How many watches in a collection and still wear them all?

[Rollieo]

How many watches is it practical to have in a collection and actually wear them?

For me, it’s 5.

I have 11 watches, and pretty much there’s a core 4 watches that I wear all the time (at least 2-3 times per week), and one watch I wear at least once every 2-3 weeks. The other 6 watches I almost never wear. Maybe once every 6 months, or even once per year. I feel watches are meant to be worn, makes me think I should finally let these pieces go.

[hutch300]

This is something I think about too. I wear three most, two often, and the rest periodically. Sentimental value comes into play. If a watch isn't a sentimental item, perhaps sell.

[Gab27]

For me, 1. The Submariner checks all of the boxes and works for me in every situation.

[mikea]

4-5, I’ve gone well over that numerous times but alway work back to this point

[NachoNeal]

In theory three seems pretty ideal.
A casual, a fancy and a beater.

[Rolexken]

Originally Posted by Rollieo

How many watches is it practical to have in a collection and actually wear them?

For me, it’s 5.

I have 11 watches, and pretty much there’s a core 4 watches that I wear all the time (at least 2-3 times per week), and one watch I wear at least once every 2-3 weeks. The other 6 watches I almost never wear. Maybe once every 6 months, or even once per year. I feel watches are meant to be worn, makes me think I should finally let these pieces go.

Yes 4-5 for all to get adequate wrist time. Any more than that is a collection to be looked at and little worn. I would need a point to owning them (sentiment, investment etc) or move them on imo.

[996marty]

I rotate between the 4 and it works great but one old Tudor sub I would say is my beater that gets worn the most

[IS2000]

I used to have 6-7 watches in my collection pre-pandemic. I was able to wear them all in a month of rotation (with a SD 16600 and 40mm Panerai getting the most wrist time). Since then I had acquired 9 more watches (mostly sports watches) and now it’s like 2-3 months to go through all of them. I think that’s too many watches and I already sold one of my two month old purchase.

[Llamathurst]

Maxed at 8 or 9, down to 6, ideal is 5.

[Cauhauna]

I only have four watches:
Sub Date, Explorer 2 Polar, White Daytona, and Blue Sky, acquired in that order.

I wore my sub date daily for about 5 years. it was my only.
I bought the Explorer 2 to try to NOT buy a white daytona.
Didn't work, bought the white daytona, it has been my daily since April 2022
Bought a blue sky, cannot take off the daytona for more than a few days

So, as much as i'd like to wear my other watches, i geniunely cannot. If i wind another watch and it gets three consecutive days of wrist time, it's a miracle.

Anyone else have this problem with a favorite watch which forces neglect on the rest of the collection?

At the same time, if i sold, i'd be sad.

[Old Expat Beast]

I have about 20 to choose from, and almost half of those are Rolex. The other half are obscure vintage or Seiko divers. Stuff like that. Mostly I wear a Grand Seiko 9F and a Tudor ETA Ranger. I could happily live with those two alone if I ever got robbed of the others.

[Rolex2008]

I have 10+ watches but only really wear 3 of them in any kind of a proper rotation. Any more than 3 and they just sit around and get ingorned.

[AEV]

Bought 14 in the last few years, now down to 5 but mostly wear 2.
Will probably downsize further to 3.

[HogwldFLTR]

I had seven Rolex up to last night. I decided that I really didn't have enough time to give them all due time. So I'm back down to four Rolex and a bunch more of other watches.

[brandrea]

I’m down to three nice watches (and my trusty SKX) and couldn’t be happier.

When I had more than that, I sort of found it stressful in a weird way … not wearing certain watches, but still trying to figure out how to work them into rotation.

I know it’s weird, but I finally got rid of the ones I wasn’t wearing regularly and it feels sort of freeing.

It’s inspired me to cut back on some of the other things I’ve accumulated over the years as well.

[Driver8]

I'm down to 22 watches now. I used to have a lot more, but I'm slowly shifting out the ones I don't wear often, while simultaneously avoiding picking up any others when I see something new and shiny!

My goal is to get to less than 10, maybe even as low as 5. That way, I will definitely be wearing them all regularly. As Brian said above, it's actually quite a liberating process.

[2thdock]

Originally Posted by brandrea

I’m down to three nice watches (and my trusty SKX) and couldn’t be happier.

When I had more than that, I sort of found it stressful in a weird way … not wearing certain watches, but still trying to figure out how to work them into rotation.

I know it’s weird, but I finally got rid of the ones I wasn’t wearing regularly and it feels sort of freeing.

It’s inspired me to cut back on some of the other things I’ve accumulated over the years as well.

Great post describing the feelings you feel. “Stressful in a weird way” exactly describes my feeling, but most of my watches are inexpensive so no need to really get rid. Certainly not going to try and sell G-Shocks and any watch under $600 . Can’t be bothered. I could imagine selling my Seamaster because my SD43 meets any requirements for that style, yet the Omega does fly under the radar when I’m out and about in the summer. I just got my Tank for dressier occasions. Completely unnecessary for me but I like it, so my meager collection just got bigger , not smaller. I’m wearing my Hamilton Khaki field to work today instead of my Apple Ultra, to give it some love. Good thread.

[Harry-57]

All of mine get wrist time, some more than others. Sixteen watches at present, seventeen tomorrow. My wearing habits vary. I am out and about for work less since COVID-19 because the behaviour of my clients has changed. Collecting watches and wearing watches do not necessarily correlate. They are different things.

[watchnwine]

I've recently been struggling with this. I had a 3 watch collection for most of 20 years with 2 getting the most time. They all went in for service (mistake) and I bought 8 others that caught my attention. Now I'm feeling guilt - boarding on stress - and can't give them all time. I'll have to sell some but I bought them all because I loved them. Going to be hard to thin them out...

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by 2thdock

Great post describing the feelings you feel. “Stressful in a weird way” exactly describes my feeling, but most of my watches are inexpensive so no need to really get rid. Certainly not going to try and sell G-Shocks and any watch under $600 . Can’t be bothered. I could imagine selling my Seamaster because my SD43 meets any requirements for that style, yet the Omega does fly under the radar when I’m out and about in the summer. I just got my Tank for dressier occasions. Completely unnecessary for me but I like it, so my meager collection just got bigger , not smaller. I’m wearing my Hamilton Khaki field to work today instead of my Apple Ultra, to give it some love. Good thread.

Sounds like you have a great system in place

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[JRell]

Originally Posted by Gab27

For me, 1. The Submariner checks all of the boxes and works for me in every situation.

Same we me, for now…

[rmlovett1]

4-6 is ideal for me. All get wrist time with that size collection. 6 currently

[Andad]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

I have about 20 to choose from, and almost half of those are Rolex. The other half are obscure vintage or Seiko divers. Stuff like that. Mostly I wear a Grand Seiko 9F and a Tudor ETA Ranger. I could happily live with those two alone if I ever got robbed of the others.

Nice pair Adam.

[Krash]

4 or 5.

Assuming equal wrist time, you’re only going to wear each watch about 20 to 25% of the time over the course of the year.

Anymore more than this, then what’s the point? You have a bunch of watches that you wear less than 20% of the time.



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[1William]

Too many to only cycle through typically 4-6. It is a lot easier to buy watches than to wear them or move them along. I am not sure what an ideal collection number would be but it is definitely not the number that I have.

[georgew]

Great question. I have 12 (10 rolex) and really wear 6-7 over a given year. However, other than 2 rolex acquired recently, all the others are worth way more than I paid for them (10 -15 yrs ago). So, for me, not a lot of motivation to sell them currently - other than maybe 1 to fund something new. But I am fortunate that I do not need to sell to acquire another.

[BraveBold]

Have 10 watches. I can see myself managing up to 20.

Have 4 “toy” impractical cars. Find that to be my max, had 5 (too many!) and even with 4 I can’t get mileage on them all. Work from home is part of it as our daily drivers also don’t get heavy use…

Watches are far easier. Less time based maintenance, less space (no kidding) and less value. I also have a similar number of guitars - 10… a couple get played maybe once per year. But they are there and not degrading… similar to watches, require minimal maintenance.

[BraveBold]

Originally Posted by Krash

4 or 5.

Assuming equal wrist time, you’re only going to wear each watch about 20 to 25% of the time over the course of the year.

Anymore more than this, then what’s the point? You have a bunch of watches that you wear less than 20% of the time.



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In my experience I tend to wear in phases. One watch is “primary” (aside from certain specific tasks or uses) for maybe three months. Then another. It could mean a watch isn’t used much for a couple years… but then gets used quite a lot.

[Yobber76]

Originally Posted by brandrea

I’m down to three nice watches (and my trusty SKX) and couldn’t be happier.

When I had more than that, I sort of found it stressful in a weird way … not wearing certain watches, but still trying to figure out how to work them into rotation.

I know it’s weird, but I finally got rid of the ones I wasn’t wearing regularly and it feels sort of freeing.

It’s inspired me to cut back on some of the other things I’ve accumulated over the years as well.

I am going through the same thing, Brian. Whether it's watches, Bourbon, or any other hobby/fad/craving, you get caught up in the hunt and realize after a while you have more than you could ever NEED. You tell yourself you bought these things to share with your family and friends, but I've realized in large part it was about me.
I have started to thin out these collections, I'm feeling good about it.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by Yobber76

I am going through the same thing, Brian. Whether it's watches, Bourbon, or any other hobby/fad/craving, you get caught up in the hunt and realize after a while you have more than you could ever NEED. You tell yourself you bought these things to share with your family and friends, but I've realized in large part it was about me.

I have started to thin out these collections, I'm feeling good about it.

Whew ... I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels this way.

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