Watch collecting is a great pastime with immeasurable benefits. Here’s how to start a watch collection so you can enjoy the time of day, week, year, every day!

Most watch lovers can tell you exactly when and where they received their first watch. Maybe it was when they graduated high school or college. Maybe it was a gift from a spouse or loved one. 

Watches are the perfect mix of fashionable and functional. And just like many do with anything from automobiles to movie ticket stubs, they are fun to collect. 

There’s never been a better time to get into watch collecting. There are so many diverse and amazing kinds of watches available on the market. Many of these watches increase in value over the years, which makes starting a collection a great investment. 

But how does one get started collecting? Read on and we’ll walk you through everything you need to know. 

Reasons To Start A Watch Collection 

Your interest in watches probably started slow and snowballed into something greater. There’s a variety of reasons people get into watch collecting. But understanding your own reasons can help determine a path forward for your collection. 

Some people start a collection because they want a watch for every occasion. Watches come in a wide of range of colors, sizes, and uses. You can have a number of watches for casual days, for athletics, or for fancy nights out. These are just a few among a number of other situations. 

Collecting then becomes an effort to ‘catch them all.’ The fun is completing a collection and having a different watch to fit for every situation and circumstance you can come up with. 

But some collectors at the complete opposite. 

There are many out there who have a fondness for a specific type of watch. Divers, for instance. These collectors have a less broad but much deeper collection, usually focused on collecting as many of one variety of watch as possible. 

Similarly, some collectors might have an affinity for a certain brand or designer. These collectors will pick a brand such as Rolex and attempt to slowly collect every Rolex watch on the market. 

You will have to decide which category you yourself fall into. You might not have a sense yet of what kind of collector you want to be. But beginning to question yourself can provide a more clear path for what your next steps should be. 

What To Buy First 

Even when you set yourself on a specific path, the number of watches on the market can be overwhelming. It can be hard to know where to get started. 

There are some guidelines that can help narrow down your choices and get the ball rolling on your watch collection. 

Love What You Buy

For one, never buy anything that you don’t personally like. Some collectors get in the habit of trying to be completionists and spend money on watches that they feel they ‘should’ own. 

This is a waste of time and money. Never forget that this is your personal collection and each piece you buy should reflect your personal taste. Keeping this in mind can help narrow down extraneous pieces that you might not otherwise have interest in.

Keep It Classy 

Avoid falling prey to fashion trends as well. Trends come and trends go, and a race to keep up with them is likely only to have you fall behind. A watch that is truly high quality should stand the test of time, and not fall out of fashion when trends change. 

Going for the classic and classy look is much more likely to have your collection retain value as the years go by. 

Buy What Works For You 

Don’t forget to keep your personal sense of style in mind too. An extravagant gold watch may be appealing as a purchase. But if you could never find yourself wearing it then it’s probably not a good buy. 

Size falls into the equation here as well. Make sure you’re buying watches that fit your wrist size. Anything too small or too large is likely too look awkward and leave you feeling less than pleased. 

Don’t Prioritize Value Over Happiness

You may be tempted to buy watches that don’t fit your sense of style as an investment in your collection. At the end of the day, an investment in a watch is like any other type of investment: risky and with no guarantee of a payoff. 

You’ll be much happier in the long run if you invest in watches that you enjoy. That way, if they do increase in value over time, it’s a happy bonus to your existing pleasure. 

Do Proper Research 

In any high-value collecting, there are people out there who will try to rip you off. Make sure you do your proper research on sellers before purchasing watches. The industry is filled with plenty of respectable and generous sellers. 

With a little background work, you can ensure that you don’t fall prey to the few bad eggs out there. 

Doing such work is easier now than ever. There’s a variety of resources online filled with recommendations and watchshopping reviews. Confirming the value and validity of a seller is just a quick online search away. 

How To Start Watch Collecting

A beautiful watch collection is something to feel proud of. If you’re just starting down the path of watch collecting, there’s much to learn and many positive adventures in your future. Hopefully, the tips above start you out on the right path. 

Need more ways to jazz up your wardrobe besides watches? Check out our blog for much more information. 

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