has long wanted, or the spur of the moment acquisition of a model that suddenly catches your fancy. Either way, it's fun.

We tend to repeat those things that give us pleasure. So, no surprise I've bought my share of watches!

The acquisition is the first phase of watch ownership. The wearing and use of a watch is the next phase. For me, a watch symbolizes the time of your life. I can remember what watch I was wearing at key moments...my wedding day, the day my daughter was born, and so on. I like having a watch worn for many years, embedded with those kind of memories.

Others, I gather from comments on the forum, grow tired of a watch at some point after the acquisition phase, for whatever reason. If the watch no longer holds their affection, so to speak, it's not surprising that they might look for a new object of horological affection...and flip the watch that no longer pleases for one that does.

In the end, for a watch enthusiast, whether a "keeper" or a "flipper", it's a hobby, albeit an expensive one, and, as long as one is not harming oneself or another, there is no right approach or wrong approach.

[brettpaul]

Originally Posted by TempoKing

Other Marques people having trouble to sell.
...Rolex is the easiest of all good/Better watches to do so with.
So most although at first did not have in mind to sell ? Later perhaps they
would like to buy a better and more expensive model and Rolex is the easiest
to turn into cash. Then it becomes a breeze to upgrade (for a smaller painless outlay)

Then again others become traders because they love the "chase"... I'd say that's where I am !!
I will fly for 8 hours to go and buy a Rolex (done this many times)...then wear it
for a few weeks and then flip/trade/sell/exchange or what ever else provides
me with the adrenalin... so I can satisfy my need for the "chase"...yes I am sick like that..lol

I believe anyone who has traded at least 10 watches ...is...I am afraid a Rolex watch trader
Never mind if he works for a law firm or a gas station during business hours.

Completely agree with this - I love chasing the watches....and really need to own and wear them a bit before I know whether it stays or goes!