The Buying Plan: As Explained to The Wife ;)

[travisb]

Good luck. I hope it works out.

[rebel_1]

Convincing the wife is one thing. Convincing yourself is quite another! What I mean is this, if you have the means, once you start getting more expensive watched, you may end up with "more" expensive watches!

[Hi-roller]

Fortunately my lovely wife has no interest in watches or their value.

[Chadridv]

Originally Posted by rebel_1

Convincing the wife is one thing. Convincing yourself is quite another! What I mean is this, if you have the means, once you start getting more expensive watched, you may end up with "more" expensive watches!

Not following. Let's talk numbers here. Are you saying that since I am in the market for a $15-20K watch, by the time I feel I can afford it/saved enough, I will then be interested in $100k watches?

[playmore009]

I personally like the plan. My wife, on the other hand, might not.

[SemperFi]

Wow Chad, I see you've given this quite a bit of thought. Spend a few K a few times a year, no problem. Save that few K a few times per year for a few years and drop it all at once, no problem. I think with option #1 you're more likely to get "the talk" simply due to the frequency of your purchases even if you wind up spending less overall on several watches than the one big purchase. You'll probably get that, "What, another watch"? talk or "You can only wear one at a time" talk.
If you save up and wait (option #2) you can honestly say that "it's been 2 1/2 years since I bought a watch" and you're less likely to get "the talk', or "the stare", or "the silent treatment", or the "go sleep on the couch with your dog", or all of the above.
Will your wife put it in writing that she's okay with both options? Just kidding. Good luck Buddy.

[ronin_ph]

Originally Posted by sirduncs

that's a cunning plan.



i, however, bought my LV mid-March and have yet to 'fess up to my wife. i am not sure what is worse...the fact that i haven't done that yet, or the fact that i have been wearing the watch every day and she hasn't noticed.....

Ha. I tried that for about half a day with my last purchase. I cracked under pressure and confessed. Worst paranoia ever. Having lunch a having to eat my burger one handed. Felt like a high school kid who just smoked pot and had to take a car ride with his mother.

With that said, I kind of like being in the nook of being around a $5-6k or so buyer. It's a decent budget with a wide array of choices, which allows me to get a new watch every quarter or so. (But wait, it's May and I've bought 4 watches this year ;)


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[Chadridv]

Originally Posted by SemperFi

Wow Chad, I see you've given this quite a bit of thought. Spend a few K a few times a year, no problem. Save that few K a few times per year for a few years and drop it all at once, no problem. I think with option #1 you're more likely to get "the talk" simply due to the frequency of your purchases even if you wind up spending less overall on several watches than the one big purchase. You'll probably get that, "What, another watch"? talk or "You can only wear one at a time" talk.
If you save up and wait (option #2) you can honestly say that "it's been 2 1/2 years since I bought a watch" and you're less likely to get "the talk', or "the stare", or "the silent treatment", or the "go sleep on the couch with your dog", or all of the above.
Will your wife put it in writing that she's okay with both options? Just kidding. Good luck Buddy.

haha thanks Angelo. Nothing in writing. I'm hoping that in a couple years I post an epic thread titled "2 years later, my plan worked, wife loves me even more!", but we'll see.

[Headshrinker]

If you gentlemen can't make more than 1% on your money there is something wrong. If you buy a $3000 watch every three to six months, be patient, then you can get what you really want down the road. Very few watches will allow you to trade up. Good luck with the Mrs.

[SemperFi]

Originally Posted by Chadridv

haha thanks Angelo. Nothing in writing. I'm hoping that in a couple years I post an epic thread titled "2 years later, my plan worked, wife loves me even more!", but we'll see.

Looking forward to that thread. If your plan works it could become a "Sticky" for all potential buyers, which is everyone here on TRF..

[watchnutty]

Originally Posted by Chadridv

I'm new to marriage so maybe I'm fooling myself here.

this

[datejusting]

There are more things in life to save for than the next watch. Hope you realize that.

[nnigel46]

good luck women usally win the debate lol

[AK797]

Start a watch fund, call it the Daytona or AP fund, and pay money in each and every month and show this to your wife every month. By the time you have saved enough to buy a $20-30K watch I'm sure your wife will be impressed with your determination and discipline and will share in your joy knowing you have truly earned this.

[liu_watch]

Originally Posted by Chadridv

Not following. Let's talk numbers here. Are you saying that since I am in the market for a $15-20K watch, by the time I feel I can afford it/saved enough, I will then be interested in $100k watches?

I think the risk is once we got started on dropping 15k on a watch we may get accustomed to make similar or larger purchases. It's an issue of self-discipline.

Personally, I wouldnt get anything that my wife wont be comfortable with. Luckily i have brainwashed her enough over the years such that she would ok with most purchases within reason (i.e. <30k). She now shares my passion and understands the value of haute horlogerie. Good luck...

[Chadridv]

Originally Posted by liu_watch

I think the risk is once we got started on dropping 15k on a watch we may get accustomed to make similar or larger purchases. It's an issue of self-discipline.

Personally, I wouldnt get anything that my wife wont be comfortable with. Luckily i have brainwashed her enough over the years such that she would ok with most purchases within reason (i.e. <30k). She now shares my passion and understands the value of haute horlogerie. Good luck...

so if they are uncomfortable... brainwash them! Check.

My wife is cool too, and the conversation was successful. Thanks!

[Beef]

Chadri, you are a genius, a strategic thinker and you could have been my hero, if you had revealed your plan 20 years sooner!

My wife is so tired of my BS lines that I'll have to die and inherit my own life insurance policy in order to buy another Rolex if she has anything to do with it.

Most importantly, I salute your wife. Without her going along with your plan, you'd be.....ME!

[johnbeth]

What's worse with your plan is that loosing money by flipping the cheap watches will still get you into trouble with the wife as you threw away 30 to 40% of your money flipping low end watches that every store flog at huge discounts. I would rather be a man and buy what I want straight up and this way you get what you want and save money, time and heartache because any way you look at it you will still get in trouble by the wife.

[Chadridv]

Originally Posted by datejusting

There are more things in life to save for than the next watch. Hope you realize that.

Yes I realize this, in fact i assume it would be obvious. Sorry i didn't include my entire financial worksheet and P&L statements. When I talk about being able to afford something, or saving for something, that also includes, the "more things in life" categories, emergency funds, retirement, general savings, home improvements, etc.

Point is, if I drop a couple grand here and there on "fun stuff" it's no big deal in my household. If I drop $15k-20k it raises a brow. You can come to any other conclusions about how we handle our money you'd like, but at the end of the day these are just sample numbers.

If I were to tell you instead of spending $50 3-4 times a year, I'm gonna just wait and spend $350 after two years, would you still feel the need to chime with your life lesson.

Maybe you're actually trying to help in someway, in which case i apologize in advance, but in the context of things it sounds like your just making an elites know-it-all comment.

[TripleB Boston]

Aren't all watches $500? That's what she thinks anyway.

[toneafficianado]

Some great advice here..I have just lost quite a lot by flipping four watches that cost up to $1300 each. Better value to wait and buy great watches that hold their value even if it means less of them , less often.

[phils]

Here is what I'd do:
Having little interest in the less expensive watches I would not go that route.
I would tell her that I'm saving for a watch I've been longing for for a long time and it will take quite awhile.
Don't mention any prices.
Then when you do buy it and catch the "sit down" tell her it's the one you've been saving for and you told her all about it several months ago.

[rollee1]

You should buy your $3k watches now as many as you can.

Once the babies starts to pop, your great wall of plans will fall

[phils]

Originally Posted by Chadridv

Yes I realize this, in fact i assume it would be obvious. Sorry i didn't include my entire financial worksheet and P&L statements.
.

You're forgiven.
Now let's see your financial worksheet and P&L statements.
Then we can tell you what to do.

[bdex75]

Originally Posted by ems12

Just have to have the discipline to save for 2 years and you're good d to go!


=)

This is where I fail horribly.

I see this Hamilton and that Archemede and I am done.


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[Chadridv]

Originally Posted by phils

You're forgiven.
Now let's see your financial worksheet and P&L statements.
Then we can tell you what to do.

If someone here is offering professional services for free Id be open to advice :)

[rebel_1]

Originally Posted by Chadridv

Not following. Let's talk numbers here. Are you saying that since I am in the market for a $15-20K watch, by the time I feel I can afford it/saved enough, I will then be interested in $100k watches?

What I'm saying is that once you spend $15-$20k on one watch, it makes it easier to justify spending as much or more on another watch, and then another. That's how it was for me. I started out with one Breitling. Then several. Then my first Rolex (TTSubC). Then it was off to the races.

In the beginning I would have never spent over $1,000 on a watch. Now I can't wait to get a new DD40 in platinum. It's a sickness!

[ronin_ph]

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[SirBrainchild]

Very strategic plan to avoid Bobbitt-esque situations. I gotta give this a shot!

[dadonn2]

It's a sound strategy and well played but...you have to wait for the watch. The easiest rationale, in my opinion, is that the cost of ownership is relatively low once you eschew flipping. A reputable dealer purchased, pm non-brand new Daytona for 20k watch shouldn't cost you more than say 3k (possibly less) were you to trade it back to a dealer in say, 3 years. Given that your interest likely qualifies as a "hobby," a 1k per annum hobby is less than a gym membership in NYC- as you likely know. A grand a year on a hobby doesn't warrant a talk but it does make a case for both the PM Daytona and AP. Remember, it's an inexpensive hobby wherein you essentially park your money on your wrist as opposed to having it a non-interest bearing checking account. Insurance removes additional exposure and there's actually an outside shot you could realize a gain on the watch, unlike the aforementioned checking account, but alas, it is merely a hobby and an inexpensive one at that. I rest my case.