Due to their popularity, most people think the market for traditional watches would spiral downwards. Instead, the value of vintage watches has increased while more budget-minded microbands and micro watches appear weekly. Collectors are eager to get their hands on the newest digital and traditional watches.
The ownership of a luxurious timepiece is a privilege, honor, and value on its own. However, when this hobby and activity is shared with others, such as fellow watch enthusiasts, or talk about your luxury watch with your family, its true value shines through.
So do you want to start a watch collection? Where do you go from here? Here is six beginner’s advice we have laid out for you to watch out for:
Table of Contents
Do your research
Firstly, you must start by learning as much as you can about watches. You need to understand that by learning everything about watches, you can avoid making mistakes such as purchasing watches that are less than their price value. In addition,
Plenty of watch collectors have had their share of regretted purchases. However, you can minimize the chances of that happening to you through investment in hard research. You must learn the price range for specific watches and which brands are the most reputable. Authoritative watch blogs, Youtube channels that specialize in creating watch-themed content, and watch forums are great places to start.
Allot a budget
Collecting watches can get expensive quickly. If you are not careful, you may end up wasting money because of impulsive buying. Some watch collectors are comfortable with staying within a certain budget and price range. Meanwhile, others are quick to dip their toes into experiencing luxury watch brands.
Be wise about the way you spend your money on watches. Gauge if it is worth it and if the luxury watch is worth your hard-earned money. You can find a valuable Swiss watch or even get an Astron that you can use in the future.
The real challenge is sticking with your allotted budget and figuring out what watches you enjoy and want within that price range.
Pick a Theme
For beginners, you can pick a theme or a brand you want to stick to for a while. This can help narrow down your budget even more. This will also solidify your niche. For example, you can collect purely Rolex, or you collect diving watches because you enjoy splashing in the water and diving so much.
Choose Quality over Quantity
Remember: great things take time. And so does accumulating an amazing watch collection. You need patience if you want more valuable and desirable timepieces of the best quality. Quality over quantity is king at the end of the day. This is still possible, despite working on a limited budget.
Start with a Rolex
A lot of collectors begin with a Rolex. After they obtain a Rolex, they go on to discover more and more brands such as Philippe Patek, Jaeger, and IWC. During this period, following exposure to more luxurious brands, they tend to begin to look down on Rolex and proceed to burn amounts of money chasing after what would be considered the best watch at the moment. Finally, this arc ends with the collector returning to Rolex.
This return is imminent because Rolex is among the world’s most reliable and no-fuss watch brands. It is a behemoth and can be found everywhere.
So, take our advice: starting a Rolex is always a good idea.
Take Great Care of your Watch Collection
You have to prepare accordingly for your watch collection. When they come, good maintenance is the key to making these watches last long enough.
Some basic maintenance tips for watches include these:
- Keep the watches away from moisture
- Avoid magnets
- Do not leave the watches unused for long periods of time
- Keep your watch wound
- Invest in your watch winder
- Have your watches be serviced by a professional
Conclusion
It may seem so easy to fall prey to luxurious items as part of ego games by some collectors. However, life is not all about watches. Collecting watches is a great hobby – and it is something that you should continue doing if it does increasingly give you happiness. You may make a few mistakes on your great watch journey – but hey, that is part of the charm of the journey.
Author’s Bio: Luther Abrams is quite a jack of all trades type of guy. He loves exploring new things and cultivating his knowledge every now and then. Today, he grows more and more interested in jewelry and watches and even writes about such things in his free time.
