Hoarder - 26 watches - seeking advice on reducing my collection

[Jason36]

Nice collection

[benlee]

Nice collection OP

I hog too. But I try to rotate as much as possible.

[1William]

For me it would be too much to have so many watches. I have had 17 watches within the last few months and have gone down to 12 with the thought being 7-8. I would trade or sell the watches that are being worn or I don't feel special about and replace them with watch that I do. A true grail or two should take up a lot of value and numbers.

[Phrank]

Nice collection OP....and if you don't feel like selling them and keeping them to admire - then that's what you should do.

I am also a collector of vintage and antique straight razors, and also learned to shave with them, I use my collection. Having said that, I know many collectors that would never dream of using anything they buy - they are for viewing only, and as the saying goes - whatever floats your boat.

If you get enjoyment from spending the occasional lunch hour spending time with your collection, absolutely continue to do so.

In terms of selling, if you don't have to, figure some other option to store them, as one day, sooner or maybe later, you suddenly may decide that you now wish to also enjoy your collection by wearing them, and what a nice variety of choices you'll have.

Beautiful collection by the way, love the spreadsheet, and ultimately, this is your collection, do what makes you happy!

[ap1]

That’s a lot of unworn stuff - wear or out I say

[Chiboy]

You are lucky that you aren't hamstrung by only getting watches that fit you well size-wise. Get whatever you would like to see in your collection!

[joshua182]

awesome collection. i also spreadsheet my watches and felt like a weirdo until i saw this

[GB-man]

You got to start wearing those man. Sell everything you don’t love for starters. Then start wearing the ones you love. Start with something like the aquanaut and eventually when a scratch happens you’ll get over it. Then a few months later break out another one.

[jon_jon]

Nice collection of Patek, Rolex and other watch brands!

As for Patek, a PC for your next watch is a great decision. Many Patek collectors will start going after the more complicated pieces. Then the next step would be to get the application pieces or LE pieces. But this will take time.

Although you have 6 nice Pateks, there are many mega-collectors in HKG who will likely get allocated these special pieces. My guess is that you will probably need to purchase a PCC from an AD before a HKG AD puts you on a list for a 5131 or other LE pieces. The good thing is that since HKG has a huge market for pre-owned watches, if money is not a major concern, you can purchase the LE watches pre-owned on the secondary market.

Look forward to seeing how your collection evolves over time

[watchbowl]

Scratches are one of the things that come with wearing Pateks. Why not flip the ones you don’t wear for ceramic Rolex’s?

[metdrdg]

As others have said sell the ones you don’t like. Especially the ones you’ve never worn. With the exception of the Daytona the other Rolexes and Panerais probably won’t appreciate more than their current value.

[avilhena]

I see that you have a lot of watches (rolex and pam) that you dont wear and dont like. Why keep it then? If I were you I would sell all the watches that you dont like. There is no point in keeping something that does not pleases you.

[lapince]

Originally Posted by qrc36

WHAT MY FRIENDS SAY
They call me a hoarder, rightly so.

They tell me I'm a bad person because I just buy watches and lock them away. They feel sorry for my watches that are lying in the safe deposit box, unloved and unworn. They say it's a waste that many of the watches have never been worn after leaving the shop.

They tell me to keep the watches with sentimental value, and sell the ones that I've never worn and will never wear.

Your friends are right except for the part to sel the ones you never wore, please don't sell the 5712, it is such an amazing watch to wear or just to look at if wearing is not your thing.

Honestly I can't even begin to imagine having all those nice watches and not wearing them at all, the Nautilus you have and Aquanaut are so nice to wear I can't even comprehend not wearing them, I am not happy when I have unworn watches, even if it's watches I love if I am not wearing them they need to go.

But ok let's say you don't want to wear them, your list says many of them don't bring you any pleasure, well start by selling those at first, and you should really try to wear your PP, they are amazing to wear, and try to force yourself to every 2 weeks put the 2 you have at home in the bank and take out 2 others. It would kill me to have all your watches not being worn, really

Anyways just sell the ones that you don't like anymore and see from there

[qrc36]

Thanks all of you for the input! I guess I'll sell off the ones that I don't really enjoy (especially the Milgauss / Sea dweller / Daytona / Explorer I and the Panerai ...)

I really do find my collection excessive but the purchases seemed right at the time ...

As for my PP, they just look so nice in their pristine condition and I'm just happy to own them and keep them in the safe. I might start wearing the AP Royal Oak first as a daily watch.

I will definitely not sell my PP collection. The 5711 / 5712 / 5726 trio (in white - blue - grey) are my dream trio and they look so nice side by side in my watch roll!

[mnl]

Originally Posted by qrc36

Thanks all of you for the input! I guess I'll sell off the ones that I don't really enjoy (especially the Milgauss / Sea dweller / Daytona / Explorer I and the Panerai ...)

I really do find my collection excessive but the purchases seemed right at the time ...

As for my PP, they just look so nice in their pristine condition and I'm just happy to own them and keep them in the safe. I might start wearing the AP Royal Oak first as a daily watch.

I will definitely not sell my PP collection. The 5711 / 5712 / 5726 trio (in white - blue - grey) are my dream trio and they look so nice side by side in my watch roll!

Since you mention that money is no object, maybe you could buy a second Aquanaut or whatever after you sell the ones that you don’t enjoy. That way you can have the current one just in the safe all the time and then start getting used to wearing one of them. After that maybe you’ll enjoy wearing it more and maybe move on to wearing some of the others you never wear without having to buy a second of everything? haha

[avilhena]

Originally Posted by mnl

Since you mention that money is no object, maybe you could buy a second Aquanaut or whatever after you sell the ones that you don’t enjoy. That way you can have the current one just in the safe all the time and then start getting used to wearing one of them. After that maybe you’ll enjoy wearing it more and maybe move on to wearing some of the others you never wear without having to buy a second of everything? haha

I think this is a good idea! I know a collector that always buy 2 identical watches, one to store and one to wear.

[Peterandwatches]

There's a lot of "collector" boxes ticked - like a Speedmaster, Reverso, VC for the holy trinity, but I would thinking about shifting to a more high end focus. Perhaps reshuffle the bottom third and look into independent brands too. A KV, LF, or Journe certainly belongs in your safety box museum.

Those are some fantastic watches.

[tonupbklyn]

interesting, virtually all SS.

[tng11]

Seems like a waste to hoard pieces and not wear them - I'm the exact opposite, pieces I love, I ensure they get the maximum amount of wrist time possible. Yes, the first scratch or two hurts badly, but then I get over them. I don't get the idea of buying watches and never wearing them. Anything that doesn't make it into rotation at least once every two weeks, that's a pretty sure fire sign to sell for me. I don't hold on to pieces for speculation or hoping prices will go up.

[Wahlberg]

I love how honest you and your friends are.

Sell everything you don't like or wear anymore, so you keep a few watches and all your Pateks. Easily reduces half of your collection, then start wearing those Pateks.

[Ichiran]

Originally Posted by tng11

Seems like a waste to hoard pieces and not wear them - I'm the exact opposite, pieces I love, I ensure they get the maximum amount of wrist time possible. Yes, the first scratch or two hurts badly, but then I get over them. I don't get the idea of buying watches and never wearing them. Anything that doesn't make it into rotation at least once every two weeks, that's a pretty sure fire sign to sell for me. I don't hold on to pieces for speculation or hoping prices will go up.

I think it's alright. I have friends who also treat nice watches like oil paintings. They feel satisfied just looking at them on the wall/watchbox.

It's almost akin to treating watches like a piece of fine art for admiration.

[Trailboss516]

What about getting a Roger Dubuis, Richard Mille, or Greubel Forsey to shake things up a bit?

[lapince]

Originally Posted by tng11

Seems like a waste to hoard pieces and not wear them - I'm the exact opposite, pieces I love, I ensure they get the maximum amount of wrist time possible. Yes, the first scratch or two hurts badly, but then I get over them. I don't get the idea of buying watches and never wearing them. Anything that doesn't make it into rotation at least once every two weeks, that's a pretty sure fire sign to sell for me. I don't hold on to pieces for speculation or hoping prices will go up.

I feel exactly like you do, but I guess we are all different, I could understand getting a Grand Master Chime and not wearing it, just looking at it and playing with it from time to time, but that would probably be the only watch I would not wear, all the others need to be worn...

[Sonzy]

Nice collection

[qrc36]

Thanks for the input! I'm concentrating on PP for now, but the AP Royal Oak Perpetual, Lange Saxonia moonphase and Lange Zeitwerk really appeal to me too.

I'll most likely sell the watches that I don't really like anymore and use that cash to buy the AP/Lange ...

As for PP I've bought 2 annual calendars this year and so I'll pause a bit before putting my name down for the 5740 next year.

My AD keeps telling me to put my name down for the 5711 blue (which doesn't appeal to me that much actually - I got the white one because it looks much better) - they say I can get it "very quickly" ... but at the current inflated price makes me much prefer using that money to fund the 5740!

[AK797]

Originally Posted by Ichiran

I think it's alright. I have friends who also treat nice watches like oil paintings. They feel satisfied just looking at them on the wall/watchbox.

It's almost akin to treating watches like a piece of fine art for admiration.

It is alright and we all get some collectors are like this, but it is against the spirit of this proactive and interactive "wearers" forum, so there will be some blowback to this idea, if we all did the same this forum wouldn't last ten minutes but at least we wouldn't have all the - what about this nickname threads?

[codecow]

I’d thin that out starting with Panerai, then Rolex.

[lapince]

Don't get the 5711 blue if you don't like it, strange your AD is pushing you to get it, I would think he has enough clients wanting to get one, anyways don't get what you don't want, but please try to wear them a little, kills me knowing that all these watches are not being worn lol

[karasus]

Originally Posted by qrc36

WHAT I WANT TO GET NEXT
I am planning on getting the PP 5740 Nautilus white gold perpetual calendar for my 40th birthday in 2020, which my AD says won't be a problem. They even offered to get me on the first shipment but I told myself no more PP for 2018!

Any ideas on what other PP I should have my sights on? I have been thinking of getting the 5726 (white dial) even though I already have the grey dial, 5164, and 5230. But perhaps I'll just focus on the 5740 (and its big price tag).

I also quite like the AP 26574 steel perpetual calendar with blue or silver dial.

Also promised myself (and my personal trainer) to get the Lange Saxonia Moonphase when (and if) I lose 20 pounds. I quite like the Lange Zeitwerk too apart from the price tag.


WHAT I WANT ADVICE ON
Money is really not that big of an issue. I don't need to sell any watches to raise cash for the 5740 / 26574 / Lange. But my collection is growing too large and I am starting to feel bad for the watches that I no longer really like and will never wear.

Oh and I'm running out of space in my bank safe deposit box ... in HK it's hard to get another one as there are long waiting lists for them (real estate is scarce here!)

I will not sell any of my PP watches ... even though I have no plans to wear any of them. I just enjoy looking at them at the bank safe at lunchtime.

So have a look at the list in the post below - would it make sense to sell some of them, and if so - which ones? I have no clue about current market prices for second hand watches.

Oh god, I have 6 watches and I feel that I have too many.

From my personal opinion, I could do with just 3 watches from my collection: (PP)5712A + (AP)15300ST + GMT. I like to think of it as a strategy of picking three watches that best represents much of the wristwatch design and history. 5712A's moonphase is for representing traditional complications (annual calendar or perp could do too). 15300ST is simple timeless design. GMT for modern complications, as GMT type watches became mainly popular with air travel.

[SL BRABUS]

To the OP....

Nice watch collection.....

Since you tell me about yourself and all the posted that you mention......

I say go for a full blown Patek Philippe grand complications such as minute repeater or Celestial moon age, or tourbillon.....