Are you a collector or a connoisseur?

[Fat_ninja]

I’ve been debating with my friend PAm66


What’s the difference? I personally think that most of us are hobbyist/connoisseurs of finer watches/things. Collecting in production watches doesn’t feel very collectorish if that’s a word.

Guys I respect as collectors are guys that chase down vintage references vs guys like me that can access watches.


Maybe I’m wrong just how I feel.


Are you a collector or a connoisseur? Is there a distinction?

[Aquaman]

oooooo good question

i buy watches i like to wear and keep , but cant lie would love it to go up in value, i have some which has and some not so, but still love them equally the same

[pam66]

i got into watches because my wife forbad me to waste more money on cars. so i found myself a hobby that guarantees more stability of value.
am i a collector? not in the real sense of the word although i do like my watches a lot.

[golfski]

Definitely a connoisseur and do think there is a distinction. Though I could see how being a connoisseur could lead to becoming a collector over time.

Even though I am not a collector, I do have a ‘collection’ of watches

[BigAppleBill]

I think of myself as an enthusiast and collector. I only buy watches I really like. But I don’t have unlimited resources to buy indiscriminately. When I’m considering dropping five figures on a watch, you’d better believe that value and an educated prediction of future value play a part in whether I pull the trigger. And there are certain pieces in my collection I wear sparingly or save for wearing on special occasions because of how condition effects their value. Though there is one particular five figure watch, a ref 116509, that I love and wear almost on the daily without regard for scratches, dents and dings.

[ts3]

In my simple world collecting implies that somebody is in the business of amassing assets, be it watches, cars, whatever... and hopefully in a tasteful and knowledgable manner...

I am no collector type but more of an enthusiast as I am happy w a handful of nice watches max, one car, and one bike handpicked down to the very last Ti and Al bolt. Other toys such as boats or planes I just rent when I want to sail or fly. I rather enjoy being able to and knowing how to use stuff. Owning and maintaining a ton of pretty much anything feels like a burden to me more than anything else.

[Humble michael]

I would like to think of myself as an aspiring Horologist. My son and I even went to a seminar put on by the “New York Horological Society”. They gave us each a working timepiece which we completely dismantled done to the last screw and bridge. We then were taught how to re- assemble and when I nervously put in the last piece ( balance wheel) An amazing thing happened- it started ticking! Back from the dead. I could never be a watch maker but now have a profound respect and love for fine timepieces.:-)

[Fat_ninja]

Originally Posted by james272

I would like to think of myself as an aspiring Horologist. My son and I even went to a seminar put on by the “New York Horological Society”. They gave us each a working timepiece which we completely dismantled done to the last screw and bridge. We then were taught how to re- assemble and when I nervously put in the last piece ( balance wheel) An amazing thing happened- it started ticking! Back from the dead. I could never be a watch maker but now have a profound respect and love for fine timepieces.:-)

Somehow. I see you’ve already wrenched on ur Ferrari and bently

[Humble michael]

Here we are in class- highly recommend it

[Humble michael]

Originally Posted by Fat_ninja

Somehow. I see you’ve already wrenched on ur Ferrari and bently

Naw in days past but not anymore Ha! Too old to be turning wrenches :-/

[ufboy73]

I think the distinction is driven more by intent - the collector views acquisition within some form of collective or holistic purpose...there is specific intent, meaning, and holistic paradigm placed on an incremental piece joining the ‘collection’.

There is correlation between vintage and collections but not in absolute terms...a collector may acquire a modern day piece but would have that intent/meaning/inherent purpose to it, within the context of pieces they already have.

Anyway, thats how i think about collecting vs just buying a watch you like lol

[Bearxj86]

I am neither. I think I am more of a dragon. Sit on the loot.

[Fat_ninja]

Originally Posted by bearxj86

I am neither. I think I am more of a dragon. Sit on the loot.

U so silly...


Everyone knows dragons are not real...pffftt

[timepieceluvr]

I like watches. My neighborhood has a moratorium - No connoisseurs allowed


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[steeevvvooo]

Feels like many people on TRF are neither collector nor connoisseurs, more like accumulators :)

"Collector" applies more to vintage in my mind as you say in the original post.

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[GB-man]

Connoisseur. I don't feel the urge to keep pieces forever or accumulate.

[Ichiran]

I just googled for the definition of connoisseur, and google says "an expert judge in matters of taste."

When taste is concerned, I'm unashamedly a connoisseur.

[Daytonaman799]

I think I’m both. When it comes to Rolex I am a collector and want rare watches that generally were made for specific things, were issued or made available on a very limited basis. For PP, I think I’m more of a connoisseur where it is the design and style that draws me in if that makes any sense.

[hgg43c]

art collector
watch connoisseur

[TJMike]

Neither. I am a junkie.

[benlee]

I will describe myself more as a hoarder. I hate selling my watches. But then I eventually get bored with some of them and has to sell it to free up cash. What I do when I start to feel bored about a watch is stash it away or do a strap change or send for service.

As for collecting hard to get pieces, there's a certain kind of thrill to land with a hard to get piece. But this wears off eventually as well.

[PPFANBOY]

Enthusiast.
I buy what I like and keep it as long as I like it. I think a collector has to have every piece available just so they can satisfy a certain itch.

Don't really care if they go up/down in value either as I don't see them as an investment (I invest my money in better ways). If they go up in value when I sell them, great, if they go down, that's the cost of my enjoyment, also fine.

[WatchLurv]

Hobbyist.

Collecting (and maybe flipping) is a hobby for me. Albeit expensive one, I have true passion and love for it.

[Russell996]

Neither, I think most of us are aficionado's

collector
noun
a person who collects things of a specified type, professionally or as a hobby.

connoisseur
noun
an expert judge in matters of taste.

aficionado
noun
a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime.


What's the difference between a connoisseur and an aficionado?
An aficionado is someone that is passionate. Passion like beauty is in the eyes of the beholder but a connoisseur is something very different. A connoisseur is an expert judge in matters of taste. There is a difference between having passion (aficionado) and being an expert judge (connoisseur).

[chunkythebulldog]

Surely a third category is required.

Watch Speculator

[Aquaman]

Originally Posted by chunkythebulldog

Surely a third category is required.

Watch Speculator

I'm that case you could add a 4th

the dreaded FLIPPER

[pam66]

Originally Posted by chunkythebulldog

Surely a third category is required.

Watch Speculator

chunky,
apparently it does not end there. here we have bag flippers, watch flippers, car flippers, jewelry flippers.
maybe i should get into old whiskeys. i read that some lagavulins can be very valuable in two to three hundred years....
need to get into the hermes bag and whiskey forums now....off i go take pics of my wife's bags and my whiskey bottles to prepare.
as a side note, i still want to get on the next level with my PP collection. not for flipping obviously, (almost) no one buys dress watches these days.

[pam66]

forgot to say, i'll be at a PP factory tour this week. maybe they turn me into a real watch collector or, as dane suggested, they publicly castigate me for having sold PPs in the past and ban me from future buying into the brand.

[MilesB]

I consider myself a connoisseur rather than a collector. I buy the watches I like the look of and want to wear. I don't try to 'complete a set' or prioritise retaining value over a reference I prefer.

But it is getting to the stage where I'm beginning to have more watches than I can wear on a regular basis. If I keep some I like, but stop wearing them, I guess I start to drift into collector territory. Specifically a couple of Rolex sports models that I loved when I got them, but now I feel I see them on everyone's wrist, but I don't want to sell them.

[Fat_ninja]

Originally Posted by pam66

chunky,
apparently it does not end there. here we have bag flippers, watch flippers, car flippers, jewelry flippers.
maybe i should get into old whiskeys. i read that some lagavulins can be very valuable in two to three hundred years....
need to get into the hermes bag and whiskey forums now....off i go take pics of my wife's bags and my whiskey bottles to prepare.
as a side note, i still want to get on the next level with my PP collection. not for flipping obviously, (almost) no one buys dress watches these days.

5372P? Ohh that be sexy