Is a watch ever to "perfect" to wear????

[Clay]

So you find that perfect, unworn, NOS watch.......

The seller is asking, and I think you would agree rightly so, a premium for this piece...(Cost is of course relative to ones own means)

You buy it.....

Do you dare wear it?????

If you do wear it, the bracelet will get scratched, and stretched, no way around that.

You might chip the crystal or put a nick in the case......

At the very least you'll get some small scratches here and there....

Remember now that you've just paid TOP DOLLAR for this example...

So now that's it's been worn, has the value decreased????

Now I know that these watches are all meant to be worn, used and enjoyed...Heck I wear my 1665 all the time, I swim with it, work with it, etc...

But is this a piece that's better left to a museum???

Just food for thought....

[ob1]

Interesting question Clay!

There was great series on british tv last year presented by James May from Top Gear looking at old toys. He did some really cool stuff like building a real house out of lego, and running a scaletric set round the old Brooklands race track etc. If you get a chance to see it, it's brilliant

One of the shows had him talking about train sets. He went to an auction, bought a beautiful old set, fully boxed never been touched by human hands (probably had been sold a few times over the years like this), took it out of the box in the auction house, threw the box in the bin and then set it up. The looks on some of the guys theres faces was a picture. I remember having mixed feelings as I watched it. I'm not a train collector, but I still felt some pain seeing him do this. On one hand, its a toy and meant to be played with, on the other, this was a piece of unmolested history. Was he right to do this?

I have collection of American comic books, large by some standards, small by other (about 3000 or so). If I was lucky enough to come across an untouched first Batman or spiderman comic would I open it up? I dunno (actually I'm not sure I could resist ). I already have reprints of these in lovely hardback books.

In relation to watches, if I already had a nice but worn version of it, I'm not sure I could wear it, it would have to go in a display case I guess. Like the train set, its meant to be used, it's a tool, but....... well you get the picture

[colpol]

My brother told me a story which kinda sums it up for me

Guy he works with used to visit his sister\ brother in law 4/ 5 times a year. His brother in law wasa big collector of rare malts. He had this bottle of malt that was considered the best of the best\ v rare. As they were getting older he used to say to his brother in law - open that whisky & lets enjoy it but he didn't want to open it. Got more enjoyment knowing it was there, unopened & a talking point anytime he had friends over who knew there malts

Fast forward a few years - the brother in law dies. At his wake the glasses come out & they open the bottle & toast his memory.

I guess the moral of the story is that there is no right\ wrong. He got his pleasure just out of knowing that he had something rare even though he never got to drink it. Personally though I'd rather have enjoyed the malt .

Once we go - our watches are going to go somewhere ........... !! Do we want to enjoy wearing them or let someone else have the pleasure ?????

[cruvon]

Lol, love the question. I guess is similar to some guys not putting on miles on their luxury cars because they are so special and expensive and in the hope of retaining their value. Come time to sell someone else buying it would be lucky to make max use of an almost untouched car, same goes with watches, either use it or loose it. So I would say if I had a watch in NOS condition I would use it without a worry about scratching it plus if I don't someone down the line will.

[Johny]

Originally Posted by colpol

My brother told me a story which kinda sums it up for me

Guy he works with used to visit his sister\ brother in law 4/ 5 times a year. His brother in law wasa big collector of rare malts. He had this bottle of malt that was considered the best of the best\ v rare. As they were getting older he used to say to his brother in law - open that whisky & lets enjoy it but he didn't want to open it. Got more enjoyment knowing it was there, unopened & a talking point anytime he had friends over who knew there malts

Fast forward a few years - the brother in law dies. At his wake the glasses come out & they open the bottle & toast his memory.

I guess the moral of the story is that there is no right\ wrong. He got his pleasure just out of knowing that he had something rare even though he never got to drink it. Personally though I'd rather have enjoyed the malt .

Once we go - our watches are going to go somewhere ........... !! Do we want to enjoy wearing them or let someone else have the pleasure ?????

very considerate guy leaving a good bottle for the toast. bet that's why he kept it.

[Pete17]

You only live once Clay.
Make the most of a beautiful watch and wear it when you can.

Cheers

[HL65]

I wouldn't buy what I wouldnt wear!!

[psv]

Originally Posted by steelerfan65

i wouldn't buy what i wouldnt wear!!

+1

[landroverking]

No made to wear & enjoy.

[drtooth73]

Clay, I actually had to sell a watch because it was too precious to wear. I buy pre-owned now, so I am not afraid to wear.

[Frogman4me]

I would wear it but carefully of course. Another question I had along the same lines is that if a watch is NOS unworn for 40+ years and you decide to wear it do you get the movement serviced? Im actually considering buying a watch that sat in a safe for 40+ years unworn, with original stickers on it but I really want to wear it!

[Jason71]

I have been in this situation with a non-vintage watch but where the value would be affected by ~$500. I just sold a 5 year-old Doxa that was still new in the plastic. It wasn't terribly gratifying to own that one. Honestly, for me............the more the Rolex has been worn/polished, the more I tend to wear it.

[PhilM]

Wear it, or buy something else

[conrail]

I can't afford to spend that kind of money on a nice vintage (or any watch) and not wear it....Plus it would drive me nuts to just look at it!

[psv]

I sort of think a museum piece deserves to be a museum piece, which is why I don't buy any of these watches. There are plenty of other pieces that you can happily wear.

[Beaumont Miller II]

Clay I deal with this issue a lot. I have watches that I wear everyday and watches that I only wear on special occassions. For example, for my grandmothers 99th birthday I wore my PP 5960. Each time i put it on it is like the first time. One of my friends told me if he had that watch he would wear it everyday. Each person has their own comfort level. I applaud each person's collection and am happy to have them enjoy it as they wish. There is no way that I would wear one of my "safe queens" to work. It is a harsh environment with the softest thing being a desk. About a year ago I dropped one of my daily wearers on the tile floor in the house. It put a large dent in the case. Had it been a different watch, it could have been a very costly accident.

[smallcandle]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

I wouldn't buy what I wouldnt wear!!

Exactly. Life is short and meant to be enjoyed!

[subtona]

Originally Posted by colpol

My brother told me a story which kinda sums it up for me

Guy he works with used to visit his sister\ brother in law 4/ 5 times a year. His brother in law wasa big collector of rare malts. He had this bottle of malt that was considered the best of the best\ v rare. As they were getting older he used to say to his brother in law - open that whisky & lets enjoy it but he didn't want to open it. Got more enjoyment knowing it was there, unopened & a talking point anytime he had friends over who knew there malts

Fast forward a few years - the brother in law dies. At his wake the glasses come out & they open the bottle & toast his memory.

I guess the moral of the story is that there is no right\ wrong. He got his pleasure just out of knowing that he had something rare even though he never got to drink it. Personally though I'd rather have enjoyed the malt .

Once we go - our watches are going to go somewhere ........... !! Do we want to enjoy wearing them or let someone else have the pleasure ?????

great anecdote, really hits the mark

imho, if you cant wear it .... it ain't perfect

[Michael M.]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

I wouldn't buy what I wouldnt wear!!

X2

[never2late]

As the old saying goes, "You can't take it with you" . . . enjoy it while you can.

[Clay]

I must say that I agree with most here...Why buy it of you ain't gonna wear it...
Unless of course you are running a museum

[Jagatai]

I just started to wear my 5512. It sat in some drawer for the first 44 years of its life. I had it in my drawer for a month. I couldn't even bring myself to wind it up!!!

But I thought "what the heck" so its on my wrist right now and while I won't go out of my way to abuse it, I might as well make it mine and create some nice memories with it.

[jay_man2]

Noticed the first light scratches on my less than month old Sub-c today. It's my daily wear, but I don't abuse it.

[Racer X]

Originally Posted by Beaumont Miller II

Clay I deal with this issue a lot. I have watches that I wear everyday and watches that I only wear on special occassions. For example, for my grandmothers 99th birthday I wore my PP 5960. Each time i put it on it is like the first time. One of my friends told me if he had that watch he would wear it everyday. Each person has their own comfort level. I applaud each person's collection and am happy to have them enjoy it as they wish.

I agree with John. I wear whatever I buy, but I am definitely more cautious with the more valuable/fragile ones. For example, I'm really careful with my gold 1680, which is close to NOS condition and more susceptible to dings and scratches than stainless watches.

[lhanddds]

Originally Posted by psv

I sort of think a museum piece deserves to be a museum piece, which is why I don't buy any of these watches. There are plenty of other pieces that you can happily wear.

Exactly

[arabesque]

I will buy the NOS to keep and buy same ref, a good example to wear.

[oldbronco]

if I don't wear it, I sell it. if there's a risk of damage, I'll wear a G-Shock.

[BarkMaster]

You described exactly how I felt when I found my barked beauty. Only I have no reservations about wearing it.

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

I wouldn't buy what I wouldnt wear!!

Life is meant to be enjoyed, and so is the 1680 Red Sub I purchased not too long ago. I plan on wearing and enjoying that beauty as soon as I get it back from service.

[Eric88]

This thread makes me think of Ferris Bueller's Day Off when they take the rare Ferrari for a spin in Chicago. The valet guys take it on a very long drive and Cameron sees the mileage and realizes his dad will kill him. They put the car on blocks in reverse, hoping to run back the odometer. The rest is history.

Me, I just wear the watch. Can't say I've ever had the chance to wear a piece of history.