What Is the Smartest Thing You've Done in Your Watch Collecting?

[HogwldFLTR]

There's a thread about the dumbest. I'm curious what others feel is there smartest. I believe for me it was early ordering my Sky D. This is my true grail watch and is allowing me to reduce my collection considerably.

[jbachert]

Buying a stainless Daytona in 2002 when it was "only" ~$6k. That seemed like a ton of money and honestly at that point in my life I had other things that I should have put that money towards.....but seeing the price of them now...I am glad I bought it when I did!

[beshannon]

Stop buying so many watches and focus on what I really want rather than what I believ(ed) I need.

"Discipline trumps Conviction" Jim Cramer

[BiH115]

Originally Posted by beshannon

Stop buying so many watches and focus on what I really want rather than what I believ(ed) I need.

I really like that...as I'm growing my Rolex collection I'm definitely being very wary of my choices. Getting what I really want is key, nitpicking as much as possible to get the one I want, instead of having to go in circles.

[KrismanX]

Buying a Casio as my second watch instead of another Rolex I can't afford yet.

[AK797]

Smartest move was getting my grail PM trinity before Brexit price rises here. Only problem is I think I have a quarternity now...

[HogwldFLTR]

Originally Posted by AK797

Smartest move was getting my grail PM trinity before Brexit price rises here. Only problem is I think I have a quarternity now...

Trinity plus one sounds Druidish!!!!

[Wcdhtwn]

I'm not sure it this counts as the smartest, but the best thing I've done is join TRF. I've learned a huge amount about the brand and been able to make well informed decisions on purchases I've made. Granted it's only been two Rolex but two that have been accompanied by zero regret. Also making friends, online and a few in person, has significantly added to the overall enjoyment of collecting. So after writing this down I'm changing my first sentence... getting involved here is the smartest thing I've done collecting watches.

[Chiboy]

Smartest thing I did was buy a Rolex right out of the gate (a year into my first real job). Kept me happy for 30+ years until I discovered this damn place.

Ah, just kidding. I realized I was ready for something different and focused in on the Daytona. No regrets there either.

[SeanE]

After discovering watching and buying a few sub cheaper pieces (all but one of which will continue to get some wrist time once my Tudor arrives), I waited a long time until I had the money for something I really want rather than buy more cheap watches or upgrading into a compromise watch that would prevent me from getting it.

[WEST HAM ROLEX]

Bought a Sub off a caddie at - SUNNINGDALE GC in 1990

Paid him 1000 pounds

Still have it

[Seattle911]

Buying my first Rolex!

[ny_yeti]

Learning from my mistakes.

[r8t3d_M]

Buying a bigger watch box...

[RDK]

Smartest thing was buying my Rolex Explorer.
It made all my other watches "useless", so I sold them.

Bought a Tudor Black Bay within a year after the Explorer too though

[KrismanX]

Originally Posted by Wcdhtwn

I'm not sure it this counts as the smartest, but the best thing I've done is join TRF. I've learned a huge amount about the brand and been able to make well informed decisions on purchases I've made. Granted it's only been two Rolex but two that have been accompanied by zero regret. Also making friends, online and a few in person, has significantly added to the overall enjoyment of collecting. So after writing this down I'm changing my first sentence... getting involved here is the smartest thing I've done collecting watches.

I'm going to go ahead and +1 this response. Best damned resource in the wide world of WIS...That's what www stands for, right?

[dafuture]

Sold all my other pieces and honed in on the ones I really wanted. I figured out pretty quickly that settling wasn't an option for me. Next on the list is a SubC or GMT.

[machob55]

Buying my Rolex Submariner ND as my retirement present to myself after 20 yrs of USN military service! Four Rolex watches later, I still am forever faithful to this brand.

Sent from my R1 HD using Tapatalk

[Colin10101]

Buying my GMT for 6000 CAD right before they spiked in price. Full sets like mine are now going for 9k CAD 2 years later.

[magnetic]

After always wanting a Rolex, saving hard, building a relationship with my AD and getting my ceramic daytona on new years' eve.

[Turpentine]

I purchased a 116500 at MSRP and flipped it a year later for a nice profit.

This put me in the black after years of flipping.

I've also held on to my SD4K w/ no intentions to let that one go.

[yxc145]

JOINING THIS FORUM!!!!! Got a lot of suggestions and help from many members. Thanks TRF. I promised to become a pledge member on 2/1/18.

[Stew7]

The first would be actually wearing my watches. I babied some at first tucking them into my watch box ever so carefully and only wearing occasionally. But when I started wearing them all more regularly, I actually appreciated them more.

Second would be not limiting my selection to Rolex - there are lots of great brands out there to be appreciated. If you really love a watch, resale value should be the last thing you care about.

[Superburrito]

Smartest thing I did was to educate myself about watches, by reading forums, watch magazines and websites. The watch-owning experience is so much better when you make smart buying decisions...you get something that is right for you, and you get something that is (hopefully) desirable in the resale market.

[LuminousMaximus]

[hambone1983]

there's something smart about watch collecting??

I doubt this is very smart, but the event that's led to the most enjoyment is I stopped fighting myself over it, telling myself it's a colossal waste of money, caring what others might think, etc. So much more rewarding since then.

[NeoAnderson]

Buying a sd4000 over the subC

[sensui]

Learning to be content and take a break from watch buying.

[mahefa]

Understanding that all leads to a grail. You cant avoid it. So if grail is earned, it should be bought as soon as possible to complete at least a bit :)

[stockae92]

The smartest thing I've done in my watch collecting is to get an (decent) education, work (semi) hard, and not having a car payment for 8 years. That $500-600 a month for 8 years goes a long way in watches :)